Californiacation

We had a friends wedding out in L.A. last weekend. Being that it was my birthday (and who am I kidding, mommy needed a little break) we decided to go out two days early and go to the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley.

Santa Ynez Valley is located about 35 miles from Santa Barbara. We decided to stay at a little B&B in the city of Solvang. Solvang is a beautiful little Danish city in the Santa Ynez Valley. 

Friends who were out in Solvang a few years ago recommended the Mirabelle Inn.

 This was my first time staying at a B&B and it didn't dissapoint. It was a charming little inn with 10 rooms. Every morning there was a home cooked breakfast which included fresh baked breads, jams, home made granola & yogurt and made to order omlets.

The Santa Ynez Valley is known for hundreds of amazing wineries (side note, this is where the movie Sideways was filmed). We booked a wine tour through Stagecoach Wine Tours.

They picked us up from our B&B and took us to 4 different wineries throughout the Santa Ynez Valley.

Sanford Winery

At Mosby Winery we bought a bottle of Ossessione Montepulciano.  It was a delicious red that had hints of maple and red currant fruit.

Mosby Winery 

We finished off the wonderful day with a lunch on the terrace of Rusack Winery overlooking the beautiful view. 

After a long and tipsy day of wine tasting we had a great dinner at the Mirabelle Restaurant. It was located right in our B&B. 

Child's Own Studio

I found this amazing company, Child's Own Studio,  where they will craft a soft stuffed animal from a child's drawing.

What an original and genius idea! 

I definitely need to keep this in mind for when Harper can start drawing (actual things) and even for a creative birthday gift for other kids.

Below, are some samples of their work

www.childsown.com

contact:

info@childsown.com

Buttermilk Pan Roasted Chicken

 For some reason "chicken on the bone" has always intimidated me to cook.  It just seems complicated. I never know exactly how long to cook it for, what temperature so it doesn't dry out, etc. 

However, the flavors are undeniably juicer and more flavorful then the go to "cutlet" so I decided to give it a whirl. 

This chicken came out better then I had even expected. It was perfectly cooked. The skin was crispy, the meat was moist and flavorful and even the leftovers tasted great the next day. 

Recipe below.

Note, this should marinate for about 24 hours so get it prepared the night before you want to serve it.

Ingredients

2 1/2 - 3 lbs whole chicken, cut up

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes (you can omit this if you do not like spice)

Corse sea salt, for finishing

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon paprika

olive oil

1 teaspoon hot sauce of your choice (I used Franks)

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Whisk together milk, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, paprika. 

Place chicken parts in a gallon size ziplock and pour mixture over it.

Let sit in fridge 24 hours, moving it around every so often so all pieces get coated.

When ready to cook -

Preheat oven to 425. Using a flat aluminum pan, line bottom with cooking spray or olive oil.

Place chicken parts on pan, letting the excess liquid drip off before placing down. (If too much liquid gets on pan, it will burn). Drizzle olive oil on top of chicken and sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley and a pinch of paprika.

            

Roast about 45 minutes. This will depend on your oven and how big your pieces of chicken are. I would cut into the biggest piece after about 35 minutes to get a sense of timing. The drumsticks are obviously going to take less time then the breast and thighs. 

Once chicken is cooked thorough and skin is crispy, take out and garnish with the rest of the chopped parsley and a pinch of corse sea salt.

        

       

       Enjoy!

Mezze Night with the sibs

My hubby went out for a steak dinner with the boys last night so I had my brother and sister over for dinner, which is always a nice treat.

I was in the mood for Mediterranean food, and since we are all trying to eat a little healthier these days I figured it was a good choice.

I made three easy dishes: a Greek salad, an orzo salad and shrimp.

They all required similar main ingredients so it was a pretty simple grocery shop.

I warmed up some pita bread and served it on the side with hummus and tzatziki. 

Ali brought over white wine and Jon some cannolis (not Greek but still yummy) for dessert.

A fun evening chatting, eating and drinking.

Recipes below.

Chopped Greek Salad

Ingredients

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Red onion, finely chopped

Green pepper, chopped

Seedless cucumber, chopped

1/4 cup feta cheese

Pitted kalmata olives

Stuffed grape leaves

For the dressing

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup extra light olive oil

1/4 cup chopped kalmata olives

juice from half a lemon

1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano, plus 1/2 teaspoon to sprinkle on top of salad

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic Salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

Chop all ingredients and toss except the grape leaves. Add those on top of salad. 

Sprinkle a little fresh or dried oregano on top.

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing and pour over top right before serving.

Greek Orzo Salad

Ingredients

1 lb orzo

1 bag fresh spinach

Pitted kalmata olives

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/2 red onion, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt 

pepper

Boil orzo and drain water. Right away add the fresh spinach and mix so it wilts from the heat.

Add in olive oil, red wine vinegar, feta, red onion, olives salt and pepper.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Greek Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

I tweaked this recipe from Giada de Laurentiis. Her recipe called for Halibut but I decided to make it with shrimp instead. I also added in the feta and oregano to have more of a "Greek flare".

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound XL shrimp

salt & pepper

2 shallots sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound frozen artichokes

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and cook shallots for a few minutes. Add the garlic and artichokes and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the white wine and stir, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and juice, oregano and salt and pepper.

Bring to a simmer and let cook till the sauce reduces and gets thicker, about 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl season the shrimp with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan and sear shrimp on both sides, till just about cooked through. About 3 minutes on each side.  (They will finish cooking in the pan)

Add the shrimp to the tomato and artichoke broth about 5 minutes before it is done. 

Crumble the feta on top and serve immediately.

DIY Detox Drinks

One of my "New Year's Resolutions" is to cut down on soft drinks.

We all try to drink our 8 glasses of water a day, but honestly, sometimes water is just plain boring.

And yes, I'll be the first to admit... I'm a Diet Peach Snapple junkie! I could drink an entire gallon at once. Although it has no calories or sugar, all the aspartame in there can't be particularly good for you.

With that being said, I decided to try some of the below easy DIY Detox Drinks.

Some of the benefits are boosted weight loss, less bloat, clearer skin and helps flush impurities out of your system. Plus, they are actually pretty refreshing!

Sounds like a win-win situation to me!

Sassy Water

2L water, 1 medium cucumber, 1 lemon, 10 mint leaves

Steep overnight in fridge.

Dr. Oz Swimsuit Slim Down Drink

1 Cup grapefruit juice, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp honey.

Drink this 3x a day before each meal.

Strawberry Rosemary Detox Water

Add 1 Package thinly sliced strawberries and several springs rosemary to a jar.

Fill with water and let steep overnight. 

Jillian Michael's De-bloat Water

60 oz distilled water, 1 tablespoon sugar free cranberry juice, 1 dandelion root tea bag, 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Sassy Water

Snow Day Photo Shoot

Yesterday was a wet, cold and snowy day here in NY. Harper is getting over a cold so we have been taking it easy inside the past few days. 

 That being said, I think i've seen just as much of Barney's "Mr Golden Sun" and "The Wheels on the Bus" that I can take.

So, to kill some time we played dress up and did a little photo shoot. 

I have to say, I think she rather enjoyed herself!

(Elmo even joined in on the fun)

Brunch Date

We had some friends over today for brunch, to see the new house, and of course play with Harper.

I decided to make a strata for two reasons. Most important, it's delicious.
Almost as important, I was able to make it the night before and then just bake it in the oven this morning, before they arrived. This was key because I knew I wouldn't have time to start cooking in the morning, between everything else that had to get done.

I highly recommend trying this recipe. You can assemble it up to 24 hours in advance, stick it in the fridge and then bake for an hour before you're ready to serve. It fills the entire house with delicious aromas, is hearty enough to serve as a main course and tastes like it took you hours to make (even though it is super simple).

I served mine aside a Caesar salad (recipe here), smoked salmon & croissants and of course, mimosa's.

Strata with Spinach, Sausage and Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

• 5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
  4 oz. French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 12 oz. Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups spinach
• 8 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Fontina, Swiss or Gruyere cheese (whichever you prefer or you can do a combo)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma 
• 
  

Directions:

In a large pan over medium heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onions, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are completely limp, 10 to 15 minutes. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and sweet, 35 to 45 minutes; do not let them burn. Remove from the heat and let cool. You will need 2/3 cup caramelized onions for the strata; cover and refrigerate the remaining onions.

Butter a 10-inch nonstick braiser.

Put the bread in a large bowl.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 Tbs. oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the bowl with the bread. 

 I used about half a baguettes worth of bread

I used  2 mild and one hot sausage 

Return the pan to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bread mixture.

In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture. Add the onions, cheese, salt and pepper and stir until well blended. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. 

Remove the plastic wrap from the pan. Bake the strata until golden brown and cooked through, about an hour. 

Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

ready to go in the oven

Finished product!

Although the Strata was a hit, Harper was the real star of the day.

 A great day with great friends!