by | June 4, 2012 · 7:45 am

Mango Coconut Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle

After recently returning from a vacation in Florida, I’ve been looking for ways to infuse a little more “tropical” into my life. So when some friends were hosting a shrimp boil over the weekend I decided to get experimental with flavors that would continue the beachy vibe of their party for dessert. The Mango Coconut Cookies I put together would be good on their own but the salted caramel drizzle gives them that extra something to make them quite addictive!


Mango Coconut Cookies with Salted Caramel Drizzle
1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 C flour
2 tsp ground flax seed (optional)
1 C coconut flakes
1 C dried mango, chopped into small bits
1/2 C prepared (or homemade) caramel topping
sea salt flakes

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Next, beat in vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Finally, mix in flour, one cup at a time until batter is thick.

Use a spatula to stir in coconut, mango bits and flax seed if using until all items are well incorporated into batter.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Place a cooling rack on top of aluminum foil or waxed paper. Transfer cookies cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle with caramel topping and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.


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by | June 1, 2012 · 8:00 am

Anniversary Garden

The hubs and I celebrated our fourth anniversary over Memorial Day weekend. We are a sucker for tradition and stick to the classic list of anniversary gifts. Each year it has been fun to come up with something clever to give one another. We’ve conquered paper, cotton, leather and this year fruit or flowers. While I may beam from a dozen roses, surprising my husband with a basket of fruit or homemade jam just didn’t seem good enough. Therefore, we decided to go in on our gift together.

If you remember last year, I talked about planting a shade garden. We worked on ripping up the old ground cover from the side of the house and took out some shrubs. By the time I was motivated to plant, it was too late in the season. This year, we gave each other the gift of beautiful landscaping and had fun picking out flowers and sprucing up the side walkway of our house.

To dedicate the shade garden, I painted a rock I found in our yard with our anniversary date. I freehanded the letters in pencil and painted them in with some leftover paint I had laying around the house. Now, as we walk past our pretty flowers, we both feel a little extra love.

I researched the best flowers to grow with little sunlight in Wisconsin. We already have bunches of purple daylilies whose blooms we have been enjoying lately. We have also mixed in a few varieties of hostsas. I wanted to add some color at other parts of the season, so I added some astilbes and coral bells to the mix to brighten it up. While you may not be able to see them yet, I also placed Northern Sea Oats to give some height and depth to the garden. We fixed up the edging and added some cypress mulch. We couldn’t be happier with the transformation!

I will share more pictures with you later in the season and next year, when our small plants blossom and bloom!

Do you stick with the traditional anniversary gifts? If so, I’d love to hear your clever ideas!

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by | May 30, 2012 · 11:20 am

Meet Baby Elin!

I apologize if I have been a little absent from the blog for the past few weeks, we have been quite busy around our house with our new little addition!  Meet baby Elin, the newest addition to the HAP family.

Elin Kathleen

8lbs 7oz and 22 inches long

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by | May 25, 2012 · 1:24 pm

Honey Almond Frozen Greek Yogurt

Summertime means…ice cream! Or for those a little more health conscious, frozen yogurt! The recent warm weather put me in the mood to whip up my first batch of frozen treats for the summer. I love Greek yogurt and currently use it in everything. So why not try it frozen? This cool concoction is packed with protein for a truly nutritious and heat beating experience.

Honey Almond Greek Frozen Yogurt 
1 32 oz container of vanilla Greek  yogurt
1/2 C 2% or skim milk
1/2 C sugar
1/2 TBSP almond extract
1 TBSP honey
1 C honey roasted sliced almonds

In a large bowl, add greek yogurt, milk and sugar. Stir until blended. Add honey and almond extract. Stir until mixed in. Cover and place in refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

In a food processor, pulse almonds until roughly chopped. Set aside.

Add yogurt mixture to ice cream maker. Churn on low for about 15 minutes. With about five minutes left, add almonds.

Either place in container to freeze for later use (which will produce a harder consistency) or serve it up soft serve right out of the bowl.

Enjoy!

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by | May 21, 2012 · 7:30 am

DIY Succulent Terrarium

A few months back my mom came to visit with this large glass apothecary-esque jar in tow.

“I figured you could use it for something,” she said. “Maybe a terrarium?” Brilliant. It was perfect for a terrarium to bring a little green to my new office at work, which happens to have a large, sunny (and empty) window ledge.

Last weekend when picking up a few extra vegetables and plants for my actual garden, I finally got around to getting the goods for my terrarium. Instead of the moisture-loving plants found in many terrariums, I went with charming succulents to create a quirky, low maintenance cactus terrarium.

This is a pretty foolproof project even if you’re not the gardening type. The hardest part of the whole project was editing my plant selection! I ended up with two neon colored cactus, an aloe plant, a mini jade, two sempervivum and a frilly ground cover succulent – which I’m happy to report are thriving so far.

What You’ll Need:
glass jar, apothecary jar or similar transparent container
variety of mini succulent plants, such as cactus, aloe, jade, sempervivum
cactus soil (quantity will depend on size of your container)
small river rocks
gardening charcoal (found at your local garden store)
a spoon

*NOTE: These are rough instructions. Depending on the size and shape of your terrarium container, you may not need all three “soil” items or you may need to adjust things to fit in a smaller container.

1. Line the bottom of the container with a thin layer of charcoal. This helps with drainage and with preventing potential odors in your terrarium.

2. Next, line with a thin layer of river rocks. In a smaller container you could reverse the layers of soil and rocks for a more “zen garden” look.

3. Depending on the size and shape of your container you may be able to put the cactus soil in first or the succulents, filling in the soil around them. I had to put the plants in and use a spoon to fill soil around the plants in order to fit them. Place plants as desired to mix up shapes and colors.
4. Finish off with soil or with additional rocks to achieve the look you want.

Care: Your succulent terrarium needs lots of sunlight but only needs to be lightly watered about once a week. If you choose to keep a lid on it, water less frequently as the plants will generate moisture.

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by | May 18, 2012 · 8:00 am

Dole Summit Part II & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Last week I shared my adventures in lettuce from the Dole Salad’tude Summit in Monterey. This week, I want to share some innovative salad ideas that Dole shared with us, plus a fresh greens recipe of my own. The final reception and dinner for our event took place outside at the InterContinental in Monterey. Gorgeous venue for a delicious night of salads. Set up in stations, our night was filled with innovative ways to incorporate greens into your different events. Right up the Haute Apple Pie alley!

First I had to share the perfectly suited centerpiece ideas. This is a cheap, easy and beautiful way to spiff up a table, especially when salads and greens are on the menu. The tall tables were adorned with square wooden boxes with a full head of butter lettuce, surrounded by candles. One of the larger tables had a rustic farmers market quality to it with a large wicker basket filled with different shapes and sizes of greens and artichokes. An edible arrangement – reusable for dinner the next day.

Our salad reception did nothing if not let me know that salad doesn’t have to be in a regular bowl. We were served salad in all shapes, sizes, colors and consistencies. Grilled Romaine for a barbecue, Huevos Rancheros atop a bed of lettuce for brunch, lettuce bruschetta and the one that wins the prize for most intriguing – the salad shooter. The Dole Southwest Salad mix was tossed together and put into a blender to make what basically tasted like a cold tortilla soup shooter. Surprisingly good, great presentation and a great conversation piece.

I have to admit that my salad trip (as well as the emergence of summer and farmer’s markets) has really gotten me into a fresh veggie kind of mood. This week I whipped up this Poppy Seed Chicken Salad in a lettuce wrap. It is great to make ahead of time and eat for lunch or dinner. It is the perfect meal to take to work or on a picnic!

Poppy Seed Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

1 head butter lettuce
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
2 C chicken stock
4 C water
3 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 TBSP fresh chopped chives
1 TBSP poppy seeds
2 TBSP Olive Oil Mayo
2 TBSP Plain Greek Yogurt
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, boil chicken stock and water. Add chicken and boil until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from water and thinly slice or shred. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, add chicken, radishes, apples, celery, poppy seeds, chives, mayo and greek yogurt. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

Tear off large pieces of butter lettuce. Scoop chicken salad onto lettuce leaves and serve.

I’d like to leave you with the names of a few more fabulous blogs to check out!

Bran Appetit
Dana Treat
Closet Cooking
Diet, Dessert and Dogs
Eat the Love
Bella’alimento
She’s Becoming Doughmesstic
Food Loves Writing

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by | May 11, 2012 · 8:00 am

Dole Salad’tude Summit: Part I

Spring is in the air and summer is approaching. The crock pot is about to start collecting dust and the grill will be in full force. Fresh veggies and lettuce at last! What better way to celebrate than go right to the source?

I was lucky enough to be a guest of the Dole Salad’tude Summit last week in Monterey, CA. Mingling amidst bloggers extraordinaire, I learned first hand the field to consumer process of growing, harvesting and selling lettuce. While Dole is often thought of for its pineapple, they are no stranger to lettuce.

The trip began last Wednesday, or at least it was supposed to. I had the unfortunate luck of some bad travel: dents in the plane, deboarding, reboarding, missed connections and a seven hour “layover” in Phoenix, bringing me to Monterey at 10:00 pm. Therefore, the lovely reception and dinner at the Sardine Factory in Monterey, I only saw via Twitter from the other bloggers. But I made it!

The following morning we started bright and early, traveling to Dole headquarters and having a roundtable discussion on new Dole lettuce products, roundtable discussion and salad tastings. We all agreed that kale is all the rage, people are less inclined to use iceberg lettuce and we all like to eat one dish meals. We tasted a variety of their bagged salads. I have to admit that I typically do not buy much bagged lettuce or pre-packaged salads, but this trip may have helped me turn a leaf. These products are fresh and carefully grown and packaged to ensure we are getting the best product possible. Since Wisconsin only allows a small spattering of local produce for about half the year, these are a great alternative.

While Dole is yet to delve into organic agriculture, they use as little pesticides as they can to supply a fresh and crispy product. We were all very pleased to find out that 85% of their lettuce has 0% traceability to pesticide. So if you don’t want to spring for organic lettuce, feel okay about it!

We dined for lunch on an eclectic mix of greens and veggies at La Bicyclette in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carrot risotto was the hit of the meal (look for a recreate from me in the future) as well as butternut squash and lamb sausage wood-fired pizzas.

We toured the lettuce farms and Dole processing plant in Salinas Valley which was a beautiful site to behold. Fields upon fields of fresh greenery. It was wonderful to see where your food comes from, and to feel great about it. The lettuce straight out of the field was delicious.

Next week I will fill you in on our innovative salad party and some ideas for you to try at home!

I met some wonderful people on this trip. A great smattering of food-loving bloggers from all over North America. Check out a few of these great blogs!

Gina’s Skinny Recipes
Coconut and Lime
Two Peas and Their Pod
Recipe Renovator
Baked Bree
A Communal Table

More links and some great recipes to follow next week! An extra special thanks to Dole for such a wonderful event.

Disclaimer: Dole provided transportation, lodging and meals for the Summit, however, all the opinions of the event are completely my own.

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by | May 7, 2012 · 8:08 am

Thai Venison Noodle Salad

I’ve mentioned many times that I’m always looking for new ways to use the wild game the hubs brings home, especially venison and especially ground venison. In general there are only so many things to be done with ground meat and I’ve pretty much tried them all in some form or another.

So lately I’ve been steering into totally new venison directions with Asian flavors like curry or this Thai inspired dish. Using the venison and beefing up (pardon the pun) the vegetables from the original recipe made this a light but filling meal and a good detour from the standard venison tacos and chili.

Thai Beef (or Venison) Noodle Salad
adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4
1 lb ground venison or beef
1/2 C chopped sugar snap peas
2 carrots, chopped
1 cucumber, julienned
3 scallions
1 inch piece ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/8 C fish sauce
1/8 C soy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil (if using venison)
2 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
2/3 package angel hair noodles
2 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
sriracha to taste

In a large saute pan, add begin cooking ground beef or olive oil and venison over medium heat. When meat begins to brown, add garlic, ginger and jalapeno and cook for 1-2 minutes until they begin to become aromatic. Add the snap peas and carrots and continue cooking until meat is nearly cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt well and add angel hair noodles. Cook according to package instructions.

Add 2 Tbsp sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce and lime juice to meat and vegetable mixture. Stir and reduce heat to low and let flavors simmer for 2-3 minutes.


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by | April 30, 2012 · 7:45 am

Beet Barley Salad with Feta

Ah, the lowly beet. I’d always been skeptical of beets and had this belief that they tasted like dirt. And let’s be honest, half the time they DO taste like dirt or are gross gelatinous mush cakes sliding out of a can.

But I’ve had a few salads at restaurants lately that opened my eyes toward what a beet should really taste like. Inspired to give them a try, I concocted this side dish-turned-healthy lunch grain salad for my first foray with cooking beets at home. The key for me was roasting. You get a sweet earthiness (not dirt-i-ness) that’s surprisingly enjoyable – especially when combined with other strong flavors like pungent greens and tangy feta (goat cheese would also be delicious). It even had my similarly skeptical husband sneaking seconds.

Beet Barley Salad with Feta
1 C quick cooking pearl barley, cooked
1 large beet, peeled and roasted
1 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 oz feta cheese
1/4 C slivered almonds
3-4 stalks rainbow Swiss chard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tbsp stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Peel beet and chop into small cubes, placing them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast beet for 25-30 minutes or until edges are beginning to crisp and beet is tender.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine 2 C of water with barley. Bring to a boil and add a dash of salt. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Let barley cook, about 10 minutes until water has been absorbed. Barley should be slightly al dente.

Trim chard along the stalk to separate off the leaves. Roll leaves into a tube shape and julienne. Run your knife through the julienned shreds once or twice to avoid super long, stringy pieces. Place chard in a saute pan and drizzle very lightly with olive oil, just to prevent burning. Saute over medium heat until chard is just limp, about 5 minutes.

Transfer cooked barley to a large bowl. Mix in almonds and feta. Mix in Swiss chard. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegars and mustard and toss with barley mixture. Season salt and pepper and mix to combine. Finally add the beets and very gently toss to combine.


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by | April 27, 2012 · 8:00 am

{DIY} Playroom Chalkboard Wall

After a couple of years, you get to a point in your young parenting life when you relinquish the ideas of your former self. Last year I converted my old work/workout area into a inspired writer’s nook. A lovely thought, right? Over a year later, I believe I wrote from that spot a total of three times. If I got a chance to work on my writing, it was likely at the dining room table in between making dinner, doing some work and cleaning up crayons. Our once adult basement slowly transformed. With large plastic toys cluttering the basement TV viewing area, the man cave part of the basement was a man cave no more. So I threw up the white flag. Mommy surrender.

My once serene writer’s nook has been transformed into a toddler’s playroom. The sacrifice was worth the reward. We now have friends over to watch a game while the kids quietly (or not so quietly) play right behind us, and we know they are safe. I plan on showing the full playroom in weeks to come when I finish the cute sporty touches, but for now, I wanted to share a little fun art corner addition.

Our toy room is sectioned off by two three foot tall walls that divide the room. I decided it was the perfect height and length to turn it into a chalkboard wall for Lincoln and his friends. Originally, I just planned on painting the wall, until I discovered chalkboard contact paper. Much less fuss, much less smell, much less mess and hopefully easier to clean up if I decide I do not want it anymore.

I ordered the contact paper through Amazon. I needed two rolls to fill our wall space. It is easiest to have someone help you to reduce the amount of bubbles in the paper.

What you need:
Chalkboard contact paper
Scissors
Single edge razor blade or Exacto knife
Credit card
Chalk

The process is pretty simple. Cut your paper to the length of your space (I made mine a little longer and cut it off at the end). Peel of the back of the contact paper. Starting at the top of the wall, press across then down. Continue this until you reach the bottom. Pull downward and a little bit outward with the paper to avoid bubbles. Use a credit card to smooth the paper and adhere it to the wall. Cut the extra edges (if you have any) with a scissors. If you have any small overlaps over molding or at the corners, take an Exacto knife and simply slice off the extra pieces, being careful not to slice the wall. Repeat with as many pieces as you need to fill your space. Make sure to line up your paper and make as few seams as possible.

Lincoln was very excited to get to play on his new chalkboard wall and I am happy as a clam typing with my Mac in my lap or on the table. Life may not be what it used to be, but life is pretty darn good.

I’ve got something cooking for the other side, which I will share in the future. I plan to use the leftover contact paper for some fun projects too. Stay tuned!

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