Menu Monday, Valentines Dinner

I cannot tell you how excited I am for Valentines this year. We are going out to dinner at Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood. I have been looking forward to this dinner for six years, since we last went (not to mention it's on my 101 list}. It was going to be our annual tradition...oh how times change.

There's a few great reasons why it's been five years since we last went. The two largest being money and kids. Boy, how those two correlate. So if you find yourselves staying in this year, I have a couple wonderful ideas for you.

First, I mentioned last week that cheese is the theme for our date nights this year. I want to share with you what we had this past week and give a couple suggestions to help if you wanted to try this tomorrow. Yes, Valentines Day is tomorrow.


{no need for expensive cheese plates. I thrifted this beaut for $3}

Set the stage with a low table and a couple of pillows on the floor. Pop in your favorite movie, or one you've both been meaning to see. Our favorite thing is to tell each other what our favorite flavor combinations are. A bit like "Oh! You have to try the this with the that" or whatever.

{wine pairing was a 2010 negroamaro salento from Arcangelo.}
My second idea for you, if you're feeling a bit more ambitious, is to re-create the dinner menu set by Timberline Lodge, with a five course gourmet (but I found totally doable recipes) meal. Your love will surely appreciate this meal for years to come. Or better yet, cook it together! There's little sexier than sharing a kitchen together, working towards the same outcome.

Here's the menu they are preparing at the restaurant:


And here's yours to try on your own. The numbers represent the course:


{1: toasted brioche rounds with créme fraîche and caviar, 1a: if caviar isn't in the budget, try this stellar mustard caviar substitute,
2: spinach, strawberry and radish salad, 2a: creamy artichoke soup, 3: tangerine and prosecco sorbet,
4: beef tenderloin medallions with potato "risotto", 5: chocolate peanut butter torte}

Menu Monday

It has been a hard transition back into the life of reality after our epic family vacation to Maui two weeks ago. Constant daydreaming of the warm sun, sand on my toes (and everywhere else), and just being outside has made the 20-40 degree days brutal. Bru-tal.

All that to say, I haven't been very motivated in the life/blogging arena and I apologize for the break.

The best way I've found to get back to reality comes with no magic pill, but simply jump back in. With both feet.

I (finally) started a Facebook page for Life:Styled, in hopes of developing a wonderful and inspiring community of friends, old and new. If you haven't yet, go like it here now! Later this week I have my first giveaway lined up, which I'm super excited about, and liking the page will count for one entry. So go, be ahead of the game now!

Ok, onto today's post. Maybe I should give a little background again as to why I started Menu Monday's. Plain and simple: if I create a menu to share, it holds me accountable to actually make a menu for my family. It also excites me to think maybe some of us, somewhere in the world, are making the same dish to feed our loved ones.

For instance, my husband and I have date night every Friday. And we normally spend it at home together, after the kids have gone to sleep, eating great food (and drinks) and watching a movie or playing games. Last year we made nachos. And got burned out by the end of the year. 2012 has started off with cheese plates. Oh the choices.

Some other friends have joined in the Friday fun, so why not give it a try this week? If it seems daunting to you, start with Friday's website below that will give you some pointers for jumping in. Also, I post a picture of what ours looks like via Instagram every week. In addition, I hope to share insight and pairings we discover, both here, and on the Facebook page.

On Saturday, I'm trying my hand for the first time at making fried chicken with our friends local chickens (If you live close, you must order these. They will change how you taste chicken forever.) Will you join me?? Bon Appétit's website gives lots of help in order to be a success in cooking their cover.

Along with the dinner menu, you'll find a set of 7 snacks, side dishes, and desserts we'll be having this week.

Here's what's for dinner:
(as always, click on the links below the picture to take you to the recipe)


{m: chickpea breakfast burritos, t: pear, manchego and red onion pizza, w: shallot-tarragon jam, serve atop a fresh, bbq'd white fish,
th: stacked veggie quesadilla, f: cheese plate, sa: cook the cover, the perfect fried chicken, su: pulled pork with picked onion}

Snacks:


{1: coconut banana bread, 2: apple sandwich, 3: no bake, chewy granola bars, 4: homemade gummy fruit snacks,
5: chocolate dipped, peanut butter pretzel bites, 6: sweet potatoes with mirin and sweet honey, 7: stuffed strawberries}

Favorites Friday, Art, Food & Parties

Here's a random slew of ideas I've found inspiration from the past few weeks on the interweb.


{1: eskimo kiss. so sweet. via, 2: caterpillar and mushrooms, 3: a good day print, 4: apples and salty medjool caramel, 5: love you more download, 6: color ratio chart. pure brilliance, 7: mail a tube of chappy for the cost of a stamp}

Homemade Limoncello

During Thanksgiving, my in-laws brought up a giant box of their home grown lemons. I knew immediately those perfectly virgin rinds would make a perfectly flavored limoncello.


I took que from CHOW and Martha Stewart and made this wonderful liqueur as gifts for friends on Christmas.

With an ingredient list of only 4 items, how could you find an excuse not to make it? Keep in mind you'll need a week to let the lemons and vodka do their thing, so plan ahead if giving it as a gift.


Why do you need limoncello in your freezer? Because it's good. How do you serve it? Traditionally, served up neat, in a chilled cordial glass. But I like it mixed with a chilled cava. Or with orange juice and seltzer.


The process for making it is really quite easy.

1. Peel about a dozen lemons, trying to only take the yellow part of the rind. Too much white rind can make it turn bitter.

2. Stick those rinds into a big jar. Pour in a bottle of Everclear 151. The higher proof the better.

3. Give a little shakey-shake (with the lid on of course) and store in a dark, cool place, like your cupboard. Shake and burp (open the lid) once a day for a week.

4. Mix 3 cups sugar and 3 cups water in a saucepan for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved and it's thickened up a bit. Let cool.

5. Strain your jar of lemon vodka through a cheesecloth lined fine mesh sieve. It will take a little time to let it all strain through. Be patient. You want a nice clear liquid in the end.

6. Take your lemon liquid and your simple syrup and mix together. Pour into decorative jars (or one big one for yourself) and dress it up with these labels I made for you.

7. Store in the freezer and give when you need an elegant, original gift, or pull out when you're having friends over for brunch.

Chocolate Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

I had the privilege this month of partnering with Bob's Red Mill and California Olive Ranch in their quest for better holiday baking using whole grain and olive oil.

Be sure to visit their websites to find more delicious recipes! Click here and here to check out this recipe on their websites.

Here's the recipe I came up with, using Bob's nutrient-packed millet flour and COR's chocolatey Arbosana EVOO.

Chocolate Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill unbleached white flour
3/4 cups Bob's Red Mill millet flour
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt

3 eggs
1 cup California Olive Ranch's Arbosana Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 cups milk

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 ounces grated dark chocolate bar (70% cacao)
2 tablespoons sugar (for top crunch)

Preheat oven to 350º. Rub a bundt (or loaf) pan with olive oil.

Whisk the flours, sugar, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the olive oil and milk to the eggs. Whisk until blended. Then mix in the rosemary.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until just combined. Next fold in the shaved chocolate until uniformly mixed.

Spoon the 2 tablespoons of sugar into the bottom of your bundt pan. Then pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and skewer inserted comes clean.

Wait until the cake is cooled before inverting the bundt pan to release your beautiful cake!

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

These literally took fifteen minutes to make, including bake time.

This recipe makes a small batch. They will disappear quick and since they're so easy to make, feel free to repeat as necessary.

They're also gluten-free, egg free, and dairy free. But not taste free, promise!

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats (or quick cooking), ground
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon oil
4 tablespoons coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)

2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375º.

Combine dry ingredients into medium bowl and mix. Add in oil and coconut milk to combine. Stir in chocolate chips.

Form into 1 tablespoon sized balls and place onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 6-8 minutes or slightly browned. Enjoy!

How to Roast Your Own Coffee

Did you know you can buy un-roasted coffee beans (called green beans) and roast them yourself? It is quite gratifying to drink a cup of joe that you made. Sound intimidating? It's not. Grab your coffee and read on.

We bought our green beans at the Sleepy Monk in Cannon Beach, OR. They sell all organic and fair trade coffees. Wherever you find your beans, make sure they are also fair trade and organic. Then you can feel even better about your brew.
Here's the process, broken down into less than 10 easy steps:

1. Start by heating your jiffie-pop to 475F. You know, those things you use to make stove-top popcorn.
2. Add 8 oz green coffee beans to the jiffie, close the lid and begin stirring constantly.

3. Continue stirring, beans must be agitated constantly for an even roast.
4. In 4-7 min the beans will start to make crackling sounds. At this time, coffee smelling smoke will start to appear. If you have a fan hood, be sure to turn that on.

5. A minute after the first crack, check the beans' color, until they have reached the desired color.

6. Once they are roasted to your satisfaction, remove from heat and pour into large metal colander to cool.
7. Toss or stir to remove excess chaff and speed the cooling process.

8. Lay the finished beans in a single layer to finish cooling.
9. Grind, brew, and revel in your fantasticness.

Leave me any questions you come across in the comments below.