Author Archives: Stef

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About Stef

Family: Husband (Tom) and little man Lincoln James. Dwelling: A 1967 Ranch home that changes every day. Homemaker tip: Don’t be afraid to fail. A bad meal can always be fixed with a frozen pizza, a dead plant can be replaced and paint can cure a room. I consider my style: Contemporary with a vintage flair. I love a sleek piece of furniture with the contrast of an old vase or a stack of old used books. I cannot live without eating: Italian Beef sandwiches. I am Chicago-bred and love a good beef with sweet peppers. Pizza is a close second. Three foods you will always find in my pantry: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Crushed Tomatoes and Chicken Broth. My cooking mantra: Even foods that were destined to be bad for you can be recreated in a healthy way.
by | August 20, 2012 · 8:00 am

Watermelon & Feta Salad

While the weather starts getting a bit cooler (who knows if it will last!) I like soaking in the last tastes of summer before I bust out the apples and pumpkins. While I love watermelon, I find it hard for our family to eat a whole watermelon before it goes soggy. I recently decided to mix it up and make a salad out of it as a side dish to our salmon burgers.

Watermelon & Feta Salad
Quarter watermelon, cubed
10-12 mint leaves, sliced
Low-fat crumbled feta cheese
1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 TBSP honey
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Add watermelon and mint to a large bowl. Stir until mint is mixed throughout.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together apple cider vinegar and honey. Slowly add and whisk olive oil to emulsify. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

Gently pour the mixture over the watermelon, adding a little bit at a time. Depending on your bowl, you may not use all of it. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top and gently stir. Serve immediately to keep the mint and cheese fresh.

Food Network’s Summer Fest link up! Here are more amazing melon recipes!

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Watermelon-Mint Freeze
What’s Gaby Cooking: Melon and Prosciutto Salad
Cooking With Elise: Quinoa Crunch With Melons, Blueberries and Yogurt
Cooking Channel: Five Things to Make With Watermelon
Healthy Eats: Melon Refreshers
Ingredients, Inc.: Melon-Arugula Salad
Daily*Dishin: Honeydew Melon Salad With Genoa Salami and Mozzarella Fresca
Made by Michelle: Cantaloupe Popsicles 
Chez Us: Cantaloupe Lime Agua Fresca 
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Mixed Melon Smoothie
Virtually Homemade: Melon-Mint Popsicles
Thursday Night Dinner: Cantaloupe With Figs, Basil and Kalamata Olives
Zaika Zabardast: Cantaloupe Soup With Cardamom Infused Cherry Syrup
Sweet Life Bake: Paletas de Melon
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Melons
FN Dish: There’s More to Melon

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by | August 15, 2012 · 7:52 am

Haute Apple Pie Bake Sale

You’ve virtually seen our treats for almost three years. Now it is time to taste them first hand at the very first Haute Apple Pie bake sale! On Wednesday, August 22nd, come to the Hartung Park Farmer’s Market in Wauwatosa (at the corner of the Menomonee River Parkway and Keefe) to purchase some delicious HAP goodies for a good cause.

Six months ago, I’d never heard the word Neurofibromatosis. It has now become a regular word in our families vocabulary as our sweet four year old niece Izzy was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis 2 (NF2) this spring. NF2 is a very rare disease, affecting less than 4,000 (only 400 children) in the U.S. It a genetic defect that stops cell growth in the nerve cells, which later develop into multiple, benign tumors throughout the body, called schwanommas. Almost 100% percent of patients with NF2 become deaf and may also experience issues with vision and blindness as well as facial and limb paralysis.

On September 15, Team IZ will be walking in the Children’s Tumor Foundation NF Walk at Havenwoods State Forest. It is a two mile walk to raise funds and awareness of NF1, NF2 and schwanommatosis. Family and friends are pulling together to help raise the greatly needed funds for this devastating disease. This is where you come in! The ladies and I will be selling some treats at the Farmer’s Market, with all of the proceeds going to the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

So if you are looking for some muffins, cookies and other baked treats or to help a cause so very near and dear to our hearts, please come down. You can also peruse the fresh produce from some local farmers and if you are lucky, get some delicious grub from the Asian food truck that usually parks nearby!

If you are unable to make the market and would like to donate to Team IZ, please click here.

If you are interested in walking in the Children’s Tumor Foundation NF Walk, please click here.

We look forward to seeing you next week at the market!

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by | August 10, 2012 · 8:06 am

DIY Fabric Scrap Wreath

For Mother’s Day this year I told my mom I would create a new wreath to hang on her front door for the summer. While our most favorite of baseball teams may resemble more of the Bad News Bears than the Cubs this year, Cubbie love never fades. It took me an embarrassingly long time to get to this project completed, but we are both very happy with the way it turned out.

You can use fabric scraps from around the house, scrounge the clearance bin or pick specific patterns for the occasion for which you would like to create this door adorner. My hand got a bit sore (and thumb blistered) from cutting up so much material, but once everything is cut, it is a great in front of the TV project to put together. It took me about 2-3 hours to cut and assemble the entire fabric wreath.

I know there are various other versions of these across the web, but I had a hard time finding one that gave me specific fabric amounts and other directions, so I decided to share it here with you!

What you need:
2 1/2 yards of fabric
Pinking shears
12″ wire wreath frame
Ribbon for hanging

Start by cutting strips of fabric. Each strip should be about 6-8 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Do not be too precise. The wreath looks a bit more rustic if each piece isn’t exactly the same.

Once your fabric is cut (or alternate if your hand gets tired), begin tying your fabric stripes onto the wire frame. I just used a cross over double knot to secure the fabric on the wire. For shorter pieces, I often knotted once. Alternate fabric choices along each piece, tying them on, then sliding them down and bunching them together. The more fabric you put on the frame, the fuller the wreath will turn out, so try not to leave any wire showing.

Just as with the cutting, the same goes for the tying. It doesn’t need to be precise. The fabrics do not need to be precisely alternated, just hold the wreath back and make sure it doesn’t look lopsided with one fabric over the other (unless that is the design you are trying to attain).

Cut the ribbon to desired length, depending on your door or wreath hook. Tie a simple knot to secure. Slid the knot around and hang the wreath.

It is as simple as that! I plan to make a fall one of these for my door, perhaps Chicago Bears??

The Cubs motto sadly seems to be, “There is always next year” which is why this wreath will always have its place.

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by | August 3, 2012 · 7:28 am

{DIY} Curtain Rod Gallery Wall

With an ever growing family, my mom was looking for a good way to display photos and swap them out or add to them whenever she wanted. A traditional gallery wall includes a lot of nails and holes, so that was not an option. My mom came up with this great curtain rod gallery that is perfect for the person who wants to spare their wall from dozens of puncture wounds. It is simple, interchangeable and is a great place to add holiday accents as well!

What you need:

Sturdy curtain rod and hanging accessories
Shower curtain hooks
Picture frames
Triangle or rounded picture hooks and small screws
Cord or ribbon

Measure out and center your curtain rod. Drill holes and hang according to directions. Make sure to use a sturdy curtain rod and reinforce the screws so the rod can hold the weight of the pictures.

On the back of the picture frames, drill proper sized hole in the back of each frame. Screw down the picture hooks to each side.

Cut ribbon or cord to desired length and string through the hooks. Tie in a knot or bow at the back.

Add shower curtain hooks to the curtain rod. Loop the top around shower hook to hang up each picture frame.

Stand back and admire your work!

When the pictures hang at different lengths it gives a great visual effect and helps to fill a large wall. You can turn the frames vertical and horizontal as you switch them out. During the holidays, this curtain rod is a great way to display a festive wreath, or string some ornaments or garland.

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by | July 27, 2012 · 7:45 am

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts

One of my favorite places to dine in the Milwaukee area is Parkside 23, a great farm to table restaurant with fresh, local ingredients and unique flavors. Twice I’ve eaten their roasted beet salad and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I have never been a beet person and usually think they taste like the ground they came from, but this salad changed my mind. I love the addition of the golden beets, which are not quite as earthy and the apple cider vinaigrette boosts the flavor. I just picked apart the salad and kept the idea in my head and attempted to make it at home. And with good results! The critics actually preferred this salad to the original.

Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
1 lb red beets
1 lb golden beets
2 oz goat cheese
1 C walnuts
2 TBSP brown sugar
4 TBSP pure maple syrup, divided
1 C spring greens
3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP dijon mustard
1 TBSP honey
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash beets. Trim greens and tips off of beets. Individually wrap each beet in aluminum foil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast in oven for 45 minutes to one hour. Check every 20 minutes, timing may vary depending on beet size.

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat. Add walnuts. Mix in 3 TBSP maple syrup and brown sugar. Stir often, allowing syrup to thicken. Heat for 8-10 minutes. Spray rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove nuts from heat and place on tray. Add to oven. Bake for 8 minutes – moving nuts around with a spatula every 2 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. Remove from oven.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add vinegar. Slowly add olive oil, whisking quickly to emulsify the liquid. Continue to whisk and add honey, maple syrup, dijon mustard and salt. Set aside.

When the beets are completed. Unwrap and set aside to cool enough to handle. Peel the beets using either a sharp knife or just peel within your fingers. The roasting should make this easy. Dice the beets and add to a mixing bowl. After the beets are fully cooled, drizzle a tablespoon or two of dressing into the beets. Add walnuts and mix. Crumble goat cheese and gently stir. Spoon into ramekin. Add spring greens around the outside.

This salad serves 4-6 people as a side dish.

I hope you enjoy it as much as me! Or at least go to Parkside 23 and try the original version.

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by | July 25, 2012 · 7:58 am

And the winner is…

We are proud to announce the winner of our Organic Valley and Kickapoo County Fair winner…HAP reader Karis, from www.karisann.com. We hope you enjoy making more ice cream with some Organic Valley cream!

Congratulations!

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by | July 20, 2012 · 3:18 pm

{GIVEAWAY} Organic Valley Products & Kickapoo Country Fair

Happy weekend to all of our HAP readers! We are excited to be giving away a great package of goodies from Organic Valley. Next weekend kicks off the 9th Annual Kickapoo Country Fair. Held July 28 at the Organic Valley headquarters in La Farge, WI, this fair is the Midwest’s largest organic food and sustainability festival. It’s a weekend full of delicious organic food, cooking demonstrations, live music, readings by renowned authors, bike and farm tours, theater, kids’ activities, and dancing – all offered at an affordable price for families. For more details on the fair, visit www.kickapoocountryfair.org.

In celebration of this great event, our friends over at Organic Valley are giving away tickets to the fair as well as coupons for free Organic Valley products and an Organic Valley packable shopping bag. To enter our giveaway, please leave a comment telling us about your favorite Organic Valley product or your favorite recipe using something from Organic Valley. For an extra entry, go over to Facebook and Like Kickapoo Country Fair. Let us know you did!

You must enter your comments by 11 pm CST on Tuesday, July 24. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 25. The winners name will be added to the will call list at the fair and the prizes will be mailed to your address after the fair.

You must be 18 years old and a resident of the continental United States to enter. Winners are chosen at random. The final prize package includes:

Four (4) tickets to attend the fair on July 28 (a $20 value)
Five (5) coupons for free Organic Valley products (a $50 value)
An Organic Valley packable shopping bag

Thank you for your entries! We hope you have a great weekend!

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by | July 13, 2012 · 7:47 am

Grilled Romaine BLT Salad

My trip to Dole in May has inspired many an inventive salad dish in my house. In the past, I had seen plenty of recipes to grill Romaine lettuce, but never tried it. It was no surprise that I loved it upon trying it out in Monterey. Just a little char and a little warmth on the crisp lettuce goes a long way. It makes a salad feel like more of a hearty dinner.

Try this out next time you are at the grill. It is easy, fast and delicious!

Grilled Romaine BLT Salad
4 pieces thick-cut bacon
1 head Romaine lettuce
2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 C cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 C croutons
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Lite Blue Cheese dressing

Bake bacon in oven. Chop into pieces and set aside.

Preheat the grill. Brush whole Romaine head with 1 TBSP olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on hot grill. Grill 2 minutes on each side, enough to create char marks. Remove from grill.

Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in small skillet. Add tomatoes, oregano and salt and pepper. Saute tomatoes for about 8-10 minutes or until heated through.

Place tomatoes over Romaine. Sprinkle with bacon, green onions, tomatoes and croutons. Drizzle blue cheese dressing over the top.

To serve, cut into chunks and place on plates using a spatula.

If you want to use your grill only, you could skewer the tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil oregano, salt and pepper and grill them next to the lettuce, until heated through.

If you want to lighten it up a bit, skip the blue cheese dressing. You could add just a small sprinkle of lite blue cheese or gorgonzola.

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by | July 6, 2012 · 9:17 am

Mango Strawberry Smoothie

When it is 104 degrees outside, cooking is the last thing on my mind. Smoothies are one of my favorite ways to beat the heat. They replace the need for ice cream and are filled with great ingredients to help your body stand up to the heat. Recently, I’ve been using mango in my mixtures. It gives the smoothie a wonderful creaminess. When it is too hot to even drive to your nearest frozen yogurt stand, try this recipe out!

Mango Strawberry Smoothie
1 C no-fat vanilla yogurt (I use Stonyfield Organic)
1 mango, sliced
1 C sliced strawberries
1/2 TBSP agave nectar
1 C ice cubes

In a blender, add yogurt, mango, strawberries and agave nectar. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes and crush until smooth. Pour and enjoy!

I promise this will be my last recipe involving strawberries for a while. I just can’t help myself!

What food or drink recipes do you make to beat the heat?

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by | June 29, 2012 · 8:00 am

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

As I mentioned last week, strawberries have been in full effect in our house. One of my favorite desserts (more than pie! shhh…) is a good, warm fruit crisp. I’ve yet to try a recipe that tops this one. The rhubarb and the orange flavoring perfectly balance out the sweet and tart of the strawberries. The top tastes like a warm crumbled oatmeal cookie. I found this recipe in Food Network Magazine awhile back and have adapted it a little bit to meet my taste buds. If you brave turning your oven on in this heat (it’s not too bad in the air conditioning), give this recipe a try! You won’t regret it.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Adapted from Food Network Magazine

5 C hulled and quartered strawberries
3-4 stalks rhubarb, diced
1 1/4 C sugar
Zest of one medium sized orange
1 TBSP cornstarch
Juice of one medium sized orange
1 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C light brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 C quick cooking oats (not instant)
10 TBSP cold unsalted butter, diced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add strawberries, rhubarb, 3/4 C sugar and orange zest. Stir until gently mixed together. In a small cup, dissolve the cornstarch into the orange juice. Add to the fruit mixture and stir. Pour mixture in an 8×8 square baking dish. Place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper in case of bubble over in the oven.

With an electric mixer, combine flour, remaining 1/2 C sugar, brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the dry ingredients turn moist and the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit mixture, covering completely. Bake for 1 hour or until fruit is bubbling. Serve warm with a small scoop of ice cream.

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