SWEET AND SIMPLE STRAWBERRY JAM DROPS

These are my new go-to cookies. They're sweet, simple, and travel well if you need a portable snack for long hikes through the woods, or long hours spent pouring over books in the library at school. Be warned: they're so easy to make you might find yourself eating them for breakfast, lunch, and snacks (I have't yet gone as far as to eat them for dinner).

SIMPLE HOMEMADE VEGETABLE STOCK

Growing up, my mother always had rich homemade chicken stock on hand. We would collect all the bones from our autumn roast chickens dinners, and come the start of winter she would make a massive pot of stock that would last until spring. This “waste not want not” attitude served our family well, and I’ve applied those lessons to my own life as I’ve gotten older.

One of the simplest (and cheapest!) things you can make in the kitchen is vegetable stock. It’s a wonderful thing to have on hand for homemade soups and hearty grain recipes, and in my opinion it’s a winter kitchen staple.

TERRAIN

I live a life of burgeoning curiosity.

I have a constant desire to touch and explore. I love reading the backs of bottles and the first pages of books. I always want to know what lies around the next bend in the trail and the next turn in the road. When I heard about Terrain’s opening in 2008 I longed to go; it seemed like just the place to let my curiosity run rampant.

AUTUMN EATS - BARLEY AND HARVEST VEGETABLES

Growing up, one of my favorite winter meals was my mom's homemade beef and barley soup. It was a rich and delicious meal for cold nights, and I have fond memories of family dinners around steaming soup bowls. It's one of the few things I truly miss as a vegetarian.

Beef and barley soup instilled an early love of hearty grains, and come the cold nights of late autumn I start to crave the nutty toothsomeness of barley, wheat berries, and farro. This recipe, for barley and harvest vegetables, is perfect for taking advantage of autumn's harvest. Rich olive oil, crisp roasted kale, and sweet roasted carrots make for a hearty fall or winter meal.

BARLEY AND HARVEST VEGETABLES

Healthy Hash Browns

Until I moved to the south I don't think I had ever had hash browns. Crazy, right? Once I tried them I was totally hooked--if Waffle House knows how to do anything (besides provide good eats after a late night... if you know what I mean), it's hash browns. Delicious, crispy, potato-y goodness? Yes please!

Hannah and I have been making hash browns a lot lately, and I've been experimenting with trying to make them a little healthier. An easy solution? Reduce the oil and add a secret ingredient... zucchini! It might sound weird, but you can't even taste the little "healthy addition". They're still delicious, crispy, and potato-y. Promise!

Healthy Hash Browns

Prep time - 5 minutes / Cook time - 8 minutes / Serves two

One small zucchini

Three large russet potatoes with the skins peeled

Generous pinch salt

Cooking spray

Tablespoon olive oil

Wash and peel three large russet potatoes (I use a carrot peeler on mine). Grate the potatoes and the zucchini into small strips. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray (I use Trader Joe's natural canola oil spray) and combine the grated zucchini and potato mix with the olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Cook the hash browns on medium heat until they are crispy, making sure to flip the potatoes halfway through cooking. Mine take about 8 minutes to cook. 

Serve hot with ketchup and salt, to taste. I like to eat mine on lazy Sunday mornings with a side of eggs and a little pancake or two! You can also try adding some onions to the recipe for a little extra veggie goodness.

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Mint Simple Syrup

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It's August, and the days have been long, lazy, and warm. Lately all I can think about is lounging by the beach and cool, refreshing drinks (ahem, my Pinterest board, as evidence... guilty as charged!). I've been trying to drink more water lately but let's face it--plain water is kinda sorta super boring. In an effort to spice it up I've been making big pots of iced tea--everything from mint to chai to fruit blends--and adding simple syrup. One of my new favorite obsessions is iced tea with mint simple syrup, and it literally could not be easier to make! Plus, it's a great use for all of the fresh mint I have growing in my apartment!

The best part about mint simple syrup is how easy and versatile it is. You can use it as a glaze for cakes or homemade ice cream, add it to tea (I adore mint simple syrup with Republic of Tea's ginger peach green tea--it's an unexpectedly wonderful combination) or coffee, and even use it to lightly sweeten plain water. You can also make fancy ice cubes out of the syrup for an extra summer treat!

There are two methods for making mint simple syrup. One is to boil the mint leaves directly with the water and sugar, and then strain out the mint. This method is a lot faster, but can give you a bit of a "cooked" mint flavor, which some people don't like. The other method is to add mint to the syrup after it's made--this is the method I'm posting here. Either way I don't really think you can go wrong with minty, sugary goodness! I've done both methods and have been perfectly happy with each of them.

Mint Simple Syrup

Prep time - 5 minutes / Cook time - 5 minutes / Makes one cup of syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup white sugar

A few large sprigs of fresh mint (I use 5-6)

Add the sugar and water to a small pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally until all of the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear (this should happen fairly quickly) and pour the syrup into a jar. You now have plain simple syrup! Allow the mixture to cool and then add the mint sprigs. Cover, and allow the mixture to steep for 1-2 days. Remove the mint and enjoy! You can store the syrup in the fridge for about a month.

Spicy Roasted Chickpea Tacos

Hannah and I are kind of obsessed with tacos, and I'm pretty sure we eat them about once a week stuffed with tasty veggies, beans, and salsa. Usually, we use black beans or refried beans for our taco nights, but last night I decided to try something new: roasted chickpeas. We both loved the result--a little bit of extra crunch, and a whole lot of extra flavor.

The best thing about these vegetarian tacos is they they're easy to customize, and can be made to fit a ton of diets. You can easily accomodate meat eaters by including a plate of grilled chicken or steak, and this recipe is actually vegan, but you might want to add some avocado to the mix. If you're gluten free, just use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. 

Spicy Roasted Chickpea Tacos

Prep time - 10 minutes / Cook time - 30 minutes / Serves two

Olive oil

1 can chickpeas/garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

A pinch of sea salt

Lemon pepper

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 sweet onion, diced

Soft flour tortillas

Optional taco toppings: Sour cream, shredded mexican cheese, salsa, Cholula hot sauce, avocado, cilantro, arugula/lettuce

Preheat the oven to 400 F. To prepare the chickpeas, place the beans in a smal bowl and add two tablespoons olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a generous helping of lemon pepper. Mix well, and place on a cookie sheet. Let the chickpeas cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes (the longer they're in the oven the crispier they'll be). While the chickpeas cook, dice the vegetables and cook on medium heat with a dash of olive oil for about 7 minutes. After the vegetables have been cooking for about 4 minutes, add lemon pepper to taste (I like a lot).

If you want your tortillas to be warm, wrap them in tin foil and place them in the oven with the chickpeas five minutes before they're done cooking.

Lay the table with your prepared ingredients; the vegetables, chickpeas, tortillas, and your choice of "toppings". I like to use arugula, Cholula hot sauce, medium salsa, and a little bit of shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Simple Homemade Marinera Sauce

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Lately I've been obsessed with the idea of making my kitchen basics myself.  Since I go through pasta sauce like it's my job I figured that would be a logical place to start, but I was afraid that it would be insanely difficult, time consuming, and, ultimately, more expensive and less flavorful. Today I finally decided to give it a try, and it seriously couldn't have been easier, and I'm really pleased with the result!

The great thing about making the sauce yourself is that you know exactly what's in in. Many grocery store pasta sauces have 20% or more of your daily sodium intake in a single serving, plus a ton of added sugar. This recipe just includes simple ingredients that most people already have in their pantry, with no extra sugar and only a pinch of salt. Also, the total cost of making this sauce is around 2.50-3 dollars, which is pretty darn sweet. I made this batch with butter, but I'm sure olive oil would substitute wonderfully.

I adapted this recipe from Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter by Food 52.

Simple Homemade Marinera Sauce

Prep time - 5 minutes / Cook time - 1 hour / Serves six

1 pound (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

Medium white onion

Salt to taste

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes*

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried italian herb mix

Chop the onion into small pieces and combine it in a pot with the tomatoes, butter, salt, and herbs. Cook uncovered on a slow, steady simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally. When the sauce is done cooking, lightly blend with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender (I used an immersion blender).  This helps to even out the texture and puree the onion. Store in the fridge until ready for use.

* If you're like me, you like your pasta sauce with some kick. A teaspoon of red pepper flakes makes the sauce fairly spicy; if you just want to add a little bit of kick, I would suggest using a half teaspoon or less.

May, according to my iPhone...

May was a big month. I finished my last finals as an undergraduate, and graduated from Emory University with a BA in environmental studies and anthropology. I also started working at the Emory campus gym, saw my whole family for the first time in months, and started to plan my move (and cross country road trip) to Oregon! 

Here's life, according to my iphone...

-Hannah and I celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style; with margaritas with friends!

-My family and I got graduation weekend brunch at The Flying Biscuit in Atlanta.

-My parents, Hannah, and I went to Fernbank Museum, where we visited the rose garden.

-We ate a yummy dinner at Wahoo Grill in Decatur to celebrate graduation.

-I've been taking long summer walks, which are a great way to explore!

-Hannah and I visited Oakland Cemetery, where we saw Margaret Mitchell's grave.

-My family and I went to Red Brick Brewery in Atlanta.

-Hannah and I hiked Providence Canyon in southwest Georgia.

-I totally been living for my peaceful lunch breaks on campus during work.

Citrus Muffins with Orange-Lemon Glaze

Baking is great therapy. Just had your heart broken? Bake a big batch of gooey chocolatey cookies. Stressed about your college final tomorrow? Bake muffins tonight.

Thats how I found myself making these deliciously light, zesty citrus muffins with orange-lemon glaze. They're slightly sweet and perfectly moist, and the glaze adds just the right amount of zing (you can also skip the glaze; they're wonderful without it, too!). Trust me, they're addictive--I've already eaten far too many. Calories don't count during finals, right?

This recipe was adapted from 17 and Baking's coconut grapefruit cupcakes. The topping was adapted from Martha Stewart's lemon glaze.

For the citrus muffins:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup unsweetened light coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

zest of one grapefruit

zest of one orange

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, coconut, butter, sugars, eggs, coconut milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the zest of one large grapefruit and one large orange. Mix well with a whisk. 

Fill cupcake tins 3/4 of the way with batter, and bake at 350 degrees for between 13-20 minutes, depending on cupcake size. This recipe made 12 large cupcakes (which baked for about 15-20 minutes) and 30 tiny ones (which baked for 13 and a half minutes). 

For the glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar

Zest of one large orange

1/6 cup fresh lemon juice

1/6 cup fresh orange juice

Whisk the ingredients together until well combined. If the mixture is too watery, add more lemon or orange juice; if it is too dry, add more powdered sugar. When the muffins are completely cool use your finger to lightly glaze the top of each muffin. Allow the glaze to harden (about and hour) and enjoy!

April, according to my iPhone...

April was a fun, but crazy busy, month! In early April I traveled to Sacramento, California, to visit UC Davis to make a decision about graduate school. I'll actually be spending the next 2+ years in Portland, Oregon, getting a Masters in Geography at Portland State University (PSU), and I'm incredibly excited! 

Here's life, according to my (brand new!) iphone...

-Spring finally arrived in Atlanta! It took forever, but the flowers were worth the wait.

-We went camping at Amicalola Falls for Hannah's birthday, which was a ton of fun.

-We went to Ria's Bluebird for a tasty brunch the day after Hannah's birthday; I got a biscuit, veggie "sausage" patty, scrambled eggs, and roasted potatoes.

-Hannah and I walked around Grant Park and Oakland Cemetery (pictured) in Atlanta. 

-I tried my first Cheerwine cherry soda in Helen, GA!

-Hannah and I went on a weeknd getaway to Unicoi State Park, where we camped out!

-Emory Seniors at Sweetwater gave us one last tipsy night of fun before graduation.

-UC Davis in California; there were bikes everywhere!

-Gamma Phi formal, themed the"roaring twenties" in honor of the new Gatsby movie.

Feel free to follow me on Instagram - my username is gwynethmanser. 

Recipe: 50 Cent Fudge Brownies

I'm a huge fan of brownies. Delicious warm gooey chocolate-y goodness? Well, okay. I made these for an Emory women's rugby party this weekend and they were a hit!

This recipe is 100% homemade, sinfully easy, and super cheap to make! I slightly adapted a knockoff "Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie" recipe by Fake-it Frugal, so the total cost of the recipe should (supposedly) be somewhere around .30-.50 cents. And that's pretty darn sweet.

You'll need:

2 cups white sugar

1.5 cups white flour

2/3 cups cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

3 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate chips (optional)

Heat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa powder (I used 1/3 cup "dark" cocoa powder and 1/3 cup "light"), salt, and baking powder. Mix. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract. Mix well. I added about 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, but that's totally optional!

Place in the oven. Bake for 25-35 minutes (mine took 33 minutes, but I recommend a little less time so they're gooey-er!).

France: Nice - Old Quarter

Views from my semester abroad.  

In April, Hayley and I took a backpacking trip around Italy and I finally have time to share pictures! We started our adventure off with a day in Nice, located in the South of France. In the morning we explored the Old Quarter (Vieux Nice) and saw the Notre-Dame de Nice, the Place Massena, and the Jardin Albert I. We also walked along La Promenade des Anglais, a walkway along the coast (I couldn't believe how beautiful and blue the water was!) and got lunch along the Place Charles Felix, where we had tasty pizza and browsed the street market.

Stay tuned for more pictures of Nice and Italy!

Recipe: Double Layer Chocolate Cake

I'm a total baking novice. I've never made a double layer cake before, and I don't really understand the difference between buttermilk and normal milk. I do, however, know the difference between a good cake and a really really freakin' amazing cake (that you would happily elope with. just kidding. but you'll probably want this cake to move in with you.). And that's what this is. Pure chocolate deliciousness-- sweet creamy frosting and rich, moist cake. And if I can make it, anyone can.

This is an ever so slightly tweaked version of this recipe I found on My Missouri Kitchen.

For the cake you'll need:

2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups white flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Trader Joe's)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup milk (I used 2%)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil (I used canola)

3 teaspoons vanilla extract (I used Mexican vanilla)

1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two 9 inch cake pans.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Add the eggs, milk, cream, oil, and vanilla. Mix well (I did the mixing by hand, but you can also use a mixer!). Stir in the boiling water; you have to mix everything for a minute or two for it to combine with the cake batter properly. The mixture will become quite thin.

Pour mixture into the prepared pans (2/3 of the way to the top of the pan) and bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

*I had a little extra cake batter at the end, so I made a tin of mini cupcakes with it! They're really tasty frozen. They only took about 10-15 minutes to cook.

For the frosting you'll need:

Six tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and beat with an electric mixer. If icing is too thick, add a little more heavy cream. This will be enough to generously frost the top and center of the two layer cake, along with 12 small cupcakes. If you want to frost the sides of the cake, double the recipe. Extra frosting can be stored in the freezer.

Denmark: Copenhagen - Rosenborg Slot

Views from my semester abroad. 

During our third day in Denmark Hayley and I visited Rosenborg Slot (Rosenborg Castle) in Copenhagen. The castle was built in 1606, and I really enjoyed wandering around in the beautifully preserved rooms. After visiting the castle we walked around the gardens, which were totally packed with people enjoying the warm, sunny weather! 

Later in the afternoon we went to the Botanisk Have, a free botanic garden in the city, where we got ice cream and explored the grounds. From there we walked to Nyhavn, a pretty canal, and wandered along the water to see the Little Mermaid Statue (Den Lille Havfrue), an tribute to Hans Christian Anderson. We ended the day reading in the grass along a river before walking back to our hostel along one of the city's main canals. I couldn't have asked for a prettier day!