more than co-workers...

Well, today was my last day at a job I have come to hold near and dear to my heart. The ladies I work with are one in a million and I feel so lucky to have spent nearly two years by their sides, such a blessing and an honor. I feel like all of them have set the bar so high, it's going to be tough to find anyone who can be just as wonderful. Last night two of them hosted us for a going-away party and it was so perfect! 

1. my co-worker has one of the cutest houses I've seen in awhile-so homey and made me just want to move into our new place even sooner! 

2. We definitely scored an A+ on our appetizer creations (curried cashews, greek dip, guacamole, caprese salad-I told you I was on a tomato kick!) 

3. The company was great :) We all had a such a fun time, maybe even too much fun! 

I am pretty much all packed up (I hope!) and feeling a mix of emotions with the move having approached so quickly! A few friends and I are hanging out this evening and hitting up one of our favorite spots, The Anchor Bar (ironically across the bridge in Superior, WI) for some kick-butt burgers and cheap beers and then out to enjoy one last night in Duluth. 

fresh tomatoes on my mind

The past week I have just been craving fresh tomatoes with everything! We have a great local farm in Superior, Wi, Bay Produce, that has some of the best tomatoes I have ever had, seriously.

Ry and I made BLT's on Monday night, but added a really great goat cheese spread on our freshly baked whole wheat bread. And I have been snacking on tomatoes with just a bit of salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Of course, one of my all time favorite tomato dishes is a caprese salad, BUT you add avocado on it too...SO DELICIOUS! 

What are some of your favorite ways to enjoy this fine veggie of the vine? Feel free to share! 

weekend recap: lake life!

all in all, this past weekend was pure great. 

...good friends, perfect weather, boating, grilling, and late night talks by the fire...

yep. I'm going to miss these guys.

                                              

        

in the kitchen: Peach Oatmeal Muffins

image from Scaling Back

Good morning! 

I had come across this Peach Oatmeal Muffin on Pinterest (of course) and thought it would be perfect to try out over the weekend while we were at our friend's cabin. The recipe was pretty simple and didn't take too long to whip up. I think I added just a teensy bit too much sugar to the peach/butter/sugar topping, but certainly didn't ruin anything! I was happy with the final product-the sweet peach top made a perfect balance for the just slightly cinnamon flavored muffin. I would definitely recommend adding this to your recipe box-perfect for everyone AND I think you could switch peaches out for some other fruits if peaches aren't your thing....

Peach Oatmeal muffins from Scaling Back

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs

For the topping:

• 2 medium peaches
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees

For the topping:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, add the sugar and grated ginger and cook until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the peaches to the pan and cook until they start to release their juices.  Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the batter.

For the muffins:

Place the cup of oats in the milk and let soak for at least 15 minutes (you can soak them the night before if you want to make them first thing in the morning).  Mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking powder.  Add the eggs, vanilla and oil to the milk and oat mixture then pour the wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Mix just until combined, don’t overmix or you will have tough muffins.  

Fill cups of a lightly greased muffin tin two-thirds to three-quarters full.  Top the muffins with 2 slices of peaches and spoon any remaining juices over the top.  Place muffins in the oven and immediately drop the temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and firm to the touch.

Enjoy! 

have a splendid weekend!

Ry and I and our "Duluth family" are heading to our friend's cabin for a weekend at the lake and I am OH SO excited!!! This is more or less my last hoorah with all of our friends before taking off for Milwaukee, so I can't wait to enjoy the lake, some brews, and as always the laughs!

Have a great weekend and I will see ya on Monday :)

Local Spot: Lake Ave. Restuarant & Bar

Many people consider Duluth far off and remote, but it really is a great city with some realllyyyy great spots throughout the city and up the shore to enjoy some awesome local cuisine.

Last night some of my co-workers and I decided to grab a drink (or two) and a bite to eat at the local Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar that is right in the Canal Park area of Duluth, hot spot for locals and tourists, especially during the summer season because of all the great patios to on and enjoy the view of the lake.

I decided to have a glass of the L’Orangerie, a french Chardonnay which was really delicious and refreshing-had hints of lemon zest, hazelnut, and pineapple. We then all decided to share one of the tastiest appetizers I have had in a long time, the Caprese Eclair...amazing!!! I know, a caprese eclair? Trust me, it was delicious. It was actually a really light appetizer despite the name-heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and white truffled in a puff pastry-I am officially determined to try and make my own version of this at home so I can enjoy it all the time.

We decided to continue the good eating and all shared the stuffed pepper (with rice and other veggies) with a side of fresh sour cream, sliced avocado, and chutney. Amazingly fresh and we were again impressed and since a few of us were still on a food high decided to finish the night with one of my favorite treats, the chorizo stuffed dates: dates, smoked bacon and chorizo sausage served with smoked pepper aioli. They are just the perfect combination of sweet, salty and savory all in one bite! 

Aside from the fabulous food, what really made the night was the wonderful company...I am so lucky to work with such amazing women and to be able to call them friends on top of that. They have definitely set the bar high for co-workers and I am going to miss them oh so much once I leave for Milwaukee! 

in the kitchen: Baked Turkey Egg Rolls

The other day Ry accidentally got egg roll wrappers as he was on the search for spring roll wrappers, so naturally we couldn't let those puppies go to waste! I know how egg rolls, despite their small size, can tend to be an unhealthy meal choice, so I wanted to make sure I could find a good tasting, but somewhat healthy recipe. I was in luck and found just was I needed at one of my favorite blog stops, Iowa Girl Bakes! I used her Baked Egg Roll recipe as a guide, making a few changes based on what ingredients I already had etc. Overall I was pretty pleased with the way they turned out...I did forget to tell Ry to put olive oil on them before baking, so they had a slight resemblance to E.T. when they came out, BUT I added the oil and threw them under the broiler for a bit to crisp them up and they looked much better!

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Makes 14 rolls 

2 cups cabbage (I used purple, but you can use the white kind or pre-packaged mix)

1lb ground turkey

2 tsp oil (vegetable or olive oil)

1 cup mushrooms, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 carrot, shredded

1 tbsp ginger + 1 tbsp garlic (I had the pre blended kind with garlic)

2-3 tbsp soy sauce

Dash (or two) red pepper flakes

Egg roll wrappers (I used up one package)

Directions

1. If you have a head of cabbage (purple or white) you will want to chop up about half of the head, depending on how big it is or how much you like cabbage. If you are using the pre-cut "cabbage slaw", then you're good to go! Put the cabbage in a micro-waveable bowl and heat for 5mins. Note: for the purple cabbage you might need an extra minute or two to get it soft enough)

2. Chop up onions, mushrooms, and shred carrot. Set aside.

3. In medium skillet, heat oil and then add your ginger/garlic mixture. Let this heat for a few minutes, but if you are using fresh garlic be careful it doesn't burn! 

4. Cook turkey until it is no longer pink. Add mushrooms and onions, sauteing until both are soft. Then add in carrots and cabbage, mixing all together. Add red pepper flakes and soy sauce, stir in and then set aside to cool for a bit.

5. Pre-heat oven to 400. Get your egg roll-makin' station ready: small bowl of water, clean surface and your egg roll fixings!

6. Lay out your egg roll wrapper, like a diamond (see below) and add about 3 tablespoons of your filling on the wrapper

7. Fold the bottom corner up. Then fold the left and right corners in toward the middle...

8. Wet the top corner with a little bit of your water, then roll the egg roll over one time and seal with the corner that is wet! (sorry, hands were full and forgot to grab a shot!) Continue this procss until you have used up your filling or your egg roll wrappers-whatever comes first :)

9. Before putting in the oven, lightly coat with oil on both sides. Bake for 10-15 minutes on one side, flip over and then bake for another 10 minutes or until they are a golden brown. *Like I said before, I originall forgot to put the oil on before baking, but was able to remedy the situation by adding the oil after they had baked and putting them under the broiler (low) for about 3 minutes!

10. Serve with a dipping sauce, we used Annie's Shitake Sesame dressing or whatever side dish you are in the mood for! 

Bon Appetit!