Faux Olive Garden Breadsticks

Once upon a time I was supposed to be grading Physiology Lab assignments, but decided to experiment instead. With what? (Because the title doesn't give it away) breadsticks. They came out of the oven and I about died. Not kidding.

Just tell me your mouth isn't watering.

Because I am just that awesome, here is the recipe. Keep in mind I just made this up, today. I have tried it once, and it may have just been a "hitting a bulls-eye on the first try" sort of thing. (I don't think so though)


Faux Olive Garden Breadsticks


Dough:
4.5 C. Flour (bread flour or all-purpose). You could also do 1/2 and 1/2 (wheat & white)
1.5 C warm water
1 pkg of active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp.
1 T Coconut milk (or milk of choice)
3 T Agave Nectar (or sweetener of choice) - divided
1 T melted butter (unsalted)
2 tsp garlic powder, or more. I eyeballed it, let's be honest.
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil


Topping:
2-3 T melted butter OR Olive Oil
salt
garlic powder


Here is what you do:
1. Prep your yeast. Mix your 1.5 C of warm water (not hot, or else it will kill the poor little yeast) with yeast, and 1 of the Tablespoons of your sweetener of choice. Wait for it to get all bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.
2. Mix the dry ingredients and add the wet last (making the yeast the very last). Mix, and knead. (If you have a handy Kitchen Aid, use your dough hook)
3. Once your dough has formed a slightly (very slightly) sticky ball, let it rise until it doubles in size (about 1-1.5 hours)
4. Roll the dough into breadsticks, making them smaller than usual because they will rise again. I used a class baking dish and found it to work better than a metal cookie sheet (it made the bottom a little harder than the delicious, soft bottom). Cover and let rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400.
5. Before you put your rolls in the oven, sprinkle them with garlic powder, and basil. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
6. Before the breadsticks finish, melt the butter (if using EVOO, don't melt it:) and combine the salt and garlic. Once removed from the oven, quickly spread the topping on, and just eat one. So. Good.

When Your Sister Leaves Without You

This is my awesome little sister Layne: 

and today, she got her first college acceptance letter!

Because said little sister decided to be galavanting around the East Coast  on they day it came (and didn't take me with her), I got to open it. 

Congrats, Layne!  You got into Hofstra University in NY! 

PS-You also go a fatty scholarship. 

The Best Part

Last night as I was attempting to go to bed, I realized that there is a long list of things "they" (if anyone can tell me who they is, be my guest. Or as Flight of the Concords says, "Who's the man, I'm the man, you're the man. What makes a man a man?") failed to tell me before I tied the knot. 

One of my favorite things about being married is waking up to Robert playing with my hair. I had always been told that waking up to your best friend was one of the best parts of being married. Agreed. 

What they didn't tell me: The actual going to sleep part? Nigh impossible. Once Robert and I settle down, I realize that it is the first time in twenty-four hours that it is just Mr. husband and I. No distractions, no tasks to accomplish and nothing to do, but sleep. 

And so for the first time during the day, we actually talk. We talk about our day, and crazy dreams, and how I want to be an ambassador, and own a restaurant, and be a pilot, a nurse, nutritionist, and sociology professor, what country we want to live in next, and what fruit trees we want to grow. Then we cuddle, and then I realize that my poor husband is getting tired, so I do everything I can to annoy Robert so we can have a few extra minutes, a few extra minutes to talk before I fall asleep to the steady beat of husbands heart.  

picture via

 They say that the best part about being married is going through the hard times together, and knowing there is always someone to support you.

But for me,

this is the best part about being a wife, and the part of day I will always look forward to.

[ "When the layers subside

and the fortune is empty

the pigment of our days will echo pure

and I will be nowhere

if not with you" ]

-taken from a plate I found at Antropologie 

this is happening

I know this is old news; but, 

Top Notch: Topshop and Topman Plan to Open at Fashion Show Next March. 

entrance

Sometimes living in Vegas has it's perks, and I can't complain. :)

Corner Love

So here is the deal:

When I was in London last year I fell in love with a few things, other than the city itself. One of those was corner yogurt. Haven't heard of it? Well, you probably won't until you head to Western Europe in the near future. Until then. Let me explain.

Take plain yogurt. In Europe it has far less sugar, but it is even more delicious. Everything is more delicious in Europe. Okay, remembering an English breakfast makes me take that last comment back.

With that plain yogurt, add a little fruit, granola, cookie crumbs, etc.  in the corner, in it's own separate compartment. It's beautiful. Even better?

+

I can not even begin to tell you how many times my breakfast, lunch and dinner consisted of this combination. I am sure the London Centre cleaned the local Tesco out of corner yogurts on multiple occasions.

Today I was sitting here on my little laptop, not having the best of days. Do you know what made it better? My cute husband brought me home flowers, and my mom made a trip to Costco. I have seen Fage's attempt at Muller's Corner Yogurt, but hadn't tried it, until today. Completely worth it.

It's not a real corner yogurt, but until Tesco ships internationally, it will do. :)

Happy Thursday!

I'll Star your Wars

Last week my cute little nephew Caleb turned 7! Un-real.

We had a fun little family party at Laser Quest (My little sister's code name was "your mom". I can't even tell you how funny it was to hear people yell, "who the heck is your mom!?" whenever they got hit. hilarious.) If you don't know Caleb (which most of you don't, lets be honest), it would help to know that he is incredibly taken with anything that has to do with people fighting with long things; It could be knights with swords, or people on a space ship who's weapon of choice lights up and looks plastic. In more practical terms, his whole room is Star Wars.

For said little boys birthday, my older sister Micah decided to get her craft on (which she usually does, because she is just off the heezey). In all of her crafty genius-ness, she whipped up this wall art:

Sorry, not the best picture quality. Blame the iPhone.

Antiqued painted Pez dispensers, mounted on cloth and put in a frame. Geinus. 

FYI:  if any of you are feeling the need to do this for a girl, my sister informed me (in all of her Pez knowledge) that your local Dollar Tree now carries Disney princess Pez dispensers. 

Wedding Pictures; The Guests

I am almost done posting wedding pictures! {2 months after I got them...} I decided to do just a post about the guests because Jimmy {our photographer} did such a great job capturing all the people that were there! It's so nice to look back through and see all the people who came to support us. And, let's be honest, some of them just make me crack up {but then again, I make myself crack up}

So here is to all those who supported Robert and I on that perfect day:

Gluten Free + Rolls.

I can't even begin to tell you how long I have been wanting to master the art of yeast rolls. When I was a wee one my mother gave me cooking lessons every summer, and my favorite was by far the yeast lessons. Did I ever master it? Not really. I have had my successes here and there, but it usually ends in my killing the yeast or somehow the dough not rising properly. That is why I usually stick to the "no-knead" method and always have perfect, tasty results.

During my time in here Las Vegas I had a few goals to accomplish. One of them was to perfect the art of yeast breads. I have made rolls twice already this week, and I am a little surprised that both of them were pretty much to die for {I may or may not be biased}. I got both recipes from "Our Best Bites", but adapted them and made them my own {in other words, I changed about half of the ingredients}.


First, I will start with the Gluten Free Dinner Rolls.

Here is what you will need:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 tsp yeast
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 C milk substitute of choice ( I used unsweetened almond but I am sure you can get away with rice or soy)
2 C brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 to 1 C potato flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening (I used grapeseed oil)
2 Tbsp butter
2 eggs

Here is what you need to do:
1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Place warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle yeast and 2 teaspoons sugar onto it.  Set aside.
3. Microwave milk for about 1 minute, until hot.  Add butter and stir to melt.
4.  Combine all flours, 2 T of your sugar, xanthun gum, potato flour, and salt in a large bowl (this is where I bust out the Kitchen Aid)
5.  Add yeast mixture, warm milk mixture, oil, and eggs into dry ingredients.  Beat on a high speed for 2 minutes.
6. Spray a muffin tin pan with cooking spray.  Spoon dough into muffin tins, around 3/4 full. ( This dough is probably more sticky than you are used to, but it's okay)
7.  Set muffin tray on open oven door to rise (or turn oven off and place rolls inside with door closed like I did).  Let rise for 20-30 minutes. 8.  Turn heat up to 375 and bake for 20-24 minutes. (Take pan out of the oven after rising while preheating)  

My family are all on different diet restrictions so it is always safe to just go with dairy free and gluten free. My whole family raved about them, including the "normal" eaters.  So, I would call them a success. As I side note, I didn't use the dough attachment for my kitchen aid. 

Fluffy, Delicious & Light Dinner Rolls

{adapted from Our Best Bites}

Here is what you will need:

2 C Almond Milk (the original "our best bites" recipe called for whole milk)
2 Tbsp. Sugar + 2 Tbsp Agave Nectar (original called for ½ c. + 1 Tbsp of sugar)
3 Tbsp butter (original called for 1/3 C.)
2-3 tsp. Kosher salt (I used three, and thought it could use a tiny bit more)
2 pkgs. active dry yeast (or 4 1/2 tsp.)
2/3 c. warm (105-115-degree) water
3-4 c. whole wheat flour + 2-3 c. all-purpose or white (the original called for 8-9 c. all-purpose flour, I did half and half)
3 beaten eggs

Here is what you do:

1.Combine milk, 2 T. sugar & agave nectar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts, then remove from heat.  (You need to allow this to cool until it's luke warm or else it will kill the yeast)

2. While the milk mixture is cooling, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tbsp. sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes. If the yeast hasn’t bubbled, you’ll need to repeat this step–moving. (It is VITAL. Bubbly yeast= yummy rolls.)

3.In a large mixing bowl (kitchen aid), combine 3 c. flour and milk mixture. Beat on low for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Add yeast mixture and beat on high for 3 minutes.
Add beaten eggs. 

4.Stir in as much remaining flour as needed to make a soft dough. (down here in Vegas I did a total of 3 c. WW and 3.5-4 C of all-purpose) This dough should be very soft–it will be coming away from the sides of the bowl, but it will still stick to your finger when you touch it. (Make sure you are either using your dough hook or kneading it) Place the bowl in a warm place and cover with a clean towel; allow to rise 1 hour.

6. Punch down dough. Lightly flour your work surface and turn dough out onto surface. Divide in half.

7. Spray 2 9×13 glass pans with cooking spray. Roll first portion of dough into a rectangle and then cut it into 12 equal-sized pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough in the second pan.

8. Cover with a clean cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. When dough has about 15-20 minutes to go (depending on your oven), preheat oven to 375.

9. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden-brown. When they are done you can take a stick of butter and rub the top with them, or not. Whatever makes your heart happy (literally speaking, it would probably be to skip the extra butter).

They came out of the oven about two hours ago, and my mom served about half of them to the missinaries that came over for a meeting with my dad. They said they were good. I think they are good too, so they are probably the most delicious thing you have ever put in your mouth. {then again, I am biased}

The N.H. primary is coming up on Tuesday, I just may make them for our primary party so I can eat away my anxiety as I watch. 

Happy Thursday and beginning to the Republican primary season!