Recipes

I thought I’d share this delicious, healthy soup I’ve been loving recently. I’ve recently started considering squash as a pantry staple. It’s a low-maintenance fresh produce item and pandemic or not, I think everyone should always have at least one squash in their pantry because they last for months, they’re versatile and nutritious, and they’re a fresh item that doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Please note that pretty much all these ingredients are highly modifiable. You can add more or less of them and your soup should turn out just fine. You can even make it without any of the spices and just a bit of salt, for a milder version. So please consider this recipe more of a general guideline.

Ingredients:

• 1 x medium/large squash cubed into even chunks (I used butternut)
• 2 x small/medium onions, chopped
• 4 x garlic cloves, chopped
• Small peeled bit of fresh ginger (optional), about half a thumb size
• 2 tsp olive oil (or any other oil or melted butter honestly)

• 2-3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper or chili flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp ginger (use this only if you don’t have fresh ginger)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a large pot on medium/high heat, heat the oil then add in the onions and garlic (and fresh ginger if you have it). Stir them around for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
2. Add in the squash and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add in all your spices (salt, pepper, curry, ginger, cinnamon) and stir until everything is coated. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir every minute or so.
4. Add in all your liquids (coconut milk, broth, sweetener). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the squash is fork tender. Poke a few different chunks to be sure they’re all evenly cooked.
5. Blend the soup using either an immersion blender (Amazon), or a normal blender (Amazon) and blend until perfectly smooth.

I like to serve it with toasted bread & goat cheese but there are loads of options for serving. You can garnish with cilantro, toasted seeds or chickpeas, serve with salad, or anything your heart desires.

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Cheese boards are perfect for decadent and tasty snacking! They’re also excellent party pleasers! I know that a charcuterie board is often the more traditional option, but since we don’t eat a lot of meat in our house, a cheese board is the way to go for us! It’s not only perfect for parties, it’s can also be an amazing option for those random nights when you don’t know what to make for dinner and you just want to snack!

My favorite board to use is this slate board from Crate & Barrel (comes in small, medium, and I have large) and I paired it with this adorable modern copper handled cheese knife set and Christmas tree ramekins which felt perfect for the holiday season! More on other cheese boards & knives I love down below!

The best cheese boards have a variety of flavors to compliment each other – a mix of cheeses, crackers, fruit (fresh & dried), sweet treats, salty snacks, some crunchy bits and anything else your heart desires!

As far as presentation goes, there are basically a zillion different cheese board styles and cheese knives out there to choose from, so I’ve rounded up my favorites styles below to help narrow down the selection!

Favorite cheese board styles:

• Slate board: Crate & Barrel (this is the one in all my pics)
• Wood & marble boards: McGee & Co (striped) | West Elm (long octagon) | Crate & Barrel (rectangle) | West Elm (round w/handle) | World Market (round w/handle) | Overstock (round no handle) | Wayfair (paddle) | Wayfair (oblong) | Wayfair (round) | Wayfair (pineapple shape)
• Petrified wood: CB2 | West Elm
• Wood with inlay: CB2 (resin & wood) | Wayfair (extra long)
• Natural wood: CB2 (teak) | CB2 (olive)
• Traditional wood: Crate & Barrel (extra long) | Crate & Barrel (leather handles) | Crate & Barrel (copper accent) | Crate & Barrel (classic)
• Large cutting boards: McGee & Co (set of 3)Crate & Barrel

 

Favorite styles of cheese knives & accessories:

• Copper handles (modern): Crate & Barrel (the ones in my pics)
• Black handles (modern): Crate & Barrel
• Geometric handles: CB2
• Agate handles: World Market
• Mother of pearl handles: CB2
• Marble handles: West Elm (square) | West Elm (rounded) | Crate & Barrel (dark marble)
• Wooden: Crate & Barrel
• Copper: West Elm
• Gold: West Elm (textured) | CB2 (chunky) | West Elm (gold & silver)
• Christmas tree ramekins: Crate & Barrel (shown in my pics)
• Soapstone chalk: Crate & Barrel (writes on the slate cheese boards)

 

Favorite snack board foods:

Cheeses (I like to do 3):

• 1 hard (my fav is manchego, I usually slice this to make triangle wedges)
• 1 medium (my fav is goat gouda or cheddar, I’ll slice gouda but cube cheddar)
• 1 soft (my fav is soft unripened goat, but brie is common too)

Crackers (I also like to do 3, in a variety of shapes):

• 1 Flavored
• 1 Crispy
• 1 Softer
• A baguette (sliced or in chunks)

Fresh fruit:

• Grapes are a must for me
• Berries are also a must
• Seasonal options: pears, peaches, figs, persimmons, apples, tangerines, grapefruit, melon…

Salty snacks:

• Olives are my go-to, the more variety the better
• Roasted red peppers
• Mini pickles/cornichons

Sweet treats:

• Chocolate bites/truffles
• Dried fruit (apricots, dates, cranberries, figs…)
• Candied ginger (sweet with a bit of a kick)

Spreads:

• Jams and spreads (sweet or spicy)
• Humus (for color, try beet or pea humus)
• Honey in a cute little jar/dish

Crunch factor:

• Nuts (roasted & salted for extra yum)
• Roasted corn kernels
• Pretzels and breadsticks

Veggies:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber slices

Honestly there’s no right or wrong way to do make these boards. I did up a couple different versions here as examples, but there are literally endless different and fun ways to make these yummy snack boards! And you don’t even have to do cheese… you can do veggie boards, fruit platters, or even dessert trays!!

If you’re looking for a healthy, hearty, filling salad that you can make in advance, that will last for several days in your fridge, and that’s filled with nutrients, then you’ve come to the right place!

I make a huge batch of this salad almost every weekend (usually at least 3 times a month) and it’ll last through the middle of the week. It stays fresh because the ingredients used in it are all ones that are not only totally fine to store in the fridge for a few days, but most of them just get even tastier with time.

That’s why this salad is loaded with veggies that all keep very well, but there are no ingredients like avocados, lettuce, and tomatoes (for example) because they don’t last well once prepared.

The logic behind this salad is to give yourself something healthy that is just sitting in your fridge waiting for whenever you get hungry. I like to call it a “bowlful of health” because it’s literally a combination of some of the most nutrient dense and healthy foods that it’s possible to eat. Plus, it tastes delicious and it’s also filling and satiating thanks to the grains and proteins. Having something pre-prepared and easy to serve like this makes snacking on unhealthy foods much less likely because you can just grab this and go!

Essential veggies (add all of the following, unless you don’t like one of them):

• 2 heads of kale (de-stemmed and chopped finely)
• 2 bunches of curly parsley (de-stemmed and chopped finely)
• 2 bell red/orange/yellow peppers, chopped into small pieces
• 2 large cucumbers, chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium red/yellow onion, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 small red cabbage, chopped into small pieces

Optional veggies:

• 1-2 celery stalks, chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium carrot, chopped into small pieces

Grains (add at least 1 of the following, though I recommend adding 2 of them. If you’re going to just add one of them, then I would recommend you double the amount to 2 cups):

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked barley
• 1 cup cooked wild rice

Proteins (add at least 2 of the following):

• 1 can lentils (drained & rinsed)
• 1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
• 1 can beans (drained & rinsed) *my favs are black and kidney

Dressing (mix the following ingredients together in a bowl then pour over salad & stir everything together):

• Juice of 2-3 lemons/limes
• As much olive oil as lemon/lime juice
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Little squeeze of honey
• Salt & pepper to taste (I like a lot of both)

Note about the dressing: if you prefer using fresh garlic, you can substitute 1 clove of garlic for the garlic powder, but then you’ll need to blend it in a high-powered blender like a Nutribullet (Amazon).

Store it in the fridge in an air-tight container. Usually lasts about 3 days.

Sources from these pics:

• Pantry container: Amazon | Bed Bath & Beyond
• Vase on kitchen island: Crate & Barrel
• Bottle brush trees (similar): Crate & Barrel | Crate & Barrel
• Long matte black drawer pulls: Amazon | Similar: Schoolhouse
• Short matte black drawer pulls: Amazon | Similar: Schoolhouse
• Kitchen faucet: Moen Align (Wayfair)
• Soap dispenser: Moen (Wayfair)
• Kitchen sink: Blanco (Wayfair) linked to our color
• Nutribullet blender: Amazon | Bed Bath & Beyond
• Dining table: we built our table (see plans), but here are some very similar options: Wayfair | Wayfair | Pottery Barn | Pottery Barn | Hayneedle | Overstock | Overstock | McGee & Co

These are the best oatmeal raisin cookies ever! They’re quick and easy to make, and they’re sinfully addictive and delicious. Really, there’s not much more to say about them so I’ll just jump right into the recipe.

You can make everything in one bowl if you assemble the ingredients in the exact order I say below. I literally just use a dinner fork to mix it, and 2 soup spoons to spoon them onto the cookie sheets so all you need in terms of supplies are:

• 1 large/medium mixing bowl
• 2 large cookie sheets
• 1 dinner fork
• 2 dinner spoons

Preheat oven to 375.

In your mixing bowl, do the following:

1. Add 2/3 cup melted butter or sunflower oil and 1 cup light brown sugar.
2. Mix until combined.
3. Add in 1 egg, 2 tbsp water, 2 tsp vanilla.
4. Mix until combined.
5. Add in 3/4 cup flour and 3/4 tsp baking soda.
6. Mix until combined.
7. Add in 3 cups large flake oats and 2 cups raisins.
8. Mix until combined.

Spoon the mixture onto cookie sheets into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter. Don’t worry about making it perfect. They flatten as they bake so just get them onto the sheet.

Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes (13 in my oven).

They will still be a little soft when you take them out but as they cool they’ll firm up.

Enjoy!

For related sources from our house, go here:

• Kitchen Sources Page
• Pantry Sources Page

This recipe was a happy accident. I was craving a pasta dish that was creamy but not super cheesy, and vegetable-y but not tomato based soooooo… I kinda just threw a bunch of things that sounded right to me in a blender and it turned out so delicious that I decided to write the recipe down to make again!

In a pan on medium heat, cook the following for about 3-4 minutes:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium yellow/white onions, chopped

Then add in:

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato paste

Stir over the heat for another 1-2 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.

To a large blender, add the following:

• 20-25 oz roasted red peppers (I used the jarred kind)
• 1 heaping cup grated pecorino romano cheese (or parm)
• 1/2 cup loose fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup of milk (I used unsweetened soy milk)
• The whole onion/garlic/herb/tomato paste mixture you just made

Then just blend it on high until it’s a pure creamy mixture!

Serve mixed into paste with fresh basil and fresh grated pecorino romano (or parm) on top! Some halved fresh cherry/grape tomatoes would also be a nice side garnish, and so would some fresh garlic bread!

Additional resources:

• For more recipes, click here
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