Sunday, July 31, 2011

.Goat Cheese Quiche with Prosciutto.

Husband had too work a little overtime tonight and I wanted to send him into the war zone with a full belly. I also didn't feel like cooking, so this is what we had. Quick, Easy, and Delicious.
Goat Cheese Quiche with Prosciutto
Recipe by Roger Mooking, with my adaptations below.
Quiche Pastry: {*See my adaptation below before buying ingredients!}
2 cups All Purpose Flour, sifted
Salt
1/2 lb. cold butter, cubed
1/4 - 1/2 cup ice water
Quiche Filling:
3 large Shallots, cut in half, skins on
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cups 2% Milk
3 Eggs, at room temperature
4 sprigs Thyme, leaves picked
1/2 cup Goat Cheese, crumbled (4 oz)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Quiche Pastry:
1. In a large bowl, place flour, salt and butter. Using the tips of fingers mix until ingredients resemble coarse corn meal.
2. Add iced water a little at a time until dough just comes together.
3. Remove dough from bowl, form in a disc, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375F.
5. Lightly flour work surface, roll out dough and place in pan with a removable bottom. Allow dough to hang over edges.
6. Trim edges slightly, still leaving an overhang of dough and poke bottom of pastry with a fork.
7. Place crust on baking tray and cover bottom of pastry with a tin foil. Fill with dried beans or pastry weights and bake for approx. 15 minutes.
8. Remove tin foil and beans, place pastry back in oven until bottom is golden brown, approx. 10 minutes.
9.  Remove from oven, while pastry is still hot brush a thin layer of quiche egg mixture over bottom to seal.
Quiche Filling:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Place shallots in a small saute pan skin side up, coat with olive oil, season with salt and roast for 30 minutes until tender.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.
4. Peel skins from shallots and set aside.
5. Place milk in a pot over low heat until scalded, set aside.
6. In a bowl, whisk eggs, thyme, salt and pepper until incorporated. Slowly pour warm milk into egg mixture, continue whisking.
7. Scatter roasted shallots and goat cheese into the base of the pastry crust. **
8. Pour egg mixture into Quiche Pastry. Bake in oven for approx. 20 - 30 minutes, until custard has set.
9. Remove Quiche from oven and allow to cool. Slice into portions and place arugula and prosciutto over Quiche.
Erinn's Notes:
* I didn't make the Quiche Pastry as I didn't have enough time, so I bought 2 Deep Dish Pie Crusts and just baked them according to instructions before adding the Quiche Filling and baking it all.
** I chopped up my roasted shallots, which were so tasty {and this is coming from a girl who does not enjoy onions}
***I forgot Arugula and it tasted very good without it. Just saying.

Friday, July 29, 2011

.July Favorites.

New Idea alert! 
Thanks to you, my awesome friends, for your wonderful suggestions, I have myself a new little feature.
Let me explain: After I did my make-up must-haves post, it was suggested that I do a monthly 'Favorites' list, which is basically me blogging about things that I'm loving right then, during each month, and not just relating to make-up.
 So after some serious consideration as to if you would all give a flying poo, I thought what the heck! This is my blog, and it's a fun new idea, so I'm going for it. I then got really original and will be titling these segments '{that Month's} Favorites' {i know, where did i come up with such a brilliant name, right?}
July Favorites
{with my charming little video down below}


*MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot {the most perfect highlighter}
*Bioderma Sensibio H2O Face wash {apparently the #1 face wash in france. i can see why}
*Shoppers Drug Mart Brand Luxury Cotton Pads {so good! doesn't pill ball or fall apart}
*Live Clean Argan Oil Shampoo + Conditioner
*Acitivia Yogurt drink by Danone {i'm not even a fan of 'yop' but this drink I cannot get enough of! so good!}
*Essie nail polish in turks & cacaos {perfect summer toes!}
*Moroccan Oil {my hair has never looked or felt better!}
*MAC Lustreglass in Luminary
*AppleTV {ah-freakin-mazing! It has changed our life}
*Biotherm Aquasource Face cream
*True Blood {sookie you are too lucky to be stalked by eric. he is duhhreammmy}
*Burt's Bees Lip shimmers {loving the 'peony' & 'champagne' shades}

Thursday, July 28, 2011

.Klondike Days {part three}.

Yes, I said Klondike Days. Not Capital Ex. There's just something so great about the name Klondike Days and all the child-hood memories it conjures up for me. Cotton Candy. Mini-Donuts. Ferris Wheels. Cheap Stuffed Animals. Crazy Carni-Workers. Old-fashioned Root Beer Barrels. Candied Apples. Corn Dogs.
And we did it all. Minus the Ferris Wheel. We think we're too cool for that now {but really, we just didn't want to get in the mile-long line-up for the rides}.
We did it in the name of Love. 
Our Part three of our Anniversary Weekend.
Mini-Donuts & Old-Fashioned Root Beer.
Husband winning some moolah! He laughed when I cheered out-loud.
Classic Corn Dogs with Mustard.
A new personal favorite carni-game, "Flip-a-Chick"!! Brilliant! You flip a rubber chicken into a big pot. Who thinks of these things?!? A genius, I tell ya.
And then Husband cooked me Curry Crab Legs for dinner {with my favorite Bocconcini + Tomato + Cucumber Salad}. Oh Yum.
We also toasted with a Bottle of Wine that we had been given at our Wedding and that we have saved all this time. {thanks to Jenny C. + Patsy B. for that!}
And Thanks to my Husband for being my Lover.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

.Normand's Dinner {part two}.

Even though our Anniversary camping trip was a bunch of fun, our lumpy air mattress and our filthy bodies were enough to have us dreaming of plush sheets & a clean shower. And to be honest, we didn't really want to spend our entire weekend cooking over {and smelling like} smoky wood logs, so we decided that a fancy dinner out was also necessary. Especially on our actual Anniversary day {aka. the 24th}. So that's what we did; Packed up the Nissan and started our way back.
We finished Tina Fey's Bossy Pants audio-book {yes, you read that right, we listened to an audio-book on our way. We're so cool} just before we arrived home. Thank heavens for running water, and a washing machine.
I'm real outdoorsy that way.
Then, after soaping up and making ourselves look all spiffy, we went in search of a fancy-smancy restaurant.
Now, you would think this would be pretty easy feat for food lovers like us. But all the new hip restaurants that we keep meaning to try where closed {ack. Case of the Restaurant Sundays} and since we didn't really have a game plan in mind till about 7:00 pm, we grabbed a seat at one of our good ol' tried-and-true restaurants, Normand's Fine Regional Cuisine.
And it's a home-run every time.
The setting inside the restaurant is dark and romantic. Perfect for Lovers. The food was out of this world good {we seriously have never had a bad meal here} and our waiter was very friendly.
We ordered a bottle of Malbec, and were served our comp. bread with sun-dried tomato butter {which, by-the-way is something that I keep meaning to do: Flavor my butter}
For our appetizer, we ordered the Shrimp and Scallops in a Pernod Cream Sauce. Which was delish. I would definitely order that again, however I do regret attacking the plate so quickly because we forgot to snap a pic. Sorry. 
Peter ordered the Lac Brome Roast Duck {served with a sun-dried cranberry, orange, port wine sauce, and scalloped potatoes + roast veg}. This picture really doesn't do it justice.
 While I ordered the Free Range Breaded Chicken a la Rousse {stuffed with smoked salmon and cream cheese, served with a white wine shallot dill cream sauce and scalloped potatoes + roast veg}. 
OMG. Both were incredible.
First of all, that duck had a breast and a leg! So much food! And my chicken was mouthwatering!
I would so order both of these again. {Like maybe tonight. If Husband will allow me.}
We where both happy and full to the brim, so we decided to take a little walk to stretch out our protruding bellies. Husband also did a fashion shoot on me. ha. It was funny and embarrassing.
Edmonton's River Valley is really a Beautiful thing.
Love you Mister.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

.Smore Love {part one}.

This past weekend, as I mentioned, was husband and I's First Anniversary {holy crapola, one year already......where does the time go? I guess right along with the 8 years before that, but who's counting right?!?}
SIDE NOTE: We had an event filled week, but this post was our first activity and Part 1 of our Anniversary Weekend of Lurrrve {we also went out to Normands, Capital Ex, and ate Crab legs at home...but more to come with all of that}**
And since we have a little Honeymoon {yes, we know it's one year late} coming up in August when the dates fit better for our schedules, we decided that we still needed something cute and romantic to fit the bill for our actual Anniversary.
So we took a little staycation camping trip at a nearby lake . Rock Lake {on Hay River} to be exact.
[Staycation: (n)- what results when your vacation hopes and dreams doesn't match your vacation budget.] Thanks Urban Dictionary. 
Our reason for this was simple however, we just wanted to stay close to home {2.5 hrs wasn't too bad}, have just the 2 of us {ok, miss Bella may have crashed our party too}, put a check on my summer to-do list {camping}, be all romantic {and alone in the wild}, and save a little for our actual upcoming {honeymoon} vacation.
And Besides, Husband and I had never done this sort of thing, with just the two of us.
[Vacation: (n)- a period of time in which an adult pretends that he/she is a child again and has no responsibilities to tend to, spends money like the world is ending, and relaxes. Also another term for having sex in an exotic place.] Again, thanks Urban Dictionary.
We roasted marshmallows, hot dogs, and hamburgers. Played music, read books, and took walks. Played in the river with our girl. Made 1/2 s'mores, best campfire eggs {ever}, and danced. Didn't get changed out of top knots, hoodies, or leggings.
So here is a glimpse at our special anniversary trip.
Thanks Husband, for a Wonderful Time.