#ramshackleglam

I made this (with some minor alterations) last night for Justin and me while we were watching Master of None (so good, watch it now) and it was lovely. It was light and delicious. I probably only made half of the recipe but we both had hearty portions and there’s still one or two other portions leftover. 

You basically chop up half of a white onion, some carrots (I used baby carrots because I didn’t have regular size ones), some garlic, and sauté them in olive oil. After five or so minutes, you add some tomato sauce and some chopped tomatoes, let that sizzle. Then you add water and lentils and let it all sauté for about 20 minutes (make the pasta while you’re waiting). I added two dashes of cane sugar, a teaspoon of salt, and lots of pepper (I love lots of pepper on anything).

Throw back to last spring...

Yet again, another amazing dinner that sat neglected in my drafts folder for nearly a year now!

Too delicious and adventurous not to share - din and dessert hand crafted by yours truly and mi amiga, Christina. The turnovers were such a yummy treat - don't be afraid to mix it up depending on what fruit is in season - I've seen these made with pears and apples - and if you don't fancy goat cheese try blue cheese or gorgonzola for a tangier taste. Creme Brulee is no joke - we made the decision to make it mainly based on the fact that Christina's BF was in dental school, and owned a torch - I mean how could we not capitalize on that opportunity?

Recipes a la Ramshackleglam & The Food Network:

Chicken, peach, and goat cheese turnovers

Creme Brulee

Just like Marty McFly, we gotta go back in time... to the 1950's for some home decor inspiration with Jordan in the House. 

Original recipe, from the lovely Ramshackleglam: Lemon Bread

The recipe is copied below, with my substitutions added. The substitutions lighten the recipe up, but don't take away from the flavor: This lemon-bread-cake turned out moist, sweet, tart, and totally delicious:

LEMON BREAD

What you need:

1 cup white sugar ***3/4 cups raw sugar

6 tbsp shortening or butter ***6 tbsp vegan shortening

2 eggs **1 egg, and 2 egg whites

1 1/2 cups flour ***1 1/2 cups oat or whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk ***1/2 cup rice milk

1 oz grated lemon zest

For glaze:

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup sugar ***1/4 cup rice syrup

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest (you can also use a little orange zest here to mix it up)

What you do:

1. In a small bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

2. In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions, and then gradually add the dry ingredients.

3. Stir in the milk and the grated lemon zest until well-blended.

4. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake 45-50 minutes at 350F.

I received a note from a reader of mine that touched my heart so much I wanted to share it with the rest of you. Thanks so much Aubrey for the kind words - its readers like you that make it worth every minute.

Subject: Blog Love

Hey Jenn, Wanted to quickly reach out after reading your newest blog post to let you know that I was sending all of my happiest wishes and thoughts your way! I've been a secret admirer of your blog for awhile (and through that, also became a secret admirer of Ramshackle) and I'm absolutely in love with it. A friend of mine just recently started her own blog but was lost as to which direction to go - yours and Jordan's were my "I love these blogs, you should look to these for how to do a blog 'right.'" All of that being said, I'm looking forward to following your new journeys in 2011. Sounds like 2010 threw you some big time life lessons filled with self-discovery (although the process of learning through lessons is never an easy one, the end result is always insanely powerful), and I know you have absolutely amazing things ahead. I'm just glad that I found your blog so that I can follow your success.

Thanks for being so candid in the last post as I can't even imagine how hard that it must have been to write, but I do believe you when you say that it felt good to write. And similarly, I know it was a comfort for tons of other people to read. As much as I wish that you didn't have to go through the pain, it was a great source of motivation (for your readers - but I'd imagine you as well), and I'm so impressed that you had the strength to post it (and that you have the strength to tackle these life lessons head on with so much class). You have a lot of supporters in your corner. And you looked beautiful on NYE! Happiness always - Aubrey