Kick It Up a Notch - Crispy Chicken Taco with Garden Salsa I admit it - I thought Taco Bell was authentic Mexican cuisine. *hangs head in shame* I like to blame my suburban upbringing. After college, I got a job at a printing shop in the west side of Chicago. Let’s just say my cultural tastebuds were awakened and I got a true “taste” of Hispanic dishes ranging from Mexican to Puerto Rican to Ecuadorian. Even with my exposure to these authentic plates of food, I still had a craving for hard shell tacos from Taco Bell. I just like the crunch of the corn tortilla shell. I’ve ignored my Taco Bell cravings for the past 10 years, but I thought I would try my hand at creating a crispy taco shell without the frying and artificial coloring. Because I was making a small batch, I made these in my Breville Compact Smart Oven. Ingredients for Crispy Taco Shell 2 flour tortillas (you can make more if you’re serving a crowd) Directions for Crispy Taco Shell (in toaster oven) Set to “toast.” If you can choose the toasting darkness, choose light to medium. Prick tortillas with a fork on both sides to keep them from poofing up. Fold in half without making a crease or breaking the tortilla. Toast the one side for about 2 minutes. Flip over and toast other side for another 2 minutes until edges are crispy and lightly brown. Immediately pull toasted tortillas from toaster oven and place a butter knife inside the fold (or some other object) that will keep the shell slightly open while it cools. If you have one on hand, you can hang them on a pasta drying rack during the cooling process. Directions for Crispy Taco Shell (in conventional oven) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prick tortillas with a fork on both sides to keep them from poofing up. Place rack in the middle. Hang tortillas over wires of the rack (as if hanging your towel over a towel bar). Bake tortillas for about 6-8 minutes until crispy and lightly browned on the edges. Pull from oven and let cool. Ingredients for Garden Salsa 1 Roma tomato chopped 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion* 1 freshly squeezed lime   Directions for Garden Salsa Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container if you have any leftover. *This makes a small about of salsa since the ingredients came from my garden. My onion was not quite fully grown so you can add more onion if you wish. Ingredients for Crispy Chicken Taco with Garden Salsa Crispy tortillas Grilled or rotisserie chicken Shredded lettuce Garden Salsa Directions for Crispy Chicken Taco with Garden Salsa Without trying to break the shell, place chicken in the middle. Then layer with lettuce and salsa. Serve immediately. If you grew up on Taco Bell like I did, this might bring back memories of those hard tacos only with fresh and real ingredients.

Kick It Up a Notch - Crispy Chicken Taco with Garden Salsa

I admit it - I thought Taco Bell was authentic Mexican cuisine. *hangs head in shame* I like to blame my suburban upbringing. After college, I got a job at a printing shop in the west side of Chicago. Let’s just say my cultural tastebuds were awakened and I got a true “taste” of Hispanic dishes ranging from Mexican to Puerto Rican to Ecuadorian.

Even with my exposure to these authentic plates of food, I still had a craving for hard shell tacos from Taco Bell. I just like the crunch of the corn tortilla shell. I’ve ignored my Taco Bell cravings for the past 10 years, but I thought I would try my hand at creating a crispy taco shell without the frying and artificial coloring. Because I was making a small batch, I made these in my Breville Compact Smart Oven.

Ingredients for Crispy Taco Shell

  • 2 flour tortillas (you can make more if you’re serving a crowd)

Directions for Crispy Taco Shell (in toaster oven)

  • Set to “toast.” If you can choose the toasting darkness, choose light to medium.
  • Prick tortillas with a fork on both sides to keep them from poofing up.
  • Fold in half without making a crease or breaking the tortilla.
  • Toast the one side for about 2 minutes. Flip over and toast other side for another 2 minutes until edges are crispy and lightly brown.
  • Immediately pull toasted tortillas from toaster oven and place a butter knife inside the fold (or some other object) that will keep the shell slightly open while it cools. If you have one on hand, you can hang them on a pasta drying rack during the cooling process.

Directions for Crispy Taco Shell (in conventional oven)

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Prick tortillas with a fork on both sides to keep them from poofing up.
  • Place rack in the middle. Hang tortillas over wires of the rack (as if hanging your towel over a towel bar).
  • Bake tortillas for about 6-8 minutes until crispy and lightly browned on the edges.
  • Pull from oven and let cool.

Ingredients for Garden Salsa

  • 1 Roma tomato chopped
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion*
  • 1 freshly squeezed lime  

Directions for Garden Salsa

  • Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container if you have any leftover.

*This makes a small about of salsa since the ingredients came from my garden. My onion was not quite fully grown so you can add more onion if you wish.

Ingredients for Crispy Chicken Taco with Garden Salsa

  • Crispy tortillas
  • Grilled or rotisserie chicken
  • Shredded lettuce
  • Garden Salsa

Directions for Crispy Chicken Taco with Garden Salsa

  • Without trying to break the shell, place chicken in the middle. Then layer with lettuce and salsa. Serve immediately.

If you grew up on Taco Bell like I did, this might bring back memories of those hard tacos only with fresh and real ingredients.

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Double Take - Ladle

Oh Pinterest, how you’ve captured my heart with all your wonderful ideas. This newest discovery takes your average ladle and turns it into a pillar candleholder*. What a novel idea. I love the rustic wood backer to showcase the ladle.

*As soon as I find the correct link, I will directly link to the blog post on how this is made.

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5 Ingredients or Less - Nutella Ice Cream

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For anyone that knows me, they will tell you the favorite things I absolutely relish is bacon and Nutella. This is coming from someone who throws a party to celebrate the yummy goodness of bacon. Even though I don’t have a celebratory bash showing my devotion for Nutella, I love it nonetheless. I would smother it on anything requiring a rich, chocolate, hazelnut flavor. Just look what I’ve done with this Italian spread.

Last week when I was talking about the ice cream maker for our morning huddle, someone suggested a Nutella ice cream flavor. The wheels started turning and I starting thinking how to incorporate the Nutella that wouldn’t just end up being a chocolate swirl in the ice cream. So I thought about my pumpkin pie and key lime pie ice cream recipes. Both of them had a “custard,” heavy cream, and milk. So I applied the same recipe using the Nutella.

The end result came out better than I expected. You really need to whip the Nutella mixture well to fully incorporate the ingredients before pouring it into the ice cream maker. The Nutella ice cream has a mousse like texture - light, heavy, and creamy all at the same time. I poured the ice cream into our ceramic can to let it cure in the freezer (which holds exactly a pint). The only downside to this ice cream flavor is that once you start eating it, you can’t stop.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/4 cup Nutella (pretty much the entire jar)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk (any kind except for skim)

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together until the Nutella is no longer lumpy and fully incorporated with the heavy cream and milk. A hand mixer or emersion blender with the whisk attachment will help a great deal and cut down on the time.
  • Pour mixture into ice cream maker and churn for about 10-15 minutes. If you like the creamy, mousse texture, serve immediately. If you want a firmer ice cream, let it cure in the freezer for about 2 hours.
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Test Kitchen - Ice Pops Molds / Perfect Pops Book

Nostalgia runs deep for me when it comes to popsicles. The best thing my mom ever purchased from a Tupperware party was set of popsicle molds. My brother and I would freeze chocolate pudding, Orange Crush soda, fruit punch, pretty anything thing that was a sugary liquid. We would always look forward to the summers off from school just to make our own popsicles.

This season we have the the “Perfect Pops” book, which has great recipes incorporating the season’s fruits and flavors into your homemade ice pops. I tried out the creamy coconut ice pop recipe since I love coconut and it makes me think of a tropical getaway. A lot of the recipes are 5 ingredients or less with no complexity involved. (It’s bad enough to wait for the pops to freeze why make it complicated?) There a good variety of fruits pops intermixed with other flavors to try like Vietnamese coffee ice pops.

Since I don’t have my mom’s old Tupperware set of popsicles molds, I picked up our ice pop mold set. They’re a very generous size. No need to go for seconds. The pop molds stand firmly in place on the base, which will save you the worry of them tipping over. Just keep in mind you may need to double up on a recipe if you want to fill all six ice pop molds. 

My first go at making ice pops was a success. I made the creamy coconut ice pops. It only required 4 ingredients and biding one’s time. The end result was worth the wait. I ended up with an ice pop full of tropical flavor and perfect for a warm spring day.

When searching for a special treat, create one with our “Perfect Pops” book and ice pop mold set. You’ll create sentimentality with each coming summer. 

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Kick It Up a Notch - Smoked Ribs and Tips

The hubby’s favorite past time is fishing and hiking. Due to crazy work schedules and balancing family life, he has not had the opportunity to throw a line as often as he used to. Somehow the hubby came across a new hobby that doesn’t require him leaving the backyard, which is smoking. Not that kind since he quite over a year ago. He’s all about smoking meats on our grill. First was the smoked lamb at Easter. Then came the smoked salmon. After the salmon, he moved onto chicken. With each cut of meat, fish, and poultry, he conquered the task of achieving the perfect smoked flavor. Over the weekend, he wanted a go at smoking ribs. I wasn’t going to stop him. It’s been great reaping the delicious benefits of his new hobby. 

After doing some research, he came across the 2-1-1 method. You spend the first two hours smoking the ribs. Then you wrap the ribs in foil and cook them on the grill for an hour. During the last hour, the ribs are taken out of the foil to finish cooking. The only tedious part of the whole process is maintaining the 225 degree F temperature. For Memorial Day weekend, set aside 4 hours of grilling to smoke some slabs of ribs. You’ll give your friends and family a meal they will never forget.

Ingredients

  • Dry Rub (see below)
  • 3 racks of ribs
  • 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
  • Wood chips (The hubby prefers apple wood.)

Directions

  • Remove ribs from packaging. Lay them bone side up and peel off the membrane from the backs of the ribs. 
  • Pat the ribs with paper towels. Then apply the dry rub.
  • Prepare your grill. Once your grill is at 225 degrees F, place your ribs on the racks. Then get your smoker ready using your selected wood chips. Smoke your ribs for 2 hours.
  • Then wrap your ribs in foil and cook on the grill for an hour. This will steam the ribs and make them tender.
  • Remove the ribs from the foil and finishing cooking for another hour. During the last 30 minutes, sauce the ribs with your favorite BBQ sauce.
  • When the rib meats pulls away from the bone by at least half an inch, they are ready. Pull them from the grill and let them rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredients for Dry Rub

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup paprika
  • 1 Tbsp black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper

Directions for Dry Rub

  • Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Reserve any leftover rub in a spice jar.

*This recipe is from AverageJoeCooking.com. Don’t have a smoker? You can turn any grill into a smoker. Get Weber’s Smoke cookbook for a great tutorial and advice.


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Double Take - Bell Jar

As I was pinning an overabundance of recipes on Pinterest, I came across this pin from Better Homes & Gardens. They took a very simple bell jar and turned it into the theme and centerpiece for an indoor garden party. What a great way to showcase your plants while entertaining.

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Double Take - Marimekko Gift Wrap

I love it when people are able to find new uses for old things. So when this blogger repurposed a dresser for their baby’s room, they used our Marimekko gift wrap as a drawer liner. What a fun and unexpected surprise. Read their post below to see how they got the end result.

shepinsandhemakes:

We picked up this mid century dresser on Craigslist about a year ago and it was in mediocre shape. There were a number of deep scratches on the top, some of the wood was clearly laminate, and the drawers were difficult to open and close. 

We solved the opening/closing difficulties by rubbing a cheap wax candle on the bottom drawer edges and their corresponding sliding surfaces in the dresser, but never really found a great use for this dresser. Recently we decided to repurpose it for our nursery as a dresser + changing table. Because it’s going to be a changing table we wanted a finish that would wipe down nicely. 

We took some cues from Young House Love and The Brick House. First we cleaned everything with Murphy’s Oil Soap. Then, for the white part we sanded lightly, applied several coats each of water-based primer, then semi-gloss latex paint, and finally water-based urethane. For the natural wood drawers we applied several coats of teak oil, and then several coats of oil-based urethane. 

Finally, for the drawer interiors we used some Marimekko wrapping paper we had picked up at Crate & Barrel, cut it to size, and secured it with Mod Podge. 

Now we have a great dresser for the nursery, with a nice fresh clean white look, and a finish that will wipe down with ease!

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide - A Spot of Tea for Mum

Mom is the queen of the household. Treat her like the real HRH with tea time at high noon. She’ll enjoy a little spot with you and the kiddies. This is the gift perfect for the woman who enjoys the flavor and health benefits of tea.

  • Bodum Assam Tea Press - You don’t need to be a tea connoisseur to appreciate this tea press. Instants brew loose tea leaves and stop the brewing process with the plunger. Not only is it functional, but it’s beautifully made in the borosilicate glass.
  • Bamboo Tea Bag Box - Surprise Mom with a wide variety of teas from around the world. If you’re ever in the Forest Park area, stop by the Todd & Holland tea store. You’ll be amazed at the different grade teas.
  • Hibiscus Watermelon Iced Tea - Is Forest Park too far of a drive for you? Well, we also a couple of teas on hand for Mom. Let her savor the refreshing flavor of hibiscus watermelon iced tea. Perfect little cool down after a day of gardening.
  • Mini Tea Honey - Sweeten the finest teas with high quality honey without overwhelming the delicate flavors and fragrances.
  • Strawberry Almond Scone Mix - The Brits were onto something when serving delicious scones with their teas. I love this mix because it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients and it’s super easy to make. While you let Mom sleep in, whip up a batch of these scones.
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Mother’s Day Gift Guide - The Vino Mom

Mom is always making sure everyone in the family is happy and taking care of their needs. Treat her on this special day and celebrate with a bottle (or two) of good wine. She appreciates a good glass now and again without the kids screaming in her ear.

  • Vinotemp 34 bottle wine cellar - Why give her just one bottle of wine when you can surprise her with 34 of them? Keep those bottles at the right temp with our Vinotemp wine cellar. 
  • Tour Wine Glasses - Get rid of the mish mash set of glasses that has accumulated in the kitchen cabinet and give a handblown set of these beautiful glasses. 
  • Shesham Wine Stem Rack - Keep those wine glasses easily accessible with this stem rack. Mount more than one shelf and stagger on the wall for form and function.
  • Vinturi Aerator - It turns your two buck chuck into a seven buck chuck. Need I say more?
  • Swoon Carafe - Once you pop open that bottle of chianti, let the wine breathe before pouring it into a glass for mom. Let her appreciate the full bouquet and aroma as the wine reacts to the air.

Give Mom a break and let her enjoy that bottle of wine in peace and quiet. 

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide - For the Botanist Mom

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Not that everyday isn’t Mother’s Day, it’s nice to really show your appreciation for the woman who gave birth to you. This little guide is for the mom who knows her way with a roto-tiller and compost. Help her create her backyard oasis with planters and garden accessories. I’m sure she’ll reminisce how her little boy grew like a weed or remember her daughter creating crown out wild flowers.

  • Lilla Planters - I love the bright colors on these planters. No matter which annuals you choose to make these special for Mom, they’ll surely put a big smile on her face.
  • Birdstakes - I know Mom has a good sense of humor and appreciates Portlandia’s “Put a Bird on It” skit. So why not put one on her garden?
  • Regatta Folding Plant Stand -  Save space on the deck and patio with a vertical plant stand. When it gets too cold outside, Mom can bring this indoors to show off her hard work during the winter months. 
  • Zinc Planters - These are a must have for any gardener looking to add a little flare to the front of the house. Surprise Mom when you get home from Sunday brunch with planters filled to brim with the thrill, fill, and spill.
  • Garden Bunnies - How can you not want a cute bunny? Even if mom said no pets in the house, she’s going to love these little guys. Have the kids personalize them with paint.

Even if Mom is not the gardening type, I’m sure she’ll appreciate nature’s beauty in a pretty planter.

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Kick It Up a Notch - Chicken Salad Sandwich

Print this recipe

Even as a kid, I loved chicken salad sandwiches. All the kids at the lunch table used to tease me or be all grossed out by the bits of chicken encased in mayo and seasoning. I didn’t care. My mom made it and she made it just for me. I just thought to myself their moms didn’t love them as much as my mom loved me because they came to school with a nasty looking bologna sandwich with some generic mustard smeared on some plain white pathetic looking sandwich bread. In my mind, my lunches ruled. (Well, until my mom had to start working full time and forced me to buy hot lunches.)

What makes this chicken salad different from all the others? It’s the herbs de provence -my go to assortment of fine herbs adding layers of flavor to any dish. It’s the perfect compliment to the leftover chicken all smothered in mayo.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chopped leftover chicken
  • 1/2 cup mayo
  • 1/4 cup diced celery
  • 2 Tbsp relish
  • 1 Tbsp bread crumbs
  • 1/2 tsp herbs de provence
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 pieces of toasted bread (preferably a sourdough or a rustic italian bread)

Directions

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined. Take a couple of spoonfuls and place a slice of bread. Place other slice of bread on top. Serve immediately.
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Double Take Special Edition - Land of Nod products for the Grown Up Room

Who says you have to be kid to enjoy fun, quality furniture and accessories from the Land of Nod? Here are 5 of my favorite items from our sibling company to use in your adult space. It’s adult-friendly and kid-approved.

  • Aqua Blue Faux Leather Pouf - Poufs are all the rage for home accessories. They’re perfect multi-taskers in the living room for providing extra seating and giving you a place to prop your feet up. These shouldn’t just be something for the rug rats to toss around. Let these poufs be the perfect accent piece for your living room.
  • Magic Carpet (Non-Flying Edition) -  I love these carpets because they can go in any room of the house. The moroccan lattice print is the perfect juxtaposition for modern and ethnic. Go neutral with the khaki or add a splash of color with the green or blue. Pair the rug up underneath a kitchen table or coffee table. 
  • Warden Deer Wall Decor - I’m a sucker for deer heads on the wall. Whether you’re doing a large photo collage with accents to break up the pictures or you need an extra hook to hang scarfs or hats, this wall decor is the perfect piece for the living room or entry way.
  • Eden Table Lamp - You might get the song “Genie in a Bottle” stuck in your head when you see this lamp. The long bottle neck shape is great on a nightstand or end table. I can see this lamp lighting up any room.
  • Magnetic Magazine Pocket -  You’re never too old to be organized and never too young to get started. Get your mail and miscellaneous paper sorted with these magazine pockets in your home office. Also, a great way to keep bills in check. I guess that’s the one downside to being an adult - paying the bills.

Don’t be fooled by the cute babies and adorable toddlers enjoying Land of Nod items on their website and in their catalog. Grown ups can find joy and lots of purpose for their great products, too. 

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5 Ingredients or Less - Almond Honey Cream Soda

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When I’m under the weather, I like to have sips of Sierra Mist to calm my tummy and to put me in a better mood. There’s something about the lemon lime flavor and carbonation to make the sickies in me go away even if it’s temporarily. Whatever virus I’m currently fighting off, I decided to make my own home remedy soda. I feel the effervescent drink would help me get over whatever I got from the first grader.

This recipe came from the book Homemade Soda. After going through this book, I can’t imagine buying a 24 pack of soda ever again. A lot of the ingredients are already in your pantry and all you need to do is add carbonated water. This particular recipe intrigued me because I love the sweetness of honey. It’s my natural sweetener for everything like tea and Greek Yogurt. I was also drawn to the cream soda part. It’s like getting a float without the ice cream. 

On a side note: I’m not claiming this drink to be a cure all to colds and flus. I find a light carbonated beverage to be refreshing and it makes me feel better.

Ingredients for Honey Milk

  • 3/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions for Honey Milk

  • Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Ingredients for Almond Honey Cream Soda

  • 1/3 cup honey milk
  • 1 cup carbonated water

Directions for Almond Honey Cream Soda

  • Pour honey milk into glass. Add carbonated water and stir. Add ice and serve.
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Faux Real - Instant S’more

Even though the first grader and I are taking a sick today due to fevers, the chills, and body aches, we still get junk food cravings. I know we’re not going to feel any better after indulging in some unhealthy treat. I am confident our spirits will be lifted for a brief moment when we bite into our instant S’more snack. After receiving homemade marshmallow fluff as a birthday gift (many thanks to Denise!), I had to put this jar to good use.

Ingredients

  • 2 graham cracker halves
  • 1 spoonful of marshmallow fluff
  • 1 spoonful of Nutella

Directions

  • Spread marshmallow fluff on one of the graham cracker halves. Then spread nutella over marshmallow fluff or on other graham cracker half. Place other graham cracker half on top to complete S’more.
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Test Kitchen - Strawberry Almond Scones

There’s nothing worse than realizing the box mix you purchased requires at least 10 other ingredients to make it complete. What’s the point of a box mix when you have to supply all the ingredients except the flour? Well, you won’t come across that issue when you get this strawberry almond scone mix. The only ingredient you need to add is the heavy cream. Now that’s music to my ears since we all know I’m not a baker.

This mix is pretty straight forward. Add enough of the heavy cream to get a moist, sticky batter. Form into a 6” round and divide into wedges. Bake for about 20 minutes until tops are lightly brown. As for taste, the texture and flavor right on. It’s as if an almond biscotti mated with biscuit smothered in strawberry jam. You get a little bit of a dry crust with a slightly moist middle. 

I was worried my scones wouldn’t hold their shape since my batter seemed very floury and I had already added the max amount of heavy cream to the mix. My concerns subsided after I removed this tea time food item from the cookie sheet to a plate. Nothing crumbled or fell apart before my eyes.

If you’re looking for something easy to make and will get there quickly to the table for breakfast or brunch, pick up a box of this strawberry almond scone mix. It makes the perfect scone that would even live up to the Queen’s standards. 

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