Forty Percent

That's the chance of precipitation for St. Louis indefinitely, and it's about the same possibility of me regularly updating this online journal of mine. Nevertheless, I will attempt to document summer 2014 with all its isolated thunderstorms, good reads, travels around our city, new sights in the pacific northwest, and quality time in the kitchen. It's destined for greatness, and it's too good not to share.

My first pastry of the summer: blueberry rooibos and apricot scones

Hello, delicious!

I've been day dreaming about tea infused pastries ever since I sampled the naughty vicar (it's their most fancied blend) gooey butter cake at the London Tea Room. The idea of endless, wonderful flavor options makes me swoon. Here is my tea infused creation...

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tsp. blueberry rooibos loose leaf
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
3 cups of flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup dried, chopped apricots
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat milk to a boil, remove from heat and steep for 7 minutes.

Sift/mix together the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter until it looks evenly crumbly. Mix in the apricots, then the sugar.

Whisk the egg and a small amount of the milk tea. After the egg is tempered, the rest of the milk tea can be added. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry and knead the dough several times on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out and cut into squares, or whatever shape you can create. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar and almonds.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Breakfast is served! 

Also wanted to share our favorite afternoon snack: Green smoothie

It's pretty simple...

Blend: 5-6 ice cubes, two heaping handfuls of kale, sliced green apple, large scoop of plain Greek yogurt, vanilla almond milk, and a banana.

Sip, relax, repeat.

Happy summer, friends!

The Perfect Dough

We have a thing for pizza. Some may even say we are becoming pizza snobs, but I prefer to label our love for what it truly is: r-e-s-p-e-c-t

There's a lot to love about pizza. The variety found on a pizza is rare, and the literal range of depth* gives people something to take pride in. However, lately we have given greater thought to what proves a pizza's worth. What some pizza lovers see as a blank canvas, we have found to be its distinction. A well made dough means a reputable pie.

Homemade pizza is in our oven almost weekly, and just because it's assembled in our kitchen doesn't mean it's loved less. Andrew is always refining his pizza dough to make it perfectly seasoned, crisp, and bubbly. His latest secret is to let the dough spend the night in the refrigerator, then let it proof for two hours before it bakes. His sources tell him that this delayed overnight fermentation creates a golden crust with the ideal crunch and a hint of yeast. Maybe one day we'll own a wood fired oven, or publish a book of pizza recipes, but until then we will keep on loving good pizza.

*#everybodyknows #thesquarebeyondcompare

Ode to Local Fare

We love our city, and we are always looking for and finding more to love. One of the best ways to do this is to taste. It seems like St. Louis is somehow moving forward with every new restaurant we discover. There is something in us that says, "Hey, this place could change the city." Neighborhoods are marked by their food culture, and the better the food, the better the city. This is why we cheer on places like Local Harvest Cafe and The London Tea Room. They see potential in themselves that goes beyond their menu. I hope they know we see it too.

Our most recent eats and what we loved:

Half and Half - citrus donuts (i.e. churros)

The Good Pie - that napoletana dough

Kakao Chocolate - goat's milk caramel and the dark chocolate bark with pecans

Local Harvest Cafe - the Local Slinger

The London Tea Room - the Naughty Vicar loose leaf

Blues City Deli - the Veno

Urban Chestnut - Cuvee de Peche and Weem's Wheat

Fast Forward

It just feels right to begin with a look back. Here is a small glimpse into the past few seasons.

                                                                          Summer

Reclined on blankets to listen to Sh-boom and watch fireworks.

Road tripped to Minnesota.

Admired the decor and tasted the muffins at the Duluth Farmer's Market.

Hiked Gooseberry Falls.

Loved the restaurants and the good people of Grand Marais.

Stayed in Winter Park

Hiked the Flat Irons.

Drove through cold rain and warm sunshine in arapahoe national forest. 

Hiked Gray's Peak.

Fall

Perfected the pumpkin spiced latte.

Shopped vintage market days.

Sipped Missouri wine and brew with friends.

Picked apples.

Baked apple pie.

Celebrated twenty five.

Studied.

Watched the Cardinals win the National League Championship.

       
                                                                           Winter

Decorated a tree from Ted Drewes.

Spotted eagles along the Mississippi.

Toured Chicago in a snow storm.

Pretended to be Bull's fans.

I'm grateful for all of the fun memories in beautiful places with good people. It's a lovely thing to embrace each season for what it has for us, and I'm ready to do it all again this year. 

Okay, now I can start sharing what's fresh out of the kitchen in our lives.

Words

Words are powerful. They connect us, change us, project us. If what we say can do so much for us, then why are we so often thoughtless with our words? If lies, small talk, and negativity reign over my mouth, then I am unable to give anything more than hopelessness to others. My hope is that I always consider the potential of my words for myself, for others, and for the glory of my savior. May I think well, speak well, write well, and live well. My desire for pragmatic kitchen is to inspire us to savor our words, our food, and our lives. It's a place for me to share my love for communication, cooking, and exploring.

Cheers... to good words, good food, and good travels!