DIY Beverage Coolers, Kegerators, & Wet Bars

Yellow and Gray DIY Wedding | Glamour and Grace Blog.

Well, now that the temps have crept up to stay (110 degrees easily, here in Tucson), it’s time for a few cold beverages on the patio. I saw this pic from a wedding and wanted to share it. I think it’s perfect for your outdoor parties this time of year. Sadly, there are no instructions, but I think all you savvy folk could figure out how to put one together (or enlist a spouse or family member, perhaps). If the red cooler is slightly more casual than you would like, you could always create a faux casing.

If you’re really going for the big leagues, you could consider something like this:
Keg-o-rater – chest freezer on Pinterest | Build A Bar, Wet Bars and Butler Pantry.

Check out these multiple pins (many linked to instructions) for building your own kegerators and wet bars. Know they do not have to be just for alcoholic beverages, though. I’m sure any type of cool sips will be welcome by your friends and family.

Cheesy Vegetable Enchiladas

Cheesy Vegetable Enchiladas #SundaySupper | Alidas Kitchen.

I made these enchiladas this past weekend (with a few alterations), and they were spectacular. I have ordered enchiladas in restaurants on numerous occasions, but have never even thought to prepare them at home. The pic jumped out at me, though, and I knew I had to give it a try. I was making a fresh batch of corn tortillas, so the timing was perfect.

This is really one of the most simple dishes, so I’m kicking myself that I hadn’t thought to give it a go previously. As I keep posting, I cannot consume a lot of full-fat cheese in one sitting. So, I decided to create a little more bulk with short-grain brown rice (leftover from sushi). The first go round, I prepared the entire quantity of sauce, but only baked off a single portion of the tortillas and filling. I used just a wee bit of farmhouse cheddar. Subsequent portions were made without any cheese and were equally as delicious. I would have loved to have had it with the lava-flow of nommy, melty cheese. My slight alterations: I used chickpea flour vs. white, as I had some left from making spätzele (check out that spätzele recipe if you haven’t already! I’ve made it several times now. SO good!), I used fresh veggies (spinach, kale, mushrooms, sweet bell peppers, corn) & dried beans (cooked), and I added a few pinches of smoked paprika and a pinch of sweetener to the sauce, with only a teaspoon of oil. The recipe is very flexible, veggie wise. I am going to make up another batch of the tortillas with the filling to pop in the freezer. I will freeze the sauce separately, then reheat individual portions. I started freezing some of my sauces (like this 2-Minute Green Sauce) in ice cube trays for quick meals.

Hope you take a look at how easy this is! If you use chickpea flour, this dish would serve well for those unable to consume wheat. And, if you cannot have dairy, remember it’s still fab sans cheese. This will be a new go-to meal for me.

Lemon and Rhubarb Posset with Pistachio Crumb + Tips for Preparing the Perfect Dinner Party

Lemon and Rhubarb Posset with Pistachio Crumb | Great British Chefs.

Doesn’t this look divine! A simple, elegant dessert to impress your guests.

Also, take a few cues from this post on how to prepare for the perfect party. “You don’t need to spend this month’s rent on lobster and foie gras to have a successful dinner party. In fact, cooking for a crowd can be a much more economical choice than forking out on dinner in a restaurant.”

Have a great weekend!

Independents Week 2015

Take the Pledge | Independents Week | Buy Local | LocalFirstAz.com.

Independents Week is rolling around again, and I couldn’t be more excited. Arizonans, check out this link and ‘Take the Pledge’ to ‘Go Local’ during this important week for small and independent businesses. Also, look for this interesting article: 10 Tips for Shopping Local.

If you’re not aware of all of the benefits of supporting your local merchants and businesses, please take a look at some of my past posts:

State Organization Promotes Staying Within the Community to Shop

The Top 10 Local Business Headlines from July — Local First Arizona

Shift the Way You Shop — Local Impact Calculator

Shopping Local Makes an Impact!

Even if you do not reside in Arizona, the basic information is still applicable to most. I know many of you have hearts to get out there and help your local businesses grow, but don’t know where to start. I have really found a wealth of information on the Local First Arizona site. Quite a few surprising facts, indeed. Some folks worry about barriers/obstacles such as location, family budget, and the likes. Believe me, I know…I live in the land of Big Boxes, lol. You might live in a rural area where the options are few and far between. I would love to be downtown Tucson with its great variety of local shops (many of my favorite shops, I should also say). Sometimes, I also have to make purchases to satisfy others. Many times, I pick up items for my mom that I would not purchase otherwise…she likes this particular meat, she likes this brand of household cleaner, she wants these eggs, or peach tea, or bacon, etc. I know some of you go through the same thing with your families, haha. But, as I’ve said before, anything we can do is helpful. Our communities and local economies so desperately need our support. Spreading the word is one way to help right off the bat. Brag on your fave local haunts, restaurants, stores, etc. You can find some of mine under the category of My Favorite Places on my blog menu.

And, there’s a bonus: 20% off with the Golden Coupon at participating businesses.

Happy (local) shopping!

My Way, No. 24

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— As mentioned last My Way post, I was going to try to get out and enjoy nature a bit more. So far, I’ve come across adorable quail, jackrabbits, and hummingbirds in my “travels.” The little baby quail are the cutest things ever. I’ve also seen a lot of small lizards with curly black-and-white striped tails (it seems the stripes are on the underside of the tail). As long as I don’t run into any rattlesnakes, I’m good, haha. Here’s a few shots for those of you not familiar with the Tucson, AZ scenery. The first one reminded me of the Leaning Tower, that’s why I snapped a pic:

— At some points in my life, I’ve wondered “Where are all of the caring, loving people at?” The person who wrote this article let me know that there is someone who cares. I need that sometimes. They cared enough to sit down and pen this piece — letting us all know we need to get back to the basics: World Forgets Importance of Caring for Others http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/abetteriowa/2015/06/12/world-forgets-importance–caring–others/71125060/?from=global&sessionKey=&autologin=

— Mucho Adventures in Food: I got on a bit of a potato kick with potato chips, the Vegetable Kugel with Caramelized Leeks I posted at Passover, and shepherd’s pie.

I made the chips to continue testing out our new food processor. At the lowest slicing setting, they were nice for thicker-style chips. If I want really thin ones, I will use a mandolin. At that thickness, I like to let them dry out a bit before bake-frying or frying. I made the kugel heavy on the sweet potatoes, and it was delish. Sliced up, it is wonderful to freeze and re-heat for a quick meal. I haven’t made shepherd’s pie in years, but suddenly started craving it. It may be because I had ground beef, and that’s rare for me. It’s just one of those simple, comforting meals that bring good memories. I rarely whip up mashed white potatoes beyond the occasional Holiday meal, but I just felt like having them. I make mashed sweet potatoes all the time, though. WAY back in the day when I worked as a banquet chef, garlic-roasted mashed potatoes with lots of heavy cream and butter were one of our staple sides. That’s still my fave way to prepare them today. Unfortunately, my cream and butter portions now have to be limited, so I just opted to use non-fat milk. I also didn’t have all my normal veggie fixin’s and just used what was in the fridge at the time. It was still a wonderful, comforting meal.

As I did indeed have the ground beef, I decided to make the Chipotle Cheeseburger Flatbread Melts I posted here.

I’m so glad Kevin is Cooking! I almost didn’t take a pic because I was so hungry by the time this was finished. I didn’t even wait for the cheese to melt. The aforementioned blog’s pics look way better than mine, so make sure to check it out! I adjusted the recipe ingredients just a bit using what I had on hand. I also used the homemade farmhouse cheddar from this post, and homemade non-fat Greek-style yogurt (posted here). This was super quick and easy. I didn’t have pizza dough made, but I was making a batch of those hamburg buns I wrote about…so, I saved a bit of the dough for these flatbreads. I Misto’d a little oil in a cast iron pan, then the dough, and was good to go. Just a small portion was quite filling. Really hit the spot & will be making again for sure.

109 degrees in the shade calls for carrot-ginger pops with cilantro! I use whole veg/fruit juice from my blender, as I don’t have just a ‘juicing machine.’

Sale on mesquite flour at my food co-op (yay!) had me making caprese (with homemade mozz), then roasted corn and onion salsa ebelskivers. I just mixed everything in the batter vs. stuffing it in the center.

I found this recipe for a Mung Bean Salad, and it was delightful!

I really enjoyed the dressing. I need to make a big batch, as I think it could go on all sorts of things. It has maple, mustard, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a few other ingredients. Very tasty! I didn’t use the exact measurements, I just eyeballed them. Sometimes I will measure things out, but it looked so good — I wanted to hurry it up. I added pistachios for a little crunch. I think this is a fab go-to recipe for lots of different occasions.

These scrumptious Gorgonzola Grilled Plums with Maple Syrup and Chiles I posted way back inspired me to cook up a version with what I had on hand: Grilled Apricots with Mascarpone, Basil, Pistachios, and Pomegranate Reduction.

I almost thought to use pignoli, but went with pistachios at the last minute. I seriously would have made this recipe just as it was written if I’d had the ingredients. I mixed the mascarpone with a bit of non-fat yogurt. Straight mascarpone would have been my choice if I could have it. It’s so fabulously delicious. I did have maple, but thought pom reduc “molasses” would be nice.

And, last food bit for today…bagel bites, using the New York-Style Bagel recipe. This is really one my best recipe finds in the past few years. It’s so darn quick (I use the food processor). My mom thinks she doesn’t like bagels, but she eats them if I shape them into a loaf or whatever, haha. Sometimes, you gotta be sneaky.

Veggie, Cinnamon Sugar, Everything, Blueberry, Jalapeño Cheddar, Cinnamon Raisin, Sesame, Stuffed Cinnamon Roll. Next time, I might make them smaller. They were really about “two bites.” I got on a cinnamon kick, too, this past week. Not real healthy or anything, but…cinnamon, salt, and fine home-ground sugar of your choice (or you can use packaged powdered sugar) on popcorn for cinnamon toast popcorn. Yums!

— I wanted to share this post on the value of grinding your own grains. It’s from the same blog the Memorial Day Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns recipe came from. You can really see from her post how much can be saved, as well as it being a healthy choice for your family. Purchasing a mill can be an investment, so this post will give you a good break down of what you can expect to get out of it. I tried looking up “best mills” to also post, but many of the articles were not unbiased viewpoints. There are several types to choose from, including stand mixer attachments, hand grinders, stand alone electric grinders, and blenders that also serve as mills. I think you just have to find the one that meets your needs and fits your budget.

— 3 Household Tips: 1) Put stainless steel dish scrubbies in the freezer after each use to prevent rust from forming (been doing this for years as a tip from my aunt, maybe everyone else already knows this…but, just in case you didn’t), 2) Super Glue around the bottom of your rugs to keep them from slipping. Vid: How to Keep Rugs on the Carpet from Moving , and 3) Attach small furniture slides to the bottom of kitchen counter appliances that are hard to get to, or that you need to move about on occasion. I did this to my mom’s coffee pot that sits in kind of a tight spot. She feels more comfortable sliding it out a bit when pouring in the water. The slides keep the counter from being scratched, as well as provide ease of movement.

— Wedding Style Saturday | My Wedding Nigeria.

If this is what they’re wearing for weddings in Nigeria, I wish the trend would come to the US! “My Wedding Nigeria presents valuable wedding guide to couples getting married to an African, in Africa and especially in Nigeria.” Awesome!

— Love this Boho hammock!
42 Stunning Bohemian Inspired Homes | izismile.com.

— Eats & Drinks: I’m sure many of you have made chana masala. I like this post as it gives a lot of terrific nutritional info. I made a soup version of chana last week:

Chana Masala | Garden Fresh Foodie.

What about some easy naan bread to go with it? Naan Bread | Great British Chefs.

Elevated Breakfast BLT | Baker by Nature. Avec smoked duck uncured bacon.

Vanilla Bundtlettes with Cashews and Pistachios | lisbeths.de. Recipe is in German.

Vegetarian Scotch Eggs | Lady Rhubarb. 2nd recipe. Traditional recipe with sausage is listed first.

How to Make Miso at Home | Renegade Health.

The Sherry Cobbler Cocktail | Kitchen Riffs. This blog always has the best stories! Check it out!

Have a fabulous day! ‘Til next time!

To Market to Market…6/11/2015

Pics from Heirloom Farmer’s Market, Tucson, Arizona.

I was on an urban “nature” walk and decided to make a stop at the market. I was immediately tempted by a French restaurant’s bread and pastries. They looked delectable! I had to take a couple of the pics through pastry cases. Keep moving, I told myself…make your way to the fruit & veggies, haha. I’ll indulge next time perhaps.

Jalapeño-Apricot Jam? Yes, please! Some of the jams have a hint of tequila, I was told.

These onions looked so appealing to me. I wanted to take a bite out of one like a big apple, lol.

Even though the sweet treats got me initially, I am always equally (if not more) excited by all the fresh veggies. I don’t know why I get so happy when I see them. It’s not as if I haven’t seen a beet or carrot before. There’s just some endorphin sparkage or something that happens while gazing at all the veggie goodness.

The garlic was huge! The farmer informed me that a lot of the garlic Americans consume is from China. He said it’s a lot less strong than the version he had out for the day.

And, just so you know, they have bacon, bacon, BACON!

These gorgeous sunflowers and a furry friend made my lovely market trip complete.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

Simple Style: Reclaimed Wood Tables

Rectangular Reclaimed Wood Dining Table | azlifewave.com.

At first, I thought this was a tile-top table, but then realized it was wood. Glorious! I think this would be a somewhat easy DIY. If you couldn’t find wood with the exact ‘random’ color shading, inexpensive dyes like tea, coffee, fruits or veggie juices might do the trick. Lovely.

Exceptional Rustic Coffee Table with Black Metal Legs | dacozy.com.

Think you could manage a project like this? I think you could. I really love this piece. It has a bit of writing on it, but you could always mimic that with stencils and paint. And, with longer legs, it could easily transition to the dining room. Ah! One more project to add to my list…

Free Culturing eBooks + How to Grow Wheatgrass & “Savory” Popsicle Ideas

Cultures for Health Newsletter | Cultures for Health.

I have been having a grand time this week reading up on all sorts of culturing! I wanted to share this link in case any of you are interested in the same. If you sign up for this trés informative Weekly, you will receive access to free eBooks. From homemade cheese, milk kefir, water kefir, yogurt, sourdough, fermented fruits and veggies, kombucha…these eBooks are packed full of great wisdom, as well as a plethora of easy & healthy recipes. I think you will really be delighted.

How to Grow Wheat Grass in Soil | Growing Wheat Grass for Juicing | Cultures for Health.

I have been thinking about a “savory” popsicle post for the last week or so. “Savory” just meaning not super sweet. I know some of you do not care for sweet treats. I ADORE sweetness, but savory suits me from time to time. I started thinking about pops due to the extreme Tucson heat we’ve been experiencing (100 degrees!!!). My Tucson friends, make sure you stay hydrated! I walked a few blocks and left my water at home. I was parched in just a short distance. I thought we had a law in Arizona stating businesses cannot refuse anyone water, so I stopped along the way to ask for some. They didn’t refuse me, but said I had to pay for it (if I didn’t have my own cup), haha. Anyway, make sure you carry some hydration with you. Popsicles are also a perfect, inexpensive way to beat the heat. When I saw this article, I thought the wheatgrass juice would be a perfect “savory” pop base. If desired, you can add-in whatever strikes your fancy.

I mentioned there are a ton of recipes in the eBooks, so you could certainly convert some of them to popsicle form. What about beet kvass, carrot-ginger, or kombucha? Turn your fave veggie juice or smoothie blend into a pop. Sometimes, I get in an Earl Grey mood, so I was thinking about an Earl & milk pop. Caffeine dehydrates, though, so that’s more for the flavor (unless I get decaf). All sorts of teas, herbs, and fragrant flowers (like mint, cilantro, lavender, or elderflowers) would be lovely bases. And, I love grapefruit (though they can be on the sweet side depending on the variety or ripeness), so I would love to make pops with the juice and maybe a bit of basil or another herb. You could also just add a bit of sourness or spice to a sweeter base, like mango pops with chile and lime sprinkled on the outside. There are also, of course, cocktails-turned-popsicles. The alcohol content needs to be low enough for them to freeze, though. These are just a few of my ideas, and I’ll post more as they come to me.

Keep cool!