kylaraathome

[kylaraathome]

Lembas Bread (Lord of the Rings “authentic” Elvish bread)

Ingredients: 

 2 ½ cups of flour 1 tablespoon of baking powder ¼ teaspoon of salt ½ cup of butter 1/3 cup of brown sugar 1 teaspoon of cinnamon ½ teaspoon honey 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream ½ teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the butter and mix with a well till fine granules (easiest way is with an electric mixer). Then add the sugar and cinnamon, and mix them thoroughly.

Finally add the cream, honey, and vanilla and stir them in with a fork until a nice, thick dough forms.

Roll the dough out about ½ in thickness. Cut out 3-inch squares and transfer the dough to a cookie sheet.Criss-cross each square from corner-to-corner with a knife, lightly (not cutting through the dough).

Bake for about 12 minutes or more (depending on the thickness of the bread) until it is set and lightly golden.

***Let cool completely before eating, this bread tastes better room temperature and dry. Also for more flavor you can add more cinnamon or other spices***

[kylaraathome]

Some refreshing news. #science

[kylaraathome]

so I was looking at pics of Team Skull’s base, HQ, whatever it is.

It looks pretty cool. You can see Guzma’s got a lot of bottles and shit, and he has some serious talent as an interior designer, and– wait… 

what is…?

omg…

[kylaraathome]

If anybody’s down for making Laura Moon’s chili (note to self: would not be a bad American Gods premiere party idea…)

[kylaraathome]

How to get out stains using other things

[kylaraathome]

        For make these dishes, click here

[kylaraathome]

I was at our local bakery recently and came across a loaf of bread quaintly branded as a “Peasant Loaf”. It was selling for over $6—the irony of this was not lost on me. 

In retaliation I have decided to post what I actually think of as a peasant loaf, but with the luxury of finely ground modern flour which is less likely to break your teeth because actual peasant loaf bread is like chewing rocks unless you’re soaking it in soup or stew. 

This is a very simple loaf, it requires no special tools and is a fairly forgiving dough for beginners to work with. Also it has the added bonus of looking like an expensive artisan loaf, but costs literal pennies to make once you invest in the basic ingredients.

So what do you need?

Ingredients:

Plain flour (or wholewheat if you prefer)

One sachet of active dry yeast.

Salt.

Water.

Tools:

Bowl

Mug

Prep and bake time total: 2 hours 45 minutes.

Yep, that’s it. You’ll notice that there’s no quantities listed up there, and that’s because you’ll be using the mug to measure everything. This helps to make sure your quantities are consistent, and means that so long as you have a mug and your ingredients, you can make bread. Heck you don’t even need a bowl, it just makes clean up easier.

Again I had Elusive Tumblr Dad help me take the photos so be warned this is going to be fairly image heavy under the cut :D

Step One: Gather your stuff.

[Patreon]

Keep reading

[kylaraathome]

can someone explain to me

Why it’s perfectly acceptable to read all day, to garden all day, to be at the pool all day, to work all day, to shop all day, to be out with friends all day, but the minute you decide to sit at a computer or console and game all day, suddenly you’re wasting your life?

[kylaraathome]

My Fun-due Experience

Unless I'm baking something, I'm not the biggest fan of following recipes. What I tend to do is read a bunch of recipes for the food I want to make, then do what I want based on what I liked best as well as what my instincts are telling me. Luckily, this process worked when I made a cheese fondue last night for Fun-due Night. Normally, I wouldn't be worried about cooking something, but I had never made anything like this and it was for my in-laws and our friends parents. (Oh No, Grown-ups, lol.) My cheese fondue ended up tasting awesome, so here is the recipe and process for you.

Most of the recipes I found used white wine and I don't drink, nor do I like the taste of wine. Other recipes I read had Worcestershire sauce in it. I also don't like the taste of worcestershire sauce, so I had to figure something else out.

I started by using butter and flour to make a rue. I started with maybe half a stick of butter. I crushed some fresh garlic into it for flavor. The garlic and the cheese are practically the only flavors. Once the butter had melted and the rue had thickened, I added some chicken broth ad some half and half to make it more sauce like. I also added a tiny bit of pepper and some Mesquite Garlic powder. Then I added the cheeses.

Deciding what cheeses to add: First decide what overall flavor base you want. I wanted a cheddar and ghouda mix with a smoky undertone. I chose a mild non-smoky cheddar as the main cheese . (It was actually colby longhorn.) I wanted to give cheesiness without overwhelming flavor. I found a smoked applewood gruyere. Gruyere is a really soft cheese of the swiss family. It helps with texture and consistency. Then some smoked ghouda. Delicious. Then I added a little bit of smoked Jarlsberg. Jarlsberg is another soft swiss type cheese. Not only did a little of this cheese add another layer of flavor, it was the smokiest, so it gave the perfect amount of smoky flavor.

Once all the shredded cheese was added (Get block cheese and shred it yourself for best quality) I added a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar. ( I would have added more, but it smelled super strong, possibly because it was old?) Then I added some lemon juice, maybe a tablespoon. The acidity of lemon juice and vinegar helps the cheese to keep from clumping. We added more chicken broth, half and half and butter as needed until the sauce was the right consistency. Perfectly saucy but with a thickness to it. It tasted so delicious.

We had potatoes (Yukon gold are the best), tomatoes, cocktail wienies, smoked sausage, sourdough bread, broccoli, apples (golden delicious), and pretzels to dip in the cheese. Overall a yummy meal!

[kylaraathome]

Round 4!!

  Here is another list of health recipes. I got HERE if you want to check out the last 3 rounds I did here are links below.  Round 1 Round 2 Round 3

A list of recipes on my blog HERE

  Hope you Enjoy! 100 health recipes you can learn in under 15 minutes. 

Fruit recipes

Appetizer recipes

Grape and Avocado Salsa

Peach Salsa

Cranberry Citrus Compote

Pumpkin Hummus

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Beverage recipes

Pear and Arugula Smoothie With Ginger and Walnuts

Fish and shellfish recipes

Melon Cooler

Beet, Apple, and Mint Juice

Groovy Green Smoothie

Dessert recipes

Tropical Fruits with Pistachios & Coconut

Watermelon-Yogurt Ice

Fresh Blackberry Sauce

Watermelon and Cantaloupe Kanten

Easy Baked Apples

Main dish recipes

Fontina-Fruit Chicken Breasts Recipe

Roasted Pear & Arugula Salad with Pomegranate-Chipotle Vinaigrette

Glazed Pork Chops and Apples Recipe

Crown Roast of Pork with Fruit and Sausage Stuffing

Island Chicken with Pineapple Salsa 

Poultry and meat recipes

Main dish recipes

Perry’s Plate

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Creamy Chive Sauce

Thai Chicken Pizza Recipe

Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Baked Lemon Chicken With Ricotta And Spring Vegetable Puree Recipe

Low-fat Sesame Chicken With Lime And Pepper Wedges

Asian chicken salad recipe

Low-Fat Chicken Recipes

Healthy Chicken Dinner Recipes

Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

Grilled Lamb with Greek Salad

Pork Tenderloin with Balsamic Onion-Fig Relish

Superfast Salisbury Steak

Roast Lamb with Olives, Lemon & Fresh Oregano

Grilled Steak with Whiskey Dijon BBQ Sauce

Sandwich recipes

Grilled Chicken with Mango, Bell Pepper, and Avocado

Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich

Italian Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Healthy Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

Grilled Thai Chicken Sandwich

Fish and shellfish recipes

Main dish recipes

Bourbon-Glazed Salmon

Baja-Battered Fish

Adobo Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Cream Sauce

Lemon Garlic Tilapia

Free Salmon Cakes

Yellowfin Tuna With Fresh Pineapple Salsa

Oven-Roasted Salmon, Quinoa and Asparagus With Wasabi Oil

Pacific Sole with Oranges & Pecans

Salmon With Tarragon Mayo

Whiting with lemon dill sauce

Pasta recipes

Main dish recipes

Farfalle with Watercress, Cherry Tomatoes, and Feta

Hearty pasta soup

No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

Penne with Red Pepper Sauce and Broccoli

Shrimp and Pine Nut Spaghetti

Farfalle with Zucchini and Parsley-Almond Pesto

Pasta and Vegetable Salad

Penne with Tuna, Plum Tomatoes, and Black Olives

Healthy Pasta Primavera

Pasta With Sweet Potatoes and Leeks

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Vegetable recipes

Appetizer recipes

Spinach-and-Artichoke Dip

Guacamole

Shaved Asparagus and Goat Cheese Crostini

Cinnamon Sugar Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Main dish recipes

Vegetable and Whole Wheat Pasta Toss

Heirloom Tomato and Onion Quiche

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Chard & White Beans

Baked Ziti with Crunchy Italian Salad and Garlic Bread

Homemade Veggie Burgers

Garden Veggie Burgers

Mushroom Ragoût over Creamy Polenta

Winter Lentil Soup

Sushi Rolls

Portobello Mushroom Burger With Bruschetta Topping

Rice and Grain recipes

Bread recipes

Almond Apricot Biscotti

Apple corn muffins

Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin-hazelnut tea cake

Rhubarb-Pecan Muffins

Main dish recipes

Baked French Toast with Blueberries

Buttermilk Waffles

Polenta with fresh vegetables

Sweet-Potato Waffles With Blueberry Syrup

Quinoa Risotto with White Beans, Arugula, and Parmesan

Tomato-Basil Pizza, Two Ways

Sun-dried tomato, thyme and basil pizza

Lemon-Thyme Polenta and Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

Arroz Hispaniola Caribbean Red Beans & Brown Rice

Steak Fajitas

Bean and legume recipes

Main dish recipes

Fava Beans with Pesto and Cavatappi

Mexican Polenta Pie

Squash Stew

String Bean Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Goat Cheese

Eggs with Braised Lentils and Greens

Peanut Noodle Salad

Couscous, Lentil & Arugula Salad with Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette

Gigante Beans

Zesty Wheat Berry-Black Bean Chili

Pork Braised in Kiwi- Coconut Sauce with White Beans

[kylaraathome]

The Miracle Diet

Nathan and I did a refined sugar fast in the month of May, and I'm kind of joking when I call it a miracle diet, but I lost ten pounds in one month, so to me, it kind of is a miracle diet. Anyway, it was pretty awesome and I wanted to write up a post about it.

First, the Rules: The goal was to cut out any refined sugar or sweetener that was not natural. So anything with sugar or corn syrup or sucrose in the first three ingredients was out. We allowed ourselves cheat meals, but the rule with that was one a week, nothing in the first week and never two days in a row. Fruits and honey were allowed.

I thought it would be really hard, but it was easier than I thought it would be. Nathan and I have systematically been eating healthier over the past few years: no soda, all natural foods, no high fructose corn syrup, so it wasn't that hard to change our diets to be free of refined sugar. Most of our day to day foods were already sugar free: tortillas, pasta noodles and sauces, condiments, etc. The hardest non-desert  things to cut out were ketchup, pb, jam and bread. Fortunately I learned about making bread with honey and homemade nut butter which I will write about in a future recipes post.

The Results: The first week was hard, but we had nothing to tempt us. And we were determined. One week in, I went to a function and they had gourmet red velvet cupcakes. I brought one home for Nathan and me to split. It tasted good, but a little off. As soon as I finished it, I regretted it. It sat so heavy in my stomach and I instantly felt less healthy. The taste was't worth the cost.

On Mother's Day we were given Symphony chocolate bars at church. That thing sat in my freezer like a big giant temptation. I wasn't tempted until I had the food in my house. On Mother's day I also faced my biggest temptation yet. We went over to my family's house to eat and they had organic Cookies and Cream ice cream, my favorite. Somehow I had the willpower to say no. They also had a gluten free choco chip cookie cake. Sugar was like the tenth ingredient. I had a slice and it was so delicious. Best of all, it was so light and I didn't feel heavy after eating.

After two weeks, I stopped being tempted by desserts. (Except for the chocolate bar in my freezer.) I sipped some punch at a wedding; it was sickeningly sweet. I had some pizza. The sauce was disgusting with how sweet the sauce was. I enjoyed things I never had before- broccoli, those vegetable crisps, plain yogurt, dark chocolate. My taste buds definitely changed. And that chocolate bar in my freezer, we ate it slowly- a piece at a time every few days for ttwo weeks. It was a tasty treat. 

Ten days in, I weighed myself. I didn't do this to lose weight, so I didn't weigh myself right when we started, but still, I had lost 4 pounds. No exercise. In a month, I had lost ten pounds or so. Nathan lost a ton of weight as well. It is AMAZING to me how much a simple diet change can affect your weight so much, when I always thought it was the exercise that was so important. I know I was eating less calories overall, but I can't help thinking refined sugar totally changes our body chemistry.

I definitely recommend this as a weight losing technique. I didn't notice personally any other benefits but several people commented on my skin and Nathan was sleeping better and napping less. I may have not noticed any energy benefits, because it got hot in May and the heat totally drains me.

Tips: If you want to do this, it's so helpful to have a partner or buddy to do it with you- someone who can be strong when you are weak. Or at least the support of your family and friends who will not tempt you. Tell everyone so you feel like you can't eat sugar in front of them. That helps. Also, just get the sugar out of your house. No cookies, cake, ice cream, anything. If it's not there to tempt you, it's harder to be tempted.

If a month is daunting, go a week and see how your taste buds change.  Do it a week at a time and see how much easier it gets.

Don't let yourself get hungry. When you are hungry the sugary foods sound the best because they have a lot of calories. Eat at regular intervals. Also have healthy snacks on hand: almonds, pickles, bananas, pretzels, raisins, etc. Something snacky yet filling or something that will fill a craving. Something sweet and dessert like would also be a bonus: frozen grapes, strawberries, a tortilla with honey (I ate that a lot), a piece of minty gum. Get your mind off that desserty food. 

I also recommend finding sugar free recipes for the things you love. I'm going to write another post talking about all the things we did, but here are a few to start with: bread, almond butter, banana bread, popsicles, ice cream, pancakes, and more. 

The Future: When we ended our sugar fast, I had a normal sized bowl of ice cream. It made me sick. I had some kind of episode where not only did I feel nauseous, but I was shaking because of the sugar. I then went a little binge crazy with desserts, but I am back from the edge. I really liked how I felt during the sugar fast and I want to keep that going. While I won't be as strict in the future, I will still keep to a mostly sugar free diet (excepting ketchup, dark chocolate treats, and the occasional dessert.) I want to continue to make homemade healthier sugar free foods. I want to keep losing weight.  

 I am so glad we did this, if only to prove that we could. I hope we can keep it up.

[kylaraathome]

One of these might be cute to do if I ever get pregnant.

Guess What…? - Couples find fun ways to announce to their friends and family that they are expecting.

[kylaraathome]

I want to try this

[kylaraathome]

Spinach Alfredo

yesterday I made this new pasta sauce. it was homemade alfredo (cream cheese, butter, half and half, with mozerella cheese) but then I added pureed spinach making it a spinach alfredo. It kind of tasted like pasta with spinach dip. I normally shy away from vegetable things, but this was delicious. I'm proud of myself for trying new foods and new recipes.

[kylaraathome]

This is the first batch of homemade bread we made in our breadmaker. We just used the basic white bread recipe with All Purpose Flour. It was a little bit dense but still delicious. Next time I want to try it with Bread Flour or Whole Wheat Flour with gluten like the recipe suggests. 

[kylaraathome]

While correcting the color on some photos over at European Cuisines, and inserting new ones, this dish jumped out at me now that the weather’s cooling. Sailor Pie (also known as “Sea Pie” in the UK): nothing to do with seafood, but the kind of beef pie you might feed a hungry seaman after a day’s work. Stout is involved, and it has a soda bread crust. Recipe’s here…