Menu: Fall in Lexington

There are times I might go a little overboard planning {that's not my definition, but it might be others}. I love food, planning, and being creative, so it's easy for me to lose track of time when I'm creating a menu for our guests.

I try to stick with flavors that match the season, incorporate a lot of fresh foods and provide a good balance between healthy and decadent. You have to spoil everyone a little bit. My goal is to make them feel like they're on vacation! Here's a copy of our menu from the weekend and all of the recipes, including some of my prep tips. {I created the printed menu as well, so if you're interested in having some made up for Thanksgiving or a special event, feel free to contact me and I can create custom printed menus for you!}

 

Spinach & Artichoke Dip - Restaurant Style
slightly adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic {I used pre-minced garlic in a jar, if you'd like to use fresh follow the link above}
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 oz.) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 (8 oz.) package cream cheese softened

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 inch baking dish, mix all of the ingredients together and then smooth the top so it's even. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.

Note: I made this a few hours in advance and let it sit in the refrigerator until our guests were about 30 minutes out from our house and then I popped it into the oven. This recipe is super easy and extremely delicious. I served it with blue corn chips and pita crackers.

Kickstart Fruit Kabobs
adapted from "Easy Breakfast & Brunch: Simple Recipes for Morning Treats" 

Ingredients:

• 1 can of diced pineapple, drained {or fresh works too, it's just more work!}
• 1 honeydew melon cut up into small cubes
• 2 fresh peaches cut into medium slices
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon clear honey
• 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice {substitute with cinnamon or nutmeg}
• Wooden skewers of any size {I made 12 long skewers, approximately two per person with a few leftover for seconds}

Directions:

• Thread your fruit of choice onto the skewers in any order.
• Put the orange juice, honey and spices into a small bowl and mix. Brush over the fruit skewers.
• Cook the kabobs under medium-hot broiler for 5 minutes turning frequently.
• Brush with any remaining orange juice mixture while they are cooking to prevent them from drying out. {I even ended up using more orange juice to keep the fruit moist and juicy}.
• Serve warm with some greek yogurt and homemade granola {see next recipe}.

Note: The options for what type of fruit you would like to use is really up to you. The actual recipe also uses prunes and dried apricots as well. I chose the fruit that I did so I could assemble the kabobs on Friday and not have to worry about any of my fruit getting brown. If you would like to use bananas sprinkle them with lemon juice and toss gently to prevent them from browning {I wouldn't try making these in advance though}.

House Granola
adapted from "Easy Breakfast & Brunch: Simple Recipes for Morning Treats" 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whole almonds
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 5-6 dried apricots, chopped
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds {I did not add this ingredient}
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
• Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, then transfer to a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
• Remove from the oven and stir well. Return the mixture to the oven and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the granola is crisp and light golden.
• Remove from the oven. Serve hot or cold with milk or yogurt.

Note: I made this granola on Thursday evening since I needed to leave a lot of the other prep work for Friday. This granola does not come out very clumpy, so add more sugar and maple syrup if desired. You can store it in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Spicy Butternut & Lentil Soup
from Seasoned to Taste: City of Chattanooga Official Cookbook 
{Serves 6-8}

Ingredients: 

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup red lentils {I had to go to the organic section to find these}
• 5 cups water
• 2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp curry power
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes {I did not drain these}
• 2 cups milk or plain yogurt {I used the leftover whole milk from my ice cream recipe}

Directions:

• Bring the squash, lentils and water to a boil in a large stockpot. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the squash is tender {for a creamy soup, puree and return to the stockpot at this point}. I asked for a consensus from my guests and they voted to keep it chunky. 
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and celery. Saute for 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add to the lentil mixture. Add the salt, curry powder, coriander, nutmeg, lemon juice and tomatoes. Return to a simmer. Stir in the milk slowly. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes and then ladle into soup bowls. 

Note: I cut up the butternut squash on Friday and put it in small containers in the refrigerator. I also had the onions, celery and garlic ready to go in another container. If I had been feeling more ambitious to prep more in advance I could've measured out all of the spices into a ziploc bag as well. The end result is a vibrant vegetarian soup with lots of flavor. Perfect for fall!

Homemade Apple Pie
adapted from the German Apple Pie recipe in  "Taste of Home Cookbook: Revised Edition"
{Serves 8}

Ingredients:

• Refrigerated pie crust
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 cups sliced peeled tart apples {ours were fresh from the orchard, bonus!}
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg white

Directions:

• Follow the directions on your pie crust for the bottom layer.
• For filling, combine the sugar, flour and teh cinnamon; sprinkle 3 tablespoons into crust. Layer with half of the apples, then sprinkle with half of the remaining sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Pour cream over all.
• Follow the directions for the top layer of crust if you wish, or you can leave it off. I brushed mine with an egg white so it would brown nicely. {If using a top crust, make sure to use foil to cover the edges of the pie for part of the cook time so they don't burn}.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 55-60 minutes or until apples are tender {if there's not top crust}. Cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator. 

Note: I made the pie on Friday so I would have time to clean up before our guests arrived and also a little additional time in case I needed to make another pie or do some damage control since this was a new recipe. The original recipe also includes directions to make the bottom pie crust, and they do not use a crust on top. I opted to use pre-made crust and use a top and bottom. I like how the whipping cream keeps this pie together nicely after it's sliced.

Jeni's {Ugandan} Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
from  "Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home"
{Makes 1 quart}

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 ounces {3 tablespoons}cream cheese, softened
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out, seeds and bean reserved
• 1 cinnamon stick {my own addition}

Directions: 

• Mix about 2 tablespoons of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl to make a smooth slurry. Whisk the cream cheese and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
• Combine the remaining milk, the cream, sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla seeds and bean {and cinnamon stick} in a 4-qt saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Bring the mixture back to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Pour the mixture into a one-gallon Ziploc freezer bag and submerge the sealed bag in the ice bath. Let stand, adding more ice as necessary, until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the vanilla bean {and cinnamon stick}. Pour the ice cream base into the frozen canister and spin until thick and creamy. Pack the ice cream into a storage container, press a sheet of parchment directly against the surface, and seal with an airtight lid. Freeze in the coldest part of your freezer until firm, at least 4 hours. Keeps for about a week. 

Note: Since the ice cream was also a recipe I had never made before I made it earlier in the week and let it set in the freezer. I wanted to ensure that I had extra time in case I wanted to make another batch! This ice cream is so creamy and delicious, one scoop goes a long way! My vanilla beans had been given to me by a friend. I was letting them sit in bourbon to create my own vanilla extract, so I stole a couple out of the container and threw them in to the ice cream mixture with a couple tsps of the bourbon. I was hoping the bourbon flavor would end up in the final product, but unfortunately it didn't so it must've burned off!

Yummy Breakfast Pastry
from Seasoned to Taste: City of Chattanooga Official Cookbook 
{Serves 4-6}

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-count) can refrigerated original breadsticks

• 6 oz. cream cheese softened (I personally think you could get away with using even less)

• 1 medium egg yolk

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

• 3/4 cup blueberries (or any other fruit)

• Egg Wash: 1 medium egg white & 2 tsp. water 
• Glaze: 1 cup confectioners' sugar & 2 tbsp orange juice {I did not need this much glaze, you could probably half this}

 Directions:

• Unroll the breadstick dough lengthwise on a 10x15 baking pan lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Pinch the center seam of the dough to seal. Beat the cream cheese, egg yolk and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spread down the center of the dough. Top with the blueberries.
• Starting at the top, bring each bread stick alternately towards the center in criss-cross fashion to cover the filling, braiding the dough all the way down. Brush with a mixture of the egg white and water. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. 
• Beat the confectioners' sugar and orange juice in a bowl until smooth. Spread over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Note: This was a recipe I have made previously. The store did not have refrigerated breadsticks,but they did have pastry/dough sheets so I unrolled that and then used a pizza cutter to take a few strips off to use for crisscrossing on top (probably about a third). It worked extremely well! I also bought puff pastries in the freezer section as another backup. I also like this recipe because while the pastry was baking we could finish up the scrambled eggs, bacon, and setting the table so everything was ready at the same time.

{Side Note: Thank you to all of my friends and family that gifted me with these wonderful cookbooks!}

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes A Baby in a Baby Carriage

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes a Baby in a Baby Carriage. In this case, other people's babies. That pretty much sums up the summer. I mentioned in my last post that we had a wedding in Cleveland the last weekend in July. Here are a few pictures from Claire and Jason's wedding.

Late Night Swenson's Food Truck

The following weekend we were on repeat, another wedding in Cleveland! This weekend proved to be a little more challenging though. I drove up to Columbus on that Friday to spend some time with my college roommates, one of which was in town from NY. I finally got to meet her adorable 2 year old too! I wish we could live closer so we could all spend more time together like that, it's so therapeutic. 

The next morning I drove to Toledo to attend my cousin's (wife's) baby shower with my mom and that side of the family. Everyone is so busy with their own lives that it's sometimes hard for all of us to get together, so I try to take advantage of scheduled events because it's an opportunity to see a lot of family in one day!

Then I drove to Cleveland, changed into my dress and heels and off we went! We enjoyed another evening of dinner and dancing with friends. I love that weddings are an opportunity to celebrate love and relationships, including friendships.

Mom and I at Lynn's Baby Shower

Jess & Josiah

Jen, Amber and I

The next day I enjoyed the sunshine and a good book while all of the boys went golfing (Eileen & Linda were out of town). After golf we all had dinner together and went out for ice cream and a little exploration of the Rocky River Reservation. I love random adventures! 

The next day Alex headed back to Lexington and I went to lunch with my friend Jen in Ohio City. I couldn't believe how busy it was! We even walked through the West Side Market which my Cleveland born and bred friend had never been to. It's rare that I have been somewhere in Cleveland that others have not!

Zeus and I

I broke up my drive by stopping in Cincinnati for dinner with my family. By the time I got home that evening there was still time to relax and unpack before our 11 p.m. sand volleyball game {never again will I sign up for a late league!}. The following weekend Alex and I were going to spend in Columbus, but we decided to hang out at home for most of the weekend. Alex had been doing quite a bit of traveling for work, so he was craving a little down time and I was happy to oblige. 

On Sunday we drove up to my parent's house and had lunch with them. I hung out by the pool with my family, while he took a little nap. Then we drove the rest of the way to Columbus. I did my hair during our car ride! It came out pretty fabulous if I do say so myself!

Megan & Adam

We enjoyed the ceremony, dinner and a little bit of dancing before we headed back to Lexington. Unfortunately we couldn't stay over because of work obligations, but when you split up the drive between two people it's a cinch!

Now we're finally caught up to this last weekend. Alex and I drove up to his work office in Cincinnati late in the afternoon to pick up some promotional materials. Then we headed over to our friends Rob and Tricia's house to meet their newest addition!

Jackson "Jack" and I

Jack and Daddy {Rob}

They are amazing parents and so calm and collected for having a two week old. I am so in awe of them and can't wait to watch little Jackson grow up! Alex dropped me off at my parent's house so I could spend some of the weekend with my mom for her birthday while my Dad was at the lake with some friends. We spent some time by the pool, went for a long walk, went shopping, out to dinner a few times and to a movie in the park!

Newest Pool Accessory

Music Hall\

Movie Night @ Washington Park

The next day I went to church with my mom and then went over to my friend Maria's apartment for a little lunch and some more pool time. We celebrated our friend Erin's birthday too. And my amazing friends already had birthday gifts for me too {a whole month early, I was impressed!}. Maria and I even had the opportunity to grab some sushi and pad thai for dinner {love the unplanned dinners, they make me feel like I live in the same city as my friends}. 

Maria's Pool

Happy {belated} Birthday Erin!

Hummingbird Mini Cakes!

Since there were two birthdays to celebrate I decide to make one fabulous cake {Hummingbird Cake} and use cookie cutters to make them into mini stacked cakes! It was a little challenging to frost, but worth it. They came out so cute, and portion wise it was definitely a smart idea. I even left a mini one behind for Alex in Lexington. 

Then my mom and dad and I went to see Monsters University which was super cute. The next day the three of us hopped in the car and headed to Toledo to spend the day with my Grandma Wagoner {my mom's mom}. The weather cooperated and we had a nice time together. That night Alex came back up to Cincinnati to sleep over. He had training super early in the morning, so the two of us headed home early the next morning once he was done.

Me, Grandma and Mom at Real Seafood Co.

A view of downtown Toledo from The Docks

Our lives may be too hectic to have quality time with everyone, but we certainly try! You don't always have to have a week long vacation with your friends and family to make memories either. It's the little moments in our lives that build up to make the bigger ones all that more special. And this weekend we're going to recuperate before we head off on our big East Coast Road Trip {Kentucky to Maine and back again} next week! 

Dinner & Dancing

After my lovely weekend playing hostess with my mom and her friend Denise I had a weekend to unwind with Alex before heading back into travel mode. Last week and the upcoming next two weekends we have weddings out of town. When we are gone so much on the weekends that typically means that our weekend diet consists of eating out, so during the week I cook every night. Here's a few of my recent recipe finds, perfect for summer:

ETHNIC: Fried Ripe Plantains
Once a week I make one meal that has some ethnic flavor. Last week it was caribbean/south american themed, but typically it's indian, greek, chinese or japanese. I was inspired by the plantains I saw when I was grocery shopping. We had a few meals similar to this one when we were on our honeymoon in Costa Rica.

Here's the recipe I followed - Fried Ripe Plantains. They are so easy and have such a wonderful flavor. It really transports you to somewhere tropical. I used them as a sweet side dish, but I think they would even make the perfect dessert.

TRADITIONAL: Cobb Salad
I have four "lazy" dinners that I count on when I have to make dinner, but don't feel like putting in any effort or just don't have the time:

1. Broiled Tilapia or Salmon with Green Beans & Brown Rice
2. Pizza using premade crust and whatever items I have in the fridge {usually onions, tomatoes, peppers, cheese}
3. Pasta {Typically the same ingredients as the pizza, but a different sauce, or maybe just olive oil}
4. Salad - spinach, romaine or red leaf lettuce with fruit, nuts & cheese

Well I happened to be feeling a little lazy and suddenly cobb salad popped into my head. I think that might've been the first time that ever happened. It's not one of my favorites, maybe just because I see it on so many menus it just never stands out to me?

I had some turkey bacon that I used instead of ham, tomatoes, almonds {that's not true to style is it?}, cheddar cheese and hard-boiled eggs.

The key to hard-boiled eggs is to plunge them in cold water as soon as they are done boiling and then shell them immediately. If you wait too long or don't submerge the eggs in cold water you may end up picking off the shell with tweezers. My mom and I recently had such an occasion when we were making deviled eggs. Let me tell you how much fun that is when you have at least a dozen eggs to attend to!

 

SHORTCUT: Roasted Corn on the Cob 
I have my staple items that are always on the grocery list and then I always try to add one surprise fruit and vegetable based on what's available and any promotions. This week it was corn on the cob! I really wanted to grill the corn, but I was feeling a little too lazy to get the grill going. I also felt like the length of time it would take was a little unpredictable so I googled Roasted Corn on the Cob. I found these instructions that I tweaked just a little bit!

My corn cobs (4) did not have full husks on them so I peeled them completely down. I put down a layer of aluminum foil on a baking sheet, then I melted 1 tbsp of butter in a small bowl. I added the juice from half a lime and sprinkled in a few shakes of Lawry's Seasoned Salt. I brushed the mixture onto my corn cobs and placed them on the foil. I then added another layer of foil on top and sealed the edges of the bottom layer over the top. My goal was to make a foil package with just enough room for the corn. This helps keep in the moisture. I let them roast for 30 mins at 350 degrees and they came out so flavorful and juicy.

SKILLET MEAL: Leftover/Throw Together Tacos
I had some garden {vegetable} tortillas that I wanted to use up so I hit one of my favorite sites, realsimple.com for some ideas. I found this recipe: Vegetarian Tacos with Goat Cheese that I tweaked a little bit. Instead of tofu I decided to go with ground turkey. I let it cook in the skillet and I sprinkled it with some pepper, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Once it was cooked about half of the way through, I added half of an onion, diced.

A few minutes later I added corn (from my leftover corn cob), half a fresh tomato and about a cup or two of fresh spinach. As that cooked down I added about 1/2 cup of fresh salsa. It was similar to a pico de gallo, but a little more puréed. I used a slotted spoon to keep the entire mixture from getting too watery.

Once dinner was ready to go I threw some goat cheese on top of mine, as well as a small scoop of greek yogurt {our version of sour cream}. Alex is not a big fan of goat cheese, so he decided to forgo the cheese, and ironically, the item that inspired dinner, the tortilla. Oh well! I just used it to make some quesadillas for lunch the following day {using the leftover black beans from my caribbean meal!}.

SNACK: Microwave Potato Chips
I found a recipe from Pinterest for Microwave Potato Chips and I thought it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, I cut my potatoes too thick so it took a lot longer in the microwave than what the recipe suggests. They also didn't have quite the right consistency, but they were definitely crunchy and had great flavor. Next time I'll let Alex do the slicing! It's a good strategy for rewarding yourself without being tempted by a huge bag of chips!

Another little tip I found on Pinterest for the chip lovers: Take a packet of dry ranch dressing seasoning {I used onion soup mix} and stir it into some greek yogurt!

INDIVIDUAL DESSERTS: Peach Crisp
Alex and I both have a sweet tooth. Sometimes it's nice to satisfy that craving without ending up with enough dessert for the next five days! Whenever I think of doing individual desserts, my ramekins always come to mind. I had some fresh peaches from the farmer's market, so I decided to make two peach crisps.

Many of the recipes I found provided instructions for making a filling, basically the peaches mixed with lots of sugar, vanilla extract etc {here was my inspiration recipe}. I wanted to keep it on the lighter side so I just cut up two small peaches and plopped the pieces into the two ramekins. This recipe should work with the majority of fruits: peaches, pears, apples, raspberries, blueberries.

I followed the inspiration recipe for the topping {cut by 1/3}. Since I don't have a food processor I used a fork and mixed it the old fashioned way. I had a little bit more than I needed {before adding the water} so I divided it into a ziploc bag with a note of how to use it in the future for a quick dessert for two! After they baked for 25 minutes at 350 degrees I let them cool for a few minutes before I placed them on a couple little plates so we could handle them without burning ourselves!

We also recently tried grilling pizza, which worked out pretty well, but I think that one is going to require some more trial and error to get it just right.

 

This weekend we're off to Cleveland again, next weekend's wedding is in Columbus, then I'll be in Cincinnati for the weekend. After that we'll be on our way to Maine for Labor Day {another wedding}! Then it'll be a weekend in Columbus, followed by one in Cincinnati, and then one in Cleveland! Phew!

At least all of this eating will be offset by all of the dancing I will be doing over the two months!

Girls' Weekend in LEX

As I have mentioned a few times at least, I love having people come to visit! Planning a weekend for our friends is pretty easy because they typically love to do all of the same things that I do. However, I love a good challenge. My visitors last weekend gave me the perfect opportunity to flex my planning muscle and think outside the box a little bit.

My mom and her friend Denise, friends since 5th grade, drove down on Friday night after work. Here's a couple things I prepared prior to their arrival:

1. Planned the itinerary and let them know in advance some of the things we would be doing so they could add their input and have an idea of what to pack (you have to keep a few surprises!)
2. Based on the itinerary I planned a menu and went grocery shopping. I like to have a couple meals outside the house and a couple in the house. Variety is the best way to make sure everyone is happy! I had fresh fruit and homemade chocolate chip zucchini muffins (recipe at the bottom) out on the counter in case somebody got hungry at a non-meal time, or maybe even the middle of the night. The notes were just for me, but in the past I have also printed menus for my guests!
3. Cleaned the house and made sure their beds were all set along with some towels. 
4. Added a few welcome touches! I always have flowers out and yummy smelling candles lit. I'll typically leave out a fun surprise too. In this case I decorated water bottles and also left my mom a picture of her dog curled up, he normally sleeps next to her bed so I didn't want her to miss him!

Denise currently lives in Genoa, OH, near Toledo, so she had a little bit of a drive before arriving at my parent's house in Cincinnati. I knew they would be arriving a little bit too late for dinner so I decided to plan a little dessert outing. When I was younger and used to visit my grandparents' house in Toledo, there was always pie. So instead of a typical summer ice cream outing I decided to go the pie route!

I took them to Ramsey's down the street, which is a local diner. I always try to stick to unique local joints whenever possible. Alex and I shared a black bottom banana pie, my mom had a raspberry bliss pie and Denise had key lime. They were all delicious and we were able to sit outside so it was a relaxing way to kick off the weekend. We went to bed at a reasonable hour to rest up for our big Saturday. In the morning I got up and popped my strata (egg casserole basically) into the oven. It's perfect for weekend guests because you can prep it in advance and save yourself time and clean up in the morning! (recipe at the bottom)

After breakfast on our patio we headed downtown to check out Thoroughbred Park. I had driven past it many times, but had never taken the time to stop! I figured since we didn't have any other horse activities planned it would be a great way to get a little bit of that history in too.

After exploring the park and watching a dog frolic in the fountain we walked over to the Weekly Juicery to get a refreshing and healthy drink. My mom and I had recently been talking about smoothies and juicing so I thought it would be a fun place to try out with her! It was a super cute space and they had some great options, but I'm not sure that I'm on the juicing train. I found most of the drinks to be quite tart and a little expensive, but it was fun to try once! I think I'll stick to my homemade smoothies. 

Afterwards we drove down to the Lexington Farmer's Market and walked around for a while. I bought peaches, pretzel bread and beer cheese, while my mom bought some handmade jewelry and Denise bought a few loaves of bread. After that we were ready for lunch, so we walked down Main St, through Triangle Park to Stella's Kentucky Diner. It's a diner in a old house and the food and homemade sodas were perfect for a hot day. I had ginger mint and my mom had blackberry! 

Then we explored UK's campus and took a guided tour of Mary Todd Lincoln's childhood home. I recently saw the Lincoln movie so I really enjoyed learning more about her life and her family's connection to Lexington. Although it was raining by that time we also stopped by the Henry Clay Estate, Ashland, to check out the beautiful grounds. 

After our long day out and about we drove back to the house to relax a little bit and make dinner. After dinner we loaded up the car with a few chairs and a cooler to head out to the UK Arboretum for a production of Peter Pan. I think outdoor theatre is so neat, especially when you can bring your own wine and snacks! The rain earlier in the day had cooled down the weather and it was perfect for sitting outside. 

By the time we got home that evening I was exhausted to say the least. In the morning we sat outside and enjoyed our backyard along with some conversation before they had to head back home. We had so many fun activities that it made the weekend just fly by! Now I just have to print the picture of Denise and my mom at Thoroughbred Park for my guest book wall, and somehow condense this post into one little paragraph for the back... Another day...

RECIPES

Farmer's Market Strata

12 Servings, Prep Time: 25 Minutes, Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground sausage

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 green pepper, diced

• 1 yellow pepper, diced

• 1 small zucchini, shredded

• 6 slices white bread, cubed

• 1 cup cubed cooked potatoes

• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

• 8 eggs

• 3 cups milk

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon ground mustard

• 1 dash salt and pepper

Directions:

1. I mixed the cooked homemade sausage with all of the diced vegetables, except for the potato. In. a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese. Top with all of the sausage mixture. Add a little bit of goat cheese for a different flavor. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes and cheese. 
2. In a bowl, beat the eggs; add milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight.
3. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 65-70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

This originally came from a recipe called "Farmer's Strata" from allrecipes.com. I adapted it with my own ingredients and dubbed it "Farmer's Market Strata" because you can use whatever meat, vegetables, and cheese you may have picked up from the farmer's market or the grocery store that week. As long as you stick to the recommended amounts for each category you cannot go wrong in my opinion!

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

from allrecipes.com 

12 Servings, Prep Time: 15 Minutes, Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Mix egg, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in another bowl; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.
3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.