Category Archives: Sauces

Easy Raspberry Sauce

May 3, 2013

These last few weeks, I’ve been getting back to my roots in the kitchen. No fuss or complicated blah blah blah, just enjoying the process of cooking for my family and friends, even if “cooking” means running to Safeway for a last minute birthday cake for Eowyn because I botched the homemade one (true story). Honestly, though, it’s been a good thing for me to step away from blogging for a bit and from the silly pressures I was putting on myself. Living life in the flesh is way more gratifying than writing about it, and I’ve needed to dig …

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Chocolate Ice Cream with Sweet Guinness Syrup and Dark Chocolate Chunks

March 15, 2013

I am convinced that God can teach us through anything, and this week, he used Guinness. And play dough. The thought of creating some sort of Guinness-y dessert first entered my mind a couple years ago when I came across Sprinkle Bakes’ amazingly mouth-watering Guinness Chocolate Pudding . It looked so dark and rich and decadent that I was sure it would be sublime. I filed the recipe away, and though I still hadn’t tried my hand at making it, it came to mind again a few days ago after seeing a few other stout-inspired sweets around the web (Closet Cooking’s …

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French Toast with Cinnamon Syrup

January 24, 2013

It’s been a good week, friends. Life as a mom of two is a constant struggle for me, so it’s not often that I get to make a statement like that. Over the last seven days, God’s grace has been palpable in ways that I have not experienced in months, if not years. I told you recently about how I was getting glimpses of his goodness, these glimmers of hope in the darkness of my soul, and now the brightness is growing. Light is flooding into the most forlorn corners of my heart, and I am refreshed. The impetus for …

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Thai-Inspired Loaded Baked Potatoes with Homemade Peanut Sauce

January 14, 2013

I know it’s a stretch to even include “Thai” in the title of this dish. Mark my words, I’m making no claims of authenticity, but what I am doing is sharing how I used a few ingredients commonly found in Asian cuisine as a means to jazz up the classic baked potato. And it totally works. Here’s the deal: I picked up some of those giant baking russets at the grocery store (no, not the ones that come in the 10 pound bags, but the really big ones that you can buy individually), and I baked them sans foil. I …

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Homemade Caramel Sauce

December 23, 2012

The Lord is kind, and his timing is perfect. Last Friday I had the opportunity to tour a local food bank that I plan to feature here on the blog in the new year. Talking with the staff, observing the volunteers, and taking in all the information about the services and material assistance they provide to their clients was humbling and exciting, providing timely encouragement to me at just the right moment. Cooking and developing new recipes for dishes that are balanced in flavor and texture are activities that I greatly enjoy and spend much of my time doing, but …

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Curried Yellow Squash with Mint Yogurt Sauce

July 6, 2012

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the struggle I’d been having with vegetables. Our relationship had been splintered for some time, and as I think back, it was probably close to a year ago that they began to feel tepid on my tongue. When pregnancy came, my normal proclivity for nutritious foods was replaced by a powerful urge to eat cheesy nachos, Klondike bars, and nearly every other processed food available. I was thankful for my prenatal vitamins, which helped bridge the gap, but I was not at all satisfied with what I was eating. Though I bounced back rather …

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Tostones (Twice-Fried Green Plantains) with Cilantro-Garlic Yogurt Sauce

May 22, 2012

There are times when I sit down to craft the creative writing portion of a blog post, and I’ve got nothing. Sentences are typed and then deleted in short order, and I find myself frustrated as a blank screen stares mockingly in my direction. My mind roars with self-criticism, deeming nothing I write to be acceptable; it’s too dull, too vague, too contrived, I tell myself. Start again; it needs to be perfect. Don’t give up, Christie, you’re not a quitter. Sometimes these words work to my advantage, driving me to pursue excellence and pushing the boundaries of what I …

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Basil Pesto with Toasted Almonds

May 9, 2012

It’s only been a week and a half since we moved into our new space, but already it has stolen our hearts. The spacious floor plan, abundant natural light, and large fenced backyard are just what we wanted, and the warm welcome we’ve received from our neighbors has made us feel right at home. Imagine our delight this past Sunday when the family of four that lives across the cul-de-sac stopped by to introduce themselves and grace us with a (still warm!) pan of brownies. I’m truly smitten, and my hope is that we will have the opportunity to raise …

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Fresh Greek Pizza with Homemade Tzatziki

January 15, 2012

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been five years since Dan and I took our first trip over the Cascade Mountains to the Bavarian village of Leavenworth. It was the first autumn that we lived in Washington, just a few months after our wedding, and while we were curious to see what this little tourist town had to offer, we were mostly interested in seeing the beautiful fall foliage that lined the highway to our destination. The western side of the state is dominated by evergreen trees, and we were craving the reds, oranges, and yellows that we had …

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Beef Nachos with Homemade Pico de Gallo and Guacamole

January 11, 2012

It didn’t occur throughout the whole of my childhood, but there was a season during my middle school years that my family spent a lot of Friday and Saturday nights at home, watching movies and cooking up a variety of homemade treats. Sometimes it was my mom’s amazing caramel popcorn that made an appearance; other times, we would gather around the table for a glass of “Tropical Blood,” a smoothie concoction made with frozen berries and 7-Up and topped with Cool Whip. Still, on other occasions, we would make homemade nachos. Filling and delicious, there wasn’t anything earth-shattering about these …

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