Tag: annies eats (page 1 of 1)

“M&M” Date Night #1

The Goonies Poster 1985

As I mentioned in my previous post, this weekend, we decided to try a new Date Night plan of action: “M&M Date Night”. The M&M equals “Movie and Menu”. We want to try and do this at least twice a month and simply put, we plan to create a menu around a movie.

We started off the first of many “M&M” date nights with a childhood favourite, a classic really: The Goonies. We decided to go with homemade pizza and ice cream since that is one of Chunk’s favourite things to eat! The party lights were on and candles were lit.

Jennifer Michie Party Lights

While I was busy making pizza dough (I used my go-to recipe from Annie’s Eats, although I have made a few tweaks of my own to it), Mr. Michie found a “Which Goonies Character Are You?” quiz and we took that. I got Mikey:

You Got Mikey

He got Sloth:

You Got Sloth

I’m not sure what that says about us? We went with Italian sausage, mushroom and feta as our pizza toppings. Although Mr. Michie was sans mushrooms and just ate a manly carnivore pizza. It totally hit the spot and for dessert, we made ice cream sundaes with caramel sauce, chopped pecans, marshmallow fluff, whipped cream and cherries all piled high. It was a really fun way to spend a date night and we plan to do many many more!

Jennifer Michie Goonies Pizza

So, here’s to date night, long may it last! GOONIES, NEVER SAY DIE!!!!!

Thanksgiving Pins

Just a few things that have caught my eye lately:

Jennifer Michie Thanksgiving Pins

1. An adorable turkey by the lovely Jennifer Murphy // And other silly things…
2. Roasted turkey, cranberry and brie grilled cheese // Heather Christo
3. Blushing Pumpkin // French Kissed
4. 30 Table Ideas // Style me Pretty
5. Cranberry Sorbet Champagne Fizz // Annie’s Eats
6. Spice Pumpkin Layer Cake // Annie’s Eats
7. Thanksgiving Tablescapes // Cottage & Vine

Follow my Thanksgiving Board HERE // Follow me on Pinterest HERE.

Summer Squash Pizza

Jennifer Michie Summer Squash Pizza

I love vegetables! One thing I truly miss living in London is the roadside vegetable stands and pop-up Farmer’s Markets that exist in the South. The places you stop by on a hot Summer day, the vegetables still warm from being picked out of the fields. A Southern staple is yellow squash. I have not been able to get it in England until recently. Last year we noticed that Whole Foods was selling it and like crazy people we stocked up.

This year, I have done the same. Stocking up, slicing it and throwing it in to the freezer, so we have it as a side dish or to throw in to soups, pastas, risottos or in a vegetable medley. I picked some up on my way home from work on Friday and an idea started buzzing in my head. I knew just what I was going to do with it. Mr. Michie was on a school field trip on Saturday and I decided that I would make pizza for dinner. I have played around and around with this one particular dough recipe we like, making adjustments and tweaks and I have finally perfected it to satisfy our tastebuds.

I made the dough early in the day, so it had plenty of time to rise and just be. Before, Mr. Michie got home, I sauteed thin slices of yellow squash and cubes of pancetta. I also slowly cooked down an onion, till it was golden yellow and tender. Once he arrived home we got to work. I shaped the dough and brushed it with garlic oil and a little salt. We sprinkled freshly grated mozzarella over the top and then layered on onions, squash and pancetta. We finished it off with little dollops of ricotta, here and there. Once it was out of the oven it had a sprinkle of freshly chopped basil and some oregano.

It was wonderful. It was the taste of Summer in your mouth, the salty, the sweet, the savoury. It is most definitely a combination that we would make again.

{We have tried many different dough recipes over the years and this has become our favorite. I have made my own tweaks to the dough, but this is the recipe I used before I took the leap to start changing things: Annie’s Eats Homemade Pizza Dough}

Cast Iron Skillet Pizza

Jennifer Michie Cast Iron Pizza 1

Tonight is date night! And while I am still enjoying it, I just couldn’t wait to blog about dinner! I have wanted a Lodge cast iron skillet for ages, but in the many things that I always stuff in my suitcase to bring back to London, I could never truly justify putting a large heavy skillet in my suitcase, since all of my bags are usually marked HEAVY anyway. The skillet is where Mr. Michie drew the line.

My Nana has had her cast iron skillets for over 50 years and they are still beautiful! So, when I saw this gorgeous Lodge skillet at West Elm yesterday, it just jumped into my hands. Now, I broke all of my Southern upbringing rules today, because the first thing I should have been cooking in this pan was either fried chicken or a fresh batch of biscuits. I went to my Italian roots instead and the first thing we made was a cast iron skillet pizza.

It is a recipe I mentioned in my post yesterday. I used my favorite dough recipe from Annie’s Eats, although it isn’t quite her recipe any more. I have made it so many times and have incorporated elements from an Ina Garten recipe I like and some of my bread making techniques.

Mr. Michie made a delicious fresh sauce with wispy strips of basil ribboned through it, while I rolled out the dough. I was in charge of pizza making, he was in charge of pizza cooking. Now, just like the gorgeous Jessica, I don’t own a pizza peel either. So, we improvised, I wasn’t a Girl Scout for nothing!

Once the pizza hit the blazing hot pan, dinner went 1,2,3, literally! In 3 minutes we had dinner and you would have thought that we cooked it in a wood oven grill in our backyard, not in a cast iron skillet under the broiler!

It puffed up, some of the edges charred, the cheese was perfectly melted. We let it set up for a few minutes and then transferred it to our cutting board. Mr. Michie cut it and we couldn’t even wait to get it onto plates before we devoured the first slice. Oh My God! I don’t think we can ever go back to our normal pizza methods ever again! This was fantastico!

Jennifer Michie Cast Iron Pizza 2

On a side note there was a bit of smoke, so while Mr. Michie took care of the pizza, I had the front door ajar and was busily fanning our smoke detector. It was like an “I Love Lucy” episode in here for a few minutes. Also, one section of the pizza stuck to our skillet, so next time I might need to use a bit more flour. I managed to get it all out and after re-seasoning my pan, it looks as good as new.

What a perfect date night. The pizza was so good we never even bothered making the salad or opening the wine. We split a beer, listened to music and ate dinner by candlelight! What could be better?

St. Valentine’s Day Pins

Here’s a few things I’ve been pinning to my Valentine Board. I am so excited that tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! I am working on making a very special dessert as my contribution to our Valentine’s dinner date!

Be My Valentine Pins 2014

1. Valentine’s Sugar Cookies with Poured Royal Icing, Bakers Royale
2. Be Your Own Valentine, Phoebe Wahl
3. xoxo tic tac toe cookies, Annie’s Eats
4. Sweetheart Charms, The Purl Bee
5. Will Zoo Be Mine?, Blue Robin Cottage

{Follow me on Pinterest HERE, all images pinned to my Will You Be My Valentine Board}

The Ending of the Week

As it seems is always the way, we have come to the end of our week off and I am now finally starting to wind down and fully relax and tomorrow we go back to work, you just have to have a sense of humor about these things.

It was snowing when I woke up yesterday morning and after getting showered and dressed we walked the long way round to the grocery store. We bundled up and just took our time. It was beautiful and quiet as the snow fell around us. We even got to see a train rumble along below us as we stood on the bridge. I love trains.

We made homemade macaroni and cheese for lunch yesterday and just stayed cozy with blankets, copious amounts of tea and candles lit here and there. We each read and did a little work.  I decided on the first tiny stuffed animal I am going to make for a special little person and so I washed my fabric in preparation for that.

It was just a nice mellow day. We ate leftover homemade pizza from dinner on Friday night. I made that wonderful crust again from Annie’s Eats and Mr. Michie made his wonderful pesto again (the one he made for me on Valentine’s) and he smeared that on our crust, with diced tomatoes and cheese, it was delicious. We also watched Star Wars, so Mr. Michie was very happy!

Our Weekend

We had a really fun weekend this weekend. We worked hard and we played hard. We tried a new recipe on Friday. I read the wonderful Katie at the Kichen Door blog and she featured this recipe on butter-roasted cinnamon chicken:

We really enjoyed it, but there are a few changes we would make, a bit more cinnamon to make it a little warmer and I thought about adding either some golden raisins or some chopped dried apricots or both to make it a bit more moorish!

The crunch of the almonds was a nice addition to the softness of the chicken and the wheat.

Saturday after running a few errands we went on a date! Mr. Michie took me to see Les Miserables. I saw it last year for the first time on the stage with my theatre buddy. It was wonderful. We both truly enjoyed it. Then, he took me on a date to one of our favourite little Irish pubs.

Mr. Michie had the sausage and mash:

and I had the steak and guinness pie:

Happiness!

Sunday morning it was freezing. I got a hot chocolate before we went grocery shopping:

After shopping and some brunch, we put on our work clothes and got to it. We cleaned our attic. That might not sound like a big deal, but for two people, we have a lot of stuff. It was really just more boxes up there then anything else. Well, that and all of our Christmas things. I have so much Christmas stuff, that Mr. Michie says one day the ceilings will fall down because of it and we will be covered in Christmas!

My coat got caught in the door and the button broke and since I had already used my spare, it was a trip to the haberdashery for more. I chose these and spent a bit of the early evening sewing them on. I like them, they give my coat a more vintage appearance.

For dinner we used the pizza dough recipe again from Annie’s Eats and made her Chicken Ranch Pizza, but put a few more veggies on it. It was delicious. We feasted on the couch and finally got caught up on the first season of Once! Now, I can’t wait to start the second!

For dessert it was hot chocolate and junior mints (a gift from my mom), a little Sunday night treat. This morning the snow didn’t come quickly enough, so off to school we go. I am still doing my snow dance, I hope to have just one snow day this term, they are so much fun.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, its off to work we go….

We go back to school today and after such a long break, I am not sure I am ready. I just need a few more days in my house, hanging out, reorganizing and listening to good music with my Christmas lights on.

I can’t bear to take my lights down yet, so they will be up a little while longer, it is so nice as the nights close in early to have the den filled with the twinkle and glow of lights, it makes it a happier space.

We have already completed a few reorganizing projects since we have gotten back from the States. We cleaned out the kitchen cabinets and the drawers. We bought some new storage containers to put things in. It is silly, I know, but when I open my drawers now, they just make me happy because everything is in its place. I also de-cluttered one section of my closet and have items to use as dust rags, items to be turned into a sewing project and items that are going to Oxfam.

We tried a new pizza dough recipe Sunday night and it was delicious. I found it on the Annie’s Eats blog and is definitely going in our repertoire of dough recipes. Mr. Michie liked it so much, he cut the crust off a piece, just to eat the crust, he never does that!

I have a few things planned this week, that should make it fly by, but I am already ready for Friday night again, when I can just be with Mr. Michie. I am going to have to wear my pajamas inside out and do a snow dance and pray hard for at least one snow day this term, I am going to need it! Just to have one more day, curled up under blankets with my twinkle lights, Christmas music and a hot chocolate.

{image found here}

Are We There Yet?

Maybe it is because we had Monday off last week for the May Bank Holiday, thus making the week shorter? Or, maybe it is because Mr. Michie has been sick most of the weekend and we are a house running on little sleep? But, this morning as I washed my hair, I excitedly though, hooray! Only two more days to go and it is the weekend.

Once, I washed the suds out of my hair, I realized, that I was blinded by soap and sleep and it was actually only Tuesday and not Wednesday as I had believed 10 seconds before. How did that happen?

I was saddened by the thought that it was only Tuesday and in case your week is shaping up to be as long as mine, I thought I would share with you a few things that brightened my day, I hope they brighten yours:

Happy 82nd Birthday to Jasper Johns! One of my favorite artists and one of the best papers I ever wrote in college was about him.

This banana chocolate smoothie, found at Annie’s Eats, looks scrumptious:

This “beached” whale by the Argentinean sculptor Adrian Villar Rojas, he looks magical:

 

This image by the artist Chris Turnham, it reminded me of older Disney drawings, or something that had been created for “UP”:

Well, tomorrow it will be Wednesday and then we will only have 2 more days to go and then it is the weekend again.