Blog Posts

St. Patricks Day Drinks

March and St. Patricks Day are star-crossed lovers forever, which means that this month is as ripe with an opportunity to appreciate another exhilarating culture that enriches our community as it is an excuse to wear all green without getting scoffed at, or to duck into your favorite pub to share a strong stout with family or friends. If youre looking to celebrate at home, here a few things you can make thatll bring the holiday to life. Green Apple Ginger Martini For those that often dont veer into the fruit-flavored drink territory, this one is a little more up the alley of purists. Instead of neon green artificial flavors, this spirited martini relies more on the real thingslices of tart apple and tart apple juice, a bit of fresh lime, and ginger-infused vodka to bring together something as characteristic as it is refreshing and vibrant. You can find out how to make this green cocktail come to life over here . Cucumber Lime Punch Taking a page from the lime that works so well in the previous idea, this cucumber lime punch is just as calm and cool as it is punchy and energizing. And while the recipe for this one doesnt include any spirits, you can easily add in some of your favorite to the mixor drink it without. Youll just need some lemon-lime soda, ice, cucumbers, frozen limeade, and limes for garnish. Find out how to make it over here . Green Fizz Cocktail For those that are into the fizz but are in search of some different flavors, this one is right up your alley. Youll just need a cored green apple, melon liqueur, a kiwi, vodka, and seltzer. Sweet and memorable, this drink embodies the confident culture of the day. And it only takes a few minutes to whip together. You can find everything youll need for this fizz wonder over yonder .

Spring-Themed Reading Suggestions

Springtime is just around the corner. And because all that extra sunlight and all those blooming flowers bring a newfound energy, that means better weather to go exploring locally, and energy to do some deep seasonal cleaning. But with the changing of seasons might come a desire to curl up with a good book in the sunlight coming through your window. Below, weve outlined a few books set in spring that will help you do just that. Leaves of Grass For those that are looking for something to celebrate national poetry month, Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass was an electric breakthrough in prose and stands up in its remarkable ability to describe feeling even today. Though each season makes an appearance here, spring and summer make the most striking and lasting expressions. Youll be able to connect with and fall in love with the earnest and optimistic colors and experiences of the season with this book. You can grab a copy of it at the Tacoma Public Library, your favorite local bookstore, or online. And you can read more about this seasonal masterpiece over here . The Botany of Desire Have you ever wondered whats behind the evolution of different plants that are a part of our everyday lives? Michael Pollans Botany of Desire answers that question by looking at the world through the metaphorical eyes of four different plants, exploring our relationship with our environment. Perhaps the most compelling thing about the book is its ability to suggest that perhaps plants have evolved to our needs, but also push us to evolve for their own benefit. You can read more about this great non-fiction page-turner over here . A Room with a View The jubilance that accompanies spring can have an intoxicating influence on us Pacific Northwesterners after so many seemingly uninterrupted overcast months. While that usually just shows up as high energy and optimism, this book exploresthrough comedythe way spring and characters set in this twentieth century victorian story open themselves up because of their experiences therein. You can read more about this classic by E.M. Forster over here .

Making Chocolate from Scratch Part II

February is a month so star-crossed with chocolatein part because it bears a holiday devoted to love and chocolate-laden valentines. But while its definitely easy to buy some of your favorite store-bought or artisanal chocolates to show your love or appreciation to friends or family, making your own batch from scratch can leave be all the more memorable. In two posts, well outline how to pull it all off. Refining the Cocoa Once the nibs have been separated, youll want to grind up the result of the previous step as much as you possibly can. In lieu of other expensive processing equipment, a coffee or spice grinder will do just fine. Measure out the sweetener you want. For example, about 40 G of your sugar and 60 G of nibs will work out to be a sixty-percent dark blend. Add the sweetener first and start grinding it down, and then add the nibs once the sweetener is superfine. Make sure to grind up the mass for about five minutes. Stop in one minute intervals to let your grinder cool and to mix in the parts of the mass that are sticking to the bottom and sides. Conching the Chocolate Once youve mixed up the chocolate, youll want to melt it down in your mortar and pestle. Wed recommend putting the mortar and pestle into the oven at a lower temperature for a few minutes, or using a hairdryer to warm them up enough to melt and mellow the chocolate out. Mix it up until it melts, and, more importantly, until the chocolate gets the taste you want. Normally, this step takes hours. But mixing that long by hand is impractical. Even devoting ten or fifteen minutes will improve the overall taste of the finished product. Stop every five minutes or so to taste to see if you need to keep conching or not. Once it tastes the way you want, you can pour it into molds or onto parchment paper to harden and use or give out later.

Making Chocolate from Scratch Part I

February is a month so star-crossed with chocolatein part because it bears a holiday devoted to love and chocolate-laden valentines. But while its definitely easy to buy some of your favorite store-bought or artisanal chocolates to show your love or appreciation to friends or family, making your own batch from scratch can leave be all the more memorable. In two posts, well outline how to pull it all off. Chocolate Checklist Before you begin, youll need to make sure you have everything you need. First, youll want to make sure you have cocoa beans from a company like this. Youll also want a solid sweetener like raw sugarbut be sure to stay away from liquid sweeteners like honey. Depending on what you want to try, you can also include spices like chili powder or cocoa butter to thin out the finished product. As far as actual equipment goes, youll need to make sure the following are on hand: Food processor Perforated baking sheet Hairdryer or heat gun Mortar and pestle Bowl Roasting Beans For the second step, youll need to roast the beans. Start with something near one-hundred grams and put them in a roasting pan in your oven. Start at a high heat around 450 F to both sterilized and separate the bean to make it easier to work with later. But youll want to decrease to a lower temperature, somewhere around 250 F, after a while to prevent the beans from burning. Use both your ears and nose to ensure you get the result you need. Once the beans crack, you can reduce the temperature until the beans get to a brownie kind of smellafter their initial vinegary smell. Then, take the roasted beans out and let them cool. Winnowing Nibs After the beans have cooled, youre ready to separate the good bits from the bad. The faster option works by placing your beans into a ziploc bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin. Be sure to do a thorough job hereyou really want to crack the beans to help separate the papery-thin covers in the next step. Once youve done that, you can place the cracked beans in a bowl and use a hairdryer to blow away the thin outer layers, which should leave behind the inner parts. Agitating the bowl in this step can make things go a little faster. Wearing goggles and doing this outside or above your sink can make it easier to clean-up after. Now youre ready for the last two steps in outlined in our next post!

Valentines Party Snacks

Valentines Day can be about celebrating so much more than just the love you happen to share with a special someone in your lifethough thats certainly the reason for the season. It can also extend to celebrating the friends youre fortunate enough to have in this life. Throwing a heart-shaped holiday party in your own humble abode is one of the better ways to do just that. And who knows? Maybe a few of your friends might meet someone new afterall. Below, weve outlined a few snacks you could make at your lovely late-winter shindig. Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies Conversation hearts have been a fixture of valentines for as long as anyone can remember. But transforming that idea into delicious sugar cookies adds both the element of customization, and the element of making candy into a bigger cookie. Obviously. With a bit of food coloring, youll be able to color different batches whatever shades of red, pink, or purple your heart desires. And with a cookie stamp and letters, youll be able to leave a memorable message for your friends. You can find out what youll need to make it over here . Chocolate Heart-Shaped Brownies With this batch of confident brownies, you can add a vibrant chocolate red chocolate frosting to these heart-shaped delights. And the white sprinkles against the red pops in a beautiful way. Once youve cooked up the brownies, youll just need a two-inch heart-shaped cutter. Then be sure theyre chilled before you dip them into the melted red frosting. To find both the brownie recipe and the step-by-step for the bright red frosting on top, you can head over here for all the details. True Love Doughnuts Look, heart-shaped anything is a winner when it comes to parties like this. And these cake baked doughnuts are no exception to that rule. In fact, if anything, they only further cement how irresistible holiday-themed baked goods can be. And the raspberry icing on top, with a bit of coconut, makes this one an open and shut case. A word to the wise before you get startedyoull want to pick up a heart-shaped mold for the doughnuts somewhere. You can check your local baking aisle for the supplies. Youll find the rest of what you need to make this work over here .

Super Bowl Snack Ideas

Super Bowl parties can be a blast with friends, all the big-time commercials, and the infamous spread of snacks. But when you or your friends are trying to keep to new year diets, or just are hungry for something different, plain old chips and salsa might not always be your go-to anymore. Whether youre looking to mix things up a bit, or just need to take a break from your old chip and dip friends, weve put together a list of new snacks to try out this year during the big game. Decadent Loaded Baked Potato Dip + Homemade Chips While buying a bag of your own kettle chips might elevate your snack game to the next tier, making your own chipsalong with this loaded potato baked dipputs you in another snack universe altogether. This recipe is a great way to simplify a savory recipe that goes pairs perfectly with the big pigskin game. For the chips, all youll need are a few white or gold potatoes, canola oil, kosher salt, and ground pepper. And as far as the dip goes, youll be getting a simplified baked potato listchives, sour cream, cream cheese for consistency, bacon crumbles, and a couple extra bits. Its easy to throw it all together, and you can find out how to make it all over here . Super Bowl Taco Bar Setting up a serve-yourself bar is one of the smartest ways to have any real social meal with a larger group of friends in an apartment. The taste of tacos paired with your favorite beer is something that just cant be beat. Call it a dynasty. The Kitchn has a few suggestions for different toppings you can try. For example, as far as the meat toppings go, they recommend braised pork or this pot roast filling. Vegetarian toppings could include anything from sauteed mushrooms, black beans, or even unconventional toppings like spicy kale. You can find a list of unconventional ideas for your super taco bar over yonder .