I’m all about some one-pot/one-pan meals. Reason number #1 – less dishes to clean. I really, really dislike doing dishes, although I guess that’s a pretty obvious thing to say. If you’re a weird person who likes doing dishes, we probably don’t get along.

Actually…if you like doing dishes then maybe we should be best friends. As in, the kind of best friends that will drop by unexpectedly do nice things for each other. How about, I cook dinner in your kitchen and you come clean my dishes? Deal? Deal.

However, until my perfect new best friend starts popping by, I’m going to stick with my one-pot meals. Like this coconut curried fried rice. Okay, technically this is 2 pot/pan meal, since you have to make the rice separately. Buuuuttt… you can make the rice the night before, so you’ll only have one pan per day. It works for me. Chase and I get to eat big bowls of hearty fried rice, and then we just clean out one pan when we’re all done. This leaves plenty of time for other things, like playing Super Mario Wii, or watching American Idol, or other life-enriching activities.

Coconut Curried Fried Rice

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Adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home cookbook

This recipe works great with any cooked rice. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover rice from anther meal. It must be said though that the coconut rice is pretty heavenly.

For the coconut rice:

1 1/4 cups water

1 cup basmati or jasmine rice

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 piece cinnamon stick

1/4 cup raisins

Combine all ingredients in a rice cooker and cook. Remove the cinnamon stick and either use immediately or you can refrigerate for a few days until you’re ready to make the fried rice.

For the curry fried rice:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tablespoon red Thai curry paste

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Have all of your ingredients prepared and nearby before you begin to cook. (the rice should be ready at this point). Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the eggs and cook on medium-high heat. When the edges of the eggs begin to set, gently flip them over (you can also scramble if that’s easier. Once the eggs are completely cooked, remove from the pan and cut into pieces or strips. Wipe the wok clean with a paper towel.

Heat the rest of the olive oil on medium heat. Add in the carrot and cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic and curry paste and cook for a minute more, stirring constantly to begin scorching. Add the rice and peas and cook until heated through. Stir in the egg strips, soy sauce and lime or lemon juice.

You can add a little more soy sauce to taste if you wish. Now just pour into bowls an enjoy!

Spring is here, everyone! Spring means…

cheap peonies from Trader Joe’s, pretty pastel nail polish, Summer vacation planning, rompers (how awkward are they in public restrooms? Good god.), and dress stalking at Anthro.

Pretty dresses might mean flashing a little harmless cleavage. Maybe showing a little back or leg or whatever else you’ve been covering up all winter.

That’s why an inexpensive, do-it-in-five-minutes, homemade body scrub is kind of a no brainer, right?

Let’s get schmexy!!

Grab a few grapefruits and zest ‘em. You’re gonna eat grapefruit for breakfast whether you like it or not. Be prepared.

You’ll need coconut oil. It’s fancy and a little expensive, not gonna lie, but well worth it.

It’s a multi-functional. You can put it in your hair, rub it on your dried elbows, bake with it, put it on your lips like carmex…really just everything.

So yeah, just mix coconut oil, the grapefruit zest, grape seed or sweet almond oil (I used grapeseed) and some sea salt…and you’re done.

A few important steps along the way to keep in mind:

1. Make sure the bowl you use to mix everything with is super dry. You know when you wash dishes and there’s that tiny bit of water at the bottom of the dish? If it has just a little bit of water in it and you add everything, the salt will dissolve. Dry bowl. That’s all.

2. When you mix everything, you’re gonna have to mash the coconut oil into the zest and salt because it can be a little clumpy. No biggie.

P.S. I used it Saturday last night and my skin is still super soft. And when I re-entered the bathroom I was blown away by the smell. The grapefruit smell is so bright and sweet with just a hint of coconut. I dig it.

P.P.S. Like most scrubs, this contains oil which can make the bottom of your bath or shower kind of slippery. Be careful! Also, if you have super sensitive skin, test it out on a small patch of skin just to be sure you won’t have an allergic reaction.

You shouldn’t slip and this shouldn’t give your skin a rash, but I like you guys. That’s all.

Grapefruit Coconut Scrub

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3-4 Large Grapefruits

2 teaspoons of coconut oil

1/2 cup of sea salt

3 teaspoons of grape seed oil

Using a microplane, zest the grapefruits and add zest to a bowl, along with all of the other ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and keep in an airtight container.

Hi! It’s Valentine’s Day.

When I had a boy, I was a fan of Valentine’s Day.  I mean…it’s kind of an awesome holiday. Cooking, chocolate, flowers. HELLO! Cuteness everywhere.

But if you don’t have a boy/girl…it can be kind of annoying, right? Annoying. But don’t worry! Adrianna to the rescue, because this milkshake is for the single girl. No boy, no friend, no dog needed. Just halve the recipe. Done and done.

Umm…I have a question: while we’re talking about boys, relationships and wuv, uhh…how do you exactly meet boys? Are people meeting each other on the internet nowadays? Is that what the kids are doing these days? Because that’s just kinda scary. I’m too shy for that business.

I mean, I’d just end up internet stalking the shiz out of them well before going out on a date; learning all sorts of stuff I should not know about a person I don’t actually know.

And then when we’re at dinner he’d tell me about his two sisters, and since I’m a bad liar, I’d shake my head “unknowingly” remembering that trip him and his sisters went on to Costa Rica that I saw on Facebook due to his bad privacy settings. This would happen. Awkward. Ugh! The idea of dating makes me so super sleepy.

That’s why I’ve decided to go out to dinner with Teri (here) to eat one of the best cheeseburgers in LA.  And then I’m gonna come home, put my snowflake pajamas, watch more Breaking Bad (new obsession) and make this milkshake.

Wait, is that depressing? I don’t know anymore.

Anyway, this milkshake has everything that an Almond Joy has: chocolate (ice cream), crushed almonds, shredded coconut, more coconut in the form of milk/cream and regular milk. Amazing! Fun! Cute!

The recipe below calls for this business called cream of coconut (brand: coco lopez), but since I couldn’t find it, I used coconut creamer. Worked juuuust fine. You would make me really  happy if you made this for your best friend, boyfriend, ladyfriend, husband, child or yourself.

By the way, I have a crush on all of you. Have I told you I’m shy?

Okay. Bye.

xo

Adrianna

Almond Joy Milkshake

Yields 2 milkshakes

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Recipe by Spike Mendelson via Design Sponge

1 cup milk

1/4-1/2 cup cream of coconut (coco lopez) (I used coconut creamer)

1/2 cup coconut flakes

2 cups creamy chocolate ice cream

1/2 cup crushed almonds

In a food processor put 1/2 cup almonds. process till finely chopped and set aside.

In a blender, pour milk, coconut cream, 1/4 cup of the ground almonds, coconut flakes,  ice cream. Pulse for 1 minute, or until barely combined. Note: If you like your milkshakes, slightly thicker (like I do), I’d recommend going with 1/4 of coconut creamer. And then just play with the consistency a little.

Pour in large glasses and top with a spoonful or two of crushed almonds.

So…I got married. Totally, completely crazy. And awesome. That’s the best word I can think to describe how it feels to be lucky enough to marry your best friend. Now, when you get to do that with a hundred of your closest family members and friends around, well, there really aren’t words to describe how that feels. Knowing that every guest at our wedding took time off from their lives, booked a hotel room, packed a suitcase and traveled just so they could be there for us is probably the best gift that we could have gotten.

It’s kinda like how I feel about you all. I know that it’s not quite the same amount of effort, but I think it’s pretty awesome that you’ve decided to take a few minutes out of your day to spend with our blog. There are like, 10 billion food blogs out there, and knowing that so many people have chosen ours to read and follow is seriously fantastic. From the bottom of my heart, thanks for being here.

Okay a few words on food. That is, after all, probably the reason why you’re here, and I definitely had a few noteworthy experiences while honeymooning (best verb ever!) in Mexico.

I ate the best chile relleno of my life. Period. If anyone has a good recipe for these, or can suggest someplace in LA to visit, please let me know! Thus far nothing I’ve had in the states touched this one. It’s enough to make me want to move closer to the border.

I drank more mudslides in the last week than I have my entire life. How are you supposed to resist these, especially sitting by the beach? I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect mudslide recipe for a few years, but haven’t quite nailed it. Can anyone help me with this? Pretty please??

If I wasn’t drinking a mudslide I most likely had this bright green concoction in my hand – Electric Lemonade. It’s really best for hot weather, which has pretty much left us here in CA but if you want to give it a try just add 1 oz of vodka to 6-8 oz of lemonade and then a splash of Midori. Yumm!!

You may recall that I’m a huge fan of young coconuts. Right after I drank this one I ordered another one. As in, 5 seconds later. If there was an eating contest for coconuts, I would totally enter it.

After your done drinking the water out of a coconut in Mexico they take the flesh and drizzle lime juice and chili sauce over it. This is AWESOME and my #1 new favorite snack. Try this – for real. If you don’t have chili sauce, sprinkling some salt and chili powder will also work, but I think the sauce is much tastier.

So…that’s all I have for now. Sorry if this post is a bit scattered, but it sort of reflects my life for the past few weeks. I’m hoping things will return to normal from now on. But seriously, thanks for reading, and thanks for being here.

BTW – like our wedding photos? Check out Elaine Bella Photography’s website and blog to see more! Best. Photographer. Ever.

Growing up, I was a total tomboy who had to be bribed with candy to wear dresses, or fancy shoes, or anything remotely girly. And even now, I wouldn’t consider myself a super girly-girl. But every now and then, I totally give in and embrace it.  Case in point: Thursday night a friend scored tickets to the Twilight premiere, and yes I’m going. I have this weird love/hate thing with the Twilight series and am sort of excited to laugh my way through the movie.  I’ll be doing what any normal person would do at the premiere:  tweeting pictures, of course.  So if I end up getting tackled by some security dude, I’ll just blame it on all of you…

Back to cupcakes…these things taste down-right pretty;  they’re baby pink, paired with cream cheese frosting, and topped with shredded coconut. Try them. Embrace your girliness for gosh sakes, even if you’re a dude. Trust me–they’re worth it.

Here are a few other girly things I’m loving right now…

 

{Some of the season’s last peonies.}

 

{My favorite lace skirt.}

{My new pair of shoes.}

{A baby pink, gingham hair ribbon.}

{Berry baskets from the Farmer’s market. They’re so pretty and country-like.}

{…And the best tasting, most pretty batter in the world.}

Pink Lady Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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Yields two dozen cupcakes

CUPCAKES

2 1/4 cake flour (*see below for instructions on how to make cake flour)

1 1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tsp of salt

3/4 cup pureed strawberries

4 egg whites

1/3 cup milk

1 drop red food dye

CREAM CHEESE ICING

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

3 ounces unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350»F. Place liners in a standard muffin/cupcake tin.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point. (Adrianna note: In the original recipe, Deb warned to not try the batter, and of course, I did.  And it was incredible. Since then, I’ve been tempted to skip the baking part and just eat a cup of batter. Gross.)

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter amongst the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes inside the muffin tins and then transfer to wire racks until throughly cooled.

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, ice each cupcake and top with shredded coconut, if desired.

*Let’s make cake flour! Grab a bowl and measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sift twice.  Then measure out whatever flour you need from there.

For this recipe I needed 2 1/4 cake flour.  I measured out two cups of all-purpose and added to a bowl.  I then added 4 tablespoons of corn starch and sifted it twice.  I then measured out 2 1/4 cups of the cake flour mixture from the bowl and I only had a smidgen left over.  If I botched the explanation, click for Deb’s explanation.

I have a distinct memory from my childhood of my mother and I buying a coconut with the intention of eating the flesh and coconut milk inside. However, we got it home and sort of looked at each other to see who would make the first move to open it. I assumed that since she was my mother she of course knew all the secrets of the universe and was utterly shocked to discover that neither she nor my step-dad knew what to do. My stepfather, who flew jet planes in Vietnam and assembled my bike on Christmas day, was stumped by this little brown ball in our shopping bag.

So, he went for the solution that is apparently obvious to every guy that is met with an obstacle: hit it really hard with a hammer. Which worked…sort of. We were able to salvage some of the coconut flesh from the pieces that scattered across our driveway, but there was no hope of saving any of the milk. It was a bittersweet day in kid-dom.

Nowadays coconut milk comes in a much more easily accessible packaging. It’s called a can. It’s awesome. Especially when you want to make things like chocolate coconut pudding. Remember when I made chocolate pudding with pomegranate and swore that I had found the best easy pudding recipe? Sorry Deb, but this is by far my new favorite. It was just as easy, but something about the coconut milk gave the pudding a slightly more depth of flavor, without adding in a strong coconut flavor.

And to anyone that doesn’t like the taste of coconut – first of all, I don’t understand you at all, but that’s another story. Second of all, don’t think of this as chocolate pudding with a coconut flavor, think of it as rich chocolate pudding that is made richer by the thick and sweet coconut milk, and I think you’ll be able to get past your bias. And if not, I’ll definitely eat your share.

Coconut Chocolate Pudding

Recipe adapted from Vanilla and Lace

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The original recipe calls for arrowroot powder. I’m not entirely sure what that is, but I’ll let you know when I find out. In the meantime, corn starch worked just fine.

1 14-ounce can of coconut milk (lite is fine), divided
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
dash of salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Shake the can of coconut milk vigorously for a few seconds before opening. In a heavy saucepan bring 1 1/4 cups of the coconut milk, maple syrup, and the salt to a simmer over low heat.

While that is heating, in a seperate bowl whisk together the remaining coconut milk, corn starch, and cocoa powder. It will look like a smooth chocolate frosting.

When the coconut milk and maple syrup mixture has started simmering turn the heat down to low. Slowly add in the chocolate mixture while vigorously whisking it the whole time. Keep whisking until the pudding  thickens up a bit, about a minute.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue whisking while it is cooling for about a minute. Whisk in the chocolate chips and vanilla and keep stirring until the pudding is smooth. Transfer to a bowl  or bowls and place in a refrigerator to chill thoroughly. To prevent a skin from forming press plastic up against the surface of the pudding.

For a long time I’ve had a love-hate relationship with granola bars. My idea of the perfect granola bar is something chewy, delicious, not too sweet, and that serves as a satisfying snack. I always want to like the store-bought ones, but time and again they disappoint me.

Every few months I’ll be in a grocery store and will wander past a large display of some new variety of granola bars and will then somehow convince myself that these are the bars I have been looking for all my life. Ten minutes later, I’m in the checkout line with a basket filled with granola bars, only to get home and discover that these are no different than any other bar I’ve ever had. They’re  either bland or too sweet and I still feel hungry after eating 5 of them.

So now, I’ve taken matters into my own hands. I found this recipe from the lovely Ina Garten (I love her SO MUCH) and after making a few of my own adjustments I am pleased to announce that these are, in fact, the granola bars that I’ve always dreamed of. They’re chewy, with just a hint of sweetness, and are a satisfying snack that neither I, nor you, have to feel guilty about.

Granola Bars

Adapted from Ina Garten

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I changed the original recipe quite a bit. I was worried about it being too sweet and took out the brown sugar altogether, and am definitely glad that I did. I was also worried after reading some reviews that the butter would make the bars greasy, so I cut the amount down from 3 tablespoons to 1. I couldn’t find wheat germ in the store so I substituted flaxseed meal, but either option would work. My favorite dried fruits are apricots and cranberries, but you can use anything that you like or have on hand.

Also – not a fan of bars? Just break this up into pieces and you can eat it as your morning breakfast cereal.

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups chopped dried fruit

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 by 12-inch baking sheet and line it with greased parchment paper, or a Silpat.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer to a large bowl and add in flaxseed meal. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
Combine the butter, honey, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dried fruit and stir the mixture together.

Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 2-3 hours and then cut into squares.