What have I gotten myself into? I'm officially addicted to homemade bread and I haven't even perfected it yet...so that means this is either going to be a problem or it's going to be the best thing I've done in the kitchen in a long time! My second week of adventures in bread making has come and gone, and I'm hooked guys!

This week I went full on wheat mode with a new recipe. Last week the recipe I used called for half regular all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour. This week the recipe was 100% whole wheat and has lots of other yummy ingredients that are good for you too! Which made me happy, because the overall goal of me making my own bread was so I that I would know what ingredients were in my bread and that it would be healthy for me too.

This week my "what an idiot" moment was when I realized that the reason my second rise wasn't rising fully was simply because I was dividing the dough into two when really I only had enough dough for one large bread pan. Um hello...so after I realized that I made another batch and it rose just perfectly....or would have but then I forgot to brush the top with milk and sprinkle with oats, so I frantically pulled it out of the oven and added the missed step only to realize that me taking it back out of the oven made the loaf collapse a little...waaa.

PostedJuly 10, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBread Making

Tagshomemade, bread, bread baking, whole wheat bread, whole wheat, clean eating, healthy, healthy eating, King Arthur Flour

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I have already confessed to you my love of corn and how I could eat it everyday. You could say I am on a corn kick right now, kinda like my blueberry kick that I just got off of. There is so much of it at the farmer's market and it's fresh and sweet and so great for any meal, any night of the week. Throw a piece of salmon on the grill, and we have ourselves a healthy meal that is ready in a jiff!

Most of the time I like to eat corn off of the cob because, I dunno maybe I like getting it stuck in my teeth? No, that can't be it...whatever the reason, I am not sure I even know, I like it. However, I found myself with 18 ears of corn (they are five bucks for a dozen, how could I resist) in my fridge and figured I should try something different with it. This is how my corn salad came to be.

This meal is perfect for getting you back on track after that holiday weekend that we all just came off of with too much barbeque and not enough veggies. It would be great for lunch or dinner and it's quick and easy for those weeknights when feel like you don't have the energy to cook something that's good for you.

PostedJuly 8, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesGrilled

TagsGrilled recipes, grilled corn, grilled salmon, summer recipes, healthy, healthy eating, clean eats, gluten free, fresh, farm to table, farm fresh, good for you food, quick meals

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It's an odd pair...a summer cold and the 4th of July. They don't mix in any sort of way. Believe me I tried this weekend, since I was lucky enough to get the worst summer cold I have ever had on Thursday right before our three day weekend began. Everyone is going to parties, celebrating with friends and good food and you are stuck feeling icky not wanting to do much of anything. Lucky me and lucky Canean too right? Because when one of you is down, the other half sort of gets dragged down too by default.

Not that we had any major plans this weekend, but we had planned on making it to a party thrown by a good friend and I had planned on sipping fancy cocktails all weekend because we were celebrating our freedom and the fact that we didn't have to be grown ups for three days.

Such is life I suppose...the whole weekend wasn't a bust, we managed to eat lunch with some friends (my snotty nose and all), went to the farmer's market, and we hung out by the pool on the 4th for a couple of hours, where I finally started reading the Game of Thrones series...and no I haven't watched one single episode on TV...I'm determined to read all of the books first!

PostedJuly 7, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesWeekends

Tags4th of July, Summer colds, life, weekend recap, weekend stories, summer

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Does anything say summer like sweet and juicy watermelon? It's my favorite and I can literally eat my weight in it. It's kind of a problem, sometimes I have to pace myself. I am totally guilty of slicing and eating simultaneously just to ensure that it will fit into the container I am trying to put it in...well that and the fact that I am too impatient to wait until the whole thing is sliced, and why dirty another bowl right? So I got to thinking about my love of watermelon and thought why not make a cocktail out of it?

Meet my new favorite summer drink, a sparkling watermelon basil cocktail!

Seriously, it's the most refreshing drink, and with the heat that Louisiana has been experiencing, I need all the refreshment I can get! The sweet watermelon is balanced with basil and lime and then you add a little gin and prosecco and holy moly...it's going to rock your world.

Since tomorrow is the Fourth of July, I thought I better get this recipe to y'all today because this drink could not be more perfect for any of your holiday activities this weekend! Watermelon is basically an essential ingredient to the Fourth of July anyway, so it just makes sense.

PostedJuly 3, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesCocktails

Tagswatermelon, watermelon cocktails, cocktails, summer, basil cocktails, watermelon and basil, prosecco cocktails, sparkling drinks, refreshing, beat the heat

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I've admitted to you before that I am not a baker. And when I say that, I don't mean that I can't bake or don't enjoy it....because believe me I get hit by the baking bug every so often and I'm not half bad. But with baking it's the whole everything has to be measured perfectly and if I mess up there is no way to fix it thing that I don't like. It's way too much pressure for my liking, mostly because with cooking I am a perfectionist and with baking there is a fear of it not coming out just as the recipe says.

However, there is a but here. I do love homemade pizza crusts, and I am determined to start making homemade bread of all varieties. The main reason for this is that I want to know what ingredients are in my bread, it's all very rustic and quite therapeutic.

There is something about the kneading that I really like. I feel like I am channeling all of the great women who made bread with no fancy equipment, but just with love to feed their families. They did it out of necessity, but really they had it right all along. That is what I'm going for, I'm putting my baking fears aside, my fears of not having something come out perfect and I'm going to teach myself to bake bread.

PostedJuly 2, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBread Making

Tagshomemade, bread, homemade bread, breadmaking, whole wheat, healthy, bake at home, baking

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Grilled Lamb Burgers with Homemade Tzatziki: My Diary of Us

You could say I have a burger obsession. Actually I definitely have a burger obsession. I will never pass up an opportunity to taste the best burger in any town where I visit, (I'm just not that kinda girl) and I happen to be pretty good at making my own varieties at home to feed this burger craze of mine. Break away from your normal cheeseburger routine and try out my grilled lamb burgers with homemade tzatziki sauce!

PostedJuly 1, 2014

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBurgers

TagsBurgers, Lamb Burgers, Grilled Lamb, Healthy, Summer Recipes, Grilled recipes, Clean eating, Greek burgers, homemade, farm fresh

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