Archive | how to make it

Summer Reading: Pantry Staples, Stone Fruit, Special Diets and More!

By Kristen Desmond on August 11, 2013 in Featured, how to make it

It’s been a busy summer! In addition to baking for a local coffee house, planning for our retail space at the Santa Barbara Public Market (opening this fall!), and keeping things going here with recipe development ~ we started this little project. Kristen’s weekly blog posts cover a range of topics from organizing your kitchen to cooking with seasonal produce to accommodating special diets. There is something for everyone, and that’s the point. It’s not fussy. It’s not fancy. It’s not rocket science. It’s about finding ideas and inspiration for preparing healthy, delicious food at home using the highest quality ingredients available to you. Read more to learn about this project and what you’ll find there!

Poaching + Green Apple Chicken Salad

By Kristen Desmond on March 22, 2011 in Blog, how to make it

Things are about to get really interesting around here. This weekend, I am moving my portable electric burner, refrigerator, and work table into the living room. Yes – the living room. Demolition is about to begin on our home renovation, the result of which will include a brand new kitchen (!!). Until then, I will continue my quest to stir up healthy eats at home in, shall we say, less than inspiring circumstances.

Take this Green Apple Chicken Salad for example. Once I poached the chicken, it came together so quickly – crunchy, tart, nutty goodness. If I can still do anything in my makeshift kitchen, it’s poach chicken. To learn how to poach chicken and get more links to recipes for salad with poached chicken, read more…

Make Stuffing You Will Love

By Kristen Desmond on November 8, 2010 in how to make it, where to see it

I know what you’re thinking. Stuffing is that dish on the buffet table, sort of like fruit cake, that is either forgettable or unforgettable (usually for reasons you don’t want to remember!). By following a few simple guidelines, you can turn out a stuffing that will leave your guests begging for more.

In other kitchen shenanigans, I whipped together a Cran-Apple Couscous last night that was pretty tasty. I started by cooking 1 cup of whole wheat couscous. To the cooked couscous, I added chopped apple, dried cranberries, chopped green onions, and sliced toasted almonds. I then dressed it with apple cider vinegar, grape seed oil, orange zest, salt, and pepper. Yummy! For inspiration on making simple dressings and pumpkin bouquets at home, read on…

Grilling the Turkey

By Kristen Desmond on November 22, 2009 in how to make it

Thanks to my Dad, I grew up on grilled turkey from the old-school charcoal barbecue. When it came time to make it on my own, Dad taught me to do it his way and I never looked back (especially once I realized the beauty of having the oven free for everything else). Before the turkey even […]

Martian Brains

By Kristen Desmond on November 17, 2009 in how to make it

It really is a wonder that I grew up liking Brussels sprouts as much as I do given that my Mom always referred to them as “martian brains.” Perhaps that was her way of making them fun to eat, and yet, what girl in her right mind would want to eat martian brains? Me, I guess. I digress… […]

Marathon Update + White Bean Chili + Maple Corn Bread

By Kristen Desmond on November 6, 2009 in how to make it

On November 1st, I joined over 39,000 runners to compete in the NYC Marathon. The crowd support was amazing, the volunteers were incredible, and the weather was perfect – 50 degrees with a cloud cover. As a runner, you can’t ask for better conditions. My nutrition plan worked well – oatmeal, a sports bar, Gu and Gatorade […]

Life’s a Picnic

By Kristen Desmond on August 17, 2009 in Blog, how to make it, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes

Lucky us. A friend was headed out of town for the weekend and just had to unload some tickets for a concert under the stars. We were more than happy to help him out with this little problem. Time for a picnic! When I think picnic, I think salads and side dishes. I had some thin green beans to […]

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