Married, Hold the Kitchen

Sometimes in life the balance tips one way or the other.


Lately, it has gone from busy, to very busy for me. But somehow in all of that I have a strange sense of calm. That is, I feel calm today. 


When I decided to do this blog, I wanted it to be fun for me, most of all. It sounds selfish, but I work enough in other spheres of life. So I promised myself that I would blog when I felt it was fun to do, and I would not turn it into another chore. 


I know this blog has focused mainly on the kitchen aspect of my life, partially because I didn't want to start a journal of personal things and bore you all to shreds. (aside: I wonder who you all are, even if all means just two people ) But today I feel motivated to share with you a bit about the other parts of me. So what else have I been doing instead of cooking? Well......

***

I love music. I especially like finding musicians that are unique and undiscovered and then I go over the moon when I hear them on the radio! Some of these musicians include, but are not limited to:

• Audrey Assad  I was at a conference where she sang at a talent show and blew us away..the rest is history
• Matt Wertz hilarious man, fab concerts, and is friends with the two guys below
• Dave Barnes we danced to his song "I Have and I Always Will" for our First Dance
• Ben Rector 
• NeedtoBreathe 
• Joy Williams and her new group The Civil Wars

The reason I mention this is that for Sibling Christmas I bought tickets for my sister to come to a concert with us in Royal Oak, Michigan. It was a concert for NeedtoBreathe and was opened by Ben Rector himself! The night before the concert, Ben Rector came down with a bad case of the flu and couldn't sing. So naturally a few weeks later we bought tickets for their show in Toronto and became "those people"! We traveled up to the Big City, stayed at our dear friends' home and also spent time with my other sister who is in med school at UofT. It was a blast and since my little sister could not join, Ben Rector agreed to send a video greeting to her! Here's a taste of their music at the very concert we went to...what an amazing time! 

Song: Slumber at the Phoenix Theatre in Toronto

***

I am making headway in my vintage room (he gets the office, I get the spare room...its only fair). I have purchased several vintage-esque pieces, some which I have to paint or restore. Its going to be my ongoing summer project, and I can't wait to make my vision a reality. Here's some of the things I have purchased so far:

Milk Glass Vases!

Two French Provincial Armchairs.

 Not the same as pictured, mine are a beautiful robin's egg blue with white painted wood.

They need to be restored, but at 10 dollars each, how could I resist?!

This dresser was an Ikea  purchase and fits well with the decor, it also is a great place for off season clothes!

I also have been collecting vintage dresses, broaches, books and odd pieces of furniture to paint and restore (yes I will pick up cool things at the side of the road), with more ideas in the works. I'm looking forward to some serious treasure hunting in antique shops this year!

***

I don't have many pictures or recipes, so it really isn't fair. But I have been in the kitchen and have been excited to use the summer fruit, Strawberries, in my desserts. I have now attempted to add them to a strawberry cake, strawberry crumble, strawberry flavored cupcake icing and a strawberry brownie trifle.

Here's the recipe to Martha Stewart's Strawberry Cake. It was yummy with some vanilla ice cream on the side and a cup of coffee or tea. Click for Recipe

And I did remember to take pictures of the Trifle (do not drool on the keyboard.):

This dessert is simple and I use store-bought items to make it. I layer broken pieces of fudge brownie (bake it ahead and let it cool completely before using), drizzled chocolate sauce (I used Sanders Milk and Dark Chocolate fudge sauce), sliced strawberry, strawberry mousse, then repeat and end with whipped cream instead of mousse. Decorate as desired and Voila!!

***

Summer is upon us and I am excited to start gardening again. Last year I planted a few of my own flowers and fruit/veggie plants. This year I have plans for more. A few weeks ago I went out to discover this new garden at our new home and found these!! 

PEONIES!

Calm my beating heart!!!! When I was planning for my wedding, these flowers were my inspiration and splurge. They cost a bundle per bloom, but my decorator was able to place a few in our table arrangements, and I just loved it! They are such a gorgeous flower and they come in the most vibrant to the most delicate shades of pink.

This was the Sweethearts table at Our Wedding where we sat.

Okay, back to the garden. So this year I plan to plant a variety of my own foods to use in my cooking. I purchased some butternut squash, spanish onions, strawberries, roma tomatoes, and carrots. I also plant a little herb garden as I love to add fresh herbs to many-a-meal. I was gifted with some herb seeds, and am going to try and see if I can get them going. Otherwise I already have some Rosemary, Basil, Parsley and Peppermint plants in the works.  

***

That is just a taste of the lighter sides of life that are going on behind the scenes. Warmer days and the glowing sun have made my steps a little lighter and my excitement grow for the days of summer and plans for adventure.

Hopefully this little glimpse into my life has reminded you of all the things you enjoy and will motivate you to keep doing them! 

I can't wait to share some summer recipes, ideas for summer parties and delicious restaurant reviews with you again soon.

Slow Cooker Series: Tender Roast Beef

In the past I have not been shy about the fact that my husband and I come from two totally different backgrounds, both culturally and culinary.


I knew that in order to be a success, I needed to be able to recreate his favorite meal. What's that you say? Oh you know, just Easy-Peasy Roast Beef! No big deal, just roast it to perfection, make sure its both tender and juicy, and seasoned just right. It didn't help that my lovely mother number 2, (not a fan of  the words: "in-law") makes a beautiful roast beef dinner, so he had something to compare it to. 


I was so scared in the beginning that I just never made it and crossed my fingers every time we went to eat at his parents, that she would just magically be serving it. However, I came across a sale on fresh top sirloin roast beef at the store and could not pass it up. So I bought it and then threw it in the freezer so I would forget I even had it. In hindsight, that was a stupid idea. 


I like to cook fresh meat or poultry whenever I can, so I try to buy enough for the week. However, when its on a great sale, which it was, its a nice thing to have in the freezer for when you have to throw together a nice dinner for friends one evening. BUT let it defrost in the fridge over a few days, rushed defrosting is bad news!


Needless to say, one day I defrosted it and decided to read up all I could about cooking this cut of beef. Top sirloin I have found is a decently priced cut of beef, with a nice balance of fat and tender meat. If you can snatch it when it goes on sale, its always a good idea. I buy a roast that is about 2 pounds in weight for the two of us as it shrinks when cooked, but we do end up with some leftovers. Depending on the cut of beef, you may need to cook it longer or cook it with liquid or not. Top sirloin just needs a good sear and no liquid, so make sure you read up a little on your meat and find out the best way to get it tender.


As mentioned in the past, my slow cooker is my new best friend. If you don't have one, I highly suggest finding one, especially if you work during the day and like the idea of coming home to a hot meal with little prep-time involved! I found a second "crock-pot" on our local used items listing (kijiji.com) for $15, and it was digital, which is fancy shmancy! The simpler dial versions are great, but stay on for hours on end until you manually come and turn it off. A digital version can be set for a certain time frame and then it automatically turns to a "keep warm" setting so that your meat doesn't overcook while you're away.


So without further ado, here's the way to prepare a Slow Cooked Tender Roast Beef in a Slow Cooker:


1. Season the meat with salt and pepper or I like Montreal Steak Seasoning, I also rub the meat with some olive oil
2. Heat olive oil in a pan or dutch oven until it is almost smoking, the pan needs to be very hot!
3. Use tongs to hold the meat and brown it on all sides in the pan, it should turn a light to medium brown colour.
4. Transfer the roast beef to a warmed crockpot (I turn it on as I start to prepare my meat) and turn it to low heat setting.
5. Drizzle the leftover juices and oil from the hot pan on top of the roast and then drizzle a bit more olive oil on top.
6. Come back in 7-8 hours to a fully cooked, juicy roast! Try not to lift up the lid as that will allow moisture to escape. 

(see pictures below for visuals)

Here's the delicious finished product. I used the juices from the pot to create a gravy. I like to either make a straight au jus, or do a balsamic vinegar reduction gravy. Do what you and your family likes and pair it with your favorite sides.  

I may not make it just like his mother does, but I passed the test. It was so tender and juicy! Delicious!!