Salted Crown | Food, Fashion, and All things in between. - A blog about food, fashion and all things in between.

Thanksgiving Meal Inspiration

11/24/2014

Thanksgiving is quite possibly one of the most exciting time of the year to cook. If I had the time and a large, hungry crowd I would abandon all work and just cook TONS and TONS. One of the most thrilling things to me is meal planning. Nerdy? Maybe, but I’m okay with that. I really love having a plan ahead of time because I feel like I actually have things together for once and it gives me more confidence in knowing I can execute the meal to the best of my abilities. This year, I’ve failed miserably at that. I’m FINALLY getting together my meal plan (darn you, procrastination).

I always start out with the intention of cooking beautiful, healthy meals that I hope I can trick everyone into eating and then my southern soul completely takes over and all I want is a big, southern Thanksgiving spread. Once this happens, there’s no turning back. I don’t want to settle for anything less on this holiday. Plus, it’s one day a year so that justifies the madness in my mind. Anyway, below I’ve listed some fantastic Thanksgiving recipes and what not that will hopefully inspire you/give you ideas if you’re lagging in the meal planning department like meeee!

– Last year I made candied sweet potato rounds (pictured above) and they were a total hit.

- Here are some amazing baking tips for those wanting a few pointers (emoji of girl raising hand = me).

– It’s always helpful to have a good reference to making the perfect pie crust. Why buy them when you can make them?

– Sweet Potato Pie is a fall time favorite, especially for my father-in-law who literally requests it year round. It takes the traditional pumpkin pie to a whole new level of deliciousness. Plus, it’s super southern so you need it in your life asap.

– Here’s a recipe that takes sweet potato casserole to a whole new dimension and gloryyyyy it looks fantastic!

- Stuffing is always a must so why not make not only scrumptious but also stunning! I mean come on, how beautiful is this?! (not to mention its also vegan!)

– Think out of the box for serving dishes. Mix it up by using pumpkins in place of bowls for your favorite fall soup or squash for grain dishes.

– Everything is better if it’s miniature. How perfect are these chicken pot pies?

– Here is a list of a few Thanksgiving recipes with a whole new twist. I’ll take some of each, please.

– The perfect Thanksgiving meal isn’t complete without a gorgeous table setting. And don’t forget to decorate a special table for the littles!

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? I’d love to know!

Harvest Soup

10/15/2014

Soup season is finally upon us! Hooray! This year, this season has been much more bearable. The weather has surprisingly been warmer (YESSSSS!) and personally I just wish it would stay this way all year long. In my opinion, warm fall is the best kind of fall.

Fall always calls for warm, cozy soups and I’ve got one that fits the bill. This particular soup is one that just makes my heart happy. In making this soup, I did two things I hardly EVER do: 1) actually make soup and 2) use my crock pot. I know, it’s borderline ridiculous to admit that (especially the lack of crock pot usage) but if I’m being totally honest, I forget I even have a crock pot…and that it isn’t difficult to make soup, especially one like this. I think I have finally come aboard the crock pot train, though, and there ain’t no lookin’ back!

One reason I’m a huge fan of this soup is that it has a wide variety of veggies that can be easily interchanged to suit personal preferences. Is there such a thing as too many vegetables in a soup? I think not. It’s surprisingly sweet, hearty, and just so satisfying. It’s a recipe I’ll definitely be making many times during fall/winter.

What’s YOUR favorite fall soup? I would love to know! :)

roughly 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken (or substitute for equal amount of veggies)
1 and 1/2 c. quinoa
1 can white sweet corn
1 can diced tomatoes (I bought diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic)
3 large organic carrots, chopped
1 large organic sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/4 c. diced onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 c. broth of choice (I used vegetable)
1 white chicken chili mix (or your preferred chili mix)
salt + pepper, if needed

Chop onion, carrots, sweet potato and add to crock pot.
Add minced garlic.
Drain corn and add in along with chicken, diced tomatoes, chili seasoning, quinoa, and broth.
Stir everything together and cook on high for 3-5 hours (mine took around 3.5 hours.)
Once everything has cooked thoroughly, shred chicken and add back into soup.
Enjoy! :)

Recipe adapted from Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Cutting board – West Elm | Crock Pot – Target (on sale!) | Plaid Flannel – H&M | Wool Hat – Express

No Bake Coconut Chocolate Bars

08/05/2014

Is it possible to get off of a sweet kick? If so, I’d like to know how. Seriously. Why can’t the food pyramid consist of cookies, popcorn, cereal, granola bars, and chai lattes? I feel like the crime rate would go down drastically because people would be happy. At least, if I were into crimes, that would totally solve things for me…

This recipe is one I almost feel silly telling you about. When my husband was taking the pictures, he kept saying,”…so are you planning on doing, like, anything else because you haven’t really done much for me to shoot…?” Exactly. That easy. I am a grab-and-go kind of gal when it comes to snacks so these are absolutely perfect. And in bar form? I mean come on. Could things be any more desirable? Oh and there’s chocolate. And coconut. That alone should seal the deal. These bars are simple enough that you could enlist the help of the “mini chefs” at your house. Add, combine, press, cut, voila.

These really are SO easy that it makes me ashamed for buying bars all these years when I could whip them up in literally NO TIME at home (5 minutes, tops?). Not to mention they’re free of all that crap that’s added to a lot of bars these days. Ain’t no shame in eating these.

15-ish pitted dates (I used a couple of handfuls)
1/3 c. almonds
1/2 c. chocolate chunks
1/4 c. shredded coconut
sea salt

Add ingredients to food processor and blend until mixture is well combined.
In a loaf pan lined with parchment paper, pour mixture in and press it down so that it all sticks together.
Place in refrigerator to harden up (this step just helps keep the bars from being crumbly.)
Cut into bars and serve.
Enjoy!

Kitchen Towel – Target | Loaf Pan – Kohls | Food Processor – Cuisinart | Knife – Wusthof
Shirt – similar here & here | Dress – similar here & here

Avocado and Beet Salad + Core Bamboo

07/08/2014

Hi friends! Long time no see! This has been such a hectic time in my life, let me tell ya. If you follow along on Instagram (@saltedcrown) I made a brief mention that we have been in the process of building a house and moving!! It’s been an incredibly exciting/crazy/busy/stressful/fun time for us. On top of that, I recently had my very best friend visiting for a couple of weeks and then my family came to visit for a few weeks after that. I decided to take some time off from the blog so that I could spend some quality time with them since I only see them 1-2 times a year. Hope y’all understand. ;) Anway, I’m BACK and ready to roll!

First of all this salad…oh mercy. It’s fantastic. Are you a beet lover? I feel like you either love them or hate them. I used to be on the side of the fence that thought they were slimy, weird, and something only old people ate (not sure where I got that notion but just go with it). I’ve since experimented with them and found out they’re pretty darn tasty! I’m telling you, it’s amazing how many things you can end up liking if it’s prepared the right way. When in a salad and paired with the right ingredients, they add such wonderful flavor and texture, not to mention all the nutritional benefits that beets have to offer. They’re rich in antioxidants and fiber and also have anti-inflammatory and detoxification benefits as well. This salad is seriously one of the easiest ones I’ve ever made and it’s so delicious. It’s definitely one you’ll want to keep handy for quick meals or simply to impress dinner guests with your culinary skills. We’ll just keep it our little secret how simple it really is to make. ;)

I also recently had the privilege to team up with Core Bamboo. They have such amazing products to offer and it’s all so well made. After using their products, it’s clear that I’ll be a big supporter of them for a loooonog time. Not only do the products photograph beautifully, they are so well made! They’re simplistic yet chic and I simply cannot get enough of them. Click on the links below to check out all the products they offer!

1/2 c. cooked quinoa
1/2 avocado, cubed
3 small beets, roasted until fork tender
spring mix
1/4 red onion, sliced
cilantro, for topping (optional)

For Dressing:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
pinch of salt
juice of 1/2 small lemon

Peel and slice beets.
Slice onion according to size preference.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and lemon juice.
In a large bowl, add the spring mix (thoroughly washed) and cooked quinoa.
Top with avocado cubes, sliced onion, and sliced beets.
Toss salad in dressing.
Top with cilantro.
Enjoy!

Chocolate Chia Cookies

05/12/2014

Would it be wrong to say that I could eat cookies for every meal of every day for the rest of forever? Cookies are the way to my heart (aka my stomach). If it’s wrong, I don’t want to be right. I would love to wake up every single morning to a plate of freshly baked cookies without the guilt of all the sugar and calories that eating 342087495 cookies would do. A couple of cookies for breakfast, about 4 for lunch, and 3 or 4 for supper would do me just fine. Let’s be real though. Cookies unfortunately are not known for having fantastic nutritional value. I would love to say I have a cookie here that would fill all your nutritional needs throughout the day (who WOULDN’T want that?!), but I have something that would make you feel quite a bit less guilty about eating more than one at a time. Not only does the recipe contain ingredients that are super good for you, they taste amazinggggggg.

I had a handwritten recipe laying around for forever it seems and I put my own twist on it. Instead of adding an egg, I used a chia “egg”. If you aren’t familiar with that, it’s a dairy free substitution that works just like an egg would (directions for making them in the ingredient list below)! Also, the batter for the cookies is so good that you might want to use it for a fruit dip or you just grab a spoon and go to town, which is my preferred option. These cookies are so good and so satisfying, you’re guaranteed to run out of them REALLY quick. ;)

1 chia “egg” (1 tbsp. chia seeds + 2.5 tbsp. water; mix & let set for 5 minutes to activate)
1 c. blonde coconut sugar
1 c. White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips (for vegan cookies, use cacao nibs or vegan chocolate chips)
1 tsp. ground flaxseeds
splash of vanilla coconut milk (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, make your chia “egg” and let it set.
In a mixer, add the coconut sugar, peanut butter, flaxseeds, baking soda, and chia “egg”.
Mix well.
If mixture is too dry, add a splash of coconut milk or your preferred milk and mix well.
Add in the chocolate chips and mix until combined well.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and place scoopfuls of batter onto it.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy! :)

Stand Mixer – Kitchenaid | Measuring Cups – West Elm | Measuring Spoons – World Market | Ball Jars – Amazon | Shirt – J Crew

Kitchen Wishlist

04/23/2014

Happy Wednesday! I hope y’all had a blessed Easter weekend. Our weekend was incredibly busy! It came and went so fast. I wish it could have lasted a while longer, though. Our church had a massive Easter egg hunt that had close to 100,000 eggs and sky-diving Easter bunnies! The rest of the weekend was full of amazing church services and quality time spent with family. It was incredible!

I keep gravitating back to kitchen things that I feel like I NEED in the kitchen. We’re in the process of building a new house and when you get a new house, in my opinion, you need new things for the kitchen. Obviously. Here are a few more things I’ve had my eye on lately that would be a perfect addition to my kitchen collection.

Walnut & Maple Serving Boards – Sunny Afternoon | Oil & Vinegar Pitcher – Still House | Spotted Bowl – More & Co. | Tea Towel – Sunny Afternoon

Currently Loving

04/09/2014

I’ve spent my time lately browsing on the internet for new things for our kitchen. How amazing are these items I’ve found?! I mean the spice grinders are to die for. They could look amazing in almost any kitchen! The mug is perfect for morning coffee and you can’t have coffee without an adorable wooden coffee scoop. It just wouldn’t taste as good I wouldn’t imagine. It’s a match made in Salted Crown heaven. Also, I’ll take one of each cutting board please. That is all…..for now!

Spice Grinders – House and Hold | Enamelware Mugs – West Elm | Coffee Scoop – Herriott Grace | Cutting Boards – Herriott Grace

Banana Bread

04/03/2014

This is my husband’s weakness. Fix him a loaf of banana bread and he’ll be one happy camper, that is, until it’s gone. If it were up to him, we’d always have a fresh loaf around at all times. I would love to make that happen more often but we can’t seem to keep bananas around the house long enough for them to turn really ripe. Sigh. I did manage to hide some bananas from him and once they start getting too speckle-y and brown, he won’t touch them. That, my friends, is how I finally managed to get a loaf made! If you follow me on Instagram (@saltedcrown), you would have seen the photo I posted of the fresh banana bread I had made to surprise my hubby with last night. He had to work late so I wanted to make something special for him while he was out. To win brownie points, I cleaned the kitchen, did the laundry, AND made banana bread for him. Score one for the wifey. I hadn’t originally planned on posting this recipe quite yet, but after such good feedback and comments from some of my sweet followers, I decided to go ahead and share it on the blog. This is a recipe that my sweet grandmother, better known as Meme, mailed to me when I moved away. She has always made the absolute best banana bread (I believe that woman can do no wrong in a kitchen) and I was so excited to finally get my hands on her recipe. I had been toying around with the idea of making a healthier, gluten free version and last night’s attempt was a complete success! I substituted quinoa flour for plain flour which gave it a more nutty flavor. I also substituted regular sugar for coconut sugar because, well, it’s coconut sugar. How could you not?

1 c. quinoa flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. Mazola oil
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. raw coconut sugar
1 tsp. organic vanilla
1/2 c. pecan pieces (I was out of pecans so I replaced it with slivered almonds)
3 really ripe organic bananas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Beat eggs until they’re fluffy. Then add sugar, oil, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt with a fork.
Once well mixed, add to egg mixture.
Mash bananas with a fork until creamy and fold into mixture along with the pecans.
Bake in a loaf pan that has been greased and floured.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
Be careful not to overcook – Lower temperature in oven if it begins to get too brown.
(I baked mine for 30 minutes at 350 degrees then lowered the temp. to 325 and baked 5 more minutes.)
Enjoy! :)

Plate – Anthropologie | Gold Utensils – West Elm | Pot Holder – West Elm

White Peach and Chia Seed Spread

04/01/2014

I’ve done it again, y’all. I feel like I should change the blog name from “Salted Crown” to “Happy Accidents” with the way things have been going lately. I was piddling around in the kitchen thinking I was making a peach jam and I was so stinkin’ excited about it. I just knew deep down in my soul that it was going to be so amazing that everyone would fall in love with it. People all over the world would hear about how magnificent this jam was. I would be contacted by the owners of Smuckers and they would say,”Hey, you totally have this jam making stuff down, girl. You make it way better than we do so why don’t you come run our company for us?” Obviously I would take them up on that and we’d all live happily ever after. Well, okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration but hey, I was just trying to be optimistic. It’s time I get back to what actually happened. I’m making the jam, it’s smelling amazing, it’s tasting amazing, but something’s a little…off. The consistency wasn’t nearly what I had imagined. When I think of jam, I think of a thinner, more runny consistency that just drips off of toast and makes a mess in the best way possible. I had never had a jam like this, that’s for sure…and it turned out to be a good thing! I would not consider this a jam but more of a spread. My initial name for this was going to be “White Peach and Chia Seed ‘Applesauce’ Jam” but I thought that was borderline ridiculous because no one can remember a name that long. It does describe this perfectly, though. It’s great on an English muffin, toast, or a warm, fluffy biscuit. When eaten alone, it has an applesauce consistency which makes for a fantastic snack (my recommendation). I’m eating it straight out of the jar as I type this and I can’t seem to stop. SO GOOD!

5 white peaches
2 tbsp. maple syrup (or agave)
3 tbsp. chia seeds
1 1/2 tsp. coconut sugar
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract

Cut white peaches and remove pits.
Place cut peaches into a food processor or blender and pulse until you reach your desired consistency.
Transfer peach mixture into a pan and mix in maple syrup, sugar, and chia seeds.
Cook over medium/high heat until it begins to simmer. Lower heat and cook for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Let cool before storing.
Enjoy however you wish! :)

Flourless Fudge Brownie

03/17/2014

I would consider this recipe a “happy accident” if you will. My original plan was to make flourless chocolate cookies. Sounds rather simple, right? Well obviously I made it much harder than it needed to be. I got all the ingredients out and started the process. The batter looked amazing, tasted amazing, and the kitchen SMELLED amazing while the cookies were were baking. Unfortunately, they turned out absolutely ridiculous. I debated on getting our neighbor to play frisbee with me with one of the cookies. It was that bad. I had a bowl of leftover batter and it just seemed waaaay too good to just throw out and give up. Now I don’t give up on a recipe easily so I knew that I had to salvage this batter and make something delicious out of it. I mean, while the cookies were baking, I heard my husband from the living room say several times,”dang babe! That smells INCREDIBLE! I can’t wait to try it!” I just simply answered,”yep…uh, it should be good…” while in my head frantically trying to come up with a way to keep this situation from turning into a total disaster. Please tell me I’m not the only one here who’s been in this kind of predicament. Oh, you too? Good, I don’t feel so alone now. Anyway, I got the bright idea to just pour the batter into dish and make one big cookie/brownie/frisbee and just see what would come of it. About thirty minutes later, out of the oven came one of the most magnificent desserts I’ve ever indulged in. I don’t know if there are even words to describe how fantastically fantastic that tasted. It turned out so stinkin’ good that I honestly could not believe that it came out of my oven! What?! I mean, it took all the self control I had in my body not to do a total face plant into the dish. OH. MY. WORD. I wanted to shout it from the rooftops how delightful this dessert was! The top was glossy and slightly cracked. Under that was the most warm, gooey, fudgy, brownie goodness that has ever hit my tastebuds. I couldn’t stop myself. I could talk about it for dayssssss……

2 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
1 c. organic light brown sugar
2 pinches sea salt
4 large egg whites
1 tbsp. organic vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. milk chocolate bar, chopped
3/4 c. cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt.
Stir in vanilla and egg whites and whisk until the batter is moist.
Add in chopped chocolate.
Grease a brownie pan/dish.
Pour batter into dish and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until top is glossy and lightly cracked and the center is gooey.
Enjoy! (and trust me, you will enjoy!!)

Pot Holder – IKEA | Spoon – West Elm | Whisk – West Elm