Project 52 – #1

7 Jan

Did you know there are exactly 52 Sundays in 2013? Each Sunday, I’ll try to post an image from some sort of adventure I had the previous week. This is all in the spirit of getting myself to write/blog more this year.

Esperero Canyon

This image was taken on the Esperero Canyon Trail in Sabino Canyon, on New Years Day. The previous week, my sister invited me hiking and I sprung for the “America the Beautiful” Interagency Park Pass. There are many benefits to purchasing this pass; not only will it motivate me to get outdoors more to get maximum value out of visiting as many parks as possible, but it will also mean that I no longer need to fear getting a ticket every time I decide to drive up Mt. Lemmon to hike, and blow past the self-pay stations. I will be a rebel no more.

On the Esperero Canyon Trail, we found it to be a fairly easy hike, however we only hiked about half of the trail. Hunger struck and we started to run low on water. (Note to self: invest in a Camelbak) This image was snapped about a quarter of the way in, and as we started to descend into a dry riverbed, this tree caught my eye. As my sister and I snapped a few pictures in the rocky riverbed, other trail-goers stopped and admired the tree as well.

Later we spotted a couple deer.
Deer on the trail

It was a good hike and the perfect way to kick off the New Year. I’m looking forward to hiking the whole thing soon.

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No Guilt Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 Jan

It’s 2013; a fresh start. You’ve no doubt made those tyical commitments to yourself: learn a skill, quit [insert vice here], be less stressed…and the one that gets me every year, lose weight. Looking back on my 2012 resolutions, I don’t think I did too bad. Three out of four isn’t bad. I didn’t learn to sew. When it comes to the goals section, my RBI isn’t so great. We’ll save the new goals for another post.

In the meantime, I want to give you a recipe that will satisfy the craving, and the need for a hot delicious bowl of soup. The kind of soup that you savor and will warm you right up after coming in from the cold. I mentioned it’s creamy, but here’s the great part- no cream. No cream or butter, to me at least, means no guilt. And, depending on your portion size, you’re coming in on less than 200 calories per serving. (Between 130-190)

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

So here you go- original inspiration fron Deb Perlman:

Ingredients:

1 large head of fresh cauliflower
4 cups (1 quart) of organic low sodium chicken stock
1 small onion
4 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)
sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
To Prepare:

  1. Core the head of cauliflower and remove all the leaves.
  2. Roughly chop the cauliflower and set aside. Mince the garlic, and chop the onion.
  3. In your large pot or soup pot, heat the olive oil  on medium heat; add red pepper flake (optional) and let the oil take on a little of the flavor, before adding garlic and onion. Cook until onion is tender.
  4. Add the chicken stock and cauliflower to the pot and bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes, until the cauliflower breaks apart easily with a spoon.
  6. Remove from heat and in small batches, using a blender, puree the cauliflower mixture, and return it to your original pot. (Make sure your blender is approved for hot foods)
  7. Add the parmesan, and salt and peper to taste and stir until smooth.
  8. Serve with a pinch of red pepper flakes, fresh cracked pepper, or a sprinkle of parmesan on top.

The result was quite delicious, and the leftovers were great heated up for lunch the next day, and the day after. I’m definitely going to be doing more large batch  soups, soon, because I love being able to just grab a pre-portioned container out the fridge and bring it to work. It could also be modified easily to be vegetarian, by subbing chicken stock for vegetable stock, although I have not tried it. Simple, healthy, and budget friendly. Stuff we all need in the new year, right?

Cheers to a happy healthy 2013!

Soda Shop Cupcakes Pt.2- Orange Dream

27 Dec

Orange Creamsicles have always been one of my favorite frozen novelties. What if I told you, that you could enjoy the same creamy citrus delight, sans brain freeze? Would you be excited? Well I was excited to make this treat to accompany the root beer float cupcakes.

Orange Dream Cupcake

Orange Dream Cupcake tastes just like an Orange Creamsicle

Cupcakes

2 1/4 cups plain cake flour
1 cup milk, room temp
6 large egg whites (When recipes call for a large amount of egg whites, I try to reduce waste by buying a small carton of egg whites/egg beaters, that are found in the egg section of the grocery store)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
12 tbs unsalted butter, cool but softened
orange food coloring (I used gels, and the corresponding directions to create orange that was recommended on the packaging)

Orange Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbs orange extract

To prepare cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° and line muffin tin with liners (24).
  2. In a large liquid measuring cup, mix egg whites, milk, and vanilla together with a fork.
  3. In your stand mixer bowl, add the dry ingredients; cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Once combined slowly add in the softened butter on low speed, until no dry mixture remains.
  5. Combine milk/egg mixture to the stand mixer and mix at medium speed until smooth. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl as necessary.
  6. Once you have a smooth batter, begin adding the orange food coloring, until you have your desired shade of orange. (I really wanted them to pop, so I added quite a bit to end up with the rich orange.)
  7. Fill lined muffin tins with the mixture approximately 1/2 full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Let cool completely before frosting

To prepare frosting:

  1. In a stand mixer using paddel attachment mix cream cheese and butter together.
  2. Slowly incorporate powdered sugar.
  3. Add vanilla extract.
  4. Add orange extract. (Again, this can be to taste. Add additional extract until you get the desired level of orange flavor)
Finished Orange Dream Cupcake

Finished Orange Dream Cupcake

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Soda Shop Cupcakes Pt.1-Root Beer Float

12 Dec

Summer was great. It was filled with fun trips and lots of get-togethers with friends. And because I never want to show up empty handed, I would fire up the oven in the heat of the Tucson summer and get to baking. I baked these soda fountain inspired cupcakes to a best friend’s baby shower.

Root Beer Float Cupcake homemade

Root Beer Float Cupcake

Cupcakes

2 cups Virgil’s root beer
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs (beaten)

Whipped Cream Frosting

2 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp root beer (I imagine you could use root beer extract for a more intense flavor if you had it. I did not, so I haven’t tested)
2 tbs granulated sugar

To prepare cupcakes:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. In a small sauce pan heat butter, root beer and cocoa powder until the butter is melted.
  3. Combine sugars with mixture in sauce pan. Once throughly whisked, remove from heat. Let cool.
  4. In large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Add beaten eggs to root beer/cocoa mixture in saucepan, and whisk until combined.
  6. Slowly fold in the saucepan mixture with flour mixture. Being careful not to overmix.
  7. Once mixture if fully combined, fill 24 cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.
  8. Bake 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely before topping.

To prepare whipped cream frosting:

  1. Mix all frosting ingredients in stand mixer.
  2. Beat until whipped cream consistency has formed.
  3. Put mixture in piping bag and decorate cupcake tops as desired.
  4. Top with a maraschino cheery and chocolate sprinkles for extra festiveness!
Root Beer Float with Cherry

Finished root beer float cupcake with a cherry on top.

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San Francisco Road Trip

21 Aug

stormy Tucson afternoon
There is something about the Tucson monsoons that seems to teleport me to another city. The air is cool and moist, the sky bubbles with giant clouds, and even the birds noises heard in the neighborhood seem a little more diverse. The rainy afternoons, and all the Twitter chatter about #SDCC, makes me long for California.

The most recent trip Adam and I made to the Golden State was to explore San Francsisco last March. Thanks to Memolane I can relive all the highlights and brag about the awesome food and drinks we had.

Tucson:
In my everyday life, I’m driving around in a little 4-cylinder, with out of wack alignment, and a missing hubcap so it’s safe to say that for any road trip to be successful, an alternate mode of transportation was to be had. We’ve really become a fan of renting cars for any road trips, even if they are just to Phoenix and back, because of the worry free driving it provides. The cost was also very reasonable. A couple tricks that help us save when renting a car are picking it up from an airport location, returning the car to the same city, and always opting for the economy model. We’ve been upgraded to a compact model on occasion, at no additional charge because they ran out of economy cars.
Our trusty stead for this adventure was a Ford Fiesta. I can say that I’ve never driven a car with less than 400 miles on it, but this car was brand spanking new. So that was pretty neat.
After a quick stop at Chipotle to avoid any unnecessary hunger fights, we were well on our way to Long Beach via the PCH, where we would stay for one night, then be on our way to Oakland/Fremont.

Once we got to Oakland, it was off to find some tasty delights. Upon the recommendation of a friend, we ended up at Coach Sushi. Now I’m not sushi conosur, but this cute little Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, has been my most favorite ever. The space is tiny, so expect a wait on busy nights, but know that it’s totally worth it. The best part of this experience was the bottomless Sake that you drink out of a square cedar box. Said bottomless Sake is served up by the most adorable Japanese man out of a giant Sake bottle. He roams the restaurant floor, ever vigilant and never letting your cedar box run dry. In fact, the only way he’ll stop coming by to fill it, is if you just stop drinking it. Needless to say, it was a fun dinner, and the quality was the best this desert girl has ever tasted.

After a night in Fremont with my aunt, we headed out once again on the last leg of driving before arriving in San Francisco. Highlights included breakfast at Zachary’s Restaurant in Santa Cruz, Going to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and riding the same roller coaster that was in the Lost Boys.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk SwingsWe stopped for another quick photo-op near a lighthouse at Pigeon Point, then it was straight on through to San Fran.

Our HQ for the next few days would be the Phoenix Hotel. A little hipster motel in the Tenderloin district that used to be your run of the mill motor lodge. It’s now filled with rock n’ roll inspired art and sculptures, and features a great restaurant, Chambers Eat + Drink.

Our time in the city included a healthy mix of tourist stops and off the beaten path adventures. Golden Gate Park, Botanical Gardens, dive bars, all you can eat dim sum, the most amazing French soul food at Brenda’s, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge, Incanto, the SFMOMA, Twin Peaks, more dive bars, and late night Grubstake. We did so much exploring on foot. I was worried that parking would be a pain, but it was never really an issue, and renting the tiny Fiesta was definitely a good choice.

We know there was so much we didn’t get to do, so it was so so sad to have to leave. To cushion the blow, Adam planned some fun activities on the way back. We got to experience the Monterey Bay Aquarium before heading back to Long Beach. It was such a nice aquarium.

Jellies!

There was a long trek ahead, to make it back to Long Beach, but I’d be lying if I said we didn’t like turning the music in the car up loud and having our own personal dance party on long drives. This definitely helped pass the time and keep us awake. After a short sleep and refueling at Rosco’s Chicken and Waffles (amazing waffles, chicken, and greens) we were once again on the open road. This time our destination was Phoenix, to see Radiohead.

Are you exhausted after reading this? I’m exhausted recounting all of this, and you can bet we were exhausted by the time we arrived in Phoenix. So like true road warriors, we took a quick nap in the car in the parking lot, and enjoyed the show. When it was all said and done and we were back in Tucson, we couldn’t have been happier to sleep in our own bed again and be greeted by Killa.

I can’t wait to plan another trip back to San Francisco. <3

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All In

16 Aug

Once upon a time in July 2005, two young people, who were not even of legal drinking or gambling age, embarked on a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada…
I had begged my mom to let Adam come with us on this trip. A young couple, whose relationship was not even a month old, could not be separated. After some light thought, my mom agreed to let him come along. It was my very first trip to Vegas and I didn’t know what to expect. I mean, after all, what could two underage kids do on “The Strip” anyways?
Turns out, a lot. Hours of walking up and down Las Vegas Blvd. Taking more pictures than our little SD cards coud handle. But most importantly we celebrated our 1 month “anniversary” and it couldn’t have been more romantic for not only an anniversary date, but this was our first real date-date.
Location: Mon Ami Gabi, at the Paris. Their patio dining sits right across from the Bellagio Dancing Fountains and provides a gorgeous view, especially at sunset. We enjoyed delicious steak (sans red wine) and each other’s company. And if you asked my 19 year old self, if a date could be more perfect, she would say no.
…Fast Forward…July 2012
Preparations had been made to attend the annual Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas. Tickets were purchased and our stay at Vdara was booked. Adam has assured me that a “luxurious” surprise was in store. My now 26 year old mind is suspect, however, since the word luxurious is not typically one used to describe a potential engagement surprise, I was put at ease. Upon checking in, I am blown away by our room. His surprise was booking the Panoramic Suite…or so he lead me to believe.
Vedara from the Pool
Thinking that this in fact was the surprise, I breathed a sigh of relief, and continued to enjoy our long weekend away. Dinner was, however, still a surprise and for some reason, I was not suspicious of this at all. As we near the Paris Hotel, I realize where we might be going, and start to feel so giddy. After all we went through, all these years, it was all coming back full circle.
Still completely oblivious to what was about to happen, I happily enjoyed the baked goat cheese, the rich red wine, and French style steak, all the while admiring how perfect it all was.
I was stuffed. Dessert didn’t seem like an option at the time, but what the heck, we thought. We’re in Vegas-everything goes. At this point the sun had almost set and everything around looked golden. The strip begins to pop with color, lights flash, and a the skyline’s silhouette is illuminated. The Dancing Fountains begin to sway to the left and to the right, in a soft hypnotic rhythm in sync with an almsot inaudible string instrument tune. Desert and desert wine comes to the table. I couldn’t be happier at that very moment.
And then without hesitation, Adam turns to me, and speaks the most sincere words any man has ever said to me. Suddenly my heart filled with more love than I ever felt, and our entire relationship until that perfect moment flashed through my mind. He shows me the most beautiful ring I have ever seen, and I immediately thrust my finger into it. “Wait, you didn’t even say yes!” “YES! YES! OF COURSE YES!”.

Vegas has been such an iconic place in our relationship-from break-up to reuniting, I think it was only fitting that we start the next chapter of our lives together in the bright light city. And so we celebrated.
Moet

Bet big, stick it out through the easy and the hardways, trust your gut, and you’ll always come out on top.

Viva Las Vegas.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

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Peach Hand Pies

4 Jul

Summer is beating down on Tucson. The last thing that people really want to do is crank up the oven. I say, no pain no gain, and with the 4th of July upon us, I see myself grabbing some fresh summer fruit and diving head first into a floury inferno. One of the first things on my list to make, are Burbon Peach Hand Pies. What is a hand pie, you ask? Well, many of our devices these days are handheld, so why not pies? Here’s the the breakdown from my attempt at these travel ready delights from last year. Keep in mind this recipe is a bit time consuming, but probably the best pie crust recipe I’ve ever tried. Inspired by Smitten Kitchen (as per usual).
Ingredients

Crust:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water

Filling:
2 pounds of white peaches
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon bourbon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

One egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Coarse sanding sugar, for decoration (I don’t normally keep this around, so I snagged a few packets from the nearest SBUX, when I was in. hehe)

    1. Combine all dry ingredients into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, put the cut butter pieces. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour.
    2. Remove both from the freezer and using a pastry blender (or with your hands) mix together until you get a course meal texture.
    3. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice, sour cream, and water. Add half of this mixture into a well inside the dry ingredient/butter mixture.
    4. Carefully mix together with your fingertips until lumps start to form. Then repeat with the remaining liquid mixture.
    5. Without overworking the dough, shape into a well blended ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. (I used this time to start prepping the peaches, Peeling, pitting, and chopping into a small dice)

White Peaches

  1. Half the dough and roll out on a well floured surface to 1/8 in thick. Using a 4  1/2 in biscuit cutter (the biggest I had was a 3 1/2 in size. I just ended up with more, smaller pies), cut out 7-8 rounds and transfer to a parchment paper covered cookie sheet (make sure it will fit in your fridge). Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
  2. While the dough is chilling, you can finish off the filling. Add the flour, sugar, salt, vanilla and burbon to the diced peaches.
  3. Remove 1 tray of the dough and let sit until just pliable. Fill each round with 1 1/2 tbs of filling. Fold into a half moon and press edges closed firmly with a fork.
  4. Place each filled crust back on the parchment paper and refrigerate for another 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining batch.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°
  6. Once chilled remove from fridge and cut small slit in each to keep steam from building up, and coat with egg wash. Sprinkle coarse sugar.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Cool slightly and serve.

And there you have it, pies as handheld as all the other items in your life. Enjoy!
Burbon Peach Handpies

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