Project Apron

**Woops!  I just found this blog that I wrote a few weeks ago and never pubished...

I've been a terrible blogger lately but that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping busy. I've been sewing up a storm and trying out new recipes.

I had some extra fabric that I didn't know what to do with so I decided to whip together some aprons. I think they came out pretty cute. I'm not sure how useful this type of apron is, but oh well! I didn't have enough fabric for a full apron.

What's Baking: Red Velvet Cake

Admittedly I never understood what all the hype was about Red Velvet cake. The few times I tried it I was definitely underwhelmed. They always seemed too dense and the cocoa flavor was a little too strong. I'm going to come out and say that this cake changed my life! I had previously tried Paula Deen's recipe and I absolutely hated it.

Husband and I were sitting around on a Friday night when we both had a cake craving. He loves Red Velvet so I decided to indulge him, especially since he was willing to go to the store to get the missing ingredients. I found this recipe from Pinch My Salt and you must all try it ASAP! The only modification I did was not not use as much food coloring as the recipe called for. I only had two 0.25 vials of red food coloring and I really think it was plenty. I might even skip the food coloring next time.

(If you're not greedy like I was, let your cake cool fully 

before you frost it. It'll be a lot prettier!)

Here's the link to her recipe: http://pinchmysalt.com/2008/11/10/red-velvet-cake-recipe/

I don't like my cream cheese frosting too sweet so here's what I used:
2 - 8 oz packages of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1 tbsp of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar (maybe less...I usually taste it after each half cup addition).

Go bake it now!

What's Cooking: Bacon, Spinach, and Cheddar Quiche

My friend Christine gave me a beautiful tart pan and I knew I wanted to use it right away. I had some left over crust and after a quick look in the fridge saw that I had enough ingredients for a quiche. It came out beautifully and was so delicious.

The crust recipe is the same as my apple pie one. 

For the filling I kind of made up my own recipe:

4 eggs
1 cup of heavy cream
4 strips of bacon
2 cups of baby spinach
1/2 white onion finely diced
1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Par-bake your crust for about ten minutes covering it with a sheet of parchment paper and a layer of dry uncooked beans to keep the crust from puffing up.

Mix the eggs, cream, and 1 cup of the cheese together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, slice the bacon into small pieces and cook in pan until crispy. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and drain all but 1 tbsp of bacon fat. Throw in your diced onion and cook until translucent. Add baby spinach and cook until just wilted. Add the bacon back in and mix well.

Layer the spinach and bacon mixture onto your crust and then pour the egg mixture on top making sure to not overfill (trust me, it'll make a huge mess and you'll never get your quiche out of the tart pan).

Bake 30-35 minutes or until the quiche is set.

Let cook for about 10 minutes and remove from tart pan. Slice and enjoy!

I served mine with a salad but forgot to take pictures since we devoured it immediately!

xoxo,
K

Project: Watson Baby Quilt

I actually made this quilt before the striped baby quilt but didn't want to post about it until I gave it to our friends. I did the disappearing 9 patch method. I really like quilts where things aren't perfectly perfect. I like patterns that are mixed and matched. I love the colors I used in this one too. I can't wait to have a little girl! 

Project: Zig Zag Quilt

I've been trying out different quilting techniques and trying to master them. This one was a lot of work, but I'm so in love with all the colors and the pattern. I chose the colors to go with our living room. I really wish I had made it bigger though...Maybe I'll make another one using the same fabrics.

Project: Stripe Baby Quilt

IMG_1433
Originally uploaded by krystin.rader

I had a bunch of leftover fabric scraps that I thought would be perfect for a little baby quilt. I love how it came out it was a really quick project.

Project: Baby Quilt 2

I guess I'm kind of on a baby quilt kick! I used the leftover project from the bunting project that I did. I was so in love with the fabrics. I think I get way too attached to all the baby blankets I make! I wanted to try the hand tying method. I think it looks pretty cute. What do you guys think?

Project: Mini Quilt

I'm working on a big quilt for our king-sized bed but had some leftover scraps of fabric so I decided to make a baby quilt out of it. I didn't have too much of a plan going into the project so I just made adjustments as I went along. The black border on the front was completely unplanned but was a last minute necessity if I wanted this blanket to actually be able to cover a baby.

I really loved how it turned out. I kind of feel like I should keep it since I'll have a big quilt that matches it (whenever I manage to finish that one). I also realized that I love making baby quilts because it's a pretty quick project.

Project: Baby Quilt

One of my friends is going to have a little girl (any day now!) and I thought it would be great to make a quilt for the baby. Not that I've ever quilted before. I bought a kit from Joann's and figured that it would be difficult to mess up on with a kit. I think it turned out really cute. I liked the fabrics that were included in the kit and the directions made it easy enough. I've actually really gotten into quilting now. I started on a quilt for our king sized bed and finished another baby quilt (pics to come).

OOTD: Alpine Dreaming

I have to admit that I have an unfair amount of love for my Anthro pieces, probably because I don't own that many of them. I loved this skirt the moment I saw it, even though I'm usually not drawn to light blue. The deal was made even sweeter since I scored it when it went on a second markdown. I can't wait to style it for the fall and winter, particularly since it is a billion degrees here.

Odille Alpine Dream Skirt

White ruffle tank - Gottchalk's (from years ago)

OOTD: Wednesday

I've been meaning to get into the habit of posting my outfits but truthfully I've been awful about getting dressed. I have zero motivation to get dressed when I don't have to be anywhere.

Here's what I wore out to dinner.

Random top from Anthropologie

Levi's Boyfriend shorts

Project: Bunting

My friend Myra asked me to help her sew a bunting. After I figured out what it was I was more than happy to help. I think it came out pretty cute. I'm thinking of making some holiday themed ones for myself.





-Krystin

Oh My Apple Pie!

After watching "Good Eats" the other day, my husband requested that I bake a pie. Of course I was up for the challenge, even though I've never baked a pie before. The result was fantastic! Both the husband and I had to have second helpings immediately. I threatened to not let him have a second piece and he threatened imminent divorce if I kept the pie from him. 

I googled looking for a crust recipe that didn't contain any shortening. I've never used shortening before and didn't want to buy any. I finally found a recipe that only used butter...a lot of butter! It's called the Perfect Pie Crust Recipe. I was sold on the title alone. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
4 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Cut up the pieces of butter into small squares. Stick 'em in the freezer for a few minutes. 

Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. 

Throw the butter in and mix some more. 

Slowly add the ice water by tablespoons until you get a nice mealy texture. I ended up using about six tablespoons. 

Dump the mixture onto a clean work surface and kneed a few times. 

Shape into two discs. 

Place into ziplock bags and chill in refrigerator until ready to use (but at least for 1 hour!). 

For the filling, I used Grandma Ople's off of Allrecipes and adapted it slightly. It had great ratings and I figured over 3,000 people couldn't be wrong. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4-6 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I used 4)

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add flour to create a paste. Add water and sugars, mix well. Let mixture simmer for a few minutes. 

Roll out your dough for the bottom of the pie and arrange your apples inside. I added half of the sauce mixture to the apples, then I put the lattice crust on. Then, pour the rest of your sauce evenly over the entire pie. 

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

Let cool for a few hours, otherwise, it'll be a big soupy mess! 

Enjoy at your own risk! 

What's Cooking: Steak Salad

I made a delicious stead salad yesterday night for dinner that was so good I forgot to snap any pictures! It's a super easy recipe and I highly recommend for summer dinners. It's so refreshing. 

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt 

pepper 

Place all of the ingredients in a sealable container and give it a really good shake! 

For the steak salad, you'll need: 

Steak - cooked to desired doneness 

Salad mix 

tomatoes

olives 

blue cheese crumbles 

avocado 

I like to mix the salad with the salad dressing and then put the steak on top. I'll be sure to take a picture next time. 

Have a great day everyone! 

xoxo

What's Cooking: Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

I usually just grill salmon on the BBQ or bake it in the oven, but wanted to try something different today. After a lot of perusing online, I found a recipe for Honey Soy salmon. I modified the recipe a little bit since I didn't have everything on hand. It came out beautifully! As an accompaniment, I served french green beans with caramelized onions and some soba (buckwheat) noodles in a soy/sesame oil sauce. This was such a great, light, and summery meal. I'm definitely making it again. The plus side is that everything was ready in about 20 minutes.

Honey Soy Salmon
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp of rice vinegar

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Place salmon in a resealable plastic baggie with half of the sauce mixture. Let marinade for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Turn on the broiler of your oven.

Place marinaded salmon onto foil covered sheet pan. Broil for about 6-8 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Green Beans w/ Caramelized Onions 
1/4 of an onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil or butter
1 pinch of salt
2 cups green beans (I used frozen b/c it was all I had on hand)

Heat pan over medium heat. Add oil and onions into the pan. Add a healthy pinch of salt and periodically stir onions until they're a nice dark brown.

Add green beans, stirring to combine well. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 5-6 minutes. Flavor with salt and pepper as desired.

Soba Sesame Noodles
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp of white vinegar
red chili sauce

Adjust all the amounts to your liking. Some people may like it a little sweeter

Mix above ingredients well and add to cooked soba noodles.
Add some scallions and sesame seeds if you want to be fancy.

Writing this post is making me hungry again!

Happy Father's Day!

I just wanted to wish my Dad the happiest of Father's Days. I'm so proud to have such a smart, courageous man as a father. 

Happy Father's Day to all you other dads out there! 

Pig Pickin' Cake

In honor of Father's Day, I thought I'd bake something to bring over to the family gathering tomorrow. I originally ate this cake at a friend's house and fell in love with how light and moist the cake was and the delicate flavor of the frosting. I was completely shocked when I found out how easy it was to make. This was the first time I made this cake into cupcakes, but I thought they came out rather well.

Anyone know where the name comes from? I think it's the weirdest name!

Pig Pickin' Cake 

1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can of mandarin oranges
4 eggs
1 container of whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1 package of instant vanilla pudding
1 can crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine cake mix, vegetable oil, mandarin oranges with the juice, and the four eggs together until well blended. Pour into two greased cake pans or lined cupcake tins. Bake 18-20 minutes for cupcakes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove cake from pan, allow to cool completely before frosting!

To prepare frosting, mix whipped topping, instant vanilla pudding, and pineapple together. Spread on cupcakes or pipe on using a pastry bag and tips.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

New Episode Recap

I did another episode recap for the reality show "Bethenny, Getting Married?" It's so much fun to do and I really hope I'll get to do other shows in the future. Please check it out and send it on to your friends!

Bethenny, Getting Married?

Photo courtesy of Monsters and Critics 

Our new sofa makes a debut!

I managed to convince the husband that we needed a new sofa (I've been begging for years!) for our living room. We were using the ones that he had from his bachelor days, which I didn't love, to say the least! The best part of the new sofa is that each piece reclines. I didn't know how comfortable recliners were and I'm not sure how I'll be able to sit on anything that doesn't recline ever again.

Here's the new setup:

I almost think that we need to buy one more armless chair to make the sofa wider. It looks good in the living room, but doesn't quite fill the space. I put a small shelf on the left side of the sofa and a storage bench that we had in another spot in the living room. 

What do you guys think? Should we buy another piece? 

Nursing Cover

I made a nursing cover for my friend, Kristin, who's expecting a baby soon. I made one previously for my sister shortly after she had my nephew. It's an easy, fun project, that doesn't take too long to accomplish. I did some research and made the dimensions similar to a popular name brand version. If anyone wants a tutorial, let me know.

Ma's Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

I managed to get my mom's recipe for cha gio after grilling her with questions since no Vietnamese mom I know even uses measuring cups or spoons. I tried to get her to be as specific as possible, but it was like asking the sky to be green. I know I could have googled another recipe, but I was only interested in making egg rolls that tasted just like my mom's! My mom is such a good cook that the thought of her food makes my mouth water. My husband is already addicted to her cooking and always asks what she's going to cook before we go visit.

My first attempt came out really well. I've always had the job of rolling egg rolls when my mom was making them, but I never realized how much work it was to prepare the filling. It's all of the chopping and mixing that is so time consuming. Hopefully I'll have children one day so I can get some free labor. Here's the recipe I used.

Ma's Cha Gio

1 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp (shelled, deveined, and chopped)
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 of a small jicama root
1 cup of Black Fungus rehydrated and chopped
1 cup of bean thread; rehydrated and cut (vermicelli)
3 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp pepper
a dash of salt
1 package of spring roll wrappers

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Now, roll your cha gio! I start by placing about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the middle of my wrapper. 

Next, fold the bottom corner up. 

Now, fold the sides in. 

Then, starting from the bottom, roll your way up. 

I fried mine in about 2 inches of oil in a 2 quart sauce pan. Fry them until they're golden brown. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. 

Here's what the finished product looks like. 

I always love to eat mine with rice noodles, lettuce, and fish sauce. I forgot to snap a picture with the salad greens, but that's usually how we eat it. 

Voila! 

I hope everyone's weekends are going well. I'm exhausted now, but I'll be back with some new posts later. 

xoxo! 

OOTD - Reed Shirtdress

I finally broke out the Reed shirt dress yesterday. I got complements all day on it from random strangers! I guess it was a hit. Truthfully, I felt like an overgrown Girl Scout. I'm truly a color-phobic person by nature. Excuse the undone hair and poor iPhone picture quality. I was on my way to a haircut appointment and the iPhone 4.0 will soon be mine!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Am I a Monster or a Critic?

In a fantastic turn of events, my good friend Alicia introduced me to a woman who edits an entertainment website called Monsters and Critics. Turns out she was looking for recap writers for various shows and gave both Alicia and me opportunities to write for her.

Check out my first foray into entertainment writing in my recap of Bravo's new show "Bethenny, Getting Married?"

The Largest Eclair EVER - Martha Green's

Hubby and I went out to breakfast at Martha Green's Eating Room last weekend. It's a little restaurant that has a bakery attached. The baked goods are out of this world!

When hubby spotted the largest eclair known to mankind, he knew he had to have it. I'm not sure if the photo really captures the ginormity of the eclair. I can't tell you if it was delicious or not. My darling husband wouldn't give me a bite!

I can say that the Orange cupcake was delicious though. It was white cake filled with lemon curd and topped with orange cream cheese frosting. I was in heaven!

If anyone has a good lemon/orange cupcake recipe, let me know!

Lemon Squares

Who doesn't love the deliciously sweet taste of a good lemon square? This recipe was given to me by a former coworker after I lamented about my previous lemon bar failures. She told me she had been using this recipe for over 40 years! I thought it would be the perfect sweet treat to bring to a pool party last weekend.

The secret to this recipe's success is definitely the simplicity of it and the use of Meyer lemons. This variety of lemon is sweeter and juicier than some of its counterparts. Definitely give this recipe a try! You won't be sorry (well, maybe your waistline will be).

Lemon Squares


Part I:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
pinch of salt

Mix above ingredients and pat into a 9x12 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Part II:
4 beaten eggs
6 tbsp flour
6 tbsp lemon  juice
2 cups of sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon

Mix above ingredients and pour over Part I (after the crust bakes). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into bars or squares.

Noah @ the Park

Noah and his mom came for a little visit the other day and we took the opportunity to go to the park, visit with his grandpa, and take some pictures.

Noah is really good at throwing his ball (especially into the fountain) and running!

Thanks for coming to visit, Noah-bear! 

Vietnamese Yogurt

I was really looking forward to trying to make some Vietnamese yogurt after I saw it on my friend Christine's blog. I remember my mom making these all the time when I was a kid and it brings back fond memories of my childhood. I think I get all my culinary curiosity from my Mom. She was always trying out new recipes or techniques and I always wanted to help her out in the kitchen. If only Vietnamese moms used more precise measurements. Getting her to tell me a recipe is a rather abstract practice.

The closest Asian market is about 10 miles away and I was too lazy to make the trek on Sunday. I just bought the store brand sweetened condensed milk and the generic plain yogurt for the starter. Unfortunately, when I got home, I realized I forgot one of the key ingredients...the milk! I really didn't want to go back to the store, so I started searching online for different yogurt recipes. I stumbled upon Andrea's recipe at Viet World Kitchen. Her recipe didn't call for any milk so I decided to give it a go.

I think it came out really well, although perhaps not as tart as I would have liked. I didn't let them set out for a long time since I didn't factor in enough time. I was afraid of going to sleep and them coming out too tart. I really do like the flavor though. It's nice and light with a soft, sweet taste. I also can't believe how much yogurt it made and how cheaply! I was able to make 10 half cup servings for about $3.00 total. I think that's a great deal!  I'm definitely going to try Christine's recipe next time.

Here's the link to the recipe I used: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2009/08/vietnamese-yogurt-recipe.html

Steak Fajitas

I've been looking for a good steak fajita recipe so we could get our Mexican food fix at home. It's too hard to resist the chips, rice, beans, and cheese when we go out! This recipe was easy and had a great flavor. I think it'll work great with chicken next time.

Fajita Marinade
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic

Mix the above ingredients in a resealable baggie. Add meat, mix together. Let marinade in fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

I sauteed bell peppers and onions in the pan before I added the meat.

Mirror Redo

I've been wanting to put a full length mirror near our door for ages. We keep all of our shoes in our coat closet downstairs and I could never see my whole outfit without standing on top of furniture or going back upstairs.

I bought this mirror for $15 at Marshall's. I didn't hate the original color, but didn't think it went with the rest of the decor of our home.

(Sorry for the poor iPhone pic, it's the only before pic I snapped.) 

Most of the other frames in our home are black, so I wanted to bring in something a little lighter, so I chose an antique white. Here's the result after several coats of spray paint. 

Much better, don't you think? 

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I took the opportunity to bake some cookies today since it was relatively cool out. There's no way I'm turning the oven on once summer hits and it's over 100 degrees outside.

I love this recipe and think that it's the perfect chocolate chip w/nuts recipe. The ratio of nuts to chips is just right and the sea salt gives just enough saltiness to counter the sweetness. I've used both pecans and walnuts, both with great results.

I used my trusty silicone mat and parchment paper. 

The ones on parchment tend to spread out more, making thinner crispier cookies. 

The ones on the silicone mat come out thicker. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 stick butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - I always add a splash more..it'll make the cookies tastier
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (I add a bit more b/c I like salty sweet cookies, so add an extra pinch)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (or pecans), toasted and chopped (toast in a 300 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, but watch them carefully so they don't burn!)

Preheat to 300F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop dough into 2 tablespoon balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

** If you're using both racks, rotate your baking trays halfway through (move the top pan to the bottom and flip the direction they're facing). It'll make your cookies cook more evenly. 

Seared Scallops w/ Warm Spinach and Bacon Salad

Husband is still on an Atkins style diet and I've been having fun coming up with new dishes for dinner. Last night we enjoyed Seared Scallops and a Spinach and Bacon Salad. It was a really satisfying meal and it took me less than 30 minutes to cook!

For the scallops, I simply seasoned them with salt and pepper and seared in 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a hot pan. Cook three minutes per side or until scallops are no longer opaque.

For the Spinach and Bacon salad, I adapted a recipe from Alton Brown on Food Network.

Ingredients
3 slices of bacon
1/4 cup of onion
1 tbsp garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 packet of Splenda (or 1 tbsp of sugar if you're not watching your carbs)
pinch of salt
pepper
about 3 cups of spinach (I just eyeball it)

Cook bacon over high heat until crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
While bacon is cooking, wash and dry spinach. Add to a mixing bowl.
Remove all but 2 tbsp of the bacon grease. Add onions and saute until translucent.
Add garlic, mustard, Splenda, and vinegar.
Mix well.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add dressing mix to spinach, crumble cooked bacon, and mix salad well.

Footstool Redo

I've owned this footstool since my college days. It was purchased originally because I had really high closet shelves in my apartment. It has survived several moves, attesting to its durability. The fabric lost its appeal quickly after I purchased it, but I never thought to recover it until recently.

I went to my local Joann's to look for fabric, when I realized I had the perfect fabric at home. It was a pillowcase that I purchased for $2.00 at Marshall's, originally thinking I'd cut it and make it into smaller throw pillows.

I unscrewed the padded part from the base and quickly cut my fabric to size, leaving about a 1.5 inch border. I used my trusty staple gun and stapled the fabric and voila, less than 15 minutes later, I had a perfectly matching footstool.