Month: October 2015

My Random Thoughts on Social Media

Is Pinterest like the best thing ever? I’m such a late bloomer. I remember my aunt telling me over 3 years ago that I should be on Pinterest, and I had no idea. What did I do 6 months ago, before I could categorize all of my thoughts? How could I have truly appreciated the way I felt about a rainy day until I could display it to myself in 30 pictures? (And as ridiculous as that may sound, that is not sarcasm.) Love it!

I don’t even know where I’ve been. Literally. Everything is a blur, it’s going by so fast. Life. The kids. Thankfully modern media can remind me… where were you when you Pathed that picture? (Is that a word? Like when you tweet on twitter, do you path on Path?) Anyway, you catch my drift. Brilliant.

Does it amaze you the amount of information that scrolls through twitter? It’s overwhelming really. How much of it is actually useful? I have no idea. I might “click” on one thing a day. I must go past hundreds. Most of them I don’t even see I just press the icon that takes me to the top, and I might go down 2 or 3 images. Does everyone do that?

How annoying is Facebook? I mean at it’s best it’s wonderful. You can see family and friends, and their special moments and kids. That’s the good stuff for sure. And then there’s everyone’s opinions. I try so hard to not get political. I really do. Of course I have opinions. But I know not everybody wants to see them in some kitschy cartoon. And then I’ll see something clever, and think that’s cute/funny/fill-in-the-blank… so I’ll read another until I feel like I’ve really wasted too much time or even worse I see one of those really annoying everything against everything I believe in ones, ugh. It’s a love-hate thing.

Is everyone on Instagram? They should be. There are some amazingly talented people out there. And all you have to do is look. Here are a couple of my favorites: @awesome.earth – totes amaze; @puremichigan – I’m partial; @helloemilie – that mysterious girl in a hat, she’s been to some beautiful places.

And the Winner Is…

Thanks again to everyone for playing! I had a lot of fun reading your answers! Every eligible comment, new follower, like and share was assigned a numerical value. And I found a great website, www.random.org, where I could enter numbers from beginning to end and it would randomly select a number; which happened to be…

#7 Annie! Thanks for playing! You have won The Pioneer Woman pitcher! You can contact me at sadiesnest@yahoo.com.

Look forward to more giveaways in the future!

Love,

Sadie

Easy Peasy Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s Pie is such classic comfort food. It’s hearty, warm and flavorful. On a chilly day it’s like a beacon of cozy. There are many variations, and really you can layer on any vegetables you want. As far as I’m concerned there is really no wrong way… But if you know how to boil potatoes and want it easy, here you go!

As organic as possible:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup onion, diced (1 small onion)

2 lbs ground beef (we like 90/10 lean)

10 crackers, crushed (saltine style or butter)

2 1/2 tsp salt (divided)

1 tsp black pepper (divided)

2-3 Tbsp season salt

2 cans creamed corn

3 lbs potatoes red skin potatoes, washed, halved and quartered to boiling size (2″ or so). If you use another potato, no worries, just peel first.

1 cup heavy cream

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup milk (give or take)

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large pot cover potatoes with water and start boiling, cook until fork tender. In the meantime in a large skillet, warm oil on medium heat. When runny and hot add onion and let cook a minute or two. Add beef, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. (Side note: I’m a big fan of seasoning meat initially as it cooks, and again later… it’s tradition.) Cook until browned, drain and add season salt and crackers, toss around until evenly distributed. Taste for seasoning! It’s got to be good enough to eat on its own, salt and pepper as necessary. Then spoon meat mixture evenly on the bottom of a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Next cover meat mixture with creamed corn. (Another side note: if you are not a fan of creamed corn, don’t worry, it won’t taste like creamed corn.) Set aside.

Check potatoes for tenderness and drain when ready. Add butter and cream, mash. Add milk as necessary until desired (slightly spreadable) consistency. Add remaining salt and pepper. Taste! Season as needed to taste delicious on their own. Then layer on top of corn and meat mixture, spread evenly. If you’d like sprinkle lightly with a little of the season salt for color. Bake for 35 minutes, until potatoes just start to brown and dish is heated through. Serve lovingly.

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Organic Vs. Non GMO

By now you know that I’m an advocate for organic eating. Trust me I understand economics (well enough anyway) to know that it’s not always the “affordable” option. But I do feel strongly that it is an important issue. I say with every recipe “as organic as possible,” because I believe every bit matters. We don’t even know what we are doing to ourselves (as in mankind) with all of the crazy things we are putting into our food and therefore into our bodies. Information is knowledge… (as long as it is truthful and accurate.)

Ok, enough from me. I came across this article from a food blogger making great strides in the world. Most recently she was a part of the movement to get Starbucks to take the harmful artificial coloring out of the pumpkin spice latte (it wasn’t adding flavor). And a catalyst in getting Subway to list their ingredients and remove the dangerous chemical azodicarbonamide from their bread. Bravo! (BTW that chemical is used for making yoga mats and shoe rubber, is not supposed to be eaten, and was only in bread served in North America, not Australia, EU or the UK. Thank you FDA.)

There’s a lot of confusion and debate about what non-GMO and organic labels really mean.
The labels are very different! It’s crucial to understand the difference if you want to pick out the healthiest and safest food for you and your family. Every time we decide to buy a product, we are supporting so much more than our bodies. We are shaping the landscape of the entire food system – everything from the environment, land, air, water to the farmers themselves. And this is why I want you to know the truth about the “Non-GMO” label and what it really means.

What exactly does the “Non-GMO Project” label mean?
The “Non-GMO Project” label only verifies that a product doesn’t contain genetically modified (GMO) ingredients (or technically less than 0.9% GMOs). While that is good, it’s not the whole story about what the product contains, how it was produced, and where it came from.

But when I have a choice, I always choose organic food because of these reasons…

10 reasons why “Organic” beats “Non-GMO” every time:

1. Certified organic foods are also non-GMO.

2. Organic crops cannot be grown with synthetic pesticides, and contain much lower pesticide residues overall.

3. The most widely-used herbicide on the planet – Glyphosate (Roundup) – is prohibited on organic crops.

4. Organic ingredients aren’t processed with toxic hexane.

5. Organic crops are prohibited from being fertilized with sewage sludge.

6. Organic meat isn’t produced with growth-promoting drugs, like ractopamine.

7. Organic animals aren’t fattened up with growth-promoting antibiotics.

8. The non-GMO label claim is unregulated.

9. Organic foods prohibit many of the chemicals known as “obesogens” that trigger our bodies to store fat.

10. By choosing organic food you’ll automatically avoid most of the “Sickening 15” … Chemicals like synthetic preservatives, synthetic pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics are not used in organic food…

For the original article and more information check out foodbabe.com

Also this Sadie’s Nest post was updated and amended from the original as Subway has removed azodicarbonamide from their bread! Hurray! Next maybe they will offer organic options?

Loving Lately ❤ Giveaway!

I have been wanting to do a giveaway for a while. Actually before I ever had a blog I was planning the type of things I’d like to giveaway. Now that I have been doing this for a for a little span, I think its time. I just can’t wait any more!! Thankfully my favorite non-familial home cook has put out a really adorable kitchen ware line! Yay! I think it’s befitting that my first giveaway is a piece from her new line, don’t you? I recently visited my local Walmart to check out the new items and basically wanted to take home one of everything. The practical side of me made, um, me limit myself to a few. I have to say my favorite is this beautiful pitcher!

Loving Lately #1: Pioneer Woman Dishes

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Here it is again in case you wanted to see it!

I really thought I was going to the store to pick out some of the those cute Pioneer Woman polk-a-dot glass bowls and cups, and maybe one day I will. But when I saw everything in person, I fell in love with the really sweet floral patterns.

To commemorate my 5 month achievement, thank my loyal followers and celebrate these cute dishes; my first giveaway is The Pioneer Woman Pitcher! I am limiting the giveaway to residents of the U.S. and Canada. (To all of my international friends out there, stay tuned for more giveaway opportunities in the future!) The Rules are simple: For entry, answer the posted question in the comment section of this post; Any new “like” or “follow” or “share” of this post via WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest gets an entry.

For entry leave a comment below answering this question: What is your favorite kitchen apparatus?

(Only 1 comment per person please!)

Thank you for your participation and all of your support!

(Every ‘entry’ is assigned a numerical value. Entries will be allowed until 11:59 pm Saturday, October 10, 2015. Numbers will be randomly selected and the winner will be posted on Monday, October 12, 2015. Winner must provide an address in the U.S. or Canada to be eligible.)

This contest has ended.

Award Smorgasbord!

I have recently been awarded three nominations! Thank you so much to My Heart of Mexico and Healthy in All Hues for nominating me for the Starlight Blogger Award and Life Bellissima for nominating me for the Infinity Dreams Award. I am so honored by your support. You all have such unique and inspiring blogs, and I am grateful for your recognition!

Now here’s a lot of information about me.

The Starlight Blogger Award

These are the rules:
1. Thank the giver and link their blog to your post.
2. Answer the 3 original questions then the 3 new questions from your nominator given to you.
3. Pass the award on to 6 or more other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated by you and add 3 new questions for your nominees.
4. Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog, please never alter the logo, never change the 3 original questions and never change the Award rules.
Please don’t delete this note: the design for the STARLIGHT Bloggers Award has been created from YesterdayAfter. It is a Copyright image. You cannot alter or change it in any way, just pass it to others that deserve this award.
Copyright 2015 YesterdayAfter.com – Design by Carolina Russo

These are the three original questions:

1 If you could describe or picture your inner soul how will you describe it?

Wow, that’s deep. I hope it is bright and pure, and because I am redeemed, it is spotless.

2 What are you working on right now?

Literally, this post. But as for my blog in general I am excited about my first giveaway!

3 What is your creative dream project?

Hmmm. Blogging about my farm life with a roadside cafe!

My questions from My Heart of Mexico:
1 What is your biggest challenge when it comes to blogging?

•I have so many ideas I’d like to make happen, but in reality I have a baby who needs me, a toddler who needs me, and home preschooler who needs me, a fourth grader who needs me, a husband who needs me… And I’d like to be a better photographer.
2 What advice would you give to newbie bloggers?

•I would say if you do this for fun, then you won’t be disappointed. If it stops being fun, don’t do it; life is too short!
3 What motivates you to keep blogging?

•I have this self determination thing that keeps me on my toes. I really want to do better, and share good information.

My questions from Healthy in All Hues

Here my questions for the nominees:
1 What advice would you give for people new to blogging?

•Again, I think it’s important to remember your goals. What do you want to share? What do you want people to know? Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Enjoy what you are doing.
2 What is one creative project you are working on?

•I am really excited about a giveaway I am working on! But trying to get down the logistics, a fair selection process, etc.  has taken some thought.
3 What is one goal you want to achieve by the end of the year?

•I’d like to take a writing and a photography class.

Thank you My Heart of Mexico and Healthy in All Hues!

 infinity-dreams-award1

Rules for the Infinity Dreams Award
1 Thank the blogger who nominated you and link back.
2 Post the award badge and rules.
3 Tell 11 facts about yourself.
4 Answer the question that were set for you to answer.
5 Nominate 11 other bloggers and set questions for them.

Eleven facts about myself:

  1. I am thrilled that Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics series is on Netflix.
  2. Growing up, my back yard was the Great Lake Erie.
  3. I have over 150 cookbooks and counting.
  4. My favorite color is yellow, it’s so cheerful.
  5. I can knit a scarf, but don’t ask me to change colors.
  6. I started as a baker, but learned to love cooking since I couldn’t feed my family cookies and quick breads (in good conscience) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  7. I majored in French.
  8. God is amazing, but outer space kind of freaks me out.
  9. Blogging has put a damper on my laundry. There’s a damper on my hamper. (Oh yes I did)
  10. I can (obviously) be a total goofball.
  11. I want to try glass blowing.

My questions from Life Bellissima:
1. What inspired you to start a blog?
•My overwhelming desire to maintain adult communication.
2. A new recipe you would like to make that you’ve never tried before?
•Recently a friend of mine shared a curry shrimp recipe from Pinterest that I am excited to try!
3. Favorite travel destination(s)?
•You know, I am a huge fan of the state of Michigan, so it’s lucky for me that I live here.
4. A great weekend would include …?
•Coffee. Breakfast out with my kids and husband, then a babysitter. A nap. Trying a new recipe in a quiet kitchen. Time to shower and blow dry my hair. Dinner out with my husband, then pick up the kids. Movie night with popcorn! A good night’s sleep, and exploring a new town/park etc after church with the fam. I mean that’s not too much to ask for right? Sounds pretty great to me!
5. Favorite meal to cook for family and friends?
•Anything as long as I’m with my family and friends!
6. A favorite movie or book?
•Pride & Prejudice, Little Women…
7. Something you enjoy about each season?
•I’m blessed live in an area that really experiences each season to its fullest. I love a snowy white Christmas, snowmen, and hot chocolate in winter. I’m always happy to smell the warmth of spring when the frost starts to melt and the buds and flowers start to bloom. I love swimming, traveling, camping, bonfires, s’mores and cookouts to name a few in summer. And this time of year, autumn, is beautiful with all of the color changes; crisp and exciting. I really enjoy baking and cooking and the coziness of the kitchen.
8. If you had free airline tickets, where would you travel?
•New Zealand!
9. Name a favorite dessert. (I know it’s hard to pick only one!)
•I really enjoy a good chocolate layered cake.
10. Favorite cooking/baking gadget?
•I get a lot of use out of my whisks…

Thank you Life Bellissima!

Cheater alert! Since I have recently nominated every blog I love… I reserve the right to nominate deserving blogs in the future!

Mom’s Apple Pie

When I was in Dublin, Ireland there was one place I wanted to go. Ok like two. I wanted to see the world renown Guinness Brewery and Queen of Tarts. When we made it to the latter the line was outside the door. The place was full of satisfied customers and I wanted to be one of them! They sold several different pastries, but like Owen says “You don’t go to a pie shop and order a cake.” So we ordered a berry tart. It was perfect. It had a good flaky crust, an awesome crumble topping and a flawless sweet fruity center. It was love at first bite and immediately I said “this is just like mom’s apple pie.” (Except the obvious fruit difference).

As organic as possible:

5 large or 7 medium Granny Smith apples

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown sugar

2 tsp Cinnamon

3 Tbsp Flour

1/4 tsp Salt

1 pie crust (I like Martha Stewart paté brisée)

Crumble Topping:

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Flour

1 stick cold salted Butter, cut into cubes

Preheat the oven to 375°. Put the unbaked pie crust in a pie dish and pinch the edges. Set aside. Peel and cut apples into fork full size pieces. Toss apples in sugar and cinnamon and let sit. In the mean time make crumble topping.

To make crumble topping; whisk together sugar and flour, add butter cubes. You must use two butter knives and cross-cut butter into flour/sugar mixture until butter is in pea size pieces. (Do not over cut, because pockets of butter are essential.) Set aside.

Side note: I did not follow the rules this time, and used a pastry cutter, and my pieces were not light and fluffy and my top crumble (pictured) was more of a solid piece and not my mother’s usual look or texture. So don’t be a renegade like me; follow the instructions for a perfect pie.

Back to the pie: Add flour and salt to apple mixture, gently toss. Pour filling into prepared pie dish. Now lovingly spoon crumble topping over apples, making sure all are covered and butter pieces are evenly distributed. Once you run out of visible butter pieces you can leave behind the extra flour (maybe a 1/2 to whole tablespoon full). Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until golden brown.

Pannu Kakku

I remember the first time I ate this growing up. The name sounded so exotic. My mother had learned the Finnish oven baked pancake recipe from a close family friend. The dish was served warm and topped with syrup. It was sweet and comforting. And although all of the ingredients were familiar to me, the almost soufflé like appearance and custard like texture turned this into something completely different and very special. The ratio of milk to eggs and sugar varies based on personal preference, this is how we like it the most.

As organic as possible:

1 stick Butter

1 cup Flour

4 Eggs

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400°. Melt the butter in a 13 x 9 inch pan until bubbly and starting to brown. In the mean time, add eggs, milk, vanilla and sugar to flour. Mix until all is incorporated. When butter is ready remove pan from oven and turn down to 375°. Carefully swirl the butter around the pan to cover bottom and sides. Pour batter into the pan and bake 25-30 minutes, until center is set (not runny). Serve warm with syrup or fruit.

GG’s Beef Stew

This is a family heirloom. My mother has memories of her grandma making this stew. She tells me, and now my children, almost every time we eat it, “I used to smell this stew when I would get off the bus. Grandma would have the windows open and I knew… And I would run to the house. We would eat it with buttered bread and a big glass of milk.” So I can think of no better introduction or suggestion. We always make it in big batches, so I tried to break it down into a 1 pot portion. (And therefore can be easily doubled… or quadrupled.) It’s a hearty stew and we have always enjoyed the rustic (large) bites of meat and veggies. I hope you do too!

As organic as possible (my addition)

2 – 2 1/2 lbs chuck roast (stew meat), trimmed and cut into 1″ (or so) cubes

1 1/4 – 1 1/2 lbs Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ (or so) cubes

1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1″ (or so) pieces

3-4 celery stalks, cut into about 1″ (or so) pieces

2-3 large onions, peeled and quartered

2 large cans whole stewed tomatoes, halved and quartered in the can with a knife (it’s tradition)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp salt, to taste

1 tsp black pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp sugar

1 stick butter

Place meat in a pot (dutch oven) with about 1 1/2 quarts of salted and peppered water. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Allow to simmer until tender, about 30-45 minutes, depending on cut. Skim off and discard the froth. Throw everything (except sugar and butter) into the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, add butter and sugar. Simmer until veggies are tender, about 45 mins to an hour (if you can wait that long). Salt and pepper to taste.

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Open your windows to let out the aroma, and serve with buttered white bread and milk- optional, but highly recommended.

Best Oatmeal Cookies Ever?

A life-long friend of mine knows I’m into food blogging. So when she came across a recipe that said it was “The Best Oatmeal Cookie Recipe We’ve Ever Tried,” she passed it along my way. How sweet is that? Thank you Monica! Of course, being a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies, I had to try it. The recipe came from the Wall Street Journal. I don’t know if I’ve ever made a recipe of theirs before. Apparently there is a newly opened restaurant in Manhattan, and rumor has it they have a good cookie!

The first thing I noticed that was the prep; the instructions said to soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes. I wondered if that would make the raisins juicy and plump? Not to disappoint, it made a difference! They also mentioned using old fashioned or rolled oats, which I always do, and agree that they are best for oatmeal cookies. The recipe called for adding the egg and vanilla at the end, after adding the oats and raisins; that was another thing I had never done before. Lastly it was recommended to allow the batter to sit for 4 days, which I will admit I did not do, although it gave me a pass. Something I would not do is bake them again for 17 minutes. There was no leeway. The directions specifically said 17 minutes, and that was too long, at least for my pans and oven- unless my goal was awesome granola.

The result was delicious, almost candy like. They kind of had a shiny sweet exterior that I thought was different from my regular batches. The cookies were big and chewy (when cooked about 14-15 minutes). And I have to say my kids loved them. They baked round and flat and firm. To be completely honest I think they are perfect for ice cream sandwiches! And although I am not disappointed, my quest for the perfect oatmeal raisin cookie is still on. Of course I have been heavily persuaded by the organic “Aussie Bites” from Costco. I think they’re on to something! However, my dad disagrees whole-heartedly. This much I know is true: personal taste is subjective. Am I rambling?

As Seen in the Wall Street Journal:

Active Time: 10-15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour, plus 4 days for chilling dough Makes: 14 cookies

1 cup raisins
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
1½ sticks slightly softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups old-fashioned or rolled oats
1 extra-large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

  1. Soak raisins in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain.

  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

  3. Using an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down frequently. Take care not to overbeat.

  4. Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in oats, followed by drained raisins, egg and vanilla.

  5. Use a ¼-cup measure to scoop dough onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Flatten each blob with base of measuring cup. Cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 days (optional).

  6. To bake cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake until cookies are golden-brown on the outside but still soft in the middle, about 17 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on baking sheet a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.

—Adapted from Melissa Weller of Sadelle’s, New York City

Thank you Monica! This was a lot of fun!