by | May 26, 2010 · 8:26 am

Yogurt Cake

This past weekend I was invited to a dinner party at fellow HAP blogger Stef’s house.  I was asked to bring a dessert which is not an easy task when the hostess does not like chocolate.  Actually I am the only HAP blogger who likes chocolate, both Stef and Katie refuse to eat it.  (Most people gasp when they hear this.)  So, I scrambled to find a non-chocolate recipe to bring to the party.

I came up with this perfectly simple and delicious Yogurt Cake.  It is a vanilla cake that is dense and has a very rich texture.  Sprinkle it with powdered sugar and you have a sweet and simple spring dessert.

Yogurt Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain whole milk or lowfat yogurt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a round 9 inch cake pan.

Whisk together the dry ingredient in a large bowl.

In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla. Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool the cake for 5-10 minutes and turn out on a wire rack to remove the cake. Turn it right side up and allow it to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve.

But don’t worry, chocolate lovers, I promise to post more recipes like this so we can get our chocolate fix.

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by | May 25, 2010 · 11:22 am

Cooking & Drinking with Belgian Beers

As you read this, I’m probably wandering canal-side in Amsterdam. Yep, the hubs and I are on vacay in Amsterdam, Belgium and Luxembourg and since Belgian beers are playing a starring role on our trip, I thought it would only be fitting to spotlight them today.

Belgians beers are complex enough for beer lovers but easy drinking, making them great to cut your teeth on if you’re just getting into beer. Like a fine wine, most Belgians should be served it in a snifter or a tulip glass to get the full aroma.

Belgian styles can vary greatly from a spritzy, champagne-like saison or grand cru to a sweet, malty dubbel to a fruity lambic. When you’re drinking one, keep an eye out for key flavor characteristics like clove, banana, bubble gum, citrus and coriander, which come from using Belgian-style yeasts.

Some of my favorite Belgian beers include:
Belgian Imports: Duvel, La Chouffe, Grimbergen, Saison Du Pont, Delirium Tremens, Chimay
US Micros: Ommegang Hennepin, Goose Island Matilda, Russian River Damnation, New Glarus Imperial Saison

But beer isn’t only great for drinking! It’s an unsung hero of cooking too that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes like this one that I created:

Belgian Shortbread with Whipped Cream

Lemon Shortbread with Rhubarb Framboise Sauce & Belgian Whipped Cream
Shortbread
2 C flour
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2+ C powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon

Framboise Sauce
1 pkg fresh raspberries
6 stalks rhubarb, chopped
1/4 C framboise beer (such as Lindeman’s)
1/2 C sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch

Grand Cru Whipped Cream
1 C organic heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp Grand Cru beer

For shortbread, preheat oven to 300. Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Grate lemon zest into butter mixture. Steadily beat in flour mixture until well combined. Cover cookie sheet with a double layer of parchment paper. Form dough into a ball and place on top. Roll dough into a 1/2″ thick circle and use your fingers to pinch the edges into a fluted shape. Using a fork, poke holes in the top in a ring-shape, working your way from the center outward. Dust with granulated sugar and bake for 40-45 minutes.

For sauce, combine rhubarb, beer and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Dust in cornstarch and whisk well, then add raspberries. Cook over med-low heat for another 10 minutes or until fruit is broken down.

For whipped cream, combine cream, sugar and beer in a medium bowl or mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until soft peaks form.

Bonus!: Save the extra rhubarb sauce for ice cream, waffles or pancakes!

Au revoir and Dag! I’ll share more about my trip when I return in June for HAP Wedding Month – don’t forget to get your wedding submissions in!

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by | May 21, 2010 · 7:45 am

Pretty in a Pot

The April showers have brought in the May flowers! I was so excited to get out in the sunshine this week and finally start to work on our garden. After hours of wandering aimlessly (in a good way) around the local garden center, my husband and I came home with the first of many rounds of flowers, shrubs and veggies to plant.

The past two years, my attempts at planting annuals alongside our front walkway have failed. I blame the failure on the poor soil, not my gardening skills, and I plan to keep it that way. I decided to ditch trying flowers alongside the bushes this year and bought a pretty pot to decorate the entryway to the front door.

I purchased a 15″ diameter ceramic pot in bright blue. Since the container is fairly tall, I didn’t want to waste too much potting soil, so I placed an empty plastic pot from one of the other shrubs we planted at the bottom of the large pot and placed potting soil around it. When potting plants, make sure to use potting soil and not garden soil. Potting soil is much lighter and not as moist as garden soil. You can tell the difference when you lift the bags.

When planting, I followed the rule that Better Homes & Gardens calls “Thriller, Filler, Spiller.” To create some height and depth to your pot, I purchased a tall Spike. I placed Zinnias in Profusion Orange and Profusion Cherry as well as Sorbet Orange Delight Violas and Red Picotee Dianthus to fill the pot and add color. I couldn’t resist planting Jade, one of our favorite succulents for the season, in the front of the pot. For the “Spill” I added Snowstorm Giant Snowflake (Sutera cordata) and Vinca.

To get your desired arrangement, lay your plants in the pot in their containers before planting them. I’ve placed some river rocks over the top of the pot to help with drainage. You can also add other decorative rocks or mulch. I’ve set this pot up to thrive in partial shade. When picking out your flowers and plants, make sure you read the labels. Lots of great information exists on that small little insert, including height, conditions and tips.

I can’t wait to watch as my pot grows and bursts with color throughout the summer! I will keep you updated as they bloom.

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by | May 19, 2010 · 7:24 am

Turning our House into a Home

I thought I’d give you all a quick update on what’s going on in my world right now.  A couple weeks ago my husband and I bought a new house.  It is a “fixer-upper” as they say and we are quite overwhelmed with the projects we have gotten ourselves into.  Below are some pictures of our new house in progress along with some of the projects we are working to complete.  Stay tuned to see some before and after pictures and lots of DIY tips!

Let’s hope, for our sake, that the after pictures are in the not-s0-distant future!

For starters, our oak floors will be refinished and the entire house will get a new coat of paint.

Our kitchen will get a face lift: new flooring, counter tops and freshly painted cabinets.

Carpet was removed from almost every room revealing some pretty awesome wood floors in some rooms!

Other rooms revealed some pretty ugly stains that will need to be taken care of.

The exterior will also need a lot of work!  New roof, new landscaping and lots and lots of paint.

It is an understatement to say that we are looking forward to the day when we will be able to sit back and enjoy our new home.  Unfortunately, I am not sure that day is in the near future.  We’ll just take it one step at a time!

What’s the next project on your list?

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by | May 17, 2010 · 8:36 am

Summer Margaritas

This weekend the dreary weather finally broke and summer appears to be back on its way.  So when I had dinner with my husband’s family last night and was promptly handed this juicy, jewel-toned margarita, the world felt right again.

Margaritas are just perfect for an afternoon on the patio or for dinner with fish tacos. But if you’re going to make margs this summer skip the syrupy mixes and make them with fresh fruit instead.  Your tastebuds (and your friends) will thank you.

fresh orange margarita

Fresh Orange Margarita
3/4 z fresh orange puree (see instructions)
2 oz tequila
3/4 oz orange liqueur, preferably GranGala*
1 1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
ice
salt or sugar
orange or lime slices

In a food processor or blender, combine 4 Cara oranges or blood oranges (navel if you can’t find those) with 1 Tbsp simple syrp and 1 tsp lemon juice. Puree until smooth.

Pour salt or sugar onto a plate. Use a wedge of fruit to wet the edge of a margarita glass and dip glass into salt/sugar to rim the glass. In a cocktail shaker, add ice, puree, tequila, GranGala, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake well and strain into the margarita glass.

*GranGala is an Italian liqueur similar to Gran Marnier but with a more pronounced orange flavor
Recipe from: Mixshakestir

IDEAS:
Use this recipe as a base and experiment with flavors. To serve on the rocks, just puree the fruit well and strain. Or try freezing the fruit into small cubes and pureeing with a little bit of ice to serve it frozen. If you have a secondary flavor, use only a little so it creates a “what-is-that?” effect instead of overpowering your star fruit.

I think I’ll be trying:
Ginger Peach
Watermelon Mint
Strawberry Basil
Raspberry Lime
Mango

Watermelon Mint margarita

Have a great margarita recipe?  Do tell!

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by | May 14, 2010 · 8:06 am

Spring Home Workshop and HAP Dream House

Nestled amongst lush landscaping, set alongside a small bubbling creek in the enchanted land of the Village of Fox Point, Wisconsin lies a house. A house with imported French heated floors, granite slab countertops, arched doorways and skylights galore. A house we wouldn’t mind someday calling home. That someday will (probably) never happen unless the PowerBall numbers fall in our favor, but a girl can dream!

The HAP ladies recently attended the Spring Home Workshop hosted by The Home Market and Show and Tell Homes at a breathtaking home in Fox Point. Costing a mere $2.9 mil, this house is any haute homemakers dream. We were treated to pizza and wine as we toured the house, admiring not only the home itself, but the touches that Kate from the Home Market added to show off all of its possibilities.

The tile work throughout the house was something to be admired, and I love my husband for spending hours reading tile saw reviews – he was right, it was important. We love look of some simple sconces placed above a mantel to add some soft lighting to the room. It is all about elegant simplicity.

White or cream dishes are a great way to go if you are looking to buy a new set. You can make them work with any type of tablescape, from a soft summertime look to a fancy Thanksgiving dinner. Try the easy lighting option of adding some sand to a jar and placing a candlestick inside. And as always, fresh flowers add a natural and personal touch to any dining room. Pick up the freshest, in-season flowers at your local farmer’s market!

Shelving 101:

I always have a tendency to throw junk onto shelves instead of using them as a framework for an artistic piece in the house. I plan to use this picture as some inspiration to “de-junkifying” a bookshelf I have in my house.

It’s so simple! This shelf has a subtle worldly theme with map covered books and the globe. Stack a few of your favorite books to add some character.

Picture frames are always a staple item. The good news is, they don’t need to match! But they should create a cohesive look. Group your pictures similarly. Make some prints in sepia or black and white or use – of your family’s faces.

Expect to see more on shelf decorating from me in the near future! I’m excited to tackle this project.

With soft linens and a fully functional wood burning stove fireplace in the room, I sure wouldn’t mind cozying up at night with the latest issue of Vogue and a glass of wine. The peaked ceilings in this room gave it such an open, airy feeling. Ahhh….

I just about died when I walked into the kitchen. Give me a shack in the mud but with a kitchen like this one! Double ovens, wide open counter spaces, state-of-the-art appliances. If you are thinking of painting cabinets in your kitchen to give it an updated look (like I am), think about trying this clay gray color. It softens up the room and compliments any other color around it!

For the creme de la creme, around the corner at the end of the hallway in the back of the house lies a little room with access to the backyard. Yes friends, it was a POTTING SHED! We HAP ladies drooled and swooned over the thought of this beautiful little room with enough counter space to help you plant your succulents and a hose/shower area big enough to wash your dog or just rinse your Wellies!

So we may never live in this house but we sure can take inspiration from its beauty! Thanks to Kate at The Home Market for the invitation to this great event!

Well…off to the gas station to go pick up my lottery ticket…

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by | May 13, 2010 · 12:04 pm

You Should Be Reading…

With many of our favorite print magazines recently bidding us adieu (RIP Domino), a wonderful bunch of new digital mags have cropped up online! What they lack in dog-ear-and-tear-out-ability, they certainly make up for in loveliness.

Here are some of our favorites (click on the magazine cover to view it!).  If you haven’t checked them out already, get ready to become addicted.

Lonny Magazine Sweet Paul Magazine Nesting Newbies Magazine

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by | May 12, 2010 · 7:15 am

Pink and Brown Ladybug Party

My niece, Isabelle, just turned one and my sister threw her the most adorable birthday party.  It was a pink and brown ladybug party and she thought of every detail!

The house was decorated with pots of planted grass that were adorned with pink ladybugs!

Flying ladybugs hung from the lights thoughout the house.

Pink and brown were the colors of the day!  The napkins were wrapped in pink and brown and tied with coordinating ribbon.

Guests snacked on “bug bites” which were PBJ’s and cream cheese with strawberry jelly sandwiches shaped to look like ladybugs.

All food had adorable tags that were created with pink paper and a ladybug stamp.

Guests sipped on pink ladybug lemonade from brown cups that had a pink ladybug stickers created by Ladybug Labels.

No ladybug party would be complete without ladybug cupcakes!

The birthday girl had a special outfit too!  A pink tutu and headband made by Sweetie Pie Tutus with a ladybug shirt created by Sticheroos.

As favors, guests were given tins filled with pink and brown M&M’s and topped with an adorable ladybug tag also created by Ladybug Labels.

Everyone, especially Miss Isabelle, enjoyed a wonderful party!

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by | May 10, 2010 · 7:59 am

Obsessed with: Succulents

After my trip to LA, I’ve had succulents on the brain. I’m in love with their plump little leaves and the funky, exotic vibe they lend to both indoor and outdoor landscapes.

For those of you with black thumbs, these little beauties are a perfect houseplant because, unless you stash them in a closet, they’re nearly impossible to kill. All you need is a well-draining pot and light!

Succulents love bright light indoors or full sun outdoors that replicates their natural environment of African deserts or Alpine rock ledges. They naturally retain water (the term succulent literally means “full of juice”), so you don’t have to water them often. Regular rain outside or once every few weeks inside should do the trick.

In the succulent family, cacti are certainly the poster child, but these are some of my new favorite varieties:

Sempervivum
Also known as Hens and Chicks or Jovibarba (Jupiter’s Beard), sempervivum are easy to identify by their pretty rosette shape.  Highly adaptable and frost resistant, they make for a lovely coffee table plant and work equally well as a low-growing filler along the edges of raised garden beds.

Sempervivum succulent, Hens and Chicks

Succulent rock garden

Jade
Sometimes called the “money tree” or “friendship tree” (and who couldn’t use more of both), Jade plants work well on window ledges or patios and can be pruned like a bonzai to control their size.  They can produce small pinkish white flowers like the plant below and can easily be divided by clipping off just a small branch…perfect for sharing with friends! My friend Anne just picked one up at the farmer’s market last week so I may be stealing a cutting of hers once it gets going!

Jade plant, Money tree, Friendship tree

Sedum
Sedum come in a wide variety of shapes, colors and styles ranging from mid-size flowering shrubs to mat-like stonecrops.  Flowering shrubs like this one below are hearty in cold weather and produce masses of burgundy flowers that are pretty fresh or dried.  They also divide and transplant well so check with your gardener friends to see if you can snag a clump.

Sedum foliage

Aloe Vera
Not just something that comes in a bottle dyed green!  Aloe vera plants can be grown at home and their leaves snipped to treat wounds, burns or sunburn.  Just double check that it’s the aloe vera that you’re getting since some aloe species can be poisonous.

Aloe vera plant, Succulents

Non-HAP Photos: Jade plant and Aloe plant


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by | May 7, 2010 · 8:19 am

FRESH Farm to Table Dinner

“Buying local is nothing new. 100 even 50 years ago, buying and eating local wasn’t a choice. Everybody had to do it.”

When you put it that way, “local” is far from a new concept but the buy & eat local craze is sweeping the nation and the ladies of HAP are excited about it. We recently attended a “Farm to Table” dinner hosted at La Merenda, an international tapas restaurant and a true Milwaukee gem. The dinner was hosted in promotion of the movie “FRESH,” a documentary exploring the world of sustainable farming and shedding light on what has become the industrial agriculture market.

A member of Braise RSA, La Merenda is a local restaurant with a focus on buying local. With an eclectic mix of flavors from around the world, you would never guess many of the ingredients come from our own backyard. Local businesses like Sweet Water Organics, an urban farm that uses hydroponics to grow crops, make it possible for restaurants like La Merenda to support the cause.

Executive Chef Peter Sandroni prepared a four-course meal, with every ingredient hailing from Wisconsin…not an easy task for April in Wisconsin. Wisconsinites are lucky at this time of the year to escape spring snowfalls. But Sandroni mastered his courses with the freshest of ingredients and bold flavors that kept us wanting more. When we asked about our favorite seasonal dish, the Butternut Squash Ravioli, we found that not only does he buy local for that dish as well, but Sandroni houses the squash in the basement of his house to ensure he has enough! We were also treated to sustainably produced wine at each course, expertly paired by local sommelier, Nate Norfolk.

Don’t think that you can make a restaurant style meal using all local ingredients? Check out the menu and you’ll be amazed at what you can find.

Course 1: Toasted Goat Cheese Salad
Honey Goat Cheese: Montchevre Belmont, WI
Mixed Greens: Sweet Water Organics, Milwaukee
Pancetta: La Quercia Norwark, IA
Wine: 2008 Tangent Sauvignon Blanc – Edna Valley, CA

La Merenda Toasted Goat Cheese Salad

Course 2: Spinach Ravioli in Rosemary Cream Sauce
Spinach: Pinehold Gardens Oak Creek, WI
Ricotta: Grande Cheese Brownsville, WI
Cream: Sassy Cow Creamery Columbus, WI
Rosemary: from Peter’s house!
Parmesan: Sarveccio Plymouth, WI
Wine: 2005 Vitanza Chianti Colli Senesi – Tuscany, Italy

Course 3: Braised Pork with Mushroom and Blue Cornmeal Polenta
Pork: Wilson Farm Meats Elkhorn, WI
Prosciutto: La Quercia Norwark, IA
Carrots: Tipi Produce Evansville, WI
Onions and Mushrooms: River Valley Farm Burlington, WI
Blue Corn Meal: Pristine View Farm Hillsboro, WI
Half and Half: Sassy Cow Creamery Columbus, WI
Asiago: Belgioso Denmark, WI
Wine: 2008 Ecologica Syrah/Malbec – La Rioja, Argentina

La Merenda Milwaukee Braised Pork with Polenta

Course 4: Chocolate Hickory Nut Crème Brulee
Chocolate: Omahene Milwaukee, WI
Cream: Sasssy Cow Creamery, Columbus WI
Eggs: Yuppie Hill Farm Burlington, WI
Hickory Nuts: Twin Hawks Hillsboro, WI
Wine: NV Lautenback’s Orchard Country Sweet Black Cherry – Fish Creek, WI

La Merenda Chocolate Creme Brulee

Similar to Food Inc and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, FRESH digs in and asks viewers to reconsider where their food comes from and why they buy what they buy.  Without being all doomsday-style, FRESH will definitely make you think twice about what you eat and how even small decisions with your dollar might cause corporations to listen up.

We were also thrilled to see a fellow Milwaukeean, Will Allen of the Growing Power urban farming initiative, play a prominent and truly inspirational role in the film.  If you thought “farm” and “city” can’t go hand-in-hand, think again.  Based in a rough Milwaukee neighborhood, Growing Power’s two acre headquarters is home to 6 greenhouses, aquaponics stations, beehives, hen houses, goats, a compost center and more. We can’t wait to check out their goods at the Fox Point Farmer’s Market and hope to pop by HQ sometime soon.

How do you get involved with this Fresh movement? What are your favorite “fresh” places to eat? Share your ideas here or get more involved by hosting your own farm to table event with ideas from the FRESH community.

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