If you’re up for a bit of egg on your face in your drink, then I think you’ll love today’s drink. The combination of spicy ginger + tart cranberry + earthy rosemary creates a drink that encapsulates everything I feel as I watch the sun’s low rays move across our hill on a winter day. Continue reading
Happy Friday everyone! Christmas is coming quicker than I can handle, so while I shop online today, I’m also going to whip up a few homemade Christmas gifts that everyone on my list will enjoy. I love giving and receiving edible gifts. Knowing the treats were made with love and care in someone’s kitchen makes them extra enjoyable. If you still don’t have a present for me, here are a few suggestions 😉 
As you’ll see, this is a dish where any vegetable goes; the only constants are my roasting and seasoning methods. For those reasons this post reads more like an instruction manual and less like a recipe. If you’re making these for dinner, be sure to begin prepping them about two hours before you want to eat. I know that sounds crazy, but I like to do a lower roasting temperature that leaves the vegetables moist and concentrates their delicious flavors. After you’ve had them once you’ll see that the prep is so easy and they taste amazing, so it’s totally worth the cooking time. Throughout this post we’ve included photos of our past roasted veg experiments, all at different stages of preparation.
Oil infusion may be my new favorite hobby. I’m a first timer, but I’m here to rave about it. Make this rosemary infused olive oil and thank yourself while cooking all your future meals. I felt like a little chemist with the measuring, pouring, heating and transferring (sorry to all the chemists I’ve just insulted). Oil infusion may not be the most exciting or glamorous activity for a Friday night, but it’s so stinkin’ easy and it’s plain stinkin’ too. It makes your entire home smell super fresh. The green herbs combined with warm olive oil ease your senses into an aromatic daydream. Personally I was skipping along green hillsides in Italy. I’m excited to try other herbs and even fruits like lemons and oranges. A little basket of different oils and yummy breads would make a great gift for a chef or a snacker or an anyone.
We are always down for making our own body care products. Sure, it requires time and sometimes a bit of experimentation, but it’s almost always worth it. Why? It feels good to know the short list of ingredients we use are nontoxic. It’s often cheaper than products from the pharmacy. The options for personalization are endless! And finally, when I’m in the kitchen mixing up a big batch of this or that, I love that Calder refers to them as potions. Silly, but fun.
Roasted Rosemary Tomatoes are a great addition to any meal! Seriously, they’re the best. The rosemary skewers also make presentation a breeze, which is why I used mine as a cheese plate accompaniment.
Packed full of flavor, but not overpowering, roasted rosemary tomatoes are delicious in couscous, quinoa and lettuce salads. They also make a yummy topping for crackers and melba toast paired with some crumbles of cheese. Roasted rosemary tomatoes are especially delicious in fettuccine alfredo, pasta primavera and margarita pizza or as a dinner side. Enough about how they taste, let’s talk about how roasted rosemary tomatoes are prepared.
You may recognize the photo above from Alex’s striped birthday recap. As I mentioned before, we were catering to the adults this year. Being the proud Pennsylvanians that we are, family gatherings always involve a case of Yuengling, but we often like to include a fun* alternative or two. With the little guy underfoot, I’m trying to be more smart in my planning. An alternate drink is awesome, but one that doesn’t have to be made glass-by-glass is even better. So, when I saw this recipe on A Cup of Jo, I couldn’t wait to try my first group-sized cocktail!
The original recipe called for gin, but I used my favorite substitute ~ Art in the Age’s Sage, which they describe as being a “garden gin” made from plants collected, grown, and chronicled from the Lewis and Clark expedition.
I loved this drink! It was delicious, and the combination of lemon and rosemary gave it a fresh and somewhat light flavor that I think would make this perfect for any sort of spring or summer event, particularly one outside on the green, green grass. That said, I loved it so much that I’ll probably find an excuse to make it year round. Come back in December and I’ll be telling you that with its rosemary garnish, it’s the perfect drink for your Christmas party (especially if you add some frozen cranberries to the punch bowl!).
The drink was strong, but as Joanna recommends, you can add a second bottle of Prosecco to lighten it a touch. I kept it to one bottle, because our gathering was small, and as it was we still had some left over, and I would say that that is the only downside of the big-batch cocktail. On the other hand, I put the extra in the fridge, and happily sipped on it for the rest of the week. The Prosecco’s bubbles faded, but it still tasted delicious.
Scones are a simple alternative to everyday breakfast foods. I’m guilty of forgetting about these little treats until I see them piled up in coffee shops, but you don’t have to wait until you go out for this treat. Scones are extremely simple to make at home, and that’s coming from someone who shies away from baking! They’re quick too. Start this vegan rosemary tomato scone recipe, and you’ll actually be finished mixing and kneading by the time the oven is preheated. Only dirty a few dishes will be dirtied, so you can clean up while they bake and by the time the buzzer sounds you’ll be sitting down with your morning coffee or tea.
Try this vegan version; it’s a bit healthier since it lacks the usual butter and heavy cream. It’s always nice to build a vegan and vegetarian recipe repertoire to accommodate vegan guests, introduce healthier alternatives to dairy and meat loving friends or round out your own diet. These scones are not only yummy, but beautiful too. The tomato gives them a nice orange color and the roughly chopped rosemary really stands out. It’s an easy way to add a pop of color to your breakfast and you can even make them the night before (bonus!) if you’re entertaining.
Hey readers, it’s been a fun week around here, hasn’t it? Did you check out Sarah’s profile of Connie Zamorano Tuesday afternoon? Now I’m obsessed with getting one of those cicada prints on my wall!
If the bugs left you squirming in your seat, you can channel that energy into this super simple project: homemade rosemary, mint and eucalyptus room spray. Have you tried store bought room sprays? I have a few, and I have to admit that I love them at first, but find that they can be a bit overpowering in their staying power and/or they just smell chemically over time. I don’t have either problem when I make my own. As for complexity, it’s going to take you longer to read this post than it will to mix up your spray.
These are your grandmother’s scones. Rosemary, butter and heavy cream are the main flavor players in this mix. Crumbly, but not dry, these scones are perfect with a cup of tea or in place of a biscuit at lunch or dinner.
*makes 8 large scones
The glaze is optional, but it adds a nice golden sheen to the scones, so if you’d like to pretty ‘em up a bit then glaze on.
While the scones were baking I mixed the extra glaze with the two egg whites and scrambled up a healthy little snack. It was just enough to tide me over until the buzzer rang. The scones should have a golden brown crust when they’re finished. To ensure they are fully baked, insert a toothpick, chopstick or butter knife into the center of a scone and make sure it comes out squeaky clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and be sure to enjoy!
