Caprese Frittata

Caprese Frittata

• 12 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound fresh or smoked mozzarella, diced
• 2 tablespoons slivered basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a
very large ovenproof skillet, or use 2 skillets with half the ingredients in each. Place over medium
heat on the stovetop and pour in the egg mixture. Scatter the tomatoes, cheese, and basil over the eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the bottom just begins to brown, place the
skillet under the broiler just until the top is set, a minute or less. Remove from the oven and use a
large spatula to transfer the frittata to a serving platter. Cool about 10 minutes, cut into wedges,
and serve.

Crepes

Crepes

• 2 cups flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 T butter, melted
• 4 t sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour and eggs. Slowly add milk and water stirring until smooth. (I use my immersion hand blender.) Add salt and butter (and sugar if making dessert crepes) and continue beating until smooth. Heat and oil pan to medium high temperature. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into pan and tilt the pan to swirl in a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. I have a crepe maker that also works great and is super simple to use. Either will work. Cook crepe for about 1 to 2 minutes until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, and turn crepe over and cook its other side for about 1 minute.

Homemade Granola

Homemade Granola

• 4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup pecans (chopped)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup local honey
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a bowl mix the oats, pecans, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. In a saucepan warm the oil, maple syrup and honey. Whisk in vanilla. Carefully pour the liquid over the oat mixture. Stir gently with a spatula; finish mixing by hand. Spread granola on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes. Allow the granola to cool completely. Seal granola in an airtight container or self-sealing plastic bag. Store at room temperature for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Chicken Noodle Soup & Grilled Cheese

A couple of months ago I did a Camping Styled Shoot with a couple of local, talented friends. (Photography: Sarah Sexton Photography | Food Styling: Graceful Cooking) I love getting to collaborate with like-minded creatives! Below is Grace's delicious recipes from the shoot for Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheese! More images and recipes will be coming in the following weeks so keep an eye out :) 

Chicken Noodle Soup

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 cup onions, roughly chopped
• 1 cup celery, roughly chopped
• 1 cup broccoli stems, chopped (optional)
• 1-2 tsp garlic
• 8-10 cups chicken broth
• About 1/2 a roasted chicken, shredded in large pieces
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp rosemary
• Salt to taste
• Thick, old fashioned egg noodles

In a dutch oven or other soup pot, heat butter over medium high heat. Once hot, add carrots, onion, celery, and broccoli stems and sauté until tender. Add garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant. Add chicken. Pour in broth and water (if needed) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Boil pasta separately and add to soup when complete. 

Grilled Cheese

• Thick slices of sourdough bread
• Brie Cheese
• Cheddar Cheese
• Butterkäse or other semisoft cheese
• 1-2 tsp Worcestershire
• Butter

Slather each piece of bread with butter on one side each. Place one piece in a cast iron skillet, or other nonstick pan on medium heat. Place slices of cheese on top and douse with Worcestershire sauce. Place other piece of bread (butter side up) on top. Press down with a spatula until cheese starts to melt. Flip and continue cooking until bread is golden brown and crispy and cheese is meeeelty and delicious looking.

{Tricks &} Treats

Tricks & Treats

For the Halloween soiree shoot, I kept the food and drinks fairly simple and sophisticated with a touch of fun since this still is a very whimsical Holiday. Check out these "Spooktacular" recipes below!

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Bring out your inner mad scientist and serve your cocktails in beakers and flasks like I did for the Sanguine Sangria. This blood red beverage can be the perfect addition to any party, you can just change the name up a little bit. 

SANGUINE SANGRIA

• 1 bottle of Merlot
• 4 cups cranberry juice
• 1/4 cup Cointreau
• 2-4 cups fresh cherries
• 2 cups sparkling water
• 2 cups ice, if desired

Pour the merlot in a pitcher, add the cranberry juice, Cointreau and the cherries, stir well. Put the mixture in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. Remove the mixture from the fridge and add the sparkling water. Stir well. Add ice if desired and serve

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The "Poison Apples are an eerie version of a regular 'ole candy apple. The "spooky looking sticks" help to create the illusion of the apples being "poisoned" and like they came straight from the evil queen herself. 

"Poison" Apples

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• few drops black gel food coloring
• 5-6 Granny Smith apples (make sure your apples are fresh and haven't been waxed)
• 5-6 sturdy, but spooky looking sticks

Grease a piece of baking paper and place on a tray/baking sheet. Insert sticks in all the apples and set aside. In a medium pot, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and food coloring and stir over the medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and mixture feels smooth. When the sugar had dissolved, turn the heat up and continuously scrape the sides down with a silicone spatula to prevent crystals from forming. Allow the caramel to boil until it reaches the hard crack stage (310°F on a candy thermometer). Carefully dip the apples into the hot candy mixture and place on the baking paper to set and cool for approximately an hour before serving. 

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I originally chose the Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Cookies recipe since their final color went along with the overall theme and color palette. I am so glad I did because not only were they quite simple to make they were extremely delicious! 

Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Cookies

• 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• mini size simple caramel milky way bars
• Maldon's sea salt flakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour, cocoa and baking soda and mix until well incorporated and thick. Make balls of cook dough about 2 tbsp in size. Break balls of dough in half, add candy bar to the middle, then press dough halves back together and seal edges. Place cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt flakes (regular sea salt is totally fine, too.) Bake for 8-10 minutes. Center might look a little undercooked, but edges should be done. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes, then remove from cooling rack to cool completely. 

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The Nutter Mummy Cookies are another way to bring in a little bit of whimsy without going over the top. These cookies are super easy and you can let your kids help out on the fun! Since they are topped with messy, squiggly lines of white chocolate, it really doesn’t matter how they look, I think the messier, the better. 

Nutter Mummy Cookies

• Nutter Butter Cookies
• white chocolate candy melts
• candy eyes

Melt candy melts according to the package directions in a medium glass bowl. Dip Nutter Butters in and shake off excess white chocolate. Place on wax paper and attach eyes. Repeat with remaining Nutter Butters. Allow to set up. Reheat leftover candy melts and pour into small Ziplock bag. Cut a tiny hole at the edge of the bag. Drizzle white chocolate onto Nutter Butters to make a mummy.