This Moment

Life lately according to my instagram.

  

Ps. What are you doing this weekend? We are of course celebrating Father's Day with something (edible?) special and are welcoming a wave of visitors - some are manly visitors with beards who are good at siding houses and others are long lost mommy friends with kids who are good at playing.

Sweet Peach Olive Oil Cake

We're all about trying new things here this week. For the first time in my life, complete with maternity swimsuit and lycra bathing cap, I swam laps at the pool. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow but because of this rainy and cold spring we haven't been dipping in the ocean as much as usual and my 6 month belly is craving some buoyancy. In related news, I also made my first olive oil based cake for my mom's birthday last weekend. I really liked the strong flavors and the simple moist cake. I will definitely bake it again. 

In the meantime we've been sneaking in lots of outdoor time when the clouds part which usually involves visiting the new farm babies.

Sweet Peach Olive Oil Cake

from Food & Wine

3 ripe peaches, thinly sliced 

1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil  

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt  

3 large eggs 

2 cups all-purpose flour  

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda  

Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving 

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and coat with vegetable oil spray.

 

2. In a bowl, toss the peaches with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the salt. Let stand until juicy, about 15 minutes. 

 

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar and 1 1/4 cups of olive oil. 

 

4. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk the dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Fold in the peaches and juices. 

 

5. Scrape the batter into the pan; bake for 35 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly, then serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

 

Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Pops

Days have recently felt extremely different from one to the next. Some days I feel on top of things and am happily surprised at my productivity while other days are so terrifying with massive to do lists and endless deadlines. It's hard to imagine how everything will turn out. Some days we play around the house and suddenly it's 1:00 pm while other days I look at the clock and gasp that it's not even 9:00 am.

Happily, these Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Pops are quick to make on your relaxed days and easy to eat on your overwhelming days.

I shared the recipe on Say Yes to Hoboken last week so click here for the full recipe and treat yourself to some chocolatey goodness.

Homemade Almond Milk

Instagram is kinda a funny place. You can see what celebrities are eating for lunch, keep tabs on where all your acquaintances are right that second, and post too many pictures of your kid with piglets (guilty). It can also inspire you to drink almond milk.

Nick is a surfer and saw that Kelly Slater drinks almond milk so naturally now we are drinking more almond milk. I've always liked it and kept is in the house but now it's become more than a once in a while thing. I've made almond milk at home before but really liked this recipe so I wanted to share it with you.

Homemade Almond Milk
makes 3 1/2 cups
from Martha Stewart Living June 2013

1 cup whole raw almonds
4 cups water, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or more if you like a strong vanilla flavor)
1 cheesecloth for straining

1. Place almonds in a blender. Bring 1 cup water to a boil; pour over almonds. Let stand 30 minutes.

2. Add remaining 3 cups water and vanilla; blend until frothy.

3. Pour through a fine sieve (I found cheesecloth worked best after trying a sieve) and discard solids.

Almond milk can be stored in refrigerator up to 5 days. Shake before serving.

This Moment

Life lately according to my instagram.

  

Ps. What are you doing this weekend? Dylan and I are heading off island for a sweet baby girl's 1st birthday party (hello bouncy house and sprinkler!) and a barn party that my dad's band is playing at. Can't wait!

10 Minute Steel-Cut Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

I saw a version of this recipe on America's Test Kitchen and was sold. We are a big oatmeal eating family but sometimes the classic rolled oats are boring and lack a hearty bite. Luckily, now we can all make perfect steel cut oatmeal (that usually takes close to an hour) in ten minutes. Here's the trick...

Like all hard delicious things (think beans, grains) soaking is the key. So the night before pour boiling water over the oats and in the morning simmer with grated apple, milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. In ten minutes breakfast is ready.

This is a seriously fuel-filled breakfast so plan it for a day when you'll need some energy. Recently we hiked around Cedar Tree Neck with our steel cut oatmeal power.

10 Minute Steel-Cut Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

3 cups water 
1 cup steel-cut oats 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk (or nut milk)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 apple, grated
2 tablespoon dark brown sugar 
chopped mixed raw nuts and maple syrup for topping 

1.  The night before, bring 3 cups water to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Remove pan from heat; stir in oats and salt. Cover pan and let stand overnight.

2. In the morning, stir milk, cinnamon, apple, and brown sugar into oats and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until oats are softened but still retain some chew and mixture thickens and resembles warm pudding, 4 to 6 minutes.

3. Remove pan from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir and serve, passing desired toppings separately (I like chopped mixed raw nuts and maple syrup).

Raspberry Oat Bars

The island was a complete washout this weekend. Mud, rain, and temperatures in the 50s sure don't feel like the start of summer. We drove past many a wedding tent perched on soggy farmland. My heart really went out to those people who were hoping for just one beautiful vineyard day out of 365.

But what rainy weather lacks in outdoor fun makes up for in indoor baking projects. I shared this over the top recipe for Raspberry Oat Bars with Say Yes to Hoboken readers. Click here for the full recipe.

Here's to a long glorious summer (and packing up my jeans and fleece for real this time).

Leek Fritters

It's just days away from Memorial Day weekend here on the Vineyard so lots of changes are happening. Many of them are happy changes - everything is open, the calendar of events is packed with fun stuff, the weather is beautiful, my sister will be home soon. But there are also not so happy changes - we can't visit all our favorite beaches (no proper town sticker), friends work seven days a week, other friends lose their husbands to kitchens or fishing boats until Labor Day, and some friends even move off island to rent out their homes.

We've been busy visiting and playing at all the beaches that will soon banish us until October 1st. Eating Leek Fritters is really fun too.

Leek Fritters
serves 4
from Plenty

Sauce:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped

Fritters:
3 leeks
5 shallots, finely chopped
2/3 cup olive oil
1 fresh red chile, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg white
3/4 cup flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Make Sauce: blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor until a uniform green. Set aside for later.

2. Cut the leeks into 1-inch slices; rinse and drain dry. Saute the leeks and shallots in a pan with half the oil on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and add the chile, parsley, spices, sugar, and salt. Allow to cool down.

3. Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold it into the vegetables. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, whole egg, milk, and butter to form a batter. Gently mix it into the egg white and vegetable mixture.

4. Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large frying pan and place over a medium heat. Spoon about half of the vegetables mixture into the pan to make four large fritters. Fry them for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Remove to paper towels and keep warm. Continue making the fritters, adding more oil as needed. You should end up with about eight large fritters. Serve warm, with the sauce on the side or drizzled over.

Hearty Blueberry Muffins

Almost every morning Nick walks across the street to buy a coffee from either the bakery or the general store. On Saturday he returned with the new June issue of Martha Stewart Living for me. What a guy what a guy. As a big thank you I treated us to a lazy Sunday morning breakfast of Hearty Blueberry Muffins and sliced citrus. Nobody ate just one muffin so it's no lie when I say these little gems are delish.

Hearty Blueberry Muffins
from Martha Stewart Living June 2013
makes 12 (although I only got 10)

3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
3/4 cup whole milk plain yogurt
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
2 large eggs
8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh blueberries

If spring weather and blueberry muffins were not special enough Dylan and his little girlfriend visited two week old baby calves last week. I don't know what's cuter - the new cows or our two year olds holding hands!

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together brown sugar, yogurt, oil, and eggs in another large bowl. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture and gently mix until just combined. Fold in blueberries with a rubber spatula.

2. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer muffins to a wire rack and let cool completely.

This Moment

Life lately according to my instagram.

  

Ps. What are you doing this weekend? My mom is coming in tonight and I hope to catch up on last week's Mad Men and take a long hike somewhere. Have a good one!