I'll be Brief by The Lady of the House

As you may recall, this week my family and I are heading a few miles across town to some new digs. Moving is quite likely the most heartening of domestic events, fraught with a range of emotions all settling down to one hope: the hope of "home." Somehow while you're scrubbing schmutz off cupboard doors, and trying desperately to get surfaces to feel like new, you're having your own little Louisiana Purchase moment, staking your claim. Okay, maybe that's just me. At any rate, on Monday, I scrubbed, mopped and dusted our "new" San Francisco flat built in 1926, and it'll be a while before it feels like home. Needless to say, I'm a bit short on time, so I thought I'd post a little link love.

As I stare at all these blank walls, I've got ART on the brain. Here are some inexpensive and positively lovely posters just begging for a spot in your home and mine.

--I have always loved these quirky maps, probably because I wasn't born with any sort of internal compass. They're not only fun to look at---they actually help you get your bearings! Wouldn't the Heart poster be perfect for Valentine's Day?

--I bought this poster for Erin for Christmas, and I've got one in black hanging in my own kitchen. If you're reading this blog, I'm guessing one may be welcome in your home as well.

--For those of us that think about things like typefaces, printing methods, and cool wedding gifts, try this route. I have always coveted the aqua ampersand.

--I adore Amy Butler's textile designs. Now she's taken the best bits and turned them into iconic prints. Genius! Wishing you could slap your powder room walls in decadent wall paper? This may be your fix.

--And now for some art that's slightly "off" in a good way... Like what home isn't complete without a print of owls and pigeons partying? Tell yourself it's for your kid. It's totally for you!

xoxo

Lady of the House

If I May by Lady of the House

* Photo by Jack & Lulu *

I'm usually kept caged until Wednesdays when I'm let out to post and play here, but when I read Erin's post yesterday morning I couldn't stop myself from sharing a few recipe box finds. I don't own a recipe box, so I wondered, what's out there? I've divided my results into some silly, if not non-existent stereotypes. (Do you have a kitchen alter ego?) Now it's just a matter of choosing which one!

-For the folksy type that picks wild flowers...

-For the little ones--it's never too early to start collecting I suppose...

-For the utilitarian with a cheeky side...

-For the preppy minimalist...

-For the zen master...

Ok, back to my cage!

xoxo

Lady of the House

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Chicken Chimichangas are a staple at our house. I've been making these for years, and the recipe has morphed several times. This latest iteration has been around for about a year, and I finally took the time to write down the recipe.

Only this time, the husband had a request. "Can you add more cheese to mine? Like, a lot of cheese." And I obliged.

I made half the recipe husband-style (insanely cheesy, on the left in the photo below) and the rest old school (moderately cheesy.) Feel free to pick your poison.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Serves: 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2.5 teaspoons chili powder (or to taste)
3 cups cooked, shredded (or cubed) chicken (I used chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken.)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water, if you don't have chicken broth on hand)
8 flour tortillas
1-2 cups shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, or pepper jack are our favorites)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and saute for 8 minutes until it's softened and golden brown. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in chicken and broth (or water.) Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil. Allow liquid to simmer for about 5 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat.

Divide the chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top chicken mixture with cheese. (If you want your chimichangas husband style, really load it up with cheese.)

Tightly roll up tortillas and place them into a 9x13 baking dish. Brush the tops of the tortillas with melted butter. (If you're going for husband style, load even more shredded cheese on top of the chimichangas at this point.) Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Soft Boiled Eggs

As you may have gathered, I'm the primary cook in our home. The husband, however, has several specialties. He is the ultimate grill-master, for one. (His lime cilantro marinade is proof of that.) He is also the breakfast expert in our family. His pancakes are light, fluffy, and delicious. Waffles? They're sublime. And eggs are his bailiwick.

Today's recipe is a family tradition for the husband. These are the eggs his grandma made for him when he was a little boy. It took him many, many Saturdays to perfect her recipe, which he developed himself. They don't look overly swanky, but you won't notice when you're shoveling buttery toast dripping with rich egg yolks into your mouth.

So, without further ado, the husband cooks...

Soft Boiled Eggs
Serves: 1

3 eggs, preferably room temperature
2 slices bread
Butter (lots)
Salt and pepper (lots)

Bring a pretty full pan of water to a boil. Add eggs, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the water for about 6 minutes until they are soft boiled. (If you have a little, red egg thermometer like the one pictured in our pan below, it will let you know when they're at this stage.) While you're waiting, toast the bread to your desired crunchiness. Using your implement of choice (we go with the pasta spoon), fish the eggs out of the hot water.

Rinse the eggs under cold water so they don't continue cooking. You want those yolks to stay runny and not set up all the way. 

Take a sharp knife and give each egg a swift whack right through the middle. The sunshine yellow yolk will reveal itself in all its glory. 

Use a spoon to scoop out the eggs and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you could probably serve the eggs as is with toast on the side, but then it wouldn't be the husband's soft boiled eggs. Read on to learn the technique he learned from his grandma. 

Schmear lots of butter on your toast. 

Place the buttered sides of your toast together, forming a butter sandwich, and rip the break into bite-sized pieces. 

Pile the toast pieces on top of your soft boiled eggs. 

Stir it all together, and eat it as one delicious, yolky, buttery, mess. Remember your childhood days with grandma, and smile. 

All tuckered out.

Well, folks, this is a pretty pathetic post. I'm giving myself a day off from cooking because I'm tuckered out. The husband and I recently returned from a trip to Seattle to celebrate the wedding of his brother to his beautiful bride.

It was a fabulous wedding and a wonderful visit with family and friends, but there's a chance I didn't get enough sleep. The red-eye flight home didn't help. So, I'm cranky. Now I'm going to head to bed early in hopes of un-cranking myself. Wish me luck.

No, actually wish the husband luck. Poor fella has to deal with the whining.

Back with more good eats on Monday!

Pom Pom Tutorial

This past weekend I had the extreme pleasure of attending the wedding of dear friends in--of all places--Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I also had the extreme pleasure of responding to the bride's request for a "just married" sign for the back of their ridiculously beautiful '57 Porsche Speedster.

Beyond the sign's structure, I immediately thought of pom poms, and I thought it might be fun to share my method. It's quite simple, really.

Gather your materials. I chose four types of organza ribbon, while cream tulle served to provide the loft and bulk I needed. You'll likely need only scissors in addition to the ribbon and tulle. (I also bought three cowbells and a bunch of jingle bells to intersperse. The sound as they drove away was the epitome of celebration, but that's just my take!)

Begin by clutching the tulle in-hand, gathering from the center of the material. Be sure to pinch from the center as you go along, as this will give you the roundest and most symmetrical pom pom. Insert your ribbons at a ratio of four to five wrinkles of tulle per ribbon. There's no real formula--just what you think will look best.

Keep this up until your fist is full of ribbon and tulle. If you're about to drop it while you're trimming the tulle, your pom pom is well on its way to perfection.

Next grab a similarly colored pipe cleaner, and wrap it at the center of your folds. Quickly bind all your hard work with the pipe cleaner. Twist, twist.

Finally, fluff by pulling ONLY the tulle in opposite directions, taking care to work the circumference of the pom pom. Essentially, you're teasing the pom pom like you once did your bad, bad 80's bangs. (If you tug at the ribbons, they'll come loose. Leave them alone.)

If all goes well, things may look something like this... And as always, feel free to email with any questions. (hdhhlady@gmail.com)

xoxo,

{ Lady of the House }

California Chopped Salad

Some things are just meant to go together. Like fresh summer corn and tomatoes. That's why I use them in every single recipe I make lately. Don't judge.

I was chatting on the phone with my mom the day I was making this salad. She started chuckling and told me a story about her college roommate who made a similar salad. The roommate put corn chips on top of her version and called it "California Chopped Salad." Chips? On a salad? I couldn't pass that up. So, in honor of my mom's roommate, give today's recipe a try.

Want to take it from side dish to the main event? Add some black beans or a few slices of rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

California Chopped Salad
Serves: 4

Dressing
2 limes, juiced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (Use the good stuff.)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad
3 ears corn on the cob, silks and husks removed
4 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
1 pint grape tomatoes
A handful or two of tortilla chips, crumbled

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. (If you don't feel like whisking, just shake everything together in a jar, like I did.)

Meanwhile, bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Add the corn and cook until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until it's cooled to the touch. Cut the corn off the cob and place in a large bowl. (See my post on Therese's Corn and Tomato Salad for pictures of this step.)

Add Romaine and tomatoes to the corn. Pour dressing over the top and toss to combine. Serve topped with tortilla chips.