Happy Anniversary: One Year of Blissful Marriage!

Today I have a very special recipe... the recipe for the perfect marriage. Yup, cheese ball.

I really can't believe that one year ago today, I walked down the aisle and said "I do" to my best friend and the most unbelievably wonderful man I have ever met.  (He's also pretty handsome, too.)

As many of you know, I didn't only play the role of the blushing bride (blushing partly because it was such and amazing day and partly because tulle is not a breathable fabric!), but I was also my own wedding planner, florist, designer, and decorator (with the help from my bridesmaids of course!) Throughout that process I certainly developed a love for DIY projects and I even learned how to arrange flowers. Being able to put my own personal touches on every detail made our wedding day so much more special because everything was a representation of Richard and I.

I have to admit, as I walked down the isle I did feel a little bit proud of myself for pulling it all off... but not nearly as proud as when my new husband took me aside and said "Even if I had written this night in one of my scripts, then rewritten it ten times, I couldn't have made it more perfect. For the first time in my life I can honestly say, I wouldn't change a thing." But even sweeter was the wonderful blurb he wrote about us, and our wedding, when our photos were featured on my favorite wedding website, Style Me Pretty. (Check out our feature HERE!!!)

So, without further babbling and mushy gushy stuff (and a little bit of crafty braggery).... here is our wedding trailer by Everly Films... if you've ever been over, I have probably already made you watch it... several times.... but let's be honest, you know you have been dying to see it again!

Sarah + Rich | Malibu, California from Everly Films on Vimeo.

Thanks to Jay & Chelsea Worsley of Everly Films for making this amazing trailer!!!

The one thing I can't help but feel every time I watch this video is that I am certainly one lucky lady because Richard Keith is most definitely the bees knees. Happy anniversary to my handsome husband! I can't wait to spend all of my years with you... I love you!

R+S

DIY: Wedding Band

While your wedding vows may be until death, odds are your husbands wedding ring is not. So, if you need to remind the wandering eyes of other actresses and waitresses that your man is taken, sometimes you have to make a wedding ring on the go. Luckily if you're wearing a pair of jean shorts, there's a quick fix. Just follow my recipe for this DIY Wedding Band.

I wonder what he's supposed to remember!?

Need:
Frayed Jean Shorts... or string.

Method:
Pull a piece of string from the frayed part of your jean shorts. Not wearing shorts? That's ok. A piece of string will do. Grab your husband's hand, not too tight even though you might want to strangle him, and tie the string around his "wedding finger" as I call it.

Live happily ever after in married bliss.

Collard Greens to Make a Southern Boy Happy

I was never the child stuck at the dinner table with my elbows on the table and tears running down my cheeks in protest of the leafy greens left on my plate. I love my veggies. Always have. Always will. However, I love them a little bit extra when they are braised with smoked meats and garlic.

It is no secret that I have a small obsession with southern food. If you haven't picked up on this small little detail yet....well, then- SURPRISE..... learn how to read. I just love it. I sometimes think that I may have married my husband for the regular trips to North Carolina that somewhat revolve around which pulled pork sandwich I will stuff in my mouth next. And if any of you have tasted his smoked tri-tip (get your mind out of the gutter, I am not talking about man-meat here).... well, you know where the inspiration for my vows may have come from.

On our last trip to NC over Christmas I became a champ at absolutely devouring collard greens. Ok, ok..... so they aren't deep fried or cooked in their own fat for hours on end.... or even smothered in a tangy BBQ sauce, but holy hell- I am obsessed with this tender smokey dish. And.... wait for it..... it is actually packed with nutrients and health benefits. Ya, I said it.... collard greens are good for you! So give yourself 2 hours or so and get cooking- these are sure to win you some new friends or make your old ones actually like you more.... and these are southern hubby approved!

southern collard greens.

Ingredients:
2 pounds collard greens
2 meaty, smoked ham hocks
1 1/2 cups white wine
4 cups chicken broth
3 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic
2 cups chopped yellow onion
Coarse sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper

Method:
In a large pot, add ham hocks, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and white wine. Bring to a boil and reduce for about 5 minutes. Add collard greens, vinegar, and chicken broth and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to low heat and simmer for about 2 hours until greens are very tender and ham hocks are starting to pull apart. Season with salt and pepper and try not to eat the whole pot.

Now... since I have lots of new family that are probably pro at making collard greens.... this was my first time, and while these turned out ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS- I am more than open to suggestions and tips on how you make yours :)

Lavender Shortbread with Lemon Zest

I guess this would be part two of my borderline obsessive compulsive cooking with lavender day..... at least my house smells like heaven.

So, as I mentioned in my last post.... Richard is in Palm Springs for his bachelor party this weekend. Humphh. Now... I am all for a weekend getaway that leaves you in a hungover bliss for days on end and gives you an excuse to party like you're in college. I mean, let's be honest here... I am no stranger to some booze induced shenanigans. However, the idea of "one last hoorah" as a single guy (or girl) before you tie the knot seems a little silly to me. Last time I checked- bachelors and bachelorettes are not exactly single! Am I right, here? Buuuuut on the other hand.....I am fully enjoying the photos of compromising situations and questionable body parts that have been being texted to me by multiple parties (haha) annnnnd I'm not going to deny that I am a little curious to hear what the hell kind of strippers these boys were able to muster up in Palm Springs..... good luck boys ;)

Ok... so back to my wild day of baking and ice cream making....
Shortbread has to be one of my all time favorite cookies. It is a blank canvas for any flavor you could imagine to add to it, and it is delicious on its own. I love it.... and this particular recipe is fantastic.

 Lavender Shortbread with Lemon Zest

Ingredients

1/3 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender blossoms, chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup all purpose, unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, lavender, and lemon zest. Add the butter and mix with a hand mixer. Once mixed, add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms. 

Refrigerate the dough for about half an hour. Then, remove from the fridge, roll into a log, and chill for another 45 minutes to an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice the shortbread dough into half inch rounds. 

Bake the shortbread cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet for 20 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. 

Makes about 1 dozen cookies. 

Lavender and Honey Ice Cream.

Rich is away for his bachelor party, leaving me all alone for the weekend.....

I LOVE this. Don't get me wrong- I love living with Richard, obviously, but a little girly alone time is not something to be taken for granted! I have a very busy schedule of pedicures, shopping, puppy cuddling, and movie watching (rom-coms, of course) ahead of me this weekend. With only a little more than 5 weeks until our wedding, I am really looking forward to not doing one productive thing for 4 whole days! This morning, however, I began my first solo day in the best possible way with a one on one baking lesson from one of the most amazing southern exports living in Los Angeles.

Ms. Kathy Emerson, owner of La Weekend baked goods, is hands down the best baker I have ever met... not too mention one of the coolest women of all time. I met Kathy a few weeks ago at a wine tasting at Domaine LA Wine Shop where she was featuring some of her amazing southern baked goods. After expressing my love for southern food (and after indulging in a slice of buttermilk pie...or three) she offered to take me under her wing and teach me a thing or two. So, I showed up to her adorable loft this morning and was schooled in pie making, recipes, and lumples. Ohhhh lumples. A cross between a scone and a biscuit, lumples are my favorite new treat. It is taking every bit of will power I have to not eat the whole batch that is taunting me from the next room. D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S.

Lavender and Blueberry Lumples.

Yes, Lavender. Let's talk about lavender for a moment.....

I know I have expressed my undying affection for it several times, but let's just make sure we are clear one more time.... I LOVE LAVENDER. 

I love them smell, the color, the taste.... all of it. I have found every way possible to incorporate it into our wedding, our house, and my cooking. I just can't get enough. 

Kathy, being the doll that she is, sent me home today with a jar of culinary lavender from North Carolina. 

Me, being the crazy person that I am, decided to go ahead and really put it to use. I may have gone a bit over board........

On the menu? Lavender and honey ice cream and lavender shortbread with lemon zest. 

I posted a recipe for Lavender ice cream a few months ago, but today I decided to step it up a notch and try a new recipe. Ice cream traditionally has eggs in it, but for the sake of ease (and calories) I usually leave the egg out when I make ice cream at home. Leaving the egg out creates a lighter, healthier frozen treat which is usually ideal for me.  However, having the house to myself today seemed like the perfect time to experiment a bit. 

Lavender and Honey Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

3 Tablespoons culinary lavender buds

1/3 cup honey

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Method

In a medium saucepan, combine lavender, honey and whole milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Then strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve and discard the lavender buds. Set the milk aside. 

Combine the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together for about 3 minutes until the eggs become thick and pale. 

Return the milk mixture to the stovetop and bring to a simmer over low-medium heat. Very slowly add a little of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Keep adding the hot milk until you have added half. Then stir the egg mixture into the remaining hot milk and continue to cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until the mixture has thickened a bit...enough to coat the back of a spoon. This process is called tempering.... and be sure to do it carefully or else you will end up with a bowl full of hot milk and scrambled eggs.

Once thickened, remove the mixture from heat and strain it one more time. Place mixture in an ice bath or in the refrigerator until chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions. 

Enjoy... I know I will!!

Happy Valentines DIY....

I am having a really hard time writing this blog because all I can manage to do is sit here and stare at our FILTHY apartment. I feel I should also point out that according to Richard, "this is not filthy by guy standards." So I guess I should more accurately say, our apartment looks more like the back room of an arts and crafts store.

One corner of the living room is piled high with different colored tulle from my latest DIY project. The coffee table is covered in pearls and scraps of twine from making bracelets for my darling flower girls. The kitchen.... as usual.... has 3 different stovetop creations cooking away and the dining room table is piled high with sad looking Valentines Day decorations that are about 24 hours past their prime... which after the drinks I had at dinner last night, is also how I feel at the moment (more on this later.) Okay, in hindsight, maybe I went a little overboard this year....

But come on, a holiday that celebrates love with obnoxious pink and red sparkly hearts and cheesy sayings to fill your darling's head with? Please. I LOVE this day.... and 2 hours ago anyone that would have walked in off the streets would have taken one look at my (our) apartment and could have said with certainty one of two things: A. I robbed a hallmark store or B. At one point.... Cupid MUST have lived and /or died here.... or something along those lines.

yes, I did cut out all those hearts by hand. 

My (our) apartment looked like a scene out of any man's worst nightmare... paper hearts strung from every corner, red and white dollies (heart shaped, duh) covering every inch of space visible to the human eye, and valentines piled high on every surface...... what can I say? I'm a romantic.... and I am also someone who will take any opportunity to decorate, throw a party, or plan a totally cheesy expression of my undying love for my VERY patient and sweet fiancé.

So 3 paragraphs later we are going to get to my point (it takes longer to get there with every blog I write... which based on the other long-winded blogs I read, means I'm in danger of officially becoming a real blogger.) To my point... I swear!

A breakfast worthy for St. Valentine himself.

On the menu:
Caramelized onion and bell pepper omelets with melted jack cheese.
Heart shaped bacon bites
Fresh mixed berries
Heart shaped toast

Yes.... "heart shaped" was indeed typed twice up there..... I already admitted that I went over board, but hey..... the way to a man's heart is with food (even if that same food will slowly kill his heart), no matter what shape it may be in.

How to charm his socks off with heart shaped bacon bites:

Begin by cutting each strip of bacon in half. Then, on a lined and rimmed pan (unless you want bacon fat flooding your oven) take the 2 halves of bacon and form hearts. Each half strip of bacon will be on side of the heart. 

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

...more heart shaped perfection.

indeed.

his and hers mugs hand crafted by yours truly.

Now, I know what you are thinking "Gosh, Sarah, you are the best fiancé ever.... how does Richard ever live up to this high standard of romance and creativity that you have set?" Well, let me tell you....

My darling fiancé proved his love to me with a stunning bouquet of broccoli flowers that he grew himself (gosh, I love him) and the most fabulous Valentines dinner date. He is a charmer. 

freshly picked form our garden. 

We had dinner at Fig and Olive and it was fantastic. Now, I am not the biggest fan of dining a la prix fixed menu, but I must say that the food definitely lived up to the hype. Everything was wonderfully prepared and the service was amazing. 

For your viewing pleasure and to get your mouth watering......

 I started with a braised veal tenderloin carpaccio with caper mayonnaise, shaved mushrooms, and pine nuts. Unfortunately I was so hungry I didn't stop to take a picture of this amazing dish.

For my main course I had a grilled free- range chicken breast marinated in fresh thyme and white truffles and served with leek confit and truffled mashed potatoes.

2 cucumber martinis later and a very full stomach later......

I am a girl who rarely finishes her plate and I may have well licked it clean last night. I even had a few bites of Richard's grass fed Filet mignon. Every single bite was to die for. I think I still smell of truffles. 

And while I've mentioned my aversion to pre-fixe menus,

the one bonus is, they INCLUDE desert. Which means you

have to eat it, right?

 

Yes, that is a plate with 3 different desserts. 

A heart shaped chocolate soufflé.

Lavender and honey madeline.

Amaretto ice cream. 

oh my. 

So, to sum up this years Valentine's Day, my first and last with my fiancé (next year he'll be my husband, yay) in one word... over-indulgence. Does a hyphenate count as two words? Either way, Valentine's Day is a holiday of excess. Excess food, excess wine, and excessive romance. And I for one, excessively love it.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie and Some Mushy Gushy Stuff.

Favorite Things:
Raindrops on roses
Whiskers on kittens
Lucy
Cocktail dresses
Weddings (and all kinds of ooey gooey love stuff)
Dessert
Rain

Things that are NOT my favorite:
Getting blood drawn (I had to do that today, so afterwards I ate pie to cancel it out. ugh)
Creepy crawly things
Above all: Making pie crust from scratch

I am so good at rambling and less good at getting to my point.

This past weekend was full of my favorite things.
My friend Jenna asked me to bake 12 pies for her and her charming fiancé's (now husband) wedding.
I was obviously over the moon because love and things that contain sugar are up there on my all time favorite things list. (yes, I have one of those)

So, my entire Friday was spent in the kitchen baking pies... giving me an excuse to have a glass of wine at 3pm which is always appreciated.

10 hours
4 Maple Pecan.
4 Pumpkin.
4 Old Fashion Apple.
(annnnddd......1 Apple Crisp for Emily, which she didn't even eat)

MMM.

I don't think there are many things better than walking into your kitchen and seeing 12  delicious pies nicely displayed on your breakfast table.

There are also not many things better than weddings.
Ah. Love them. And this one was so lovely. I'm pretty sure I cried for the entirety of the ceremony. It was so romantic and sweet and it made me even 13654892745 times more excited to marry my own soul mate (you are wonderful, btw.)

There are, however, better moments than realizing that you are your best friend are twirling each other across the dance floor during the father daughter dance. I died of embarrassment and Emily just resorted back to tears...... oopsie.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie (the one on the right)

Ingredients:

3 pounds of apples (I used pink lady)

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 egg beaten

2 pie crusts**

Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top

** Please see above where I list things that are NOT my favorite...... I HATE making pie crust. I think it is messy and annoying and quite honestly only turns out really good about 50% of the time. I've been to culinary school and I've taken baking classes and I've baked probably somewhere close to one million pies in my life time and I will never change my mind about this. Frozen pie crust tastes just as good and always turns out nice and flakey.

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the bottom rack with foil to prevent a burnt apple juice and sugar disaster... if you don't line your oven with foil, have fun cleaning for hours afterwards..... I may or may not have learned this from experience. 

Peel and slice apples 1/8 inch thick. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Mix and let sit for 10- 15 minutes until sugar is dissolved.

Scrape apples and all juices into a prepared pie crust. Cut unsalted butter into small cubes and dot on top of apples. Roll out second pie crust and place on top of the pie. Pinch edges together and trim off excess dough if necessary. Using a pastry brush, brush the top crust with beaten egg** and then sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Cut three small slits in the top of the crust so that the steam can escape.  

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 365 degrees and bake for 50 minutes more. Crust should be golden and juice should be bubbling out. Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving. 

**Do not drench the crust in egg or it will get way too dark or even burn. Use just enough for a very light coasting so that the crust will get nice and golden. 

such a lovely dessert table.....

.....and such a stunning bride! 

Congratulations Jake and Jenna Puffer!!!

Butternut Squash Soup and a Laundry List of Triumphs...errr...Excuses.....

Yes, that's right. I have reached a whole new low as a "blogger." (I am having to use quotations now because I hardly think I even deserve the title.)
I am pushing two months on my absence this time and the sad part is that it doesn't even feel as though it's been two weeks. Catering, holiday parties, our engagement party, holiday dinners, family dinners, birthday dinners.... holy hell it's been a busy few months.

Dear Holidays: You are wayyyy too needy, you bitchy little time whores.

Ok. So Let's do a quick review of that awesome/pathetic list above.

Catering.
Yup. I catered my first party... or as Richard says "My 23rd party" because apparently honesty is a sign of weakness.
My boss asked me to cater her book release party for 100 guests and it was a huge success.
I got asked for my business card several times, so now I am planning on making some.

A serious cheese spread.

Crostini with buratta and shaved black truffles.

Toast with goat cheese and fig jam with shallots and port.

Heirloom tomato bruschetta.

Melon wrapped in prosciutto. 

Our Engagement Party.

We decided to wait until the busiest time of the year to announce our engagement to our family and friends. Genius. Not only was I cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 15 guests two days later, but I ended up booking a commercial and shooting for 14 hours before our party. I am super woman.... who has a really super fiancé and best friend who helped me pull this one off.

DomainLA Wine Shoppe was the PERFECT place to host our party. 

We could not have been happier. 

Thanksgiving Dinner. 

The single most important meal of the entire year looked a little like this:

1 insane menu (yes, with 2 turkeys) 15 family members and close friends, probably 18 bottles of wine and 1 amazing holiday.... it could not have been more perfect and it was so wonderful to have everyone in town!

Ok.... the moment you have all been waiting for-----

I am actually going to post a recipe. 

Yes, I do remember how.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds of butternut squash, cubed***

2 cups of chopped yellow onion

5 whole cloves of garlic

4 cups of chicken stock

Olive oil

Dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

***Note: Peeling butternut squash makes your hands peel and get super dry. Wear gloves..... or buy it already cubed like I do. Lazy.

Kitchen Utensiles:

Immersion Blender (A regular blender will do just fine.)

Method:

Place cubed butternut squash in a glass baking dish lined with parchment paper or foil. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour until very tender. Halfway through baking, add the whole cloves of garlic to the squash so that they roast as well. 

In a large pot, add about a table of olive oil and sauté the onions until they are golden brown. 

Add the roasted butternut squash and garlic and continue to brown for a few minutes. 

Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. 

Season with cinnamon and nutmeg (optional)

Once the soup has come to a simmer you can blend until smooth. I always use my immersion blender because it is SO easy, but if you don't have one, you can pour batches into a regular blender and blend until smooth that way. I just always make a HUGE mess that way.

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza.... That's Amore.

Remember that time a couple of months ago when I blamed my lack of blogging to the tragedy resulting in my lost iPhone + all of my food pictures? Well..... once again I would like to blame my absence on the misfortune of losing all of my iPhone pics (yes, again) . You can't post a blog without any food porn to stare at.... after all, what are you reading this for? The articles?

However, don't worry, Ricard came home last Friday night with a new iPhone 4S for me (which I now have nightmares about losing)  so I will do my best to not deprive you of amazing recipes ever again.... plus, if I lose my phone again I will probably lose my fiancé also.

Speaking of which..... our wedding is 460 days away.... giving me hardly any time to convince myself to get to a gym so that the tag inside of my wedding dress is not in the triple digits.

Ugh. The gym.

My plan? More veggies less ice cream, pasta, and pie.... or at least maybe limit them.... just like once a day...... orrrrrr find a healthy way to make things I actually want to eat so that I don't turn into a bridge jumping, suicide note writing, bridezilla.

Roasted Vegetable and Ricotta Pizza. 

Ingredients:

Fresh refrigerated pizza dough (I used whole wheat.....because I am SO healthy now)

Sliced crimini mushrooms

Sliced zucchini

Sliced multicolored bell peppers

Sliced red onion

Artichoke hearts

1 tbsp cornmeal

1/3 cup pizza sauce 

Cracked black pepper

Sea salt

Olive oil

2/3 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup part skim ricotta cheese

Fresh sliced basil leaves

Method:

Remove dough from refrigerator and let it stand covered for 30 minutes. You could make your own dough, but I hate making pizza dough, so I don't.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and place pizza stone (yes, use a pizza stone.... so much better) on the lowest rack. 

Combine all veggies in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange vegetables in a baking dish and bake at 500 for 20 minutes. 

Punch dough down and roll into a 15 inch circle and place on a lightly floured, hot pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Brush the pizza dough with olive oil, spread sauce over dough leaving a 1 inch border. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the sauce and then top with the roasted vegetables.  Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the vegetables and then top with dollops of ricotta cheese.

Bake pizza at 500 degrees for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. Sprinkle with basil..... and try to not make your kitchen look like this......

oops.

Bridesmaid Brunch

It just so turns out that getting married (in 491 days) gives you a pretty good excuse to throw lots of fancy engagements to celebrate yourself (and your groom to be... I guess.)  I LOVE THIS. 

Last weekend I threw what I would like to congratulate myself and call "The Prettiest Brunch Ever."

I had my bridal party over, minus my pretty little sister (Hannah you were very missed,) for mimosas and mid morning appetizers to ask them to do everything I say for the next year or so. 

Tips on throwing a perfect brunch:

1. Keep the preparation simple so that you have more time to drink champagne with your friends. 

Yep.... that's my only tip. Lot's of pretty, chilled appetizers that pair perfectly with bubbly. 

....And I guess to use the plates that you don't let your fiancé eat off because they make the table look pretty

Note: Pretty table= important..... maybe even more important than the food because, let's be honest, after 4 glasses of champagne to celebrate yours truly....... the only thing any one remembers are the pictures. 

Watermelon salad with fresh mint and feta cheese.

Asparagus tossed in a bacon and sherry vinaigrette.

Prosciutto with melon.

2 bottles of champagne. 4 friends. 1 hour. totally acceptable. 

Pistachio cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. 

French baguettes and brie cheese. Heaven. 

I am so blessed to have such lovely friends to celebrate with!

Pistachio Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box instant pistachio pudding

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup water

This is the easiest recipe on earth. 

Combine all ingredients. Fill lined cupcake pan 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter

i package of cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and whip until light and fluffy with a kitchen aid mixer (or a hand mixer.) You could do it by hand, by I think that's self abuse.