harvest

i'm getting my craft on over here.  when hazel naps i explode with creative energy.  it can be pretty scary.  today i think i will put down the sand paper and paint brushes and turn on the oven.  this cooler weather has got me craving pumpkin cookies.  david will be so excited when he gets home.  what is your favorite fall food? 

easy, creamy, homemade spaghetti sauce

tonight the husband came home with a couple of sweet yellow tomatoes a customer had given him at work.  i had never before had a yellow tomato and let me tell you--delish!  they are very juicy and sweeter than a red tomato.  i decided to make some homemade spaghetti sauce and it turned out amazingly! 

i used:

2 medium yellow tomatoes (diced)
2 medium red tomatoes (diced)
1/2 yellow onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper diced

i chopped all the fresh ingredients and put in medium size bowl.  this is where it gets a little messy.  with clean hands squeeze tomatoes until you get a nice salsa-like consistency.  then add herbs/spices.  i did not have any fresh herbs on hand so i used dried. 

i added:

basil
oregano
onion powder
garlic salt
chili powder
sugar
worcestershire sauce
parmesan cheese
1 can tomato sauce

my husband thinks it is a crime to have meatless spaghetti so i browned some ground beef and added sauce mixture to the cooked beef.  i think the sauce would be amazing without the meat though.  after sauce had cooked for a while i reduced the heat to a simmer and added some heavy cream.  i did not measure anything but i would guess i added about 1/4 cup.  my sauce was a little runny so i added a pinch of flour to thicken things up.  before serving and after removing sauce from the stove i stirred in a handful of grated mozzarella cheese. 

i will now be searching for these yellow tomatoes because they were heavenly.  we both gave this sauce 2 thumbs up--don't think we'll ever be going back to canned. 

Messenger Pizza

yummy+ unique+ great price+atmosphere= messenger pizza

doughnuts

now that enough time has passed i can tell the story of the wedding doughnuts without crying. for our wedding reception we were supposed to have glazed doughnuts. my mom thought it would be cool if a little turquoise food coloring was added to the glaze. The morning of our reception the store we ordered our doughnuts from called and said that the turquoise wasn't showing up in the glaze and asked if i would like the doughnuts frosted instead. i said NO. david and my dad went to pick up the doughnuts later that day, just before the reception and came home with these bad boys. throughout the entire planning of the wedding i was very laid back but when i saw these i lost it; i wanted so badly to take them back but with just a few hours before the reception there was no way to find enough glazed doughnuts to replace the frosted ones. i refused to put them out but our schmear looked so incomplete without them so i had no choice. if anything, they were a great conversation piece.

arizona in idaho

one thing i really miss from arizona are all the beautiful citrus trees. especially the lemon trees. i always told david that if we owned a house in arizona we had to have a lemon tree in our front yard. they are so beautiful and add a lovely splash of color. mmm and they smell so sweet. not to mention how tasty fresh arizona lemons, oranges and grapefruits are... . . i think one of the harding moving adjustments was coming from beautiful warm arizona weather with citrus trees full, flowers blooming and sun shining to cold, snowy, brown, icky idaho weather. the other day i was really missing the sun and to my delight clients at work brought in bagfuls of fresh arizona produce they brought back from a trip. all week i have been feasting on delicious, juicy, arizona oranges and grapefruits. it has made idaho weather a little more bearable. . . enjoy your friday, kira . post edit: what is going on??? now blogger won't give me any spaces!!! am i just technologically challenged or is this an issue with the website? i have never had trouble like this before!

a cupcake and a car

with my job in idaho being less stressful i have more time for domestic pursuits. like baking. last week i decided to try strawberry pokecake in cupcake form. they turned out deliciously but were one poke away from needing a fork, which defeats the whole purpose of a cupcake if you ask me. (i admit, i had to toss a few because i got too poke happy).

in other news, david and i bought another car--a cute little honda civic hatchback--so we finally don't have to share a car anymore. the other night i was the neighborhood entertainment as david taught me how to drive stick. i got a lot of laughs and even claps when i finally (sort of) mastered the art of manual driving.

the weekends almost here,

k

post edit: blogger is for some reason triple spacing my single spaces and i can't seem to figure out how to fix it...

testing

testing

nope.

oh well.

the breakfast club

the morning after our wedding dave and i happened upon this cute little breakfast bistro in scottsdale. we both loved it: he for their large portions and low prices, me for the modern yet cozy interior. dave claims this was the best breakfast he ever had. for his birthday my plan was to take him here, but because of the whole tire incident we never made it. i was hoping to make it before we left arizona but our work schedules did not allow. i guess we now have a must stop place next time we visit. if you are ever in scottsdale i highly recommend.

dip of the month: caramel sauce

i recently heard about this recipe from my mom who heard it from my sister who heard it from someone else who i am sure heard it from someone else. this is the easiest (and most delicious) recipe ever, and only one ingredient: a can of sweetened condensed milk (or 2 or 3 or 4). I wish would have made more than one can at a time.
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put the can of sweetened condensed milk in a bot full of boiling water. make sure the can is completely covered with water at all times. i heard that the can could explode if it is not completely covered. i was a little paranoid when i heard that and kept running to the kitchen if i heard any suspicious sounds. i kept a pitcher full of water nearby so i could quickly add water to the pot if needed. boil for 2-4 hours.

after cooking remove the can from the boiling water using tongs and sit in sink to cool.

caramel is now ready to serve or store! Transfer from can to another container to store in fridge. is great as an ice cream topping or dip for fruit or marshmallows (or anything else your heart desires).

enjoy.

hot air balloons + german food

over the weekend dave and i had the chance to go with some friends to the glendale hot air balloon festival. if you ever get the chance to go i highly recommend going at night-it is so beautiful to see the balloons light up! for a list of hot air balloon festivals all over the world click here.
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while in glendale we also got a chance to eat at Haus Murphy's, a german restaurant that was featured on diners, drive-ins, dives. i haven't eaten much german food so it was a little different but i do love a good sauerkraut. the restaurant had a very fun environment which made me feel i was actually in germany. it was refreshing because i have had a hard time finding culture in arizona.

cake inspiration

i'm still trying to find the perfect cake. i'm not a 4 of 5 tier type of girl. i'm thinking something simple but that can still make a statement. know of any good places to look?

rainbow cake

i saw this cake and think i have a new must try project...looks beautiful, happy and delicious!

yay! it's june!!!
kira

bahama bucks

this week i crossed something off my to do list for life: try a bahama bucks. mmm mmm mmm.
not only was the snow cone delicious, but so was the company: a double date with vanessa and her new husband nolan!

salsa festival

yesterday dave and i went to the maricopa city salsa festival. we sampled and voted on salsas galore: strawberry salsa, super chunky salsa, runny salsa, salsa with cheese, bbq salsa...you name it!

at the salsa festival we even got a caricature drawn of us...what a good looking couple!

pizza week

this past week we have made homemade pizza three times in an attempt to find the best homemade recipe. ( i have definitely met my pizza quota for a while). still want to make a few tweeks, but i think we are close to finding a winner. i promise to share once i perfect the recipe!

until next time,
k

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

these are my all time favorite fall cookies, and they are super easy too! all you need is 1 box of spice cake mix, 1 small can of pumpkin pie filling and one bag of chocolate chips. Mix them together, roll in small balls, bake and walah! They are also good topped with icing.

nog

i can't believe i am actually posting this picture by choice--it is hideous--but sadly it is one of the only pictures i have here in arizona so far. even though i despise the picture, i love the story behind it.

as a preface, this picture was taken early in the morning on a grocery store run to buy milk. i had literally just crawled out of bed. i was wearing no makeup. i had not showered. i had not done so much as comb my hair.

as a second preface, it is impossible to find egg nog in arizona. i know it might seem a little early, but i am a huge egg nog lover. in idaho they start busting out the egg nog in october in cool halloween cartons. that is not the case here. when my sister told me one day that she had bought egg nog in idaho dave and i went on a search. we searched everywhere and had no luck.

okay, so now the story:
dave and i ran to the local bashas' to buy some milk and things for his family for breakfast. (one of the funnest things about moving, i think, is going to new grocery stores. i know. i'm a nerd). dave and i split up in the store to quickly get the things we needed. i was waiting at the front of the store for dave when he comes running up like a little boy on christmas morning. he found egg nog! it really was so cute to see how excited he got because he found something he knows i love.

and now a quick arizona update:
everything is great. my job. my roommates. the weather. everything. i feel like i am pretty well adjusted and am truly enjoying myself.

today

today i am inspired by: this talk
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i am craving: mango salsa. dave and i snacked on some yesterday and it was oh so delish.

i am wanting: some of these pretties from anthropologie. i love love love their fall line, but it is definitely not in my budget, these fun accessories are affordable though. when i ooh and ahh over their clothes i always think about a line from this song: it may be years until the day, my dreams will match up with my pay.

i am grateful for: my new {used} car! i have been needing a new car for a while now and finally got one this week! it is a 2008 Hyundai Sonata.

a very unique wedding gift

dave and i spent an entire evening (or at least several hours) constructing this giant starburst for his roommate's (the whip cracking expert) wedding. word of advice: if you ever for any reason decide to build a giant starburst forgo the super glue and just use toothpicks.
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hope you have a lovely weekend,
k
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p.s. isn't he cute?

grilled pizza and sparklers

my sister came into town yesterday! we spent the evening celebrating a late fourth of july, complete with pizza on the grill, homemade icecream, games and fireworks.

cafe rio

tomorrow i am taking a quick road trip to twin falls with the sole purpose of eating at cafe rio. when i lived in utah i fell in love with cafe rio and have been having withdrawals since i have lived in boise where there is none. BUT, just last month twin falls opened up a cafe rio and tomorrow a friend and i are making the two hour drive just to calm our cravings. should be fun!
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hope you are all having a lovely week,
k