Make it... for Breakfast!

In all the craziness that is the weeks leading up to the National Stationery Show, I feel like I barely get out the door in the morning, let alone grabbing a Greek yogurt (my fave!) from the fridge.  This weekend, I took a step back and prepared some food for the week... Healthy lunches, bags of vegetables for snacks and homemade granola to top that yogurt for breakfast.  Give it a go - it just might give you that boost that I find myself needing in the morning!

Homemade Maple Granola

1/4 cup vegetable oil 2/3 cup maple syrup 2 tsp almond extract 4 cups oatmeal (not the quick stuff… you want the old fashioned oats!) 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup golden raisins 1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, oil and almond extract. Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Drizzle syrup mixture over oat mixture until all syrup has been incorporated.

Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and stir mixture around on cookie sheet. Return to oven for 8 minutes more or until golden brown.

Let cool and serve. (If stored in an air tight container, granola will keep for a couple of weeks.)

Enjoy!

Make-it Monday: Chalkboard-style

Just a little peek inside of my kitchen today for Make-it Monday.  Our all white kitchen needed a little livening up when we moved in, so I pained the top 2.5 feet of the wall in black chalkboard paint, and then started a "recipe mural" in white chalk.  I'm only 1/3 done and looking forward to getting the rest of the recipe up there - maybe in the style of my new favorite font?  What do you think?

Make-it Monday : Chalkboard Illustrations

Since my sister was visiting this weekend, I didn't get a chance to do any crafting, but I did come across this awesome (and super easy) tutorial from Molly Jacques! If you love chalkboard typography as much as I do, you'll be super interested in how to translate a pencil sketch into a beautiful white on black print!  Visit her blog here for the photoshop how to!

D.C. American Lamb Pro-Am!

Hi All :)  Thanks for coming on over to check out this recipe I put together for the very first D.C. American Lamb Pro-Am Challenge!   I have a little experience with this lean, mean grazing machine from a ways back, but love trying new techniques!  I was thrilled when I opened my refrigerated bag to find a hunk of a piece (boneless leg) of lamb from Border Springs Farm down in Southwest Virginia.  I knew I just had to try baking it in a salt crust - one of the oldest methods for cooking fish that always keeps the flesh perfectly moist and tender!  And if that seems odd that fish and lamb can be cooked the same way, give it a whirl, your taste buds will be pleasantly surprised!  (And if you'd like, you can go vote for my lamb in the Pro-Am Challenge here!)  Recipe and more pics after the jump!

Salt Baked Boneless Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• One 6-7 pound boneless leg of lamb
• Fresh pepper for seasoning
• One 48 oz. box of Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup Herbs de Provence
• 8 large egg whites
• Thyme Sprigs for garnishing, if desired

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit
• Remove the lamb from packaging and season with the freshly ground pepper
• In a large frying pan that is safe to go in the oven, heat the olive oil until hot.  Add the lamb and let cook on each "side" on medium high heat until browned - about 7-10 minutes.
• While the lamb is browning, make the salt crust mixture by placing the egg whites in a mixer and beating just until frothy.  Add the Kosher salt and Herbs de Provence and mix until combined.
• When the lamb is finished browning, remove the pan from the heat and pack the salt mixture all around the lamb, leaving no open spaces (you don't want the steam/moisture to to escape when baking).
• Place the lamb in the oven and roast until the meat registers 120° Fahrenheit for medium-rare.  This should take 40-60 minutes, so check early to be sure to not over cook the meat!
• Remove the roast from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes for the salt crust to set.  Then, crack off the crust to reveal the meat.  Discard the salt and droppings in the pan.
• Place the lamb on a serving platter and let set for another 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

White Bean & Garlic Smash with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (the perfect accompaniment for this lamb!)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cans of cannellini beans
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 15-20 garlic cloves, pealed
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions:

• Start by roasting the garlic in the olive oil in a small dish (I put this in with the lamb).
• Once the garlic is softened and gently toasted (about 20 minutes), remove from the oven and add the salt, beans and sun-dried tomatoes.
• Place the dish back in the oven so the flavors can roast and meld together while the lamb is still cooking.
• Remove from the oven once golden brown on top and serve along side the lamb.  Enjoy!

Get your GREEN THUMB on!

If you’re like me and sad to have it still be winter (darn groundhog), here’s a great gardening gift that you can make inside for the green-thumb in your life. Begonias are one of the easiest plants to propagate; most varieties only need a little water to start new roots. They come in infinite varieties (I love the leaves as much as the flowers) and stand up incredibly well as city house plants (requiring relatively low light, rather infrequent waterings (a once-a-week soaking will suffice in a pot with good drainage), and they are undeniably gorgeous.  Click below for the how-to.

How to: Propagate Begonias

Prepare a small container by washing thoroughly, making sure to leave no residue of suds.  The smaller the container, the better since the cutting will release growth hormones into the water to help the new roots develop.  Fill with tepid water.

Snip a large healthy leaf and place it in the water.  Leave in a sunny window.

When significant roots show up (2-3 weeks), gently remove the cutting and plant in potting soil in a well-draining pot.  Enjoy!

Here’s a great link for more information Pics from here