I'm struggling to decide whether or not to continue writing this blog. I start my internship on Tuesday (I'm starting to get nervous!) and I honestly am disappointed in myself for my lack of commitment to this project. In the beginning I was doing it because I was genuinely so excited for it and I needed something to commit to while I was trying to make myself happier. But now I'm wondering if I even have time to post and I'm trying to figure out what role I want this to have in my life. And to be quite honest, it takes much more work than you would think (and time!), so the lack of readers since I've started school last September has made it really frustrating at times, too. I haven't made a final decision yet, but it's definitely something that I've been thinking about...

     Earlier this week I made one of the best desserts ever. It is like summer, booze and crepes rolled into one (although pretty light on the booze part). What is this delicious dessert? A strawberry-amaretto dutch baby.

And let me tell you... It's so good with a little bit of cool whip. Or with ice cream. Or by itself. It's great for brunch or dessert, and its so easy. You do need a food processor though, heads up. 

Strawberry Amaretto Dutch Baby

For dutch baby:

3 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the first five ingredients in a food processor and process until mixture is smooth and larger in volume (about 30 seconds). 

2. Heat a 10-inch bast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pan - but only until it no longer foamy. Remove the pan from heat, pour the batter in and immediately place in the oven. 

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, making sure not to burn the sides (mine was done in about 17). Remove from the oven; the sides will shrink as it cools. 

4. Top with strawberries and dust with confectioner's sugar. Serve immediately.

For strawberries:

2 quarts fresh strawberries, sliced

1 tablespoon (or more to taste) sugar

4 tablespoons Amaretto 

1. Place sliced strawberries in large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and stir gentle. Refrigerate for at least a half hour, allowing the sugar to bring out the juices in the strawberries. Add Amaretto. Serve immediately with the dutch baby. 

Enjoy!

     This past weekend marked the first birthday of my blog! It seems a little crazy that I've been doing this for a  year, but it's nice to see how far I've come. I originally started this after having a horrible five months and it's nice to see how I've grown in a year. Although I don't devote nearly as much time to this as I'd like, it's still something that I connect with a lot and hope to continue with in the future. So whether you've read this once or every time I post, thank you!

     Tonight I made chicken marsala for my family. I've had a few marsala recipes saved for a while now, so I started with this one. It was pretty good! I'm going to try a creamy pasta version soon but this was definitely a great recipe for a traditional marsala. Although I have to admit, I thought it was a failure at one point because I didn't use "thinly sliced" chicken and had to put it in the oven to cook it more. This is why I should read the recipe before I start...

Chicken Marsala
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. marjoram leaves
1 tsp. minced onions
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1/3 cup flour
6 THINLY SLICED boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 tbsp. butter, divided
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 package (8 oz.) sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup marsala wine

1. Mix flour, minced garlic, marjoram, minced onions, salt and pepper in shallow dish. Reserve 1 tablespoon flour mixture for later. Coat chicken with remaining flour mixture.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Cook several of the chicken pieces 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove from skillet. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir five minutes or until tender.
3. Mix broth and reserved flour mixture. Add to skillet along with wine. Bring to a boil, stirring. Stir in remaining tablespoon of butter and basil; cook for 2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Spoon sauce over chicken to serve, sprinkle with parsley.

     I spent today at a place that I've been to many times in the past, but mostly during my childhood. The Detroit Zoo was one of my favorite places when I was younger, and I even fed the giraffes a few years back. Between me living at home for a few weeks and my boyfriend studying for the MCAT, we haven't been able to see each other a lot since school ended, so we took a trip to the zoo this morning. Luckily, we avoided thunderstorms and the clouds ended up working out - it was much cooler than expected but so nice. The only animal we missed out on were the lions - their area was under construction. In honor of the zoo, I wore my full-length, semi-see through cheetah skirt - but really I was just dying to wear it!

   

     Last week I went to Leon and Lulu - an eclectic furniture/accessories/gift store that just so happens to be in an old roller rink. Employees wear roller skates and offer you popcorn while you shop. Leon, one of the dogs the store is named after, can be found wandering around too. I didn't end up buying anything (although I definitely see myself coming back when it comes time to redecorate), it was still fun to check out - a lot of it looked like things you would see on Etsy.

This is kind of weird but the bathrooms had toilets with real fish in them!

     That afternoon I went to Ginger's Cafe in Farmington with my mom. We both love to go to tea - it was our first time at Ginger's and although we both agreed it lacked a little in atmosphere, but the cinnamon chip scones were AMAZING. It was totally worth it just for those!

1. KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer in Komen Pink, $288

2. OPI Havana Nights Mini Nail Polish Collection, $18

3. My Mom, My Style Icon, $19

4. Somerset Disc Earrings, $70

5. Magnetic Vases, $39

6. La Pochette by Clare Vivier, $104

     I've been in a rut lately. So I've started to force myself to do things, and one of those things is cooking something other than dessert, which we all know is my weakness. I'm incredibly picky (my hatred for most vegetables makes cooking a little difficult), so when I found this recipe for creamy chicken taquitos I got really excited. And they're not all that bad for you since they're baked. I skipped the cayenne pepper because I couldn't find it at the store, but next time I'd be sure to add it - they needed a little more of a kick. A few alternatives I might try: salsa verde (or just spicier salsa), cilantro instead of parsley, or pepperjack cheese. Overall, very good though. My brother gave them an 8/10 and requested I add the cayenne pepper next time, so definitely don't skip it!

Creamy Baked Chicken Taquitos
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 cup salsa
juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chopped scallions
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese with the salsa, lime juice, cumin, chile powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic, parsley, scallions, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Fold in the chicken and cheeses. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Warm the tortillas according to package directions until soft.
4. Spoon 3 tablespoons of chicken filling onto the lower third of each tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
5. Spray the taquitos lightly with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden brown. Serve with salsa, sour cream, or guacamole!

Source: Sweat Pea's Kitchen