2015 : Finding Peace in the Impending Chaos

January 19, 2015January 19, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

I love Sarah’s 2015 resolutions, don’t you? Such a perfect blend of goals to improve her body, mind, and spirit, while thinking about others too. I’ve set a few resolutions for the coming year, but mine are a bit more modest, because if there’s anything I’ve learned since Little A came along, it’s that I’m not always the one steering this ship, and that’s ok.

Over the past couple of years I would come up with a long list of specific goals and resolutions, and then be woefully disappointed when I realized how few I accomplished. So this year, I tried to keep it simple, most of these are goals that easily integrate into my daily life ~ I’m already mothering, so why not try to do it with more grace? I’m taking photos every day; let’s make them better. As I was writing this post, I couldn’t help but also share a few of my pipe dreams ~ I didn’t declare these as resolutions when Calder and I were sharing our goals for the year, but secretly, it would be awesome if I woke up tomorrow with some kicka$$ leg muscles.

Personal

Find peace when surrounded by chaos. Anyone who spends time with a little kid, or at least our little nugget, knows that it can be chaotic. There’s the awesome, mess-making, creative chaos, and then there’s the screaming/moaning, what-the-heck-does-he-want chaos. Over the past two years there were moments when I would get frustrated because I wanted a bit of peace and quiet, but there’s nothing like a baby to remind you that you can’t always get what you want, and that even if the world around me feels chaotic, I can take a deep breath and use it to center myself and approach the situation with a calmness and peaceful demeanor (i.e. get what I need). I realize that with two little guys, the chaos will only grow, and so I’m entering this year with the intention of maintaining a calm presence. I’m well aware that this chaotic baby phase will pass quickly, but also that my attitude while mothering the little guys is so important; I want to be able to look back and be proud of how I interacted with them and Calder even during those weeks of no sleep, piles of diapers, and delivery pizza for dinner.
Change up my wardrobe and jewelry. I love my closet of clothes and am so happy when I put together a good outfit, but I often find myself reaching for the same outfits fresh from the dryer. This week I straightened up my closet and my jewelry is visibly hanging on my bedroom wall, so there’s nothing stopping me from putting together a good combo when we’re leaving the house.

Craft

We are a bread-loving house, living off of the sourdough loafs from Whole Foods. While they are delicious and we won’t stop buying them anytime soon, I would love to perfect my bread baking. This comes with the added challenges of wanting to bake with whole grains, living in a dryer climate, and at a high altitude. I’m looking at it as a fun science experiment for the year, and I’m going to start with this recipe.
Improve the lighting in my photographs. Up until this point, I relied on whatever natural light I could find, but wasn’t always happy with the results. Our sister Kris gave me this reflector set for Christmas, so I’m starting there and with these tips.

Work

With the second little guy arriving this spring, I’m taking a big step back from my previous job, and while I love the full-time baby care, I know that I’m happiest when I’m still pursuing some work projects. So, I’m hoping that this will be the year that I finally turn some of my knitting and other creative pursuits into paid projects. This may be as simple as publishing a few patterns. You know that I love to give them away, but I wouldn’t mind being compensated for some of the more challenging patterns that I’ve created.
The second goal in this category relates directly to a few projects that Calder has up his sleeve. He’s developing a few apps for the iPhone, and we’ve begun to work together on their design and features; it’s something we’re both excited to see continue and grow this year.

Pipe Dreams

… because if I’m magically able to make these things happen amid the chaos and the bread baking and the new work pursuits, then I’m a magician.

More camping. Nothing makes me feel more at peace than a weekend in the woods. Luckily everyone in the family loves it too. Our only challenge is planning the trips and getting out of the house.
Firmer thighs. I’m moving all day, and I feel like I’m getting exercise, but what I’m missing are intense sessions that target my legs. I would love a combination of running and yoga, but I’d like to do both without the little guys in tow. Scheduling that time is the challenge.
Stay organized. I’m happy with the organization of my craft supplies, the kitchen, and the house in general, but it’s easy to fall into periods of laziness where things don’t get put back in their place (sometimes for months). I know that I’m more efficient and the whole house runs better when I put things away, so that’s the goal.
Send more surprise packages. Now that we live so far away from many of our friends and family members, I would love to use the mail to stay in touch. It can be hard to find the time for phone calls (baby chaos is the theme of this post), but it makes me so happy to put together a package and send it off. I would be happy if I could send holiday cards and birthday packages this year.

Boy oh boy, the whole process of setting resolutions makes me excited for the year ahead. What about you? Do you have any resolutions? We would love to hear them, and I’m sure we’ll continue to share our progress throughout the year. Happy 2015!!!

Easy Peasy Creamy Chicken Soup

January 15, 2015January 21, 2019 by Sarah | 2 Comments

Why is it so damn easy?! Here’s why: It only takes a handful of ingredients, most of which are probably in your fridge or pantry already. It’s a one-pot meal. It all comes together in twenty minutes. No fibbing here!

Creamy Chicken Soup Ingredients:

two TBSP olive oil OR butter
one onion, chopped
two celery stalks, chopped
three big carrots, chopped
one cooked chicken breast, shredded
1/3 cup of flour
three cups chicken broth (or two cups chicken broth and one cup mushroom broth)
three cups milk
one cup peas, cooked
salt, pepper and thyme to taste

Creamy Chicken Soup Instructions:

Heat olive oil or butter in a big soup pot over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onions, carrots and celery. Sauté until onions are clear and veggies are soft.
Add the shredded chicken and mix.
Toss in a third cup of flour. Mix all the ingredients so the flour coats everything.
Add three cups of broth. I always use bouillon to make a tasty stock, but this time I also added some mushroom broth.
Add three cups of milk and mix. Watch the soup and stir occasionally. After about five minutes the broth will thicken.
Add a cup of cooked peas (I used frozen!) and a bunch of salt, pepper and thyme.

Crowd pleaser, am I right?

New Year, New Goals.

January 14, 2015January 14, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Happy New Year! I finally got around to thinking about goals for this trip around the sun. Each year I make a whole host of goals and if I feel like I’m slacking, I make mini new moon resolutions too! Fingers crossed that I abide by this list in 2015.

Establishing a daily routine is of PRIME importance this year. I work as a freelance photographer so most days I’m at home editing photos or simply taking a day off. I find I get a bit anxious and unhappy if I’m just ‘sitting around’ all day even if I’m doing something I enjoy like reading or cooking. I’ve read that ‘happy’ people often have morning and/or daily routines. What about you? What do you do when you roll out of bed?
Ugh. The subject of sleep. I love sleep SO much. I could sleep at least 16 hours a day and often times I do sleep eleven or twelve hours a night. Why am I complaining, right? Well, most times I wake up feeling lousy instead of well rested. I feel like I’m wasting the day and the last few hours of slumber are usually punctuated by alarms and crazy dreams anyway. On that same note, I think creating a regular sleep pattern will help with my overall health. Hopefully I’ll feel more energetic and ‘ready’ to go in the morning even though I only need to cross the hallway to get to work.
I finally made a budget. I’m sure some of you have had budgets for years and others want to go run and hide at the mention of it, but I’m pretty excited about it. I’m extremely thrifty and therefore I always have enough money for the essentials, but I realized it is important to know how much you’re spending and saving each month. When I travel I write down EVERYTHING, like every single thing, that I purchase and it is so helpful. I can see how much I spend in each sphere of life, which is really helpful for future planning and squashing buyer’s remorse. Budgets are also super, duper helpful if you are a freelancer like me. It is easy to sit back and relax and kind of slack off for a couple weeks, but if you have an earnings goal you’ll actually know if taking a few days off is a good idea.

Make soup once a week! Possibly my most favorite goal of all time. I’ve been wayyyyy into soups lately. They’re so easy to make, usually only take one pot and they reheat so well. Some of the tastier soups will be featured on the blog so sit tight 🙂
I need to camp more often. This year I went for a bajillion day hikes. I probably averaged four or five a week, but I only camped out a couple times. In 2013 I slept in a tent for over three months! The disparity is insane, so I plan on fixing that. Oh and I got an AMAZING new tent for Christmas.
I think I’ve had more yoga and meditation on my goal list every year since 2011. Last year, I started strong in January by practicing 27 days in a row, but on the 28th day I came down with mono. That was a big bummer and definitely signaled that I need to practice more, but also pay attention to what my body needs. This year I plan on doing all that and traveling to Nepal to become a yoga teacher! I’m over the moon about my yoga-centric trip.
I spend a lot of time on Instagram. I used to feel guilty about it, but then I remembered my professors were always saying something like, ‘look at photos, decide why you love them and go out and shoot.’ Now I think of my IG habit as an investment in my work! I see so many beautifully styled photos on my feed and I realized I want to create some of my own. I’m a trained photojournalist so I was taught not to manipulate the scene at hand, but now that I have a blog those rules are out the window.
I have at least four books started at all times. My goal for the year is to read at least two a month, which shouldn’t be too hard, but we shall see. What are your favorite books?! What do I absolutely need to read?
I feel like I’m pretty good at taking time to get inspired. I have at least a dozen ideas floating around in my brain at all times, but I completely fail to write them down. If I don’t write them down, I usually forget them and a majority of the time I never act on them.. I have a ton of cute notebooks and this year I’m puttin’ em to work!

Guys! Podcasts! I’ve been listening to them for years, but these past few months I’ve really started to nail down some favorites, which makes driving an absolute breeze! No idea what the hell a podcast is or how to listen to them? It is SO simple, which is why I want to tell everyone! Podcasts are basically episodes of radio shows. You simply subscribe to each one by going to their websites or subscribing in iTune or the Google Play Store. Once you subscribe they will show up on your device without you doing a damn thing! (Go on and google it, you know you wanna) Over the past few weeks I have driven approximately 2,705 miles. Actually, more than that, but whatever, that’s a lot of miles. During those drives I listened to just about every Freakonomics podcast and lots of Stuff You Should Know, That’s Deep Bro, This American Life, Your Mom’s House, and a bunch of others. Find your favorites and enjoy your time in the car. Stop scanning the awful pop radio, please!
These next two goals seem relatively simple. Gather my friends at my house and listen to what they are saying. Doesn’t it feel good to get something off your chest? Don’t be that friend that only calls for that reason, be the one that calls for no reason at all 🙂 If you’re any friend of mine, you know that I hate the phone. I hate dialing, hate answering, just hate it, so this goal will be a test for me, but I’m hoping I’m successful. I realize, gathering friends at my house is kind of a test for others, but if you fail you’ll still get a phone call and a sticker 😉

Say #NOPE to self-inflicted guilt, external expectations and silly societal norms. I don’t think this needs too much explaining, it is basically an ~~excuse~~ goal of mine to be easier on myself. Please, please, please adopt this goal too. I need to constantly remind myself that others’ paths are not my own and that is fine. I’m vowing to focus on mine this year, but LOTS and lots of luck on your journey too!
Be mindful. Think big. Act with intention. This will be my daily mantra and again, it’s just another step to self love so if you’re ready, get on the love train with me 😉
Am I living a balanced life? Am I taking care of myself? Am I following my inner voice? Personally, these are all important questions concerning my individual happiness. You may have another set of questions. I’m urging you to figure out what YOU need to ask yourself in order to start living a happier and healthier life. Although we post lots of recipes, crafting and adventures on Live Seasoned, you may have guessed that our daily lives are not always pumpkin pies and snowshoeing. We sift through the muck of daily living too and for me sometimes it’s a struggle. These few questions bring me right back to square one and basically force myself to identify why I’m feeling just so so. Find your own set of questions. Be honest with you and remember, “Our first and last love is self love.” so be a better lover!

We are interested to hear if you made any resolutions this year or if you’re anti-resolutions, tell us more! Xo

Welcome January!

January 12, 2015 by Katie | Leave a comment

Typically, on the first Wednesday of each month we like to pause and take a look at what’s going on in the world around us, with a particular focus on animal activity, celestial events, and our farmers’ fields, but our January’s off to the most fantastic slow and lazy start, so excuse us for this delayed post!

Baby it’s cold outside. so. so. cold. At least that’s the case on the East Coast where we’re being hit with an Arctic cold front that’s bringing the coldest temperatures of the winter so far and setting records. We’re considering ourselves lucky that we woke up to single digit positive and not negative temps the past few days. Bundling up to go outside got us thinking about all the non-migratory animals and their strategies for surviving the long, cold winter. So, we’ll be exploring that today along with this month’s celestial events and a touch of what’s planned for our kitchens this month.

Earth and Sky

There are a number of different strategies that non-migratory animals use to survive the winter. In addition to the freezing temperatures, these animals are also faced with low food supplies and little to no water. Some mammals will hibernate, finding or creating a safe space where they will hunker down, reduce their metabolic activity, thereby lowering their body temperature, and wait out the winter. Some reptiles will bruminate, going into their own form of dormancy that’s similar to hibernation. Other animals will remain relatively active, living off of the food supplies they stored the previous winter.

Black Bears

Growing up in the woods of central PA, we are well aware of the local bears’ annual cycle. Catching glimpses of them in the fields and woods during the summer, knowing that they were gorging on food in the fall to build up their fat supplies, thinking of them “sleeping” the winter away, and then seeing that they raided the bird feeders in early spring when they are starving for food and in need of an easy meal. The bears typically hibernate for 3-5 months, and during this time they don’t eat, drink, urinate, or defecate.

The black bear’s method of hibernation is atypical in that they do not lower their body temperature as far as many other mammals, but they are still able to lower their metabolic rate by up to 75%. Their heart rate can fall from an average of 40-50 beats per minute down to 8! Because their body temperature doesn’t fall, the bears are able to remain relatively alert and may take advantage of relatively mild winters by leaving their den to forage. The bears may lose 25-40% of their body weight over the winter, using their stored fat to meet their nutrient and water needs, but surprisingly, they do not lose much muscle over this period. Since the bears are not urinating or defecating over the winter, they are able to process the nitrogen in their waste and use it to build lean muscle mass.

During this month or next, pregnant females will give birth to their young. The baby bears weigh less than a pound when born. They won’t open their eyes or begin walking for over another month, and even then they will weigh less than two pounds!

Beavers

Beavers are an example of a mammal that doesn’t migrate or hibernate, instead it remains relatively active and relies on food it stockpiles for the season.

Every fall with the return of frost, beavers begin preparing their dens for winter. They add a fresh coating of mud to their dens. The mud freezes with the colder temperatures, creating a solid barrier against predators. While preparing their dens, they are also gathering sticks and logs for their winter food supply. Beavers are herbivores, feeding off the tender underbark of Aspens, Willow, Birch, and Maple along with other aquatic plants. The beavers are able to leave their dens through underwater openings, giving them access to their food supply even when their pond is frozen.

Gray Tree Frog

Unlike the bears and beavers we’ve mentioned, many frogs have a very unique method for surviving the winter. The gray tree frog bruminates, which is often called hibernation, but involves different metabolic processes. As cold weather approaches, the frogs burrow under roots and leaves. As the temperatures drop below freezing, ice crystals will form under the frog’s skin, and in their bladder and body cavity, but not in their vital organs! A high concentration of glucose in their organs acts as an antifreeze protecting them until spring. When frozen, the frogs will also stop breathing and their heart will stop beating. Once the warmer temperatures of spring arrive, their bodies will thaw and their organs will begin functioning again. {amaze.balls.}

Sky

The January skies are quiet! We’re posting this so late in the month that we’ve already missed the Quadrantids Meteor Shower on the 3rd and 4th as well as the full moon on the 5th. But hey, there’s a new moon coming up on January 20th, and the dark skies will be a great time to bundle up and do some winter stargazing.

Fun Fact : many moons ago (heehee), we talked about the names given to the full moons. While researching today’s post, we learned about another name for the January full moon ~ the Bear Moon, because this is often the month when the hibernating bears give birth.

Fields and Festivals

While many farmers’ fields may be For us it’s going to be a month of eating like the beavers; digging into the potatoes, squash, and other hardy winter veggies that we’ve stockpiled from our farmshare. I’m sure there will be many soups, but Sarah just gave me the cookbook Plenty for Christmas, so I’m excited to do some experimenting with our vegetable dishes. I’m also armed with a new pressure cooker and our pantry full of dried beans, because, you know, they’re good for your heart. On the fruit front, we’ll still be eating piles of oranges and indulging in the final weeks of pomegranate season!

It seems like the whole world slows down in January. We didn’t see any amazing festivals or holidays on the horizon, but maybe we’re missing something? Do you know of any?

We’re planning on indulging in the quiet darkness of this month. Spending plenty of evenings in front of the fire, catching up on our reading, and planning for the coming year. We hope this month affords you the same mellow moments.

Black bear in grass found here. Black bear and cub found here.

Beaver lodge found here. Adult beaver found here.

Frozen tree frog image found here.

Snowshoeing in the Rockies II

January 8, 2015January 18, 2016 by Katie | Leave a comment

This is Alex’s second winter and the second year that we took the little guy out on a snowshoeing adventure during our Christmas break. If you like to get outside for exercise and have a little one that’s too small for many winter sports but is happy to be bundled up and spend a bit of time out in the cold, then this is a great family winter activity!

In our case, Alex is still too little to ski and pregnancy is limiting my options this year, but snowshoeing is the one outdoor activity that we can all do (other than our many, many walks around the neighborhood pulling the little guy in his sled!).

Planning for an afternoon snowshoeing adventure is relatively simple:

Special equipment. You’ll obviously need a pair of snowshoes. A good pair can be a bit expensive, but will provide years of entertainment if you like going out. On the other hand, there are only a few sizes of snowshoe, based upon the wearer’s weight, so why not borrow or rent a pair before buying your own?
Got your gators? If the snow’s particularly deep and fluffy, then you may want to wear a pair of gators. On this trip, Calder’s wearing gators, while I have a pair of tall boots; both work well.
We suggest dressing in layers ~ it may be cold outside, but it’s likely that you’ll quickly build up some body heat with each step, so you’ll want to be prepared to unzip and possibly take off your outer layer.
Plan on carrying little ones. As you can see, last year we were a bit more prepared for the adventure, using a proper baby carrier. This year, we forgot all carriers in our packing frenzy (rushing to get on the road before a Christmas day winter storm). BUT we had this regular old backpack, and, much to my surprise, Alex was more than happy to sit in it for the whole trip.
Don’t forget your sunscreen.
Tell someone where you’re going.

It was a cold day, so we only stayed out for about 20-30 minutes, but that was plenty of time for a good walk. *** Quick note ~ this is where we should mention that if you’re pregnant you may want to proceed at your own risk (or, talk to your favorite doc first). While Calder and Alex went on a larger loop, I realized that at such a high altitude it was better for me to take it slow and walk with them at the beginning and end of their loop rather than push my limits. If you exercise regularly, a vigorous snowshoe at lower altitudes while pregnant is much less of an issue.

This turned out to be one of those perfectly planned days where we were able to meet everyone’s fun quota. We rode the gondola to the top of the mountain, which makes the whole adventure even more fun for little ones! Calder carried along his skis and was able to put in a few runs after our walk while Alex and I warmed up by the lodge’s fir. Then we all had lunch before Alex and I rode the Gondola down and Calder took another run to the bottom of the mountain.

At that was it ~ our simple but fun snowshoeing adventure for the whole, growing family… we’re hoping to fit in a few more trips this winter, and I’m already imagining next year’s adventure when we’ll have two little ones in packs!

Seasoned View: Vol. 10

January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Each month we share our Seasoned View. Snapshots of nature taken by the Seasoned sisters. Find last month’s here and past month’s here.

Happy New Year! Katie and I took a major blogging break over the holidays. We were both busy traveling and celebrating with family, but not each other! During Christmas and New Years, Kate hung out with her in-laws in Colorado and I visited my boyfriend’s family in Pennsylvania. Our family get together starts today, just in time for Russian Christmas! I can’t wait to see Katie and my little nephew along with the rest of the Schu crew. Bear with us this week, the blogging may be slow due all the hugs and conversations we need to catch up on. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, these photos will seem a little unrelatable and hey, good for you! If you are currently freezing your bum off in the Northern Hemisphere, know that we’re with you.

You can upload one or all of these photos to use as your desktop background or even as phone and tablet wallpapers. Simply click on the download link below each photo and save the image. Enjoy!

Click here for Snowy Branches.

Click here for Happy New Year.

Click here for January Hike.

Click here for Frosty Sweetgums.

Click here for Greenery.

Click here for My View.

Click here for Winter Bouldering.

Christmas Candids: A few tips!

December 24, 2014March 24, 2016 by Sarah | Leave a comment

I just watched a video of people unwrapping puppies and I’ve never been more grateful for family photographers. We all want to capture the cheer and joy during holidays and gatherings so here are a few tips for photographing this year’s festivities. First off, it really doesn’t matter if you’re shooting with a phone, point and shoot or a DSLR, these tips will work for you. Second, have fun while photographing, try to capture candid moments and remember to put down your camera for a few hours and really enjoy the moment as it is unfolding. Happy Holidays!

White Balance

Check it! The camera’s default setting is Auto White Balance, but that may not be the best option for the scene at hand. Change the white balance to Incandescent or Fluorescent to see which setting works best for your home and lights. If that sounded like Chinese to you, check out this Photography 101 post.

Point of Focus

Pick one. There is SO much going on at the holidays that you might see cookies, presents, lights and decorations all in one scene. Decide what the point of focus is for your photo and zone in on that. If it’s a little boy unwrapping a present, the photo is about his expression not the christmas tree behind him so frame the boy, not the entire living room. Think about what you want to stand out about the photo and choose an angle that will highlight the subject not distract from it.

Shooting on Burst Mode

Anytime you’re shooting action like unwrapping presents, a New Year’s toast, someone blowing out candles, shoot on burst mode. It might also be called continuous mode and depending on your camera and settings it will take anywhere from a couple to a dozen shots each second. Shooting on burst mode is the perfect way to capture every expression especially in candid situations.

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Out-of-focus Christmas Lights

Lots of folks are always asking me how to achieve a bokeh effect with Christmas lights – good news, it is super easy! Simply choose a low aperture a.k.a. fstop number and that will effectively blur whatever you are not focusing on, in this case it’s the lights. An example? If I’m photographing my nephew in front of our Christmas tree, I want the tree to be visible so I can set the scene, yet he is the main focus of the photograph so I would set my aperture to f2.8 and focus on his sweet little face. The tree behind him would be out of focus and therefore the lights would attain the bokeh effect. In the photos above, all three photos are of the same scene, but the light circles grow bigger as they become more out of focus. I simply pointed my camera at a Christmas tree and turned my focusing ring just out of focus, a little out of focus and majorly out of focus.

Photographing Outdoor Lights and Decorations

There are a few things that are relatively difficult to photograph. Outdoor Christmas lights are one of them. You basically have a really bright object (the lights) against a really dark object (the house and sky), which makes a tricky situation to expose properly. I feel like we have all been here before. You see an amazingly gorgeous sunset and you think, ‘family photo opp!’ only to be completely disappointed by the results. You either end up silhouetted against the sun or you use the flash and hate the unnatural outcome. It’s the same type of deal, dark and light competing for a proper exposure.
Head outside during twilight when the sky is nice and blue – right after sunset, but before it gets dark. You have a small window of time for these shots, only about twenty minutes. Set up your camera and tripod. Choose a low ISO number like 400. Also choose a slow shutter speed somewhere around 1/25 of a second or slower. Set your aperture according to your light meter and then experiment from there. I usually set up the shot, ISO and shutter speed and then take a dozen shots adjusting my aperture by one stop (click) each time. Then I’ll scroll through the shots, decide which I like the best and set the aperture accordingly. This time I’ll play with the shutter speed a little bit by adjusting it a tiny bit faster or a tiny bit slower. That way you get a good variety of exposures.

Good luck and let us know if you found any of these tips useful by posting your pics to IG and tagging us 🙂

Easy Citrus Sweets

December 23, 2014January 30, 2016 by Katie | Leave a comment

Oranges are our ingredient of the season. You can find our complete archive of orange posts here. Around the holidays we love to use them for crafts, drinks, and treats!

Christmas is so close! Today we’re popping in with a couple of orange treats : candied rinds and orange-flavored marshmallows. Both recipes are so easy to make, take relatively little time (so you’ll still have time to make them when you’re up late waiting for Santa), and they make a unique addition to any dessert table and hot cocoa mug!

First up, the candied rinds. I like to use a combination of orange and grapefruit for this recipe. It’s nice having the two flavors, but I also really like the variation in color that using more than one variety of citrus provides. Candying the rinds requires boiling them in a sweet syrup before rolling them in sugar, and while both steps are meant to create a sweet, candy, the finished rinds can still have a some bitter undertones that may make your lips pucker. This is one of those flavors that keeps some people coming back for more while others (Calder) pass after their first sample.

I use a technique that I learned years ago from Martha Stewart, and it’s consistently worked well over the years. But I’ve noticed that she offers a number of different methods for candying citrus rinds on her website, and they vary widely in both the ingredient ratios and the cooking times, so if your variation differs from my, by all means, stick with what you know.

Ingredients

2 oranges & 1 grapefruit
4 cups sugar, plus more for coating
4 cups water, plus more for boiling
chocolate, optional

How-to

Prepare the rinds. Cut the ends off the fruit and make 5 to 6 slices through the rind, but not the fruit, from top to bottom. Gently remove the rind pieces with your fingers. You can leave most of the pith attached to the rind, but use your pairing knife to cut off any excess or particularly mangled sections. I use this opportunity to make the pith side of my rind smooth, and if I have a grapefruit with a particularly thick rind, I may slice of a little bit extra. Cut the rinds into 1/4 inch slices. If the grapefruit rinds are particularly long, I will cut them in half.
Place the rinds in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then drain. Repeat this process one more time.
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the rinds and reduce pot to a simmer. Continue simmering for about an hour. At this point the strips should look translucent. Remove the rinds with a slotted spoon and let them cool on a baking rack.
Once cool, roll the strips in sugar. You can also dip them in melted chocolate for an extra special treat.

I think these make a great addition to any cookie or chocolate tray, but they would also be a fantastic garnish on a slice of chocolate cake or (minus the chocolate) in your Christmas-morning mimosas!

Next up, orange-flavored marshmallows! I’m in love with these. The first time I made marshmallows was last February, and making them a second time just confirmed how easy it is to produce these light and fluffy sweets! I used the exact same corn syrup-free recipe, with the exception of using orange extract in place of the vanilla and orange dye in place of the red. Otherwise, I followed the tips and steps to a T, so rather than retype everything, I’ll just redirect you to that post and below I’ll share the fluffy orange-y goodness in photos.

The real magic happens in this recipe when you start to beat the hot liquid with an electric mixer. Before your eyes the tan liquid turns white and expands as air is incorporated.

Once you’re done whipping the marshmallows, it’s just a matter of deciding what to do with them, and you have a few options. Are you going to add a color? I like playing with marbling. With my last batch, I mentioned that I was too reserved with the marbling, so I tried to go bigger this time. I poured half of the marshmallows into a square baking dish, then added red and yellow dye that I blended together as I marbled it through that layer. I then poured the rest of the marshmallow into the pan and again, mixed it slightly to move the dye up into the second layer. As you can see from the first marshmallow photo, I ended up with some pretty good orange streaks. You can also go with a solid color, or you can try stripes!

In addition to color, you can think about size and shape. I go for the big, fluffy squares, but since it’s the holiday, you may want to use cookie cutters to make shapes. If so, then pour your marshmallows into a larger dish to create a thinner layer that’s easy to cut out.

Ok, now once your marshmallows have cooled, you just have the hard job of deciding how to eat and gift them. Start by dipping some in a big mug of hot cocoa, or let them a while and melt right into your mug. I did that today, and it creates this really tasty orange marshmallow layer on top of the cocoa, with each sip you get a bit of the melted, gooey orange flavor and it’s amazing. If you’re not going to keep them all to yourself, you could package up a few marshmallows and pair them with a good cocoa as a stocking stuffer. Just make sure to use an airtight bag for packaging, because you don’t want them to dry out before they’re enjoyed.

There you have it ~ two ways to add a note of citrus to your holiday! Now we’re off to finish wrapping presents {and we’ll be doing it with that mug of cocoa above, obvs.}…. oh, I may be experimenting with one more way to add some citrus to my homemade chocolates. We’ll be back with the full report if it works!

German Christmas Markets

December 22, 2014March 24, 2016 by Sarah | 2 Comments

In October, we revisited our adventures in Thailand. We thought we should give you a glimpse of what we were up to a few Decembers past. In 2010 Katie and I went to visit Calder, her fiancé (they’re married now), who was living and working in Germany. Our trip was amazing and I think it had to do with a few key factors: Katie, C and I all get along really well, C is fluent in German (hellllllo helpful!) and we kept the trip spontaneous and largely unplanned. Mix great buddies with little stress and lots of snow and you have a Christmas adventure that will never be forgotten. Oh and breakfast! Almost every hotel offered a complimentary breakfast, which consisted of a big deli platter with lots of yummy meats, cheeses and the best baked bread. You are also offered eggs, cereal, yogurts and fruit. We started each day with coffees and cheese, please tell me how we could have possibly had a bad time? I actually had such a blast that I completely forgot to e-mail a final paper to a professor during the trip! Yep, I wrote a ten page research paper and forgot to turn it in that’s how awesome our Christmas trip to Germany was.

Now when I think of Christmas traditions, I actually think of the German Christkindlmarkt. I feel like visiting the markets is the most historic lens I’ve ever looked through when it comes to the holiday season. The markets are held in the center of villages, towns and cities. The backdrop and surroundings of each market is historic and stunning in itself. Every Christkindlmarkt has a variety of gifts and holiday goodies. The markets are a glimpse of the past; you won’t find tacky Christmas commercialization here. Over the course of a week, we visited five markets ranging from enormous to quaint. Each market had crib figurines, ornaments, toys, wood carvings, decorations, candles, furs and a variety of other crafts and goods. The markets also had the most amazing food. It kicked any American fair food’s behind. We usually ate some type of bratwurst and sauerkraut on a fresh, crusty roll. We kept warm by sipping glühwein and sampling dozens of treats throughout the day. Each city’s market had a slightly different vibe and while I loved visiting every one, Esslingen’s medieval market may have been my favorite. Read on to see why…

Citrus Champagne Spritzers

December 18, 2014January 18, 2016 by Sarah | Leave a comment

Cheers to citrus season! Growing up, my mom would order a half dozen boxes of oranges from the marching band fundraiser, which meant orangeade all winter long. I miss those big boxes and that orangeade so today I made something a little reminiscent of my childhood + alcohol 🙂 This citrus champagne spritzer has fresh squeeze oranges and lemons, but don’t fool yourself, it is still winter.

This bubbly and fresh drink turned my cheeks pink! It was the perfect pal for present wrapping today. Do I sound like the loneliest person on the planet?! Wrapping presents with a drink that I’m calling pal? Don’t answer that. But hey, if your holidays are hectic and you need a mocktail, try this recipe sans champagne and cointreau. Replace the alcohol with sparkling lemonade or use the sparkling orange and lemon soda as the base, but whatever you do, ENJOY IT!

Citrus Champagne Spritzer Ingredients:

Prosecco (1 bottle makes six+) refrigerated
Cointreau refrigerated
3 TBSP orange juice
lemon or orange sparkling beverage refrigerated
2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
12 sprigs of thyme rinsed and dried

Some notes:

I use a one ounce shot glass to measure the ingredients, but if you don’t, one ounce equals two tablespoons.
You can leave out the cointreau if you want. The flavor is wildly different, but just as amazing.
You could use Korbel Brut or a riesling instead of Prosecco.
This is a perfect big batch cocktail because there is no ice!*

The how:

In a sauce pot, stir together a half cup of sugar and a cup of water. Turn onto medium-low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, add four or five sprigs of clean thyme and place a lid or plate on top of the pot. Let steep for ten minutes. After ten minutes passes, remove the thyme sprigs and strain simple syrup if necessary (all my thyme leaves were intact so I didn’t have to strain).
In a tumbler, mix 1 ounce thyme simple syrup, 2 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and half ounce cointreau. Stir well. Add prosecco (I didn’t measure, just pour accordingly)
Top with a splash of sparkling lemon or sparkling orange soda.
Garnish with a thyme sprig or two and serve.
*If you are making these citrus champagne spritzers for a crowd, stir up a big batch all at once. In a large pitcher combine 3/4 + 2 tablespoons simple syrup, 1 + 3/4 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup lemon juice and a 1/3 cup cointreau. Stir well, add the champagne and top with one can of sparkling orange or lemon.

These sparkling citrus champagne spritzers are perfect for a holiday party *ahem champagne toast ahem* or in my case a preholiday wrapping party. Mix up a whole batch or put on Mixed Nuts and drink one by yourself 😉