Maple Pulled Chicken with Bacon & Kale Coleslaw

This is one of my absolute new favorites- it's easy, serves many and is awesomely good! The slow cooked maple chicken melts in your mouth and the crunchy kale slaw gives it a great texture. We have experimented with many versions of BBQ sauce but this simple, sweet & spicy BBQ sauce recipe is hands down the favorite...enjoy!

Ingredients: Pulled chicken (serves 6)

2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs

1 small onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1- 4 ounce can chopped green chilies

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

How To: Pulled chicken

-Mix ketchup, chilies, vinegar, tomato paste, maple syrup, paprika, Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce and salt & pepper in a small bowl

-Add chicken, onion and garlic to a slow cooker (crockpot)

-Pour sauce over chicken

-Cook on low for 5 hours or until chicken is tender & easily falls apart

-Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to  a cutting board

-Then using a large fork shred the chicken
-Return chicken to crockpot and stir well with remaining sauce

Easy Maple BBQ Sauce

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Slaw Ingredients:

1 small bunch kale, stems removed & cut into shreds

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1 cup cooked chopped bacon

½ cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

Salt & pepper to taste

How to Slaw:

-Whisk mayo, vinegar, honey and salt & pepper in a large bowl

-Stir in kale, cabbage & bacon

-Cover & chill for at least 2 hours

A Few New Things...

I finally started reading Amy Sedaris'- Simple Times; crafting for poor people...hilarious!!

My new favorite winter to spring transitional shoes by OTBT- cute & comfy!

I'm slowly learning to use my new DSLR- a Valentines Day gift from Lucas

Kong in not liking this 80 degree weather in March- our apartment instantly becomes an oven!

Trout is my new model for camera practice!

Weekend Forcast...

Hello Spring, you have graced us with an early presence in the 'snow in April' mid-west...hooray! I can't wait for the weekend; I LOVE light layering and long lazy Spring Sundays- this outfit is the perfect fit!

1.Life In Progress Skinny Jeans $27 Forever21
2.Blush sleeveless shirt$49 Dorothy Perkins
3.River Island Leather Shopper$116 ASOS
4.Leather Studded Cuff $26 ASOS
5.Tie-Dye Scarf $12.80 Forever21
6.Grey boucle biker jacket$89 Dorothy Perkins
7.MACAU Tan Suede Slippers$60 topshop

Vegan Polenta, Kale & Eggplant Casserole

Lucas and I are far from vegans in the present day, but both of us have green pasts. I was a vegan for over 5 years and a vegetarian for another 4 years and Lucas was a vegetarian for many years as well, so needles to say we appreciate a good meatless meal and in this case a vegan meal. This is a super good, low cal, healthy & hearty casserole!

 

Ingredients:

2 medium sized eggplants cut into ¼ inch slices

1 16 ounce log polenta (found in the Italian foods aisle) cut into ¼ inch rounds

1 small bunch kale- stems removed, rinsed and chopped

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion

1 28 ounce crushed tomatoes

3 fresh plum tomatoes, diced

¼ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

5 fresh basil leave

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt & pepper

How to:

-Heat oven to 400

-In a large sauce pan, add olive oil & cook the onion & garlic until soft (about 8 mins)

-Add fresh tomatoes, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes

-Add canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, vinegar and salt & pepper to taste

-Cover sauce and simmer for about 30 minutes, until sauce thickens

-While the sauce is cooking, brown the eggplant slices (each side about 2 minutes) in a pan over medium heat and set aside

-In a 9x9 pan, pour about 3/4 cup of sauce, making the first layer

-Then arrange a layer of eggplant and kale and spoon over more sauce

-Add a polenta layer and more sauce

-Repeat until all the ingredients are used

-Spoon over the last of sauce on top layer

-Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes

-Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes

-Serve warm

Thirsty Weekend: Blood Orange & Ginger Fizz

 

This is a really yummy cocktail that is perfect for treating a late winter cold- heh heh just kidding! But the combo of spicy ginger & fresh citrus can't hurt, right? Take advantage of the seasonal appearance of the blood orange and try this awesome drink, Cheers!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz gin

1 oz fresh squeezed blood orange juice

1/2 oz Cointreau

1/2 oz ginger simple syrup (see how to below)

sparkling water

-Add first 4 ingredients to a glass filled with ice & stir

-Top with Sparkling water

For the simple syrup:

1Cup sugar

2 Cups water

1 piece ginger root, peeled & cut into chunks

-Bring water & sugar mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally (about 5 mins)

Remove from heat & add ginger to the pot & cover for 1 hour
Let cool completely in the fridge 1-2 hours

Remove ginger before adding to a cocktail
*I like to have different varieties of simple syrups on hand- they keep well in the fridge for up to 2 months

Skulls, Legs, Horns, oh my!

Lucas and I stopped at a really great antique mall a few weeks back on our way home from a visit to Iowa and we scored a few super cool items at SUPER cheap prices! I think many thrifters have the perception that antique malls are too pricy but we've found some really nice stuff at a great prices.

This is a wild boars skull- I love the huge incisors! I pretty-ied it up with a delicate air plant

This leg lamp was actually a gift that I have mixed feelings about (It is a tad creepy to me) but Lucas LOVES it so I bought a new lampshade to liven it up a bit- haha! Thanks Zack!

We scored these antlers for less than $5 as well as a set of mid-century stacking tables the antlers are placed on in this pic for $14!

Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla and Blood Oranges

This is my favorite of all the desserts that I have made thus far! It's a very simple cake but has a very rustic and complex flavor and the blood orange & vanilla topping adds a refreshing sweetness to the cake. I recommend this for any occasion and the orange topping can be substituted with virtually any other seasonal fruit.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup olive oil

¾ cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ cups flour

¾ cup cornmeal

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

For the fruit topping:

3 oranges (I used blood & navel)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

*Whipped cream for serving

How to:

-Heat oven to 350

-Oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and dust with flour

-In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, buttermilk, eggs, and sugar

-Add to the dry ingredients and mix

-Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake 45-50 minutes, until golden  

-Let cool for 20 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

For the fruit topping:

-Peel the oranges and remove pith of the oranges with a sharp paring knife

-Toss the orange segments with the vanilla and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a bowl

-Let sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, tossing occasionally

-Serve cake, sliced, topped with the oranges and cream

A Few New Things...

I am obsessed with my new 'Hatchet tote' by Loquita- I got on super sale

My first Forsythia branches of the season + Trout striking a pose

I finally found a space for all the milk glass from our wedding

A friend gave us this vintage square lampshade...LOVE!

A super cute vintage hanging copper pot- perfect for air plants!

Tallboys...

I am a platform junkie and my 5'4 self is dreading the day they go back out of style. But for now I will revel in all the tall shoe delights! I have my eye on these tallboys for spring!

1.ASOS HOP SCOTCH High Leather Wedges with Buckle Detail$179.05
2.ASOS HIGHLIGHT Wedges With Color Block$98.48
3.Seychelles You'll Never Know$119
4.Kenneth Cole Reaction Sole My Heart$85.00
5.DV by Dolce Vita Onya$89.00
6.Splendid Perfect$119
7.WALTON Wooden Flatform Wedges$100.00
8.Nine West Women's Memento Wedge Sandal$89
9.Joe's Jeans Tyra$185
10.Ecote T-Strap Wedge$59.00