Baker's Theory

5 Favorite Things

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Today feels a little blah. I slept funny and now my arm feels out of whack, I’m hungry but nothing sounds good to make or eat, and I just feel generally grouchy for no reason. I think a little reflection on the cool and fun things this week will pick me up!

#5: The Sloane Ranger Style

This was a neat realization–that the style I try to emanate actually has a name besides “Kate Middleton wannabe,” and it’s called Sloane Ranger. It’s kind of buttoned up with clean lines and understated elegance. Wool, tweed, pastels, plaids, jewel tones, and conservative, classy dresses.

My style isn’t strictly this, but the majority of my clothes attempt (attempt!!) to fall within this style. At the end of the day, my go-to outfit is jeans and a white tee. I also like nautical stripes and fisherman’s sweaters! One of my goals this summer is to dress a little better than my typical jeans and a tee, so there’s more to see coming soon!

Now obviously Kate Middleton has a slightly larger budget to curate cool pieces–seriously, it’s considered a big deal if the woman rewears an outfit once–but I’ve found that just a few classic shirts, sweaters, and pants can be mixed and matched into really stylish combinations! 

The term, Sloane Ranger, is unique to the U.K., was invented by Ann Barr, and can be used to describe somewhat snooty people from wealthy upbringings. In the U.S., we’d probably call it East Coast preppy. I don’t relate to this part of the Sloane Ranger. I like deal diving and thrift shopping! 

This lemon quarter zip is from L.L. Bean and I LOVE it. It’s not as warm as my other quarter zips, but it’s great for spring and summer when you might need just a little cover. 

As an aside, I tried on all of my work pants today as we approach the one-year mark since we’ve been in the office. I was nervous, as I am every season when I fear my clothes won’t fit, but thankfully they did! Some were a little snug in the butt, but I think that has to do with my leg day workout more than a chocolate addiction…

#4: Clean Reserve Warm Cotton Perfume

I bought my own perfume for the first time in my life. All the other perfumes I’ve had have always been gifts, so I feel pretty grown up buying my own. I really like scents that smell fresh and clean. Nothing too floral or funky. Usually something aquatic or botanical. 

This CLEAN Reserve Warm Cotton perfume checks all of my boxes and is definitely my everyday spritz now. Got mine at Sephora! 

It reminds me of the soap from Bath and Body Works called Fresh Cotton and freshly laundered clothes out of the dryer! 

#3: Parker House Rolls

We had another trivia night with the Flake family and because it fell on a Friday of Lent, I had to make the menu pescatarian. I ended up making a ginger fruit salad, a regular salad, chacuterie, crab cakes, Costco’s pesto salmon (slow cooked, of course!), mashed potatoes, and Parker House rolls. I used Bobby Flay’s recipe and wow. Just wow. 

They were pretty easy to make and the dough is so pillow-y and silky smooth! His instructions were a little vague when it came to shaping the dough into rolls, so I would recommend going for golf ball sized pieces of dough. I did 15 of them (half the batch) in a 13″ x 9″ pan and those seemed to fit well after they rose a second time. The rest of the dough went in a regular cookie sheet pan with parmesan and onion salt!

As a side note, charcuterie goes really, really well with pickled red onions. Here’s the recipe which I 100% stole from Smitten Kitchen. She is a brilliant cook.

Pickled red onions really spice up a cheese and crackers plate. Add in green grapes for color and sweetness!

#2: Sammy Rae & The Friends

Every year I make a new music playlist on Spotify. I like breaking up each year by music. When I hear a song, I’ll reminisce: “Ah, 2018,” or something like that. Here is my 2021 playlist and I am very proud of it. One of the artists I found so far this year is Sammy Rae & The Friends.

Her band is very upbeat, kind of jazzy, and a little indie rock. I like cruising around town jamming to this song, The Feeling. Talk it Up is fun, too! They’re an up-and-coming band, and I’d keep an ear out for them next time you listen to the radio. (Do people still listen to the radio?) 

#1: The Flake Family

I cannot express enough how lucky I was marrying into Jim’s family. They are the best people. I love how family-oriented the Flakes are. They are the most supportive, funny, and reliable people I know. 

Friday night we hosted another trivia night with them! This one was just regular ol’ “pub” trivia in observance of St. Patrick’s Day, and Jim’s. Parents. DOMINATED it. 

As I have mentioned before, I really enjoy making trivia games and playing competitive card games. I mashed up the rules of trivia with my favorite card game, 500, so that teams could bet how many questions they predicted they’d get right. 

If you are interested in playing the same game we played, just comment below and I will send it to you!

Garlicky Shrimp and Veggies in Peanut-Lime Sauce with Rice Noodles

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Lately I have really been getting more into seafood and Asian fusion dishes. I used to be a major shrimp skeptic, but now I really enjoy it! It’s in my Filipino heritage, I guess! This garlic shrimp and veggies with rice noodles is so simple, and most of it comes together in the pan! The peanut-lime sauce is just made by a blender, so nothing fancy, but SO TASTY. The lime gives it a great pucker but it’s also wonderfully savory. (It also makes a great salad dressing!)

This is a fun date night recipe because one person can chop/grate and the other can sauté! I made a similar recipe with my buddy, Maddie, a month ago from Half Baked Harvest’s website, although her recipe used coconut milk for the sauce, and in contrast, we’ve got a special, peanut-lime saucy base! 

The Super Easy Sauce

I like things easy. Like plopping all the ingredients in a blender and magically, sauce appears. 

This sauce has lime juice, a jalapeño, grated ginger, grated garlic, fish sauce (try it before you knock it!), red wine vinegar, soy sauce, and peanut butter!!! 

Then you drizzle it all over rice noodles. Mmm. It also makes a great dressing!

(Almost) everything goes in the pan

The pattern goes like this: Cook bacon, put it aside. Cook mushrooms in bacon fat, shove them aside. Cook peppers in butter next to mushrooms, then shove them aside. Cook the shrimp in more butter and add garlic! Top with some greens and shove it all on the noodles. 

Oh, did I mention the bacon is candied? Now where shall I put that Nobel…

It’s optional, but highly encouraged. Like paying your taxes! 

Just kidding. Darn, I need to do my taxes. 

Put it all together!!!

  • Saucy rice noodles? Check.
  • Bacon-ified vegetables and shrimp? Check. Check.
  • Easy, healthy, vegetarian-friendly, Lent-friendly dinner? All the checks. Make them out to me, please. 

Saucy Peanut-Lime-Garlic Shrimp and Rice Noodles

A little American-Thai fusion shrimp noodle dish! You can easily sub chicken if you aren't a seafarer.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Thai Fusion

Ingredients
  

Sweet and Spicy Bacon

  • 4 strips Bacon
  • 1/4 tsp Red chili flakes
  • 1 tbsp White sugar
  • 1 Garlic clove smashed

Peanut-Lime Sauce

  • 1/4 cup Fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp Fish sauce Red Boat
  • 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp Soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger grated
  • 1/4 cup Creamy peanut butter
  • 1 Jalapeño, seeds removed
  • 3 tbsp Sesame seed oil
  • 3 Garlic cloves grated

Shrimp, Noodles, and Veggies

  • 8 oz Shitake mushrooms sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 Jalapeño, seeds removed chopped
  • 1 medium Red bell pepper sliced
  • 3 tbsp Salted butter, divided
  • 1 tbsp Honey
  • 12 oz Shrimp (about 18 pieces) thawed, peeled, deveined
  • 3 Garlic cloves grated
  • 2.5 oz Spinach or kale (about a handful)
  • 8 oz Rice noodles
  • Chives or green onions for garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

Fry Sweet and Spicy Bacon

  • Arrange bacon on a plate and rub with smashed garlic. Sprinkle with red chili flakes and sugar.
  • Preheat a large frying pan on medium heat. When skillet is hot, add all four bacon strips. Fry until desired crispiness is achieved, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. *Sugared bacon will stick to paper towels!

Boil Water and Pan Fry Veggies and Shrimp

  • Boil salted water in a large pot. Once boiling, cook noodles per instructions, typically boiling for about 8 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
  • Meanwhile, in the same pan used to fry the bacon, add the sliced shitake mushrooms and salt and pepper as desired, cooking until almost crispy, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Shuffle the mushrooms to the side of the pan and add half of the butter (1.5 tbsp) to the center of the pan. When butter has melted, add to it the sliced bell pepper and jalapeño. Season again with salt and pepper, as desired. Cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Shuffle the peppers to the side with the mushrooms and add the remaining 1.5 tbsp of butter to the pan. When melted, add all of the shrimp to the pan. Drizzle the honey over the shrimp and season with salt and pepper as desired. Cook until pink, about 2-3 minutes per side. Then add grated garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Once shrimp is cooked, combine it with the mushrooms and peppers in the pan and add the spinach or kale to it. Stir until greens have wilted, then turn off the heat.

Blend Peanut-Lime Sauce

  • Combine lime juice, fish sauce, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, fresh ginger, peanut butter, jalapeño, sesame seed oil, and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
  • Add sauce to cooked rice noodles and toss to coat.

Serve

  • Distribute between 3-4 bowls or plates. Serve shrimp and vegetables over saucy rice noodles. Garnish with crumbled bacon and green onions or chives.
Keyword Garlicky shrimp and noodles, peanut lime sauce

Panzanella: The Naughty Salad

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What is panzanella? Picture all the best things about a salad: the cheese, the croutons, the dressing, something savory…imagine they decided to have a super bowl party and not invite the persnickety vegetables. Voila. That’s a panzanella. It’s absolutely brilliant.

Thankfully, Italian people have already made this discovery of removing all the healthy things from a salad and stamped their approval on it, so, similar to gelato, I feel guilt-free about it. Italian people know how to eat. 

I did a panzanella recipe last year, but this one is Version 2.0 and was inspired, in part, by that tik-tok pasta. The original caprese panzanella was fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and toasted bread with a simple vinaigrette. However, I am on a massive roasted tomatoes kick, so I had to incorporate them. While I was at it, I also seasoned the bread into croutons. I know, ultra healthy. This is honestly like the summer version of stuffing. 

How to make the croutons

To reiterate, regular panzanella has just toasted bread. I one-upped that to seasoned and oiled bread that is then toasted. This is colloquially referred to as: a crouton. 

As with roasted vegetables, I toss the cubed bread in oil, salt, parsley, and garlic powder in a bowl and then arranged them on a pan. I used to season straight on the pan, but I like the bowl method better. It makes it a lot easier to get an even distribution of seasonings and oil on each cube. Then bake at 375F for 25 minutes or until completely dried out.

I had about a half loaf of sourdough bread and a half loaf of whole wheat that I cubed. If you’re aiming to go a little healthier, there are so many excellent multi-grain breads to choose from! 

A word of caution: you’ll have to put up a fight to resist eating all of the croutons that are fresh out of the oven. These are complex carbohydrates, folks, and they will take you down if you let them.

How to roast tomatoes

I did a post a while ago on how to roast tomatoes, so I’ll just do a brief recap here. Grab a pound of tomatoes and slice them. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, just in half is fine. Bigger tomatoes, slice them about a quarter inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Drizzle with EVOO and balsamic vinegar. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. 

So beautiful.

As a side plug for roasted tomatoes, they go with so many things!!!! Brie-L-T sandwiches, in omelets, or in pastas or salads to name a few. 

Panzanella Accoutrements

Toasty bread and tomatoes are molto bene, but add fresh basil and mozzarella and you are in hog heaven. I suppose that’s another way of looking at panzanella: it’s one giant hog pile of delicious ingredients.

Anyway, this is my basil plant, Hayden. He’s looking at something on the ground, I think. 

Now I am not huge on a strong basil flavor so I just use a handful, but utilize fresh herbs as you desire. I’m not eating your panzanella; you are! 

There is one thing I am a huge fan of, though, and that’s fresh mozzarella cheese. I love Trader Joe’s pre-sliced mozzarella logs. 

By the way, panzanella tip: this recipe requires one pound of bread (a loaf), one pound of tomatoes, and one pound of mozzarella. It’s like a pound cake of a salad!

And probably equivalent in nutritional value…

Ultimate Salad Dressing

This is an Ina Garten recipe and honestly is the most perfectly ratio-ed salad dressing ever. It’s 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 tbsp red wine vinegar, and 1 1/2 tbsp mustard. You can translate into any other salad dressing you want. For example, an asian dressing could be 1/3 cup sesame seed oil, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, and 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter.

You simply need some oil and acid with an emulsifier. Acids can be citrus juices or vinegars, and emulsifiers can be mustards, mayo, tahini, or nut butters! Plus a little S&P. 

Panzanella, Assemble!

Here’s the good part. Grab your biggest bowl and combine all of the ingredients. Another panzanella tip for you: salad dressing makes things soggy, so wait to add it until it’s time to serve. Alternatively, if you’re serving this for a gathering, allow guests to add their own dressing. 

And there you have it. An overly photographed, over-explained blog post for a salad. Albeit, a sort of naughty salad that is actually more like a summer stuffing and might need a bit of explanation, but…oh, well. It’s as good as it looks, I promise. You will stand over this bowl with a fork and inhale it when no one is looking. 

Panzanella 2.0: The Naughty Salad

The best parts of a salad minus the virtuous parts of a salad. Mozzarella cubes, croutons, roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, and salad dressing. This is actually like the summer version of Thanksgiving stuffing/dressing. You need a pound of bread, a pound of tomatoes, and a pound of mozzarella. It's like a pound cake, but with salad, and probably equivalent in nutritional value.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

Croutons

  • 1 lb Bread loaf cut into 1" cubes
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Garlic powder optional

Roasted Tomatoes

  • 1 lb Tomatoes sliced between 1/4"-1/2" thick
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • White sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • Balsamic vinegar

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp Red wine vinegar
  • 1½ tbsp Düsseldorf style mustard
  • Salt and pepper

Other Ingredients

  • Bunch Basil
  • 1 lb Mozzarella cut into 1/2" x 1/2" x 1/4" pieces

Instructions
 

Make croutons

  • Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C.
  • Combine cubed bread in a large bowl. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil, about 1/4-1/3 cup. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder, if using. Toss with hands to ensure each bread cube has oil on it.
  • Spread bread cubes onto two baking sheets. Do not stack or overlap pieces.
  • Bake both pans for 25 minutes. Allow to cool on pan.

Roast tomatoes

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
  • Arrange tomatoes on baking pan without overlap or stacking. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are blistering. Allow to cool in pan.

Prepare dressing

  • In a one-cup liquid measuring cup combine olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add salt and pepper as desired. Whisk until a smooth consistency.

Assemble Panzanella Salad

  • In a large serving bowl combine croutons, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Toss to make homogenous, or leave layered for a nice presentation.
  • Serve with dressing on the side if it will not all be eaten in one setting. Otherwise, toss with dressing and serve immediately. Panzanella will keep for about 3 days, but the croutons will become soggy after the first day.
Keyword Caprese, Panzanella

Crispy Roasted Veggie Omelet

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My mother-in-law, Jane, makes the world’s greatest roasted vegetables. They are simple, easy, classic, and make eating vegetables an actual delight. I roast almost all of our vegetables these days because of her. It’s the best way to ensure I feed Jim something besides sugary treats. It’s also Lent, so our veggie intake is way up! 

Omelet you in on my secrets.

If there are leftover roasted vegetables, popping them in an omelet is the way to go. I’ve always been a more savory-oriented person, so roasted veggies integrated into breakfast sounds way better than fruit to me. Today was roasted cauliflower and asparagus! 

Oh, and yeah, that’s double chocolate chip banana bread. The way I see it, if you’re going to have cake, might as well have it in the morning when you have the whole day to work it off. And now that the weather is warmer and we’re getting our walks in more regularly, I am happy to add a few more carbs into my diet 🙂 

I like to nudge my omelet on top of a buttery piece of toast and let it spaceship into my mouth. Toast is a great vehicle for interstellar food. 

Cheddar + bruschetta + roasted veggies wrapped in an egg and riding the sourdough rocket = breakfast bliss. 

Plus, I got chocolate cake. Life is good.

Omelet making 101: How to omelet

  • The trick to frying up an omelet in the skillet is low heat and steam. Use a 6″ frying pan and melt butter in it on high heat, spreading the butter all over the pan. Pour in your beaten egg (I add a splash of cream and some salt, parsley, and garlic powder to my beaten eggs and 100% recommend) and then lower the heat and cover. Let it slow cook for a few minutes.
  • Don’t have a lid for your frying pan? Use aluminum foil. 
  • Be brave. Flip the omelet. There’s something exciting about the quick slide, fling, and flip. It’ll also up your pancake game. A little flipping panache is good for your culinary repertoire. 
  • To flip the omelet, first make sure it is not stuck to the pan by sliding a silicon spatula under the omelet and breaking loose any stuck parts. Then hold the pan handle, slide the omelet around, and then fling it up, letting it land on the other side. Not so bad, huh?
  • Make it sawwwcy. Omelets can be a little dry if you’re just topping them with cheese and vegetables. You wouldn’t just add cheese and veggies to pasta, would you? You’d add sauce, too, right? I love Trader Joe’s tomato bruschetta topping to make my omelet saucy. 

Essential omelet recipe

Since I don’t know what your roasted veggie leftover situation is or how you like your eggs seasoned, here are the basic instructions fit for you to tailor to your liking. Reheated roasted veggies are fine to be microwaved on low power for 30 seconds or so. Serves 1. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 1 egg + 1 egg white
  • Splash of milk or cream, about 1 tbsp
  • Pinch of salt, about 1/8 tsp
  • Dash of garlic powder (optional)
  • Dash of black pepper (optional)
  • Sprinkling of dried parsley (optional)

Fillings!

  • Shredded cheddar cheese, about 2 tbsp
  • 2 oz roasted veggies (about 4 medium pieces of roasted cauliflower and four pieces of roasted asparagus)
  • 3 tbsp Trader Joe’s Bruschetta topping
  • Beat egg, egg white, milk/cream, salt, and other desired seasonings in a bowl. 
  • On high heat, melt butter in a 6″ skillet and spread butter around completely. 
  • When butter is bubbling, pour in egg batter, lower heat to about 30%, and cover. 
  • Allow egg to steam for 2 minutes undisturbed.
  • Uncover and make sure no part of the egg is sticking to the pan, loosening it with a silicon spatula if necessary. 
  • Holding the pan handle with one hand, flip the omelet. Be brave. You can do it.
  • Immediately cover the new side facing up with toppings, starting with the cheese. 
  • Once cheese is melted, fold omelet over on itself and slide out of the pan onto a plate.

And that’s it. Devour it. Oh, wait. 

Bonus recipe. Crispy roasted cauliflower. Because, to quote the Hokey Pokey, that’s what it’s all about.

Crispy Roasted Cauliflower

Crisp, tender, and oh, so delicious cauliflower florets, sliced to place a flat side down on the roasting pan in a very simple combination of salt and oil. Tasty don't need to be fancy, and this is a great way to get in your vegetables!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz Fresh cauliflower florets sliced to expose one flat side
  • Kosher salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a roasting pan or cookie sheet.
  • Place cauliflower florets in a large bowl. If they are uneven in size, slice them so they are close to the same size. Additionally, it is beneficial to have a flat, sliced side of the floret to place flat side down on the roasting pan.
  • Sprinkle with kosher salt and drizzle with oil. If there are florets that did not get any oil in the drizzle, dip their head in the oil that has pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Place the seasoned cauliflower on the parchment-lined pan, flat side down, if possible. Place the cauliflower spread out. Crowding vegetables in the pan steams them and prevents roasting.
  • Place pan in oven and bake at 375°F / 190°C for 30 minutes. Then increase to 400°F / 200°C for 20 minutes.
  • Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Keyword crispy roasted caulifower florets

5 Favorite Things

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Another week of simply enjoying life for how it is right at this moment. It will never be now again! Jim returned from Disney World with a beautiful silk scarf from the French pavilion at EPCOT for me. I got to celebrate a special girlfriend’s birthday with gnocchi and limoncello. Williams Sonoma and Staub constantly torment me with their lovely shades of Dutch ovens. Really digging on the New England style clothing brand Kiel James Patrick. And I am fully engrossed in this Meghan Markle drama.

#5: Royal Drama

In preparation for the interview airing tonight between Oprah and the Sussexes, I have been OBSESSED with learning everything about this Royal family drama. I started out the weekend a little annoyed with Meghan Markle. She’s always trying to change some tradition and she just doesn’t get being royal. (As if the rest of us know what that means.) But by the end of my research–and by research, I mean binge watching YouTube documentaries and reading People magazine–I felt bad for the Duchess of Sussex. 

Jim and I have a strong fascination with Myers Briggs personality typing, and we have typed Prince William as an ISTJ and Prince Harry as an ESFP. William is dependable, logical, duty-driven, and a big time rule follower. He was always going to be king, and despite Princess Diana’s effort to treat her sons as equals, the royal family hierarchy demands an heir and a spare. Enter Prince Harry, the party boy rebel who feels less than important. 

Maybe Prince Harry expressed his aggravation with the birth order to Meghan Markle, and she simply offered support to her husband? Understandably, that’s what any wife would do. Therefore it would make sense that Kate would side with William and Meghan would side with Harry in the rift. However, the issue is not about Kate versus Meghan–it’s about William and Harry. Kate and Meghan are just more interesting than the princes and make for more salacious gossip. Juxtaposed against the elegant, well-prepared-for-royal-life Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle was so easy to vilify. 

In the end, Harry is the “back-up” king and that makes for an unfortunate family dynamic, but that’s the way the Royal family works. It takes a lot of strength and support to accept that you’re second best in your family’s eyes, and that you should move on with your life to find higher purpose. I think that’s what Meghan is trying to do for Harry, and to remind him that to her, he is first. 

#4: Kiel James Patrick

Newport, RI — There’s a new style I am really invested in that’s coastal and New England-y. It’s like the love child of Vineyard Vines and Ralph Lauren. If you haven’t heard of Kiel James Patrick yet, you will. 

Keeping in stride with my obsessive my royal family research, I fell down the rabbit hole of reading up on Kiel James Patrick and his wife, Sarah Vickers, who is the founder of the adorable fashion blog Classy Girls Wear Pearls. Their story starts in thrift shops collecting Lacoste and Ralph Lauren clothing and making bespoke alterations with Patrick’s grandmother’s vintage sewing machine. 

I ordered a few items prior to our honeymoon in Disney World and absolutely loved the style and fit. It’s comfortable, not too tight in unwanted places, and the style is very Jackie-O. Pure, classic clothes that never go out of fashion. That’s right up my alley. The red gingham tank and pink seersucker dress (with pockets!!) were two of my FAVORITES. 

I am most definitely eyeing this marine blue pullover and this aqua Rosé All Day baseball hat. The Christmas sweater selection is also perfectly cozy and gives subtle nods to the greatest Christmas movie of all time: Home Alone. Who knew Fair Isle, grandma sweaters could be so fashionable?

Consequently, I have been beggggging Jim to take a trip out to New England. I have the travel bug something fierce, and I am fully prepared to spend all of it in Newport either at the Breakers, Ben & Jerry’s, on a sailboat, eating lobstah, or at KJP. 

#3: Staub Cocottes

Sadly, I have enough cookware. But if I needed more, I’d go straight to Williams Sonoma and buy all the colors of Staub cocottes and le Creuset skillets and casserole dishes. 

Cooking and baking with Dutch ovens or cast iron skillets is a major game changer in the kitchen. It’s fantastic to be able to shift between the oven and stove so swiftly and stylishly. 

That marine color is A) one of my favorite colors ever and B) perfect for our kitchen decor. Jim, if you’re reading this, you can add this to the Louboutins on my wishlist 🙂 

Do you prefer Staub or le Creuset? I can’t play favorites. I love them both. 

#2: Birthday Celebrations!

One of my closet girlfriends, Maddie, made it another lap around the sun and we got to celebrate together by making Half Baked Harvest’s sweet potato gnocchi with balsamic mushrooms. We decided the gnocchi needed a little more sauce, but otherwise it’s a solid recipe! And we more than made up for lack of sauce with limoncello and wine 🙂 

Maddie has been very inspiring for me to start lifting weights! She started at the same company as me a few years ago, and her manager asked me to mentor her. Funny how life turns everything around on you! I consider Maddie one of my mentors now! She is so stinkin’ funny and a beautiful person inside and out. I can always count on her to give me a straight, honest answer, even if it’s not the one I want to hear. She is a seriously high quality buddy and I love her so!

#1: Jim got me a silk scarf!

I was so happy to have my honey return home from Disney World and I cherish his presence at home even more now! He very sweetly picked out a beautiful silk scarf at the French pavilion in EPCOT for me as a souvenir. 

I collect one of these each time I visit EPCOT, but the shop was closed because of COVID when we were there for our honeymoon! They are silk prints of French paintings. I’m not actually sure which painting this one is, so if you know, comment below! I love the orange outline. It’s so bold against the bright blue sky and the olive green grass. 

I wear these silk scarves just tied around my neck in a simple, double knot. The weather is just right for donning pretty scarves since they are easier to display under spring jackets. 

Those are my top five this week! I hope you enjoy the gorgeous weather ahead and find kindness and beauty all around you. 

Zebra Cakes with Vanilla Pudding Frosting and Boozy Chocolate Glaze

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Zebra cakes with vanilla pudding frosting and a drizzle of boozy chocolate glaze. So, so easy because you use boxed cake mix and instant pudding mix, just like the lemon blossoms recipe! You can get a little fancy with the frosting tips if you want, or just give it a healthy dollop and enjoy. I started these out with the intention of making mini Boston cream pie cupcakes, but I ended up with these instead. Not complaining!

Vanilla pudding frosting > Buttercream

So this vanilla pudding frosting…is the answer to my unending search for a buttercream frosting substitute. I just don’t like buttercream. There. I said it. It’s out there. 

Buttercream is too much like eating straight up butter. But this vanilla pudding frosting is out of this world, and a lot easier to make than buttercream! No softening butter required. The instant pudding and the heavy cream work together like they’ve known each other forever. Thick and fluffy! Stuffed in a pastry bag with a star tip, you can make beautiful roses on the cupcakes and they’ll taste WAY better than buttercream. 

Frosting with Vanilla pudding: tips and tricks

Here is a frosting tip for making pretty roses: using a star tip, work in to out. Start at the center of the cake and spiral outwards. Also, keep the pastry bag straight up, perpendicular to the cupcake, like this: 

Pastry bags work really well because they’re angled just right for frosting tips, but you can also just as easily use a gallon ziplock bag! 

The easiest way to transfer frosting into a pastry bag or ziplock bag is to place the bag in a tall drinking glass and roll the edges over the sides of the cup. Now you essentially have someone holding the bag open! All you have to do is spoon in dollops of delicious vanilla pudding frosting!

Boxed cake mixes help you focus on your presentation

Of course, I love to make homemade cakes, but there is something fun and super convenient about using boxed cake mix and instant pudding mix! It’s nice for when you really want to focus on the presentation of your dessert, and not necessarily fuss with measuring spoons, whipping egg whites, and folding batter. Removing the complexity of fancy cake making and just honing in on your frosting skills makes you a better pastry decorator!

The boozy chocolate glaze...

Chocolate-y glazes remind me of donuts and donuts make me very happy, so I was elated to include a chocolate glaze in this recipe. Similar to buttercream, I am not huge on just melting chocolate chips to make frosting or glaze because it just ends up tasting like…melted chocolate chips. This glaze is powdered sugar with cocoa powder and Kahlua! A touch of half and half and vanilla, too! 

As long as you keep the liquid ratio the same, you can totally replace the half and half with Kahlua and make an *extra* boozy chocolate glaze! Just eat responsibly 😉 

I dubbed these zebra cakes because of the chocolatey stripes the glaze creates against the vanilla pudding frosting, but these aren’t true zebra cakes. I think those have a chocolate and vanilla striped pattern in the cake batter? But you don’t have to go for the zig zag pattern. As you can tell, I played around with the pattern. Some have swirls instead of stripes! A swirly zebra…what an idea. 

Let me know how these turn out when you make them! I love hearing how you guys make and style these recipes. Tag me on instagram if you share there at bakerstheory! 

Now, I must tend to Jim. He’s complaining how he’s a victim of too many good desserts. Woe is him! 🙂

Zebra Cakes with Vanilla Pudding Frosting and Boozy Chocolate Glaze

Makes use of yellow box cake mix and vanilla pudding mix to make the cake base. Vanilla pudding frosting and a Kahlua chocolate glaze zig zags it off for a super fun and easy dessert! The hardest part will be restraining yourself from grabbing more!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Frosting and Glazing 20 minutes
Total Time 44 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 18

Equipment

  • Mini muffin tin (24)
  • Frosting tip (optional)
  • Pastry bags or gallon Ziplock bags

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 1 box Yellow cake mix such as Pillsbury or Duncan Hines
  • 1 box Instant vanilla pudding mix 3 oz
  • 4 Eggs
  • 3/4 cup Vegetable oil

Vanilla Pudding Frosting

  • 1 box Instant vanilla pudding mix 3 oz
  • 1½ cups Heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup Whole milk

Boozy Chocolate Glaze

  • 1½ cups Powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp Cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp Half and half Milk works too
  • 1 tbsp Kahlua Coffee works too

Instructions
 

Make cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Spray mini muffin tin with non-stick spray
  • Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined with a whisk or spatula. Batter will be thick.
  • Using a cookie dough scooper or spoon, scoop a tablespoon of the batter into each muffin tin. (This is half the cookie dough scooper for mine.)
  • You will fill one and a half mini muffin pans with the batter. Bake the pans one at a time for 12-14 minutes.
  • Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. Place the cakes on wax paper to be frosted and glazed.

Make pudding frosting

  • In a deep bowl, combine pudding mix with heavy whipping cream and milk and beat with a whisk attachment using an electric mixer. Frosting will be thick.
  • Cut the tip off a frosting bag or one of the bottom corners of a gallon ziplock bag. Insert a frosting tip, if desired. (I used a star tip for a rose-type of pattern.) Place the bag in a tall cup and fold the top edge over the cup.
  • Scrape the pudding frosting into the bag. Twist the bag to seal and apply pressure to push frosting out of the tip.
  • Frost the cakes by starting at the center, circling your way out.

Make boozy chocolate glaze

  • Combine powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, half and half, and Kahlua (if using) or espresso. Whisk until a thin glaze.
  • Similar to the pudding frosting, pour glaze into a pastry bag, but this time without any frosting tip. Snip the tip and drag the glaze back and forth across the frosted cakes in a zig zag pattern.
Keyword pudding frosting, Zebra cakes

Hangover Kale

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Kale has grown really popular in the last decade, and I completely stood united with the skeptics until I tried out this recipe. This is the only way I eat kale and it is so good! the serving size is for 2-3, but I can make it for a very hungry one. 

The garlic is sliced, not minced, and gives a little caramelized crispiness for good texture! It is very important to trim the stems off the kale. Otherwise it’s realllllly tough. The leaves are fantastic, but that stem is as fibrous as a tree branch. I guess that’s actually what it is. 

You won’t ever catch me chugging a kale smoothie, but you will definitely see me inhaling this green goodness. 

I really enjoy this as a side for any holiday meal, but it also works great as an alternative to roasted vegetables if your oven is occupied! Definitely try it with slow roasted oven salmon or red wine pasta!!! 

I wrote the recipe as vegetarian, but half the time I will fry up bacon instead of olive oil and add bacon crumbles back into it after I’ve rendered the fat and fried the garlic in it. 

Hangover Kale

It will prevent a hangover or cure one, or just be the most delicious intake of green vegetables you've ever had. It comes together in a snap--first boiling the kale and then pan frying it in bacon fat (or olive oil) with lightly browned garlic and red chili flakes. Toss with parmesan and a squeeze of lemon.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Side Dish

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz Fresh kale leaves stems removed
  • 4 cloves Garlic sliced thinly
  • 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil bacon or pancetta fat work too
  • 1/4 tsp Red chili flakes
  • 3 tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese
  • Lemon halved

Instructions
 

  • Prepare an ice bath in a medium bowl with cool water and a few ice cubes. Alternatively lay out a cookie sheet.
  • In a medium pot, boil salted water. Add kale and stir until just cooked, about 2 minutes. Kale will shrink down.
  • Transfer kale to ice bath or spread on a cookie sheet to cool.
  • In a medium skillet, heat olive oil. When shimmering, add garlic slices until golden and slightly browned. Do not burn.
  • Working quickly, add the chili flakes and stir, and then add the kale immediately after. *Waiting too long will make the kitchen air a little spicy!!
  • Sautee until combined, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and toss with Parmesan. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the kale and serve.

Notes

You can add in an extra step and fry some bacon or pancetta in the pan prior to frying the garlic. If doing this, you do not need to use olive oil, as the fat rendered from the bacon or pancetta will work fine! You can use about 2-3 strips of bacon or a 3-4 oz of pancetta, cubed. 
Keyword aglio e olio kale, kale recipe

Oven Roasted Salmon for Lent

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I have long feared overcooking salmon. Dry salmon is the worst. The only things that are good dry are shortbread cookies and gin. Okay, and warm blankets. But I was reading my Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat book and I discovered a way to make salmon that is IMPOSSIBLE to dry out. This is seriously the most tender, flakey, moist salmon I’ve ever had. 

The key: cook it at a low temperature for a longer period of time. Do it this way, and the heating will be so gentle on the proteins that the salmon will be a translucent coral when it’s done cooking. 225F for 45 minutes were the magic numbers. It’s absolutely marvelous, flakey, and tender.

This cute little Corningware dish was the perfect size for a single filet of salmon, but if you’re cooking multiple filets, just use a regular baking pan or casserole dish. 

I have been eyeing this one from Staub at Williams Sonoma…that La Mer color is absolutely gorgeous!

All you have to do is make a little bed of herbs in a pan or casserole dish. Whatever you have on hand is fine. I used rosemary, thyme, and dill. Very springy. I also tore a garlic clove in half and tossed it in there. Then place the boneless, skinless salmon filet on top, sprinkle with salt and oil, and bake!

45-50 minutes in the oven and you’re ready to go! The amount of work you actually put in is 5 minutes, and the oven brings it home. 

Starting with a frozen salmon filet?

No problem! Fish thaws very quickly. If your salmon filet is frozen, 30-60 minutes before you’re ready to bake, place the salmon, still in its packaging, in a bowl of lukewarm water. Place it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes and it’ll be thawed.

If you have multiple filets, fill a baking pan with lukewarm water and distribute them evenly around the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes and it’ll be thawed.

Then remove the packaged filet(s) from the water, take off the packaging, and you’re good to go!

What pairs with roasted salmon?

Too many things! If you’re observing the Friday Lenten fast and you like breakfast for dinner (or any other time of day), flakey, oven roasted salmon atop a bagel with cream cheese is TO DIE FOR. Guys, it’s so good. If you’re feeling extra putzy, you can make this fun Greek bagel for one with feta and dill!

Creamy, herby pasta is also delicious with roasted salmon! This one-pot, cooks-in-its-own-sauce angel hair is ridiculously easy if you want to have a low-maintenance meal prep! 2 cups of milk + 1 cup of water + 8 oz angel hair + 4 tbsp of butter and whatever dried herbs you love! Simmer for 10 min and voila. Just add cheese 🙂

It’s like Pasta-Roni but BETTER. And of course, if you are trying to behave and go the healthy route, roasted vegetables ALWAYS go with roasted salmon, though the veggies may be competing for oven space. Unless you have a double oven like Jane! 

Just a little tip on roasting veggies: the baseline temperature for most roasted vegetables is 400F, thought it’ll vary depending on how “heavy” the vegetable is. For example Brussels sprouts are really hearty, so they could hold up fine at 425F. Cauliflower is a little more frail and will do better around 375F. Regardless, don’t roast your vegetables at the same time as your salmon in the same oven! They’re going to require different temperatures and times!

Alternatively, you could whip up some Hangover Kale, which I personally think is THE BEST choice!!

Oven Roasted Salmon

Slowly roasted salmon in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 225°F GUARANTEES it won't dry out. It's such a gentle heating to the proteins of the fish that it'll look a bit translucent when done roasting! This is perfect with a creamy herby pasta or over a bagel slathered with cream cheese. If you're behaving, it also goes really well with roasted vegetables!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Salmon filets boneless and skinless
  • Handful of fresh herbs rosemary, thyme, sage, dill, or whatever you have on hand!
  • Salt
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 225°F / 107°C
  • In a shallow casserole dish or pan, arrange a bed of herbs.
  • Place the salmon filet on top of the bed of herbs. Sprinkle with salt and rub in olive oil.
  • Place in the middle of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until flakey at the thickest point.
  • Serve with roasted vegetables, creamy pasta, or as lox with a bagel.

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

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Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Classic vanilla ice cream, slow churned to perfection is the classiest dessert out there. It’s the little black dress of sweets. And like a little black dress, vanilla ice cream is both fun and easy to accessorize! 

Brownies! Cookies! Caramel! Hot fudge! Berries! Espresso!

I love a hot fudge brownie sundae, and as crazy as I am about all things chocolate, the only acceptable ice cream for a hot fudge brownie sundae is vanilla. Gotta have balance. 

There’s also the potential to drizzle hot sea salt caramel sauce on the cool vanilla ice cream… maybe a sprinkle of peanuts, too? I know Jim would go for some white chocolate topping! 

When Jim got back from his Disney trip–actually, first I have to preface by saying the Flake family eats a lot of ice cream on vacation. At least once a day, I’m sure. Anyway, Jim got back from his Disney trip totally unfulfilled in the quantity of ice cream he consumed on vacation. 

So I decided to make some for him! (And, okay, also because I really wanted ice cream after he’d talked and talked and talked about it all week.) 

tips & tricks

Some advice when you are in the mood to treat yo-self to homemade ice cream: plan ahead. You have to cook the custard because it contains eggs, and after cooking it you have to chill it in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Then you can churn it in the ice cream maker, but it’s not done after that! You have to freeze it for another four hours! 

It’s totally doable to make in a day as long as you make the custard in the morning! And you very likely have everything in your fridge to make this vanilla ice cream! It’s not putzy, and most of the work is done by the refrigerator and the ice cream maker. Really, the amount of work actually put into it by you is about ten minutes worth! Plus the time it takes to gobble it up! 

If you’re looking for caramel or hot fudge sauce, I love Trader Joe’s brand of both! I have also used Sally’s Baking Addiction for making homemade caramel sauce and it’s a really good recipe. 

Do you need an ice cream maker to make this recipe? 

Well, I haven’t tried yet, but I am guessing you could get a gallon Ziploc bag and fill it with a bit of ice. Then fill another bag (a freezer quart) with the custard, seal it, and place the quart bag in the gallon bag with the ice. Then, to quote the Beatles, shake it up, baby. 

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream

Classic, creamy, and delicious. So easy to upgrade with mixed in brownie pieces or a healthy drizzle of warm, salted caramel or hot fudge. This is also great with hot coffee poured over it for an affogato summer treat! If you want to have it the same day, make it in the morning so it's ready for an afternoon or post-dinner dessert!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time (inactive) 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Ice Cream Maker
  • Thermometer

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Whole milk
  • 1/4 tsp Fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Heavy whipping cream

Instructions
 

  • Whisk eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until the mixture is a pale yellow and the texture is ribbon-y, about five minutes.
  • In a sauce pan warm the milk to just before a simmer. Immediately remove from heat.
  • Slowly drizzle the milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent cooking the eggs.
  • Return the entire mixture to the sauce pan and stir occasionally, checking the temperature with a thermometer until it reads 145°F / 63°C.
  • Transfer the mixture to a large, sealed container (there should be room to add the cream later) and allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. The temperature of the chilled mixture should be ~35°F / 1.5°C.
  • Once the mixture has chilled, add to it the heavy cream and vanilla extract, stirring to thoroughly combine.
  • Pour the mixture into the ice cream maker and churn for 20-25 minutes, until stiff and the texture of soft serve.
  • Transfer to a clean sealable container and freeze for at least 4 hours before enjoying.
Keyword ice cream base, vanilla ice cream

5 Favorite Things

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#5: Perseverance

I came to a realization this week. While Jim was off in Disney World with his family and I got to be queen of the castle, it occurred to me that my eating habits are much different when I am by myself versus when I am with my husband. What I mean to say is, I eat more when he’s around! D’oh!!! So when I was whining about turning thirty and suddenly putting on weight, I think I was delaying my reaction to something that had begun a few months before. 

Thankfully, I realized this and now that Jim is back, I am going to be much more aware of it! It feels so good to logically sort things out like, “Why am I putting on weight??!” Those desserts my beloved eats twice a day is not a routine I should have ever picked up, and I’ll have to clamp down the urge when he reaches for post-lunch cookies! 

With all that said, I am feeling really good health-wise. I feel strong! Eight weeks in to weight lifting and my body is starting to show it. These things takes time. I am reminded of that in so many ways lately. But I keep showing up, even when I don’t feel like it. Even when I don’t think I have anything to give. And I think that kind of perseverance doesn’t have any immediate reward. It’s like a little seed that is cared for regularly, eventually sprouts, sees slow, steady growth, and eventually bears fruit. 

#4: Spring

The light is shining at the end of the tunnel! Spring is on its way! My step-dad informed me today is the last day of meteorological winter. He knows those kinds of things! 

I have mixed feelings about living in Minnesota. It’s so beautiful, the people are kind, the culture is cool, and there are so many outdoor activities! But it gets COLD! Cold enough for people to walk out into the middle of a frozen lake and set up a hut! I’ve informed Jim we will be snowbirds in the future when my blog reaches superstardom and he sells his $20M screenplays. 

In the spring, summer, and fall, I really love to go for a run, regardless of whether it’s cardio day. I have been tracking the weather meticulously and know my limits for outdoor running. Gotta consider the temps, ice, and slush! (Ugh! Minnesota!) It was mid-30s this week and I got out twice to log in some miles on my shoes. I was in heaven! Look how crystal blue that sky is! 

And with spring comes spring cleaning! With Jim out of the house this week, I was able to rearrange all of the books on our bookshelf in CHROMATIC order! Wua-ha-ha! (If he were here he’d be hovering behind me asking why I’m doing that.) I read somewhere that its a good way to make your bookshelf look more organized. Kind of ironic considering I’ve now completely disorganized their Dewy system, but it looks pretty. 

I also have a thing for fake boxwoods and pretty tablecloths. I definitely stimulated the economy at Home Goods on Thursday…

#3: Beer Braised Carnitas

When Jim decided to take a trip with his family to Disney, I decided I would take a little stay-cation, work on my blog, and spend some quality time with myself. I had big plans, recipes written, groceries bought. And you know what? I set off the fire alarm and burned about six pans of roasted vegetables on the first day. My stay-cation was off to a charring start. 

What ended up nourishing me that day (and several days after) was the pot of beer braised carnitas I had started at the beginning of the day. It humbly and quietly simmered on the back burner while I thrashed about with a vegetable peeler. 

A few lessons were learned here. First, simple is best. I can always count on a slow-and-low cooked, one-pot meal. Second, sometimes things don’t work out no matter how hard you try. And you just have to dust off and try again. One of our priests gave a homily recently and shared the quote, “If you fall 1,000 times, get up 1,000 times.” That has stuck with me. 

**These lemon blossoms have also been sustaining me for breakfast and I hope you can give them a try!**

 

#2: Girl Power

I am blessed with some of the best women in my life. They are thoughtful, smart, funny, kind, and a billion other marvelous things. Catching up for fun over FaceTime, or crying because one of us is having a mini-crisis, these girls are always there for laughs, love, and support. 

After my fire-alarm veggie tale, one of my girlfriends came over to cheer me up. And then she made me mushroom risotto the next day! Another girlfriend put together a physical therapy routine for me when my ankles started bugging me! And they are all hotlines for advice on topics ranging from bikini wax brands to bold career moves. 

It’s also really important to have friends who will be honest with you, even when they know you don’t want to hear it. I’m so grateful I have friends like that because it’s not just about liking each other and getting along well. Gotta have someone to keep you in check!

I am really looking forward to the end of the COVID era so I can meet up with these ladies face-to-face! Three of my roommates from college and I normally go for a trip every other year and we are seriously overdue!!! So far we’ve done Kansas City, San Francisco, and Chicago! Where should we go next??? I’m thinking LONDON. 

#1: My Family

I have the best family ever. They are loud, proud, hilarious, stubborn, and full of love and support. I was so longing for Jim’s family while they had a blast in Disney World this week!!! I am grateful Jane and I are so close that I had all of the updates as they occurred! I missed them so much! Especially my Jimbo Jones. This was our first time apart since we got married! 

I also have a weekly call with my mom and step-dad every Saturday morning where we just catch up together on our week. I feel so much comfort relying on that weekly kaffeeklatsch. It’s difficult living so far from my mom and dad. 

But we have lots of giggles sending each other silly messages and GIFs. My dad is especially notorious for sending bad dad jokes. He, my sister, and I are going to start planning an expedition to Europe once international travel is cleared again! I’m thinking it will strongly resemble a Griswold family vacation! Got any recommendations on where we should go?! 

Hope you have a great week (and March!!) that challenges you to be better in every way you want to be. And maybe even in ways you didn’t know you needed to be.