Rosemary and Gin Fizz

This time last year: Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (2013)

I made a good friend recently- a new friend, one of those people that everyone is drawn to.

She laughs a lot, and I am so very lucky to have her around.

This new friend of mine is gentle and sweet in many ways- however she is also strong.
Thus, this sweet and salty lady is the one responsible for this drink.

The first time we went out in downtown Decatur together, I ordered my standard- something with whiskey, or orange bitters, mint, or lemon. Scratch that. I don’t really have a “standard,” just a lot of flavors I like.

However, one of the things I loved about this new friend of mine, is that she did have a regular drink. This sweet, giggly lady stepped up to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic like she’d been doing it for 80 years. Go ahead girl.

Thus, when I started looking for fun holiday drinks that could make for a festive holiday happy hour or a bubbly new years toast, I knew I had to include a gin special.

This is for my new friend. Cheers to all of yours!

XO Sarah

Ingredients:

• 3 one-inch sprigs of fresh Rosemary
• 1 small lemon (+ a few slices for garnish!}
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 3 oz. Ginger ale

Directions:

1. In a small glass, muddle the rosemary, juice from 1/2 a lemon, and honey.
2. Fill the glass with ice, and then add the gin and ginger ale. Taste the drink, and decide whether or not you would like to add additional lemon juice. (I like the citrus tang, but take warning- it can be strong!)
3. Stir the drink, and add a sprig of rosemary and a lemon slice for garnish.
4. Sip and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Adapted from: Cooke + Kate
• Make sure you don’t miss the four other drinks posted this week, for this “6 holiday drinks that aren’t eggnog” special!

Creamy Mimosa

Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer

Holiday White Wine Sangria

• Creamy Mimosa
• Dairy-Free Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
• Holiday White Wine Sangria 

Lemon Iced Raspberry Yogurt Cake

This time last year: Red Pepper Quiche Cups (2012)

Sometimes you spend more hours working on a final project than on sleep. Other times, you spend more time giggling with your best friend than you do doing dishes. OTHER times, you have had a food blog for three years, and that feels like a milestone worth celebrating!

These last two weeks have been a little bit of all three for me.  Last week my first year of grad school came to an end. This week, I  celebrated my start to summer by laughing until my sides hurt, and gratefully realizing that this food blog project has been in existence for three years now! There’s a lot to celebrate there, and a lot of sleep catch up to do. Cue- cake and a pillow.

I actually baked this cake last spring, while living in Richmond. I remember, it had rained for four days straight, and I was stir crazy out of my mind (not abnormal for me. I wiggle a LOT). I looked up cake recipes online, found this cake to look almost as good as sunshine, and got baking.

The YAY topping was a little note of joy left for my roommates. Because sometimes, when it rains for four days straight, “yay,” is not the first word to come to mind. However sometimes, if you bake a cake and eat it with your roommates, rainy days can look much less gloomy.

Thus, whether celebrating the first week of summer, a personal milestone moment, and last week of class, or coping with rain clouds on your doorstep and too little sleep- cake feels like a good answer to me!

If you disagree with that statement, feel free to take it up with Pinterest. For, according to pinterest, Julia Childs once said, “A party without a cake is just a meeting.” It is “always someone’s birthday somewhere,” and “Life is short, eat the cake.

(Thank you Pinterest, for the encouragement!)

Thus, on those positive notes, I bring you the YAY cake. Because sometimes, you just need a little somethin’ sweet in your life. 🙂

Happy eating, and thanks for being a part of my cooking adventures for the last three years!!

Lots of love, A Rented Kitchen

Cake Ingredients:

• 9 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

Buttercream Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• Zest & juice of 2 Meyer lemons
• pinch of salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 320˚F. Grease two 8 or 9 inch cake pans, and sprinkle with a thin layer of flour; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, setting aside the egg whites for later, and thoroughly mix in.
3. One mixed, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda until well combined. Then mix in the yogurt.
4. In a small bowl, mix the egg whites until light and fluffy with medium peaks. Fold the egg whites into the cake batter, and then gently fold in raspberries.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pan rounds and bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let the cakes cool for ten minutes before removing from the pan. Wait until thoroughly cooled to ice.
7. Meanwhile- prepare the buttercream by blending the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Slowly add the powdered sugar, mixing until combined. Continue to mix on medium speed until the icing is light and fluffy. Chill for twenty minutes before icing.

* To make a four-layer cake, slice each round in half. Spread one cake round with buttercream, top with another cake, and repeat until all four cake rounds are stacked. Spread the top and sides with the remaining buttercream.

Notes and Tips!:

• Store the cake in the refrigerator for best icing consistency.
• Source: Kitchen Trial and Error
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious desserts from A Rented Kitchen (Recipe links found below!):

Brown Sugar Pound Cake

Vegan Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Apple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

• Brown Sugar Pound Cake
• Vegan Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
• Apple Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu

On this day last year: Gluten Free Cranberry Apple Crisp (2014) & Tempeh Tacos with Avocado-lime Sauce (2013)

I love love love Thai food. Other than chocolate (obviously), I think Thai food is my only food craving is for Thai food- specifically drunken noodles.

My boyfriend and I have found this scrumptious place not too far from campus that does excellent Thai take out (it was a dangerous discovery). In the last few months we have generated a habit of calling in for Thai food on really busy homework nights, hunkering down on the couch side by side to chow down on those delicious flavors, and then hitting the books! It’s a beautiful and delicious tradition.

Unfortunately, as a graduate student, eating out is not always the best financial option. In most scenarios it is more affordable to eat in than eat out. Thus, I have racked up my fair share of Thai dishes (Cue the Thai Peanut Vegetable Dip, Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce, and Vegetable Wontons).

As a lover of Thai food, Pad Thai is about as traditional as it gets! This is a delicious noodle dish, commonly served with bean sprouts, fried egg, crushed peanuts, and peanut flavors. I created my own tofu marinade to add to the pad Thai, in order to add some complete proteins to the meal. However, if you’re not a tofu fan, or want to save yourself a step, you can definitely leave the tofu out, or substitute it with tempeh!

I hope you like it as much as well did!

Happy cooking and come back soon!

 

Tofu Ingredients:

• 1 block tofu (or Tempeh!)
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon Bankok Peanut Sauce
• 2 teaspoons lemon garlic spice mix
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Pad Thai Ingredients:

• ½ lb. dried rice noodles (width of linguine)
• ¼ cup fresh lime sauce
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons hot chile sauce
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into narrow strips
• 8 to 10 green onions, halved lengthwise, then cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts
• 2 Tablesoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 lime sliced (optional)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Cut the tofu into small cubes and press the water out of the tofu. (Generally, I will place the tofu on a plate lined with paper towels, and then will use either several paper towels to press water out of the top, or a thin dish towel. It also can be smart to place paper towels over the tofu squares, and then place a plate on top to help apply pressure to the soaking process. The more water removed from the tofu, the crispier it is!)
2. Once a significant amount of water has been removed, place the tofu in a large Tupperware, so that the chunks cover the bottom in one layer, combine the remaining tofu ingredients into a smooth marinade, and toss with the tofu. Allow the marinade to set while you prepare the pad thai.
3. In a large bowl with warm water, soak the rice noodles for about 20 minutes, or until limp and white.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, chile sauce, and 1 Tablespoon of water.
5. In a large wok or deep skillet, heat the olive oil on high heat. Stir fry the ginger and garlic for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the carrot strips and green onions and stir fry for an additional minute.
6. Drain the noodles. Add the lime juice and noodles to the wok. Toss with tongs until the noodles soften and curl.
7. Add the sprouts and tofu, and sprinkle with peanuts, a slice of lime, and cilantro as desired. Serve and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Adapted from: Vegetarian Times
• Gluten free? Most rice noodles have flour in them, so if you want gluten free rice noodles, make sure to read the ingredient list!
• Like this recipe? Try these other delicious dishes from A Rented Kitchen! (Recipe links found below!):

Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

Thai Veggie Burger with Peanut Sauce

Sweet Potato Thai Soup

• Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
• Thai Veggie Burger with Peanut Sauce
• Sweet Potato Thai Soup

Soft Lemon Ginger Cookies

This summer, I had the opportunity to serve as a camp counselor for several weeks at one of my favorite places in the world- Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center. As is tradition, on the counselors off night, we all ravenously roll into town looking for some non-camp food, always ending the night in a trip to Klines, the local ice cream dive.

Klines is known for having a flavor of the week. That last delicious week of summer, and my last week as a counselor, the ice cream flavor of the week was Lemon Gingersnap. Sounds divine, right?

Now, I know the beauty of lemon and ginger combined- I shared it with you all in my favorite Lemon Ginger hummus recipe (goooooood stuff y’all). However, for some reason, I had never thought of throwing lemon and ginger together in dessert form. Literally, what was I thinking?!

As I slowly enjoyed my Lemon Gingersnap waffle cone, my mind immediately jumped to these cookies, imagining a delicious spiced gingersnap cookie, dipped in a sweet citrusy lemon glaze. MMmmmmm!

Thus, in memory and celebration of summer, I’d like to introduce you to an ‘A Rented Kitchen’ original recipe, and my new favorite cookies- Soft Lemon Ginger Cookies.

You all should seriously try this.

With love,

A Rented Kitchen

Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar + 2 Tablespoons
• 1 teaspon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon water
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¾ cup margarine, softened

Glaze Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice from 1 ½ lemons
• 3 teaspoons skim milk

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and continue mixing. Once thoroughly combined, stir in the molasses and water. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Once combined, add the dry ingredients in increments to the wet ingredients, stirring thoroughly as you go.
• Using a spoon, form walnut sized balls of dough, and roll each ball in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Place the dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet, two inches apart, and use the back of the spoon to flatten the cookies.
• Bake for 8 minutes (they should be soft when removed from the oven!), and allow to cool before dipping in icing.
• While the cookies bake, combine the icing ingredients in a small bowl. Once each cookie is room temperature, dip half of the cookie in the icing, being very careful while doing so, to prevent the soft cookies from breaking.
• Lay the dipped cookies on an aluminum foil covered baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes, or until the icing firms up.
• Eat and enjoy!

Notes and Tips!:

• Source: A Rented Kitchen
• Like this recipe? Check out these other delicious cookie and dessert recipes form ‘A Rented Kitchen!’ (Recipe links found below):

Apple Spice Cookies with Cardamon Cinnamon Frosting

Therapy Cookies (AKA Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Sea Salt Bites)

Chocolate Mint Puddle Cookies

• Apple Spice Cookies with Cardamon Cinnamon Frosting 
• Therapy Cookies (AKA Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Sea Salt Bites)
• Chocolate Mint Puddle Cookies

Strawberry Poppy Seed Kale Salad

I often think of Kale as a winter vegetable- imagining it with warm roasted sweet potatoes, in kale chip form, and sautéed with a little agave and lemon (all of which are recipes that can be found linked below!). However, paired with this refreshing lemon poppyseed dressing, fresh avocado, and ripe strawberries, this winter vegetable can be transformed into a beautiful light and refreshing summer salad.

I have several kale recipes on this blog, however have never simply tried creating a toss salad with kale. Not sure what I have been doing with my life, but I can promise you, that a kale toss salad will not disappoint! I was very pleased with the result.

Thus, for entertaining, potlucks, or simply for the sake of your health- mix things up. Give this salad a try! Your body will thank you for those dark greens, and your stomach will thank you for the delicious flavor!

And if you’re interested in some other Kale recipes, check out these delicious options below! Veg out, it’s good for you.

• Kale Pesto with Lemon and Parmesan
• Quinoa and Parmesan Kale Patties
• Sweet Potato Pizza with Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Kale
• Agave Sautéed Kale with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Kale Chips

Love, A Rented Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:

• 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 avocado, chopped
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup feta cheese

Lemon Poppyseed Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place the kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and use your hands to massage the leaves until the leaves are softer and darker in color.
2. Top with strawberries, avocado, almonds, and feta cheese- toss gently.
3. In a small separate jar, combine the dressing ingredients and shake until well mixed.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and serve.

 

Notes and Tips!:

• Source: Two Peas and Their Pod
• To make vegan, substitute in another vegan form of cheese, or simply omit the feta cheese!
• If you like this salad, check out these other ‘A Rented Kitchen’ recipes! (Recipe links found below!)

Balsamic Mushroom and Fruit Summer Salad

Greek Vegetable Salad with Lemon Balsamic Dressing

Pineapple Avocado Spring Rolls with Dipping Sauce

• Balsamic Mushroom and Fruit Summer Salad
• Greek Vegetable Salad with Lemon Balsamic Dressing
• Pineapple Avocado Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce