Time is flying – I wanted to share a few of the great meals I made during the last few months in our little one-bedroom apartment in the city… Yes, you heard right, we’ve moved. Now someone else get’s to enjoy the lovely little kitchen, with its views of the towering city just beyond the trees. What a whirlwind! Early in 2013, we decided this year we would try to sell our house, and make a change to get closer to the community we spend our days working and living life, reduce the busy-ness and focus our energies. What we could never have guessed was that the day we put up the for sale sign, we would be under contract less than 48 hours later! So now we’re temporarily homeless, living under the roof of gracious, generous friends, while we wait for our next home to be ready for us.
Anyways, back to food! Here’s a quick rundown with pics and links to the recipes of my favorite apartment meals of January to April 2013:
Weeknight meals:
Gnocchi Mac & Cheese – find the recipe by The Faux Martha here. I paired it with some chicken & carrots to balance this incredibly indulgent dish.
Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice – find the recipe by Kevin and Amanda here. This one had quite a kick!
Roasted Tomato Soup (find the recipe by Tomato & Jam here) with my concoction labeled “BAT grilled cheese” by the husband. Take sliced bread (I like Ciabatta), spread mashed avocado over one side, layer bacon, thin tomato slices & a good melting cheese (like swiss or mozzarella), stick under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly. Get the “BAT” now? Instead of Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato, it’s Bacon, Avocado, and tomato (a much better combo in my opinion).
Breads:
Bacon and Cheese Scones – find the recipe by Leite’s Culinaria here. Oh, my, word… these are amazing… But my trick with any biscuit, scone, or pie crust… Shred cold butter with a cheese crater into a bowl & place the bowl into the freezer until needed. No more worrying about the butter getting to warm while you work with the dough, which can lead to rubbery, hard lumps, as opposed to light, flaky layers.
No-Knead Oatmeal Toasting Bread – find the recipe by Alexandra’s Kitchen here. Easy, and completely satisfying… No better smell than fresh bread from your oven.
Cakes:
White-out Cake – find the recipe on Sweetapolita’s blog (my favorite for cake recipes) here. AMAZING frosting made with white chocolate… but I think I made the cake too springy – they were ready to pop off the top as soon as I cut into it.
Dark Chocolate and Strawberry Buttercream Cake – find the recipe on Sweetapolita’s blog (can you tell I love her blog?) here. I love this cake, I routinely have dreams about it… Dark chocolate (the higher quality, the better) held together by Swiss Meringue buttercream mixed with a strawberry puree.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we have!
