House to Home - Kitchen Love

It's been a lovely Saturday. Not necessarily the one I had planned, but pleasant all the same. Mr. Schalk has been working diligently on our kitchen removing wall paper (yuck) and sanding/prepping the walls for paint (no fun!). It may not be his picture perfect plan for a Saturday, but he is doing a great job. I can't wait until our kitchen is just our style!

(Photo from Schoolhouse Electric. Isn't it lovely?!)

While the Mister was working in the food room, I had the pleasure of priming our entry way. Haha, a little sarcasm there. Except I secretly did enjoy working on the house today. There is something about your first home and good hard work. I can hear some people saying, "Oh, I remember when I was young and gung-ho about fixing up our first house. You'll get over it." Yeah, there may be a day that I'm not as enthusiastic, but for now I consider it a blessing to be able to make this house our home.

Bonnie also worked hard today.

Or not.

At all.

Oh, the life of a pup!


Happy weekend to you all!

xoxo, Rachel

Mackinac & LMP Baby!

What do you blog about when it's 13 degrees outside and you are oh-so-sleepy?

Summer vacations!

This picture is from Mackinac Island last year. Mr. Schalk and I love this island. It is small and quaint and lovely. We like to stay in the B&B's because they are small and quaint and lovely..and affordable! I'm sure the Grand Hotel is wonderful, but we'll stick to our B&B's.



This little island has sweet little shops with things like fudge and tea cups and bike rentals. It's so small, roughly 3.8 square miles, that you can see the whole island in just a day or two. There is a beautiful park, historic forts and tours and a wonderful bike path around the whole island. The first time we visited we rented bikes. Now, we prefer to take our own.

I can certainly vouch for this little getaway, especially if you're in the area. It's a great weekend getaway. The food is yummy on the island, and we especially enjoy The Carriage House in the Iroquois Hotel. Three words: Lemon Meringue Pie. LMP baby!

If you'd like to learn about the island here visit their site at www.mackinac.com.

Have a wonderful evening friends! The weekend (and summer) are just around the bend!

xoxo, Rachel

Schalkboard Tuesday: Cake Balls Harvest Style

Well, it was certainly an eventful weekend for not doing much. Quite lovely indeed! The Colts are going to the Superbowl! Yay!!!!! I know you could definitely tell I was a football fan from my blog, right? Okay, maybe not…but I am. Really just NFL football, and especially the Colts. I watch the other NFL games to see how they will affect the Colts and because I like hanging out with Mr. Schalk. It's really the only sport I follow, and I really enjoy football season.


In other vital news, I tasted perhaps the best cake ball EVER this past week. My super fun friend Kari wrote on my Facebook wall that a local market, Harvest, in her neighborhood had cupcake bites that I should try out. She even asked if I could figure out how they were made. I think she was serious. Either way, I took her up on her challenge and marched (or drove) over to Harvest to try them out myself.


Oh yum! I knew as soon as I saw them where they got the idea. These looked all too familiar.

Liz's oh-so-colorful version of Bakerella's cake balls. Go Liz!

Yep, I would bet all my heart shaped sprinkles that the Harvest's cupcake bites stemmed from the always inventive Bakerella and her cake balls!


My friends and I made these last fall and had a BLAST! Well, we actually made this version of cupcake bites, but they are basically the same.


When I bit into the Harvest version I pretty much died from a combination sugar overdose and tastiness. My taste buds were thrilled! I've been cutting back on sugar so this was a huge hit of the good stuff into my veins.



They were amazingly good. Way better than my version and a total inspiration. They put mini chocolate chips into the top of their Red Velvets. Ingenious! And I believe I detected a hit of almond extract in the vanilla cake balls. Divine and my personal favorite of the four I tried. Red velvet was a close second.

Sadly, I did not recreate these cupcake bites in my kitchen. If I had I would have certainly have eaten the whole batch, which would have been bad. Very bad. However, I could tell they used a good quality chocolate and did not overdip, which was nice. There was just a thin coating of chocolate and some garnish to distinguish the flavors.

Strawberry, Red Velvet, GO COLTS...uh, I mean Chocolate, and Vanilla! Oh yes!

Thank you Kari for introducing me to these little gems! I am definitely going to revisit Harvest for these adorable cupcake bites. At fifty cents a bite who can resist!? Sugary, delicious balls of yum!

Resolutions are so overrated!

Bakerella's Cake Ball Recipe

For Schalkboard Tuesday's List here are some ideas to put your own twist on Cake Balls:
1. Decorate with your favorite sprinkles, sugars and chocolates.
2. Add an extract like almond, vanilla or peppermint to the icing or cake.
3. Try using a fancy pants chocolate like Scharffen Berger or Ghiradelli for dipping.
4. Add a treat! Try mini choco-chips in the top, nuts or a mini marshmallow in the middle.

Have fun!
xoxo, Rachel

Goedemorgen mijn vriend!

Guten Tag!

Buongiorno!

Buenos Dias!

Good morning friends! I trust you slept well and are enjoying this lovely morning. Hopefully your morning is consisting of cinnamon buns, coffee and little white pups. Or, maybe you were just lucky enough to sleep in. Oohhh, that is a treat, isn't it?

I just had to share these sweet good morning glasses with you. They say buenos dias in lots of fun colorful languages. I bought these glasses at World Market a couple years ago. At first, I bought just one with my amazing friend Jillian. We thought they were so much fun. Matching morning friend glasses!

I loved the bright colors so much I went back and ended up buying the rest of them. We were still in the apartment at the time, so I packed them all up (except for the original one) and saved them. That little glass made me smile each time I used it. All the colors and different languages telling me good morning. An international delight without the calories.

It's the little things in life, ya know?

When we moved last summer there were so many boxes, that the glasses stayed packed for a LONG time. Who knew a little 800 square foot apartment would have so much STUFF?! Well, I finally got my boxes unpacked and came upon these lovely glasses again. I was thrilled! They are now happily settled in my adult sized kitchen and adore their new home.

So inexpensive, but so fun! What makes you smile?



This is what makes Bonnie giddy like a little school girl. A *nasty* stinky ol' tennis ball. It's not even ours! She found it in the yard after the move and loved playing fetch with it. Uck! Then, one day she got all sneaky on us and managed to bring it inside. It is grody, but she was so stinkin' happy that we gave in and held our breaths. What can I say? I'm a pushover when it comes to the little pup. In the area of stinky balls, that is. I just said... oh never mind. Other areas, not so much. For instance, any extra treats (a.k.a. people food) gets put directly in her bowl and no friends over after 10pm. She still knows how to beg, and have a crazy pup party, but such is life. She's too sneaky to return. And too cuddly.

Happy weekend to you!

xoxo, Rachel

Lemon Chicken Soup & The Food Police...oh my!

Mr. Schalk and I were watching Michael Chiarello the other day. Well, it’s technically called Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello, but we always seem to call the shows just by the chef’s name. Or are they cooks? Or hosts? Whatever….the point is, that Michael was saying that the purpose of shows like his (foodie how-to shows) was to give home cooks ideas and jumping off points. The intent was not that we would follow his recipes step-by-step (although, I’m sure that is okay to do) but that we would tweak it and make it our own. Then, he said we would not even have to credit him, or anyone for that matter, because it had become our own recipe. Liz has also said the same thing in her own way and deserves credit for this idea swirling around in my head.

So, what do you think? If the base for a recipe is started from someone else but you “tweak” it to your own liking is the recipe yours?

Is there a rule? Like, you can call it your own if you modify 20% of the recipe? Change more than 3 ingredients? Add chocolate?

In my recipe files on my computer, which seem to be multiplying like rabbits, I usually put something like, “adapted from so-and-so’s recipe.” One, so that I give credit where it’s due and two, so if I want to go back to the original I know who actually started it.

I bring all this discussion up because I made a delicious soup recipe the other day that was adapted from a Giada recipe I saw on Food Network over the weekend. I changed a number of things, but the idea is from her. So, can I post it on my blog?

Ha, I doubt the Food Police will be after me, but I like to keep on the up-and-up with these types of things. If you see this warning next time you visit you’ll know why.

Am I being a little dramatic? I'm just keepin' it real, my friends.

Well, enough of the conversation, here is my soup recipe. I know, all that for soup? Is she serious?

Yes

Yes, I am.

This is a light summery soup with the lemon and parsley adding a nice pop of freshness. It would be very tasty on a summer day, but it was nice to have in the winter, as well. It helped to brighten up the drab quality winter days can often bring. Especially, the after Christmas ones. I paired the soup with simple greens topped with tomatoes, a nice loaf of crusty 9-grain bread and some very affordable Colombelle white wine.

Lemon Chicken & Veggie Soup

Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ Lemon Chicken Soup with Spaghetti

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water if you are awesome like me and bought BEEF broth instead of chicken broth. Oh my! Luckily, I had the 4 cups worth of chick. broth in the pantry. Yess!)
• The juice of one 1 medium sized lemon
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
• ¼ cup frozen peas
• ¼ cup frozen corn
• 2 ounces (~1 cup) spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces,
• 2 chicken breasts, poached and cut into 1 inch pieces or shredded
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Kosher salt

Directions:

Begin by poaching the chicken breasts:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray an oven proof bake pan with non-stick spray (or forget like I did. That works, too.) Liberally salt and pepper two chicken breasts and place in pan. Fill with ¼ inch water and cover tightly with tin foil. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle. Let cool completely and cut into 1 inch pieces or shred.

In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce to a simmer and add the carrots cooking for 6-8 minutes until tender.

Add the broken pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente (almost done), for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken, peas and corn and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in 3/4 of the parsley and 1/2 of the cheese. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and fresh parsley.

Serve hot and enjoy! Begging dog optional, but likely (at least, in my house…where did she learn that?).

P.S. It's even better the next day! Aren't soups wonderful that way? Enjoy!

Sweetness and Liz Day

The lovely and always ethereal Liz was kind enough to drive all the way to my neck of the woods to spend some time together this weekend. I adore it when she visits! I'm always guaranteed a day of sweetness and laughter.

We did not make it to any gas station cupcake shops this time. Oh yeah, my heart is breaking. Or not. We did drive by and had a giggle. They were so very bad and so very wrong. Seriously...cupcakes at a gas station? Oh, don't get me started!

As previously mentioned it was delightful spending time with Liz! We headed over to Ruth's to get the day started. Veggie quiche and egg white scrambles gave us the energy we needed to have a Anthro drool fest. Surprisingly, we walked out of there with our dollars comfortably tucked away in our purses and our hands ready for high fives...aka empty. Don't get me wrong, there were lovelies everywhere!

That gorgeous orange dress in the back was 4x's my price range but fit like a dream!

Gorgeous jacket. Would look wonderful with my grey skirt or brown pants.
Please go on sale soon!

Love this brand! Such unique, well fitting items. xoxo

For every lovely item there also seemed to be a hefty, not-so-lovely, tag accompanying it. Who knew such a little tag could hold such a heavy price? Oh well, I'm just stalking the sale racks and hoping my size goes on sale one of these days.

We continued our shopping and eating and chatting for the rest of the afternoon. Isn't it great when you have a friend that just gets you? You can be weird and goofy and girlie and not have to think twice. I adore Liz and her sweet attitude. She is a great blend of intelligence, humor and heart.

Christmas gifts were also exchanged since we were not able to get together over the holidays. I got the most terrific apron, cookbook and pie maker! I felt like a little kid all giddy and excited. She knows me oh-so-well! My cookbook - The Farm Chicks - is so fun! It's part recipes, part stories and part how-to's for adorable crafts like aprons and homemade tags. Lovely indeed!

The best gift was Liz humoring me with her downright amazing photography skills. I got a makeover and put on my best June Cleaver digs for some fun photos. I hope to see more, but for now I was blessed with this one.


So great! I would have never put on that much makeup or thought holding an apple would be interesting. Liz just knows. She has the eye of a true artist. Side note, I definitely need to find a real Lucy style dress and get dolled up again! So much fun! I have a serious desire to go purchase some bright red lipstick as soon as possible.

Thank you Liz for an amazing weekend! You are sincerely wonderful! xoxo forever!

p.s. Do you not love Meryl Streep? She is amazing and gracious. Her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes brought happy tears to my eyes. She is a timeless actress and genuine woman of character. Did you watch the Golden Globes? What did you enjoy?

Happy week to you all! Thanks for visiting!

Higgins: A Lake for All Seasons

Higgins Lake is gorgeous in the summer. Look at that water! Look at that sky! Oh my, the blues and greens are colliding into dreams of summer, sunshine and sweetness. I cannot wait to get back on the boat with the warm breezes running through my hair, Mr. Schalk at the wheel and Bonnie at the bow.

Oh wait...

...it's the middle of January. I have a LONG time before this picture becomes reality. Ho hum. I'll have to go back to my second love of the lake...



Ice fishing! Okay, maybe not my second love per se. But a lot of fine Michigander's love. I have been staring at this picture for weeks. There is something about the movements, the colors of the fisherman's clothing and the activity itself that intrigues me. Those little huts..do they work? Are you warm in there Mr. Fisherman? Do you get nervous driving your ATV out on the ice?

Do you call it ATV or four-wheeler? We always called it a four-wheeler, but I hear ATV more often. I heart four-wheelers! They are great fun to drive around in Mr. Ed's tree fields. I'm sure they are great on ice covered lakes, as well.



Brr, it was cold standing in the middle of the lake with our girl when this picture was snapped. Don't worry Bonnie, mama has you safe and sound. We won't ....crrrrack! Ahh, RUN!!!

Just kidding!

Although, we did hear cracking while walking out on the lake. I was nervous, but Mr. Schalk assured me it was just the 14 chocolate chip cookies I had eaten a few hours before. Phew!

Is it summer yet?

Luckily, I have a few months. As excited as I am for summer lake weather I can certainly wait a while for swimming suits.

I know, did I really have to bring that up? No, no put it out of your mind. It will be fine. Just fine.

Let's go eat some cookies!

Family Time

I know I used this photo a couple days ago, but isn't it great?! My parents hanging out with their biggest pup fans. Obviously, this picture says it all. Bonnie, on the right, adores her family. The feeling is quite mutual.

I've said many times what a happy doggie she is. But have I mentioned just what a nut she is, too? She is a goofy, happy, pup ball nut! I adore her and her sweet joy, but she is certainly a goof ball. They say dogs take on the personalities of their owners.

Hmmm….I'm not going there.

So, she is goofy. We've established that. But have we touched on just how crazy she gets when our families come over? Nothing makes her more happy than having her people around.

She especially loves it when her sister comes over! Hi Breezy!

Oh man, life is good!

What is she even doing? How does she get purple hippo on her back?

Bonnie and Brie are so cute playing together. It's hard to get them without a little blur. Fitting if you think about it. Fuzzy pictures for fuzzy pups. Hey, it's not easy photographing bichons. They love their play time and were not even close to crashing for the night. Especially if Mr. Ed was willing to play ball with them.

Fun Supreme!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo, Bonnie

They sat in silence.

I was drinking a bottle of water today and thinking how good it tasted. Then, I thought about how our fridge at work is stocked with fresh water and drinks. There are many people in the world everyday who would love the luxury of fresh water anytime they desired. There are many Haitians today who need water, need food and need prayer. The world continues to move, but may our hearts be moved to pray for our brothers in sisters in Haiti tonight. I cannot imagine their pain, their loss or their fear.

I began reading the book of Job a few days ago. We all remember the part where his friends started telling Job how he must have sinned big time for God to punish him with the loss of his family, his possessions and his health. We know God does not approve of this and rebukes those friends for saying such untruths. I've always looked down on these "friends" of Mr. Job's. But did you know that before his friends spoke they first came and sat in silence with Job? That was Jewish custom. To sit in silence with the one grieving. You did not speak...did not utter one word...until the suffering person spoke first.

I've been thinking about this post all afternoon. What do you say? How do you sum up the tragedy in Haiti, or any tragedy, in words?

You don't. So tonight I'm sitting in silent prayer. God's heart is grieving for his sons and daughters. May we all remember our neighbors in Haiti tonight.



A couple fellow bloggers aiding the relief in Haiti:
The Rusted Chain - Blessed Necklace

Pioneer Woman - A Different Kind of Giveaway

Photo from Compassion International
A very good organization if you are looking for another way to give.

Schalkboard Tuesday: Play List

We love music in our house! The Liz and her Mister gave us some sweet speakers a while back and they make the tunes sound fabulous in our cozy living room. Mr. Schalk and I have very similar music tastes. We like just about anything that falls into jazz, blues, classic rock, 80's, Christian, classical or foreign (think Edith Piaf, Native Music from Machu Picchu and John Two-Hawks). In fact, our love for good music is probably one of the early things that brought us together. That and Christmas.

Oddly enough, I can't keep a beat. I try, but it's kind of a joke. Still, I have a deep appreciation for music. It's hard to even pick a favorite artist or band.


B.B. King really tops the list. He and I are best friends. Seriously. Sort of...I'll have to fill you in sometime.

In the meantime, this week's Schalkboard Tuesday is my play list. I made a play list last week of songs that just make me happy. The kind you want to listen to over and over, belt out at the top of your lungs and dance like crazy.

A.K.A. Having a blast in your car when your driving by yourself. They are random and fun.

This play list is totally ME. Not me and the mister. Love Mr. Schalk, but these are definitely not his kind of tunes. He humors me, but it's about as fun as when I listen to Amy Grant with him. Poor guy. No, these are just Rachel songs to make me smile and dance and be goofy. An awesome way to unwind from crazy brain days.

So, without further adieu here is a sampling of my quirky fun i-just-want-to-enjoy-life current play list:

1. Be Somebody - Kings of Leon (the first 59 seconds are amazing)
2. Nothing Ever Hurt Like You - James Morrison (not to be confused with Jim Morrison)
3. Cold Shoulder - Adele (I heart Adele!)
4. Lucky - Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat
5. In the Colors - Ben Harper (Ben and I go way back...so hip..him not me.)
6. Run (Live) - Snow Patrol
7. Let It Be Me - Ray LaMontagne
8. Christmas - Teddy Thompson (Heard this song in Anthro last month. I found myself singing along with a goofy grin on my face. Shazamed it and it actually picked the song/artist despite the crazy Christmas crowd in the background. Thank you Shazam!)

So, there you go. My crazy, unique, maybe lame maybe awesome play list to welcome in Twenty Ten. What songs make you feel alive? Dance? Are YOUR songs?

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo, Rachel

Happy Birthday Mr. S!

This past week we celebrated the uber-cool Mr. Schalk. It was his birthday!

We celebrated his special day with a nice dinner at Petite Chou. Oh yum! It was a work day, though, so we didn't get to celebrate as much as we'd (I'd) like. I adore birthdays and celebrating my loved ones! Especially, Mr. Schalk's special day. So, of course we had to celebrate this weekend, too.

Bonnie had to help Daddy with the presents!

Hey, Mr. S, it's your birthday what would you like to do?

What?

Really?

Okay, we'll cook dinner for my parents for your birthday.

That's right, that's what he wanted. So, we did.

Pork Tenderloin with an amazing spice rub, roasted beets/potatoes/carrots, endive salad w/blue cheese and walnuts and potato pancakes with tarragon and loveliness. Oh YUM!

And it was fun. Really fun!

Bonnie is in heaven.

I think Mr. Schalk enjoyed himself, too.


Mr. Schalk is not much of a cupcake man, but I did manage to squeeze one in.

Cupcake wine. I don't know if it's any good, but I had to get it.

Don't worry, he got real presents, too.

For birthday dessert, Mr. Schalk was supposed to get homemade cherry almond ice cream and brownies. The brownies turned out yummy, but the ice cream…well, the ice cream is still setting up. It tasted almondy and delightful, so if the texture would cooperate we may have one fine recipe. Almond extract, chocolate pieces and fresh black cherries....please set up mister ice cream so I can indulge in your deliciousness. I'll let you know how it turns it out in 18 years when it's finally set (fingers crossed).

The brownies came from a recipe from a wonderful lady named Angie. I babysat her three adorable boys when i was younger. They are the reason I wouldn't mind having my own boys one day. She is vibrant, funny and an all around great lady. And she makes killer brownies!

Here is the recipe. It's super easy and VERY yummy! I made one tweak by using Agave nectar instead of corn syrup or honey. I thought it added a nice floral taste without too much sweetness. You can use whichever you fancy.

Brandon's Birthday Brownies
(a.k.a. Angie's Best Brownies)

Brownie:

• ½ cup butter melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (found in any grocery store, aisle 13 in Meijer)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9” square baking dish. Stir together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well with spoon. Set aside.
2. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Spread into pan and bake for 20 minutes.
3. To make frosting, beat butter, cocoa, agave, and vanilla until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk. Beat to spreading consistency.
4. Spread with frosting while the brownies are still warm but not hot. Let frosting set.

Happy Birthday Mr. Schalk! I'm so glad you were born. God loves you and so do I!

xoxo, Rachel