First Time Roast

I have never made a roast before, but I figured in the crock pot would be a great place to start. I love how simple and easy crock pots are and how they make your house smell amazingly delicious! Really anyone can use a crock pot because you throw together the ingredients and turn it on...not too much cooking involved. I found this recipe on Pinterest from crock pot pot roast and gave it a try. You can find the full recipe on my Pinterest board or on crepesofwrath.com. This is a simple but homey dish and just makes you feel good.

First you make the broth, put in half the cut up veggies, place the roast on top, layer the rest of the veggies on the roast. The key is to make sure that the roast is in the broth so that it stays moist. Turn it on for 8 to 10 hours. This recipe calls for 2 to 3 stems of fresh rosemary and I used 3. I would cut it back to 2 because the rosemary flavor was very prominent. It had a great flavor and at the end of the cooking time, the meat literally fell apart. It was packed with flavor and would be perfect for a cold fall evening. As a first attempt at cooking a roast, I think it turned out pretty well. So when the air begins to get a bit nippy be sure to try this out.

White Oak Kitchen + Drinks

I get very excited when I get the opportunity to see a good friend and doing that over a great meal is even better. For this occasion, we chose to try White Oak Kitchen + Drinks for Houston Restaurant Weeks. This is a new restaurant that is run by Westin Galleria that has a modern but intimate ambiance. First, we were started with an absolutely amazing sesame croissant. It was warm, crunchy on the outside, and soft and delicious on the inside. It was by far some of the best and most unique bread that I have had in a long time.

For the first course, we decided to try the hummus and the chicken tortilla soup. The hummus, which was slightly spicy from the cayenne pepper, was served with pita, carrots, and olives. The only thing I would say about that is that the pita was a bit on the chewy side... not the best pita I have had, but the hummus was good. The chicken tortilla soup was simple and perfect for the onset of fall. 

Next it was time for the main dish. I opted for the mahi mahi and got to try the Spanish skirt steak. The mahi mahi was served with two grilled shrimp, grilled veggies, and a sweet relish. I have never had mahi mahi before but it was delicious. It was mild and light and the sweetness of the relish paired well with the fish. The veggies were flavorful and simple. The naturalness of the dish was refreshing and surprisingly filling. The Spanish skirt steak was served with a chimicurri sauce and potatoes. It was well-seasoned and the chimicurri sauce added an additional pop of flavor. 

When it came to dessert, I found myself wanting to skip the other courses and just eat three courses worth of dessert. Sadly, I didn't get to do that so I had to make a decision between s'mores bread pudding or haute haute donuts. Since I order bread pudding recently, I opted for the donuts. However, these weren't like the donuts that you eat for breakfast. They were lightly fried, warm, and rolled in powdered sugar. They were served with three sauces: chocolate, raspberry, and caramel, which were so good! The sauce soaked in to the donut and gave it a completely different flavor with each sauce. Chocolate is chocolate and is just delicious in general. The raspberry sauce wasn't unnatural tasting and the caramel sauce didn't weigh the dessert down. The bread pudding was a play on one of my childhood favorites and was super yummy!

This is a great place to go to relax and unwind after a long day. It was delicious and when I go back, I want to try the macaroni and cheese. Be sure to try this out and enjoy all their great menu offerings. Thank you for such a wonderful meal and another opportunity to support the Houston Food Bank by eating for a cause. 

Glass Wall

Let me just first start off by saying that the Glass Wall is an absolutely fantastic place! The ambiance it cozy, relaxing, and modern. There are tons of candles mixed with shades of cream and aqua. It is a fairly small place, but it doesn't feel crowded. I am so glad that I got to try here for Houston Restaurant Weeks! I started off with a chicken and tarragon ravioli. It was served with fennel and snap peas in a prosecco and herb butter broth. It was light and buttery, there were tons of textures going on, and the sauce didn't overwhelm or overpower the dish. It was delicate and the perfect way to whet your appetite for the rest of the meal to come. Since I went with a friend, I also got to try the crab cake which was served with house made potato chips, and coleslaw. The crab cake wasn't too dry and the chips added the perfect crunch to the dish. The sauce was a peach aioli which I would have never thought to pair peach and crab. But I guess that's why I just enjoy the dishes that someone else creates!

I tried a Black & Blue martini that was a combination of blueberry, cherry, and vanilla vodka and served with a slice of orange. It was a little bit like a slushy because there was a tiny bit of ice in it. The orange add a slight citrus zing to it, creating a full developed palette of flavors.

For dinner, I ordered a corn flake crusted chicken fried steak. First, let me just say that I have never order this type of dish before, but it was such a creative dish that I just had to try it. It was accompanied by a corn relish and cheesy mashed potato goodness. It had a delicious gravy that had a faint bit of heat and helped to add the extra oomph the dish had. The crust was crispy and the mashed potatoes were amazing... sad to say that they are one of my food weaknesses. For not having tried may chicken fried steaks, I would have to say that there are very high expectations now.

Last, but certainly worth the wait, is dessert. I opted for a cherry and chocolate bread pudding drizzled with chocolate sauce and freshly whipped cream. The bread pudding had a nice texture where the bread and the custard melted together so that it didn't feel like you were eating cubes of bread. The cherry added a deep fruit flavor and the whipped cream added a touch of sweetness. The tiramisu cheesecake was topped with a cappuccino cream molded perfectly to the shape of the spoon.

Overall, this was an absolutely amazing meal and I can't wait to go back and try it again. If you haven't had a chance to stop in, be sure to do so! Just a heads up, they aren't open on Sundays, so don't wait until then. Let me know what you think when you try it out. Houston Restaurant Weeks, benefiting the Houston Food Bank, will be ending soon so don't delay anymore. Try something out before it's too late!

Cookie Challenge

I try to be open and up to any challenge. Food challenges are no exception. This one was to make a vegan, gluten free cookie for a friend. So we found a recipe that had only five ingredients: raw honey, coconut oil, salt, almond extract, and gluten free flour. The recipe called for blanched almond flour, however, Whole Foods didn't have any...which was weird. Also, they only had a giant bottle of almond extract, so I will be making a lot of recipes with almond extract. Anyways, back to the recipe. All you do is mix the ingredients together until a creamy dough forms. Pop the cookies on a cookies sheet and bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Take them out and cool completely.
While the cookies are baking and cooling, you make the icing. It uses raw honey, coconut oil, almond extract, lemon and lemon zest. Again, Whole Foods failed and didn't have lemons. The icing was good, but unfortunately there wasn't much of a lemon flavor. Mix together and chill in the refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Spread on the cookies and then enjoy! Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be like a shortbread. The consistency was a crust on the outside and a somewhat crumbly texture. The icing really kicked up the flavor, so I would say it is a must. The best part about these cookies is that they had no flour, sugar, or eggs, so they were pretty healthy. I am glad that I tried them and was pleasantly surprised. Don't be afraid to try something new. You never know what you will get.

Oh Fall, Where Are You?

Table Top

I am officially done decorating for fall. Like I said, not that much room to decorate, so it's pretty easy to do. Though I love the wreath that I made, I don't really get to enjoy it since I usually inside, not outside. However, I have recently discovered how much I enjoy candles and knew that I wanted to use them in my fall decor. There is something about the flickering flame and the relaxing aromas that just makes the world seem simple. Plus it makes the space feel cozy, homey, and warm...the perfect adjectives for fall. I found this really fantastic pine cone spray at Hobby Lobby and knew it would go well on the top of my table. I have a round table, so unfortunately I can't really do a long display (which can be really amazing). This spray had leaves, nuts, berries and because I do like a little bit of shine, tastefully glittered pine cones. I bought three small glass votives that I randomly (but strategically) placed within the spray. The candles were apple fig tart scented and they smell beyond amazing! I anchored the display with an ivory candle that also happens to smell spicey and very fall like.

Coffee Table

Last year I used apothecary jars filled with dried beans, popcorn kernels, and nuts. I like the layered look that it makes, but wanted to do something different. I found this really fun vase filler at Hobby Lobby that was different sized mini pine cones and glittered acorns in orange and gold. The glitter is done in a sophisticated manner and adds a nice pop of color. I put this in a medium vase and tied a piece of raffia around it. I used a smaller bowl and filled the bottom with white popcorn kernels and used the leftover leaves and acorns from the wreath on top of that. That created a nice blend of textures and colors that coordinated with the other vase. The magic number in decorating is three so I did a high vase that I layered with more kernels and small dry red beans. I used the green leaves off the reddish/orange/yellow mum flowers I bought and then added the flowers. This way I can always enjoy the flowers without them dying. The trick to creating a visually appealing grouping is to use things with various shapes, sizes, and heights, but to use things that tie them all together. When you use small elements and carry them over that creates the cohesive look that makes it all come together.

I had some of the dry red beans and popcorn kernels leftover, so I decided to use the polka dot votives I bought from One Kings Lane (see One Kings Lane post) again. I told you that they were very versatile and could be used all year round. I divvied up the filler between the three and then placed one of the apple fig tart votives on top. If you have votive holders that are too tall for the candles you have, this is a great way to fix that. Just make sure that you are using something that won't catch on fire. So now I am officially ready on the inside for fall, but I am just waiting on the weather to catch up with me. Let me know how you get your home ready for fall and what great ideas you have in store.

Falling in Love

I can't believe that Labor Day is right around the corner, but it's still 90 here. Nonetheless, I figured that is was the time to break out the fall decorations. I don't have much room to decorate, but I still like having something. I had made a beautiful fall wreath last year, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I needed to make another one. After making a (dangerously tempting) trip to Hobby Lobby, I ended up with ribbon, a twig wreath, some flowers, and a pine cone spray. Usually when I start a craft project I have an initial idea and part way through I begin to realize that it is taking a different direction. I learned that it works out better to embrace the change and realize that my creative "juices" have set in, rather than trying to stick with my original idea.

The sprays I bought were leaves and acorns. I decided to start with the leaves and add the acorns later. I removed the leaves from the branch and then began hot gluing them to the wreath. The leaves were shades of red, orange, green and a deep bronze. Making the wreath isn't a hard task, (though there is some danger when using a glue gun) it is just somewhat time consuming. The trick is to hot glue the stems to the sticks of the wreath so they are weighted. There can sometimes be quite a bit of wind outside and so you want to make sure that the leaves aren't getting ripped off.

Another thing to remember is that you want the direction of your leaves to follow the curves of the wreath. When you change the direction of the leaves, don't worry if it looks a little weird. It will be hidden by the bow. I would suggest holding the wreath up every once in a while to see how the leaves are laying. You don't want to stick a leaf in and then see it sticking out.

On a side note, don't be afraid to make florist bows. They are much simpler than you would think. All you do is start with a tail and make and initial loop. It's better to leave the tail longer because you can always cut it. Continue making loops on one side and then the other, while pinching the center together. When you are done take the tail and tie it in a knot. Fluff and hot glue the bow in the center and you are good to go.

I wanted to keep the wreath simple and natural looking. I left the acorns off and used them as a vase filler. I know that wreaths can sometimes be overwhelming, but when you make your own you don't have to worry about seeing it on someone else's door. Beside by premade wreaths can be expensive. I usually go for ones that end up being about $75 and up so I figured I should try to make my own. Stay tuned for my other fall decoration projects. If you need any advice on your wreath or are looking for someone to make a custom one for you, please let me know ad I would be more than happy to help!