The Homesteady

What to do with heels of bread

1. Make croutons
2. Make breadcrumbs
3. Make birdseed ornaments
4. Eat them like a grown-up (just kidding, you don't have to)

Grilled cheeses I've loved: Post-Thanksgiving

I can't think of anything I want to do more right now than tell you about this sandwich.

The day after Thanksgiving, I set out lunch for Miles in his high chair, and he watched while I layered leftover turkey and cheddar cheese on a piece of Udi's. I spread mashed potatoes and gravy on another slice of bread, and cooked them together in a frying pan popping with butter. I wish I could've added leftover Brussel sprouts too, but there weren't any left (looking at you, family). I wanted to eat another as soon as I'd finished, but am ultimately glad I resisted. I felt sated longer than I expected.

My kingdom for 10 more of these. 

3 things I learned making my first drip cake

I envisioned a homemade drip cake for Miles's first birthday party. Three layers of gluten-free chocolate cake, covered with vanilla frosting dyed to match the light green grocery store sheet cake we bought for non-GF guests. A mess of French macarons, marbled chocolate bark, and GF chocolate-covered pretzels perched precariously on dark chocolate ganache spilling from the top.

(Essentially, the time I've spent on Pinterest lately merged with all the "Great British Bakeoff" we've been bingeing, my quest to make this cake being the result.)

It's so opulent-looking. Almost like there's only so much sweet bounty the cake can hold before things become sloppy (but only just-so). I'm quite proud of how it turned out -- although this was the third bake! The first, a practice round since I didn't want to put any unnecessary pressure on myself the night before the party. The second, baked the day before we canceled the party due to a fever on M's part. The third, created the night before the rescheduled party. (Ask me when I'm going to bake a cake like this again.)

While I wait for all this sugar to leave my system (of course we ate each bake!), here are three things I learned making my first drip cake:

1. Cut corners wherever you can. The punch this cake packs is in the decoration. I used box mix for the cake, frosting out of a can, and French macarons from Trader Joe's freezer section. What a gift. 
2. The drip ratio is 50/50: The recipe for the dark chocolate ganache "drip" is 50% dark chocolate chips, 50% heavy cream, combined using the double boiler method. For cake #3, I used a 1/2 cup of each and had enough to cover the cake, and use to adhere extra macarons and pretzels to the cake stand.
3. Everybody needs to chill out. Each element of this cake decoration benefitted from at least a few minutes in the refrigerator. I chilled the cake layers after baking, after the first round of frosting, and kept the whole thing in the fridge until it was party time. The "drip" ganache benefitted from almost an hour in the refrigerator before I applied it to the cake. I made the chocolate bark ahead of time (this recipe sans candy canes) and stored it in the freezer until the last minute I needed it.

Of course as soon as I swear up and down I'm never baking a cake like this again, what do I see on Instagram but...

Have you made a drip cake? Would you try one?

Saying goodbye to summer w/ a creekside picnic

Thank you JaM Cellars for sponsoring this post. Looking for JaM Cabernet and Butter Chardonnay near you? Check out their easy-to-use Store Locator! Just pop in your zip code and the wines will be waiting!

As much as I'm excited for fall (always, really, looking forward to crunchy leaves and hot chocolate), this summer was such a good one I'm almost sad to see it go. For the first time in a few years June to August was fairly quiet for our family! Really a treat. 

In honor of our miraculously lowkey summer, Kristie and I snuck away to one of our favorite swimming holes to say goodbye to August with a picnic by the creek. 

I made sandwiches and packed them in a flea market basket, into which I also tucked our waterproof picnic blanket and two bottles of wine that JaM Cellars very kindly sent: JaM Cabernet and Butter Chardonnay. 

I'm a white wine drinker and so preferred the chardonnay (the name doesn't lie – it really is creamy like butter and tastes almost like dessert), but in spite of myself I also liked the cab. Its fruitiness makes it easy to love, and ideal for end-of-summer warmth. 

We trekked down a trail behind the Smith College campus to this most perfect of spots. I love this bend in the creek in particular – the water is knee-length in the middle of the stream, the ideal height to sit down in the cool water and bask in the sun for awhile. The reflected sunlight glittered across the underside of the leaves while Kristie and I split a glass (or three) of wine. I went swimming, too, although someone who won't be named was a bit nervous about snapping turtles and elected to stay on shore during the hours we whiled away by the water.

Goodbye, summer! Thank you for being lovely.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

How to make ricotta cheese (with only 2 ingredients!)

Making your own fresh ricotta cheese at home is very doable, even for the most novice cheesemaker (like myself) – especially because you only need two ingredients. The trick? Don't tell your dinner guests how easy it truly is!

The recipe is below; I also made a quick tutorial video. 

You will need: 

• A half gallon of whole milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

(Also make sure you have on hand: cheesecloth, a fine mesh sieve, a cooking thermometer, and a slotted spoon.)

1. Heat the milk to 200 degrees F over medium. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Place the sieve in a mixing bowl, and line with two layers of cheesecloth.
3. Use the slotted spoon to transfer large curds into the sieve. Once all the big ones are mostly removed, pour the rest of the saucepan contents into the sieve. Let sit for 1 hour. 

The liquid that will be left in your mixing bowl is called whey, and there are lots of things to do with it. This is a good list of ideas. 

I made ricotta toast for lunch, sprinkling it with chopped pistachios and drizzling with honey, and then used the rest of the cheese in a frittata for dinner.

A granola recipe for people who hate granola

This is a granola recipe that's been making its way through my extended family lately. It's truly fantastic – modified by my aunt, then adjusted further by my mom from the original Eleven Madison Park Granola recipe by Sam Sifton for the New York Times Magazine. This version on its own is a sturdy, delicious base that can support the addition of dried fruit or more nuts if you want – but I like it best this way!

Ingredients

• 2 and 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut chips (absent from this photo as Kristie requested I leave them out of the batch I made over the weekend)
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pecans, coconut, pumpkin seeds, and salt.
2. In a small saucepan set over low heat, warm the sugar, syrup, and olive oil until the sugar has just dissolved, then remove from heat. Fold liquids into the mixture of oats, making sure to coat the dry ingredients well.
3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (I use this one [affiliate link]), and spread granola over it. Bake until dry and lightly golden, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring granola a few times along the way.
4. Remove granola from oven. Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a storage container.

I'm adding this to my shortlist of food gifts that are both delicious, and easy to make in big batches! (Another favorite: candy cane chocolate bark.) 

In praise of beach snacks

Thank you noosa yoghurt for sponsoring this post. Pick up a tub of noosa mates for yourself at a location near you and get ready to experience yum in action.

During our family trip to the Cape, we were extremely excited to have – in the midst of a rainy cold week – one beautifully radiant sunny day. So of course, to the beach! We visited the beach briefly on the chilly days too, but Tuesday was dubbed Beach Day and taken very seriously. 

Lots of planning and packing went into it – sunscreen, chairs, towels, reading material, games, and (currently being pregnant, most important to me) snacks. 

There was also a taco truck in the beach parking lot, but I'm glad we brought as much of our own food as we did (less walking, more sunbathing). We packed an insulated lunchbox with:

• Sandwiches
• Bananas and grapes
• Homemade peanut butter cookies
• A few tubs of noosa mates yoghurt
• Extra bottles of water (so important!)

Balancing food on my growing stomach is my new favorite skill, ha!

Yogurt's been a staple of my pregnant diet – from the very beginning when it was one of the few things I wanted to eat to now, when it's an important source of calcium and protein. noosa yoghurt is especially reliable when it comes to taste (the banana chocolate peanut noosa is my favorite). The new noosa mates include mix-in toppings like granola, pretzels, and chocolate and are tasty whenever the craving strikes – even in the middle of the night!

Also I want to point out really quickly: the tubs were perfect for the beach because we could recap them as soon as we were finished, totally isolating whatever was leftover and keeping everything neat and clean, which is just as important an aspect of beach picnicking as is what to pack!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Summer breakfast smoothie recipe (perfect for early pregnancy)

Pretty quickly after finding out I was pregnant, I started to experience some of the early pregnancy symptoms I'd heard and read so much about. Along with the overwhelming fatigue that can accompany the first trimester, one of the most disruptive pregnancy signs I experienced was aversion to a lot of foods – especially in the mornings.

This obviously made breakfasts challenging. I knew if I didn't eat something in the morning, I'd feel even worse throughout the day. Luckily, one thing I was almost always craving was fruit, so smoothies were the perfect answer. Bob's Red Mill is helping me share a slightly updated version of my favorite recipe (which of course is delicious whether you're pregnant or not!).

My beloved OB nurse told me early on to interpret the nausea of morning sickness as a signal to eat, and she was right – if I had something in my belly, I felt better. I especially looked for high protein foods that would keep me feeling fuller longer. Bob's Red Mill Nutritional Booster contains 20 grams of plant-based protein per serving. It's naturally flavored and sweetened with monk fruit – plus it contains lots of fiber (equally important during early pregnancy...).

The Vanilla flavor fits right in to my tried and true breakfast smoothie recipe!

To make two servings, you will need:

• 2 cups of frozen strawberries and bananas (I like the frozen mixes made just for smoothies)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 scoops Bob's Red Mill Vanilla Protein Powder Nutritional Booster

Add the liquid ingredients to your blender first, then the rest. Blend to desired consistency!

Oh yum. Just such an easy way to get so many important nutrients! (Plus, officially the only way you will get me to eat chia seeds :) Staying fueled for even day-to-day things during your first trimester can be challenging, but starting with so much healthy goodness really helps!

If you're curious about the Nutritional Boosters, download a coupon that will save you $3!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Macaron Monday: S'mores French macarons

Now that the weather's finally getting a little warmer, I went back into the macaron archives and tweaked my recipe for s'mores French macarons. Give them a try next time you have a campfire or fire pit ready to go!

3 super-sweet ways to dress up Easter morning mimosas

My favorite thing to eat for breakfast on Easter morning is candy.

Yes, we eat real things too, but among the flowers and freshly painted Easter eggs, the dining room table is strewn with jelly beans, marshmallow peeps, and egg-shaped peanut butter cups. We drink coffee and tea, and my sister makes everyone mimosas. Last year we added peeps as garnishes last minute – this year I want to take it a little further with two more ideas, because I'm a firm believer that (at least once a year) candy belongs on the breakfast table! ...And in the breakfast cocktails.

First up...jelly bean swizzle sticks.

All you need is barbecue skewers and jelly beans. Thread them onto the pointy end until the point is covered, capped by one last jelly bean. Trim the lower part of the skewer to fit your champagne flute.

Yum, sugared rim...

I found a canister of Easter sprinkles and colored sugar in the seasonal section of Target. I'm sure it's meant for baking, but I like this better!

Pour colored sugar into a shallow dish. Wet the rim of your flute, and dip it into the sugar, turning a few times to coat the rim.

The classic peep garnish.

Pull the chick apart underneath, exposing its sticky marshmallow-y insides. Attach to the rim of the flute.

Cheers!