Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

It's soup season here in Michigan.  It's supposed to be in the thirties all week, so nothing tastes better than a nice worm bowl of soup.  I can honestly say that I never liked squash growing up, but I was never really forced to eat it either.  Lately, I've become more and more in love with these delicious veggies.  This soup does require some time, so keep that in mind if you're looking to make it for dinner.  There are also quite a few steps involved, and you are going to want to make sure you have either a regular blender or an immersion blender.  The natural sweetness from the squash and sweet potatoes are complimented wonderfully by the salty bacon. 

Cranberry Pistachio Pumpkin Spiced Biscotti

This cold weather makes me want to sit on my couch drinking coffee for an entire day.  Unfortunately, I usually have to go to work, which turns my ideal coffee and couch date into me rushing out of my house with my thermos and chugging my coffee in time to have my first meeting at work.  I'm not a fan of the pumpkin spiced coffee drinks, but I definitely enjoy pumpkin flavored desserts.  This was my first time trying a Biscotti recipe.  I found the main recipe on Pinterest and then adapted it by adding in cranberries, pistachios, and dunking it in white chocolate.  The best part of Biscotti cookies, is that they are already hard and therefore make for easy Christmas gifts.  They would do perfectly fine if shipped and they would taste as fresh as the day they were baked.  You can find the original recipe here at On Sugar Mountain blog .

Sriracha Dressing

I don't know about you, but Sriracha is a staple in our household.  Blake literally will put it on anything and everything.  I have grown to love it on pizza and eggs, and it's obviously amazing with tacos.  Since I was crazy and planted three tomato plants, and we clearly could not eat them fast enough, I decided to make a simple tomato and parsley salad for dinner.  To spice it up, I sprinkled goat cheese on top.  The real kicker, however; was the Sriracha salad dressing.  It gave the salad a kick without taking away from the freshness of the herbs and tomatoes. 

Spice Rubbed Sweet Potatoes

Fall is here, and there is no better way to celebrate it than roasting sweet potatoes.  Roasting tends to be my go-to method of cooking vegetables of any kind, since I can basically leave them unattended for 20-30 minutes while I cook the rest of dinner.   I think onions and garlic are sweet potatoes best friends, and they should always be eaten together.  Of course if you're lame and don't like onions, you could leave them out. And, if your just ridiculous and you don't like garlic, you can just get the Hell out of my blog.  I kid, but seriously, do those people exist?

Anywho, this side dish is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.  The combination of cinnamon and sugar offsets the spicy kick from Cayenne.  If you want a bigger kick you can always add more Cayenne pepper, but I found the below measurements to be the perfect ratio.  Once you mix all the ingredients together you can throw these potatoes into the oven and forget about them for half an hour!

Changes.

As you've probably already noticed, the blog looks a bit different.  Yes, I've changed the name... again.  I've been struggling since day one to pick a blog name that I love, and now I think I've got it.  I definitely don't think it's the most original, but lately I've wanted to be able to blog about things other than just food.  

Don't get me wrong.... I loooove food, and that will be the number one thing I post about. I just don't want to feel confined by my blog title anymore.  My hobbies, including work, thrifting, home repairs, etc. are all things I'd love to blog about, but haven't been because I felt like this was only a "food blog."  Now, posting on tips for thrift store shopping wont seem so out of place.  

Why "Table for Two?"  Because it's just Blake and I of course! Most of my recipes are tailored for 2-3 people since that's all I cook for, and because this blog will now entail adventures,vacations, and everyday activities that Blake and I experience. 

As promised, baked apples are soon to come, so keep an eye out!!!!!

S'more Cookies

S'mores are high on the list of items that are loved in the summer time.  They are such a simple desert and the hands-on aspect make them a lot of fun for kids and adults alike.  Blake discovered the gloriousness  (yeah I made that word up) of using a Resee's peanut butter cup in exchange for a Hershey's bar.  You could definitely do that for this recipe as well if you are daring enough.  Although we all love our s'mores, there isn't always a bonfire handy, and making them in the microwave just isn't the same.  This is a wonderful adaptation of the traditional s'more and they are much easier to transport for parties or birthdays. 

I'm not going to post much about this recipe as I did nothing special and used the chocolate chip recipe from the back of the chocolate chip bag.  I asked my mother (who I think makes the best cookies, obviously), what the secret was for her chocolate chip cookies.  To my horror as well as my delight, she informed me that the Tollhouse chocolate chip bag is the recipe she uses.  Don't knock it until you try it.  

Simple Salad Dressing

My friend over at Victor Axe + Tool inspired this post.  Victor went to high school with Blake and I, and we have always been very interested in supporting small local companies, especially those we actually know.  When Victor first opened shop, Blake didn't hesitate to order an axe, and I must say that it is beautiful.  The axes are all hand crafted and they are so gorgeous, we've displayed it in our house as a piece of art work.  Victor is running a "Give Away" contest on his Instagram account where you had to post a photo of an item that will 'Live On.'  The photo I chose to take was of my grandmothers juicer.  My mother just passed this down to me, and I love it! Many of the recipes I post on here include marinades or salad dressings, and so this beautiful and vintage juicer gets used a lot now that I have it.  Since the summer time usually involves a lot of salads and grilling, I decided to post the basics to making a simple but delicious vinaigrette. Once you have the basics then you can start adding in your own unique flavors depending on what you're in the mood for. I do not buy salad dressings from the grocery store any more.  They are filled with far too many ingredients that are not necessary and God knows there is so much sugar in them, it defeats the purpose of eating a salad.  If I want to consume a 1/2 cup of sugar, I'll eat some Haribo candy (which happens far too often). 

Chicken Gyros

Surprise.... I'm alive!!!!! I know it's hard to believe because I haven't posted anything in months, but I'm back.  Work and the house caught up with me and it seemed that every last free minute I've had has gone to prepping the yard for spring while simultaneously finishing up projects we started over the winter.  

My family has always had a special spot in our hearts for Coney Island restaurants, and they are on every corner here in South East Michigan.  I was so sad when I left for college only to find out they didn't exist on the West side of the state.  I've always shied away from making my own tzatziki sauce because it seemed like it would be labor intensive, but I was surprised by the fact that it was so easy and so delicious.  I will never buy it again.  

Braised Short Ribs

This recipe is from the show The Sandwich King on Food Network.  I never thought about cooking short ribs, honestly I'm not sure I even knew they existed.  The Sandwich King made it look effortless and easy, and overall it was.  It was a perfect excuse to use my new casserole dish I got last week, and it was fun trying something new.  I'm not a huge pot roast or stew kind of person, but Blake is and I knew he'd like this recipe.  I had to adapt the recipe a bit because of not having an item or two, but it still turned out great.  You can find the recipe below or check out the link above. 

Bacon & Gouda Sandwich

Bacon.  It's the answer to many questions in life.  What should we do for dinner tonight? Bacon.  What do you think would make this recipe even better? Bacon.  Not only is bacon delicious, but it's all the rage lately.  We see bacon band aids, mints, toothpaste, and air fresheners, so you know your significant other/friends will love you if you make them this sandwich.  Blake and I rarely eat a normal BLT sandwich, and when we do it's usually done to highlight our fresh tomatoes from the garden and not the bacon (weird).  I wanted to make an updated version of the bacon sandwich, where all the elements added to the bacon without taking attention away from it (that's better).  While prepping the bacon I kept thinking about how I wished I had peppered bacon and so then this happened.....

Apple Pie Empanadas

Not many people spend their spring break cooking homemade desserts, but I'm not surprised that's what I did today.  After an hour of researching how to convert CR2 files into JPEG files, I finally got to post this delicious dessert.  This dessert was inspired by two of the best fast food restaurants out there... McDonalds and Taco Bell.  I saw a guy eating one of those microwaveable apple pies while running errands and I was thinking of how to update the idea of a hand held dessert.  In the process of making it, I realized it also reminded me of the empanadas my dad loves from Taco Bell.  Either way, it most likely has far less sugar and preservatives than both of its fast food counterparts.  Also, you can easily make them ahead of time and heat them shortly before serving. 

Take Time Tuesday: It's Spring Time!

I've been trying to get blogging these past couple of weeks, and somehow something always gets in the way.  I was sad when the Little Things linkup ended that used to be every Friday through Hello Hue, but amazingly a friend of mine at Live Half Full  just started a Take Time Tuesday linkup that I am excited to have been invited to! It's basically the same concept of taking a moment to be thankful in the little things that make us smile.  Mine have been from the past couple of weeks and I'm excited to share them with you!

Must Have Kitchen Items

Alright guys, it's that time of year when we are all beginning to worry about the lb's we've gathered over the winter months while hibernating.  The swimsuits are already being put out to remind us that we need to start kicking it back into high gear.  With that always in the back of my mind, I thought I'd share some of the healthy items I always have in our kitchen.  These items are not only good for us, and have proven health benefits, but they will also end up saving you money. 

Little Things: healthy living and memories

Quick and Easy Tomato Soup

Blake and I both talked over dinner about how Tomato Soup was not something we enjoyed as children.  I read somewhere that every 7-years our tastes change, which I think it a great thing! It makes sense too, as we live our lives, we are exposed to more flavors and flavor combinations.  I would never in a million years believed I would like brussel sprouts, but low and behold the last time I made them I loved them! I also used to hate sweet potatoes, and Blake and I currently eat them about once or twice a week.  This soup is quick, cheap, and easy, which are three of my favorite things. 

Shrimp Rangoons

I wasn't going to post this recipe initially because I considered it quite a failure.  It not only took forever and a million and one dishes, but ultimately, it just wasn't worth the work.  I like to give you recipes that are quick and painless, and this was far from it.  Alas, since this blog is really my exploration through cooking, I felt I should still upload this recipe so that you can learn from the mistakes I made.  Note:  do not attempt to make Rangoons more healthy by baking them.  by the third attempt, and second folding experiment, I gave up and fried them. Only then, did the insides not explode out of the won ton wrapper creating an empty hollow cave filled with nothing but air....

Little Things: Dinner Dates & Fluffy Kittens

1) This week I had my rents over for dinner while Blake was out of town for work.  We had a nice dinner date, and although it took them forever to get to my place because of the snow, it ended up being a great dinner.  I absolutely love using fresh herbs in the winter when cooking because, even if only for a moment, it feels/smells like you aren't stuck in the middle of winter in South East Michigan.  

The Little Things: Fat Cat

This week has been crazy busy.  We have a short week coming up this Monday, which always causes me to have to be in over drive.  I'm soaking up each and every moment of quiet and calm, and I've started painting again after finally unpacking everything to help calm my nerves and keep my sanity.  

Roasted Tomato Tart

During the summer, when there is an abundance of cherry tomatoes, I always make Blake and I a roasted tomato and rosemary dish that we pair with goat cheese and french bread.  I made a similar recipe here on the blog, but substituted grapes for the tomatoes and it was fantastic! You can find it here. This recipe would be perfect for a holiday party or as a simple snack.  If you substituted pizza dough for the puff pastry, it'd make a delicious and healthy pizza as well.  I don't know what it is about rosemary but I love it. If Blake would let me, I'd put it in everything! It's the one herb I grow religiously.  It's not nearly as fragile as Basil, and it can handle a few forgotten waterings if you are as forgetful as I am.  It also manages to survive through much of the fall and winter as long as it doesn't get too cold, and when you live in Michigan, this is a must.

It's the Little Things: We've Moved!

It's official, Blake and I are finally home owners! We have already had a few "live and learn" experiences, but all in all it's been a whirlwind of fun and excitement.  Since moving out this way, we have heard nothing but good things.  Apparently we have moved into the "party" neighborhood, which is getting us even more excited about the summer.  The home projects have already been underway and we managed to complete one room already!