winning. a contest, that is.

I want more followers of liliesandpoppies.  I'm selfish like that.

So I'm holding a contest.  Once we hit 50 followers, I'll hold a raffle for a meal or baked goods.

Pleasepleaseplease, tell your friends.  Get us to 50, and maybe you can be the proud new owner of an almond cheesecake, lemon cupcakes, or a few loaves of artisan bread!

sarah kay "if i should have a daughter"

I hope that I can be this eloquent when it's Alaina's turn to listen.  Her words are poignant, funny, and full of grace.

sur la table dutch oven

I got an enameled cast iron dutch oven for Christmas.  It's from Sur La Table, and it's a beautiful burgundy color.  Always knew I wanted one, but didn't realize how much I would really use it.  Artisan breads, stews, and roasts all turn out perfectly.  It's easy to clean, and it's pretty.  On average, I'm tossing that bad boy in the oven every 3 days or so....okay, not tossing, 'cause it is HEAVY, but you get the idea.  


It might be an investment (even on the low price point end, they'll still set you back about $100), but if taken care of properly, they'll last forever.  I highly recommend the Sur La Table brand (Le Crueset comes in pretty colors, I covet everything they make in orange, but I hear the quality is comparable to the one I own).  Can't wait to add the smaller ones to my collection!

roast chicken

I love roast chicken.  It's simple, healthy, and provides about 3 meals or more in my house.  I've tried lots of methods, but the one below is my favorite.

simple roast chicken

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.


Rinse a whole chicken under cold water after removing any giblets from the cavity.  Pat dry with paper towels, being sure to dry the interior of the chicken as well.


Place chicken in pan (I use a ceramic casserole dish).  Season with Kosher salt and pepper.  DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE.  You want to avoid moisture...so adding garlic, oil, lemon, or fresh herbs isn't doing the chicken any favors.  The high heat and lack of moisture will crisp the skin quickly, sealing in the chicken's natural juices.


Place in oven, and cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (about 50 to 60 minutes for a 3-4 lb. bird).  Leave it alone while it's in there, no basting, and no checking until at least 45 minutes.  You can baste the chicken with it's own juices immediately after you take it out of the oven.  But that's it.  Chicken's done.  


If you're feeling fancy,  melt a couple  tablespoons of butter, mix with Dijon mustard and tarragon for a nice dipping sauce for your perfectly cooked bites of chicken.




This recipe puts those grocery store rotisserie chickens to shame.  Not to mention those chickens are FULL of fat.  I shred the leftover meat for salads, quesadillas, sandwiches, whatever.

growing up

As I enter new chapters, I am forced to say good-bye to certain people in my life.  Sometimes, cutting these ties feels liberating.  Sometimes, I'm disappointed that they're not growing and changing with me.  It's a bittersweet ending: I'm motivated to be achieving my goals, and it can be sad that friends who were so supportive of me in the past can't stick by me in this new phase.

But every time, I'm grateful for the time I had with them, and I'm excited for the new relationships to come.  Occasionally, I even get the chance to reconnect with people because our paths have become more similar as time as marched forward.

To those who I've said good-bye to recently: thank you for the memories.  Thank you for the laughter.  And thank you for holding my hand when I needed a little extra stability.  Hopefully, I'll see you again soon.

jill scott's "golden"...my anthem

I love this song, and have since the moment I heard it.  What a wonderful reminder that you are in control of your outlook on life.  Plus, it sounds wonderful on your car stereo when it's sunny outside!

coconut banana bread

I'm not a huge fan of banana bread.  There, I said it.  I know it makes me some sort of quick-bread pariah.  But I hate waste, so I put overripe bananas in the freezer thinking "Someday, I'll find a banana bread recipe I like."  This is the closest I've gotten so far.  Feel free to adjust the amount of cardamom vs. cinnamon.   I prefer cardamom, as indicated below.

coconut milk banana bread

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dessicated coconut, unsweetened

3 mashed bananas (large)

1/2 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled

2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom & salt

In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and coconut flakes until combined. Whisk in bananas, coconut milk, butter, applesauce and vanilla.

Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of the loaf comes out clean.    **My oven took almost 90 minutes!

mac and cheese monday

I plan my meals out a week in advance.  Yes, it's a little obsessive-compulsive and nerdy.  But I can't tell you the last time I had to run to the grocery store during peak hours because I needed something that night to make dinner.  It also has cut down the amount of money I spend on groceries because I've eliminated (or at least cut down) the impulse purchases since I'm shopping from a list.


Tonight, I'm making macaroni and cheese with ham and asparagus...definitely a favorite of mine!  Alaina gobbles the stuff down, too.  


monday macaroni recipe

• 1 pound pasta (I use spirals)
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (or more to taste...I'm cooking for tiny tastebuds!)
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup white cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
• 1 lb. chopped ham (great way to use up Easter leftovers!)
• • 2 handfuls shredded parmesan
• • 
    
• 
  

  Begin cooking pasta according to package directions.

  
  

  Snap off the woody stems of the asparagus by holding the spears at each end and bending them. Cut the asparagus spears in half so they are about the size of the noodle. When the pasta has about 2-3 minutes left of cooking time, add the asparagus and cook along with the pasta.

  
  

  While the pasta and asparagus are cooking, heat a medium-size skillet over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter melts, add the flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in the stock, milk, hot sauce and Dijon, and bring to a bubble, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir the cheddar, gruyere and one handful parmesan.  Fold in the ham.  

  
  

  Drain cooked pasta and asparagus well and combine with the cheese sauce. Turn the mixture out into a casserole dish then top with remaining parmesan. Transfer to the oven and place under the broiler to brown the cheese.

  
  

  ** This is easy to make in one pot, if you start the cheese sauce after you drain the pasta/asparagus, and use the pasta pot for your sauce.  Will take a bit longer that way, but you'll save time on dishes later.

  
  

  
  

  The leftovers are fantastic, and it's a great kid-friendly dish that's a step up from the usual.  And asparagus is in season....well, almost.

  
  

  
  

so grateful

It's snowing outside my window, the dryer is humming, the baby is sleeping, and I have a huevos rancheros casserole in the fridge waiting for the oven at dinner time.

I'm warm and dry, my fridge, freezer, and pantry are stocked, and I'm in reasonably good health.

I have the most incredible family and friends a girl could ask for.  My daughter is brilliant and funny, and brings me more joy than I knew a human heart could contain.

It is a freakin' good day to be me.

fresh artisan bread

I don't know about you, but I'm a total sucker for really good bread.  Those crusty, herbed loaves that perfectly compliment homemade pastas and awesome salads, or just round out an amazing breakfast.

Artisan bread is generally fewer than 6 ingredients, and relies on a fermentation process to supplement the small amount of yeast that is added.  Usually baked in clay ovens, the home baker can make use of a cast iron dutch oven to achieve spectacular results.

The basic recipe couldn't be easier.

artisan bread base
3 cups flour
1 3/4 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups water


Blend dry ingredients.  Add water.  Mix to form a shaggy dough.  Cover with plastic wrap (I have a designated plastic bowl with a lid that I use for my bread) and let sit overnight.


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  When it's ready, place cast iron dutch oven with lid in the oven, and let it heat for 30 minutes.  While it's heating, empty dough onto heavily floured surface.  Coat bread with flour by turning it several times, and shape into desired form.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest while your cast iron is heating.  After 30 minutes, put dough into dutch oven (I like to line the bottom with parchment, just in case) with the lid in place.  Let bake 30 minutes, then remove lid.  Bake 15 additional minutes.  Bread is done with it sounds hollow with a tap to the bottom of the loaf.


But what about fun ingredients?  What about those delicious rosemary scented loaves at the grocery store?

Not a problem.

Just add the fun ingredients.  If they're dry ingredients, add them when you're mixing the dry ingredients.  If they're wet ingredients (like the sundried tomato and pesto loaf I made last week), mix them into the water before you add it to the flour mixture.  With additional wet ingredients, you may need to increase cooking time slightly.

I've done some awesome combinations: lavender and herb, almond and ginger, lemon and rosemary.  I love just making plain loaves, too....really makes INCREDIBLE sandwiches.  Grilled cheese will never be the same.

Let me know what you create!

adventures in financial aid

I'm going back to school.  My plan is to earn an associate's degree in nutrition, and parlay that into a bachelors.  Ultimate goal?  Become a registered dietitian.  I'd love to go to culinary school, and play with food all day long.  But that is an extraordinarily difficult path as a single mom, and even more difficult in the current state of the economy and job force.

Because of the time period in which I started the application process, I've had to fill out the FAFSA twice.  The application for federal financial aid itself isn't that difficult.  It's the little addendum paperwork required by the school that adds up....especially since I'm having to submit it a second time.  However, the staff in the financial aid office of Everett Community College has been exceedingly helpful and polite, and the admissions staff as well.

It's such an awesome feeling to have a long-term goal in place, and to be starting the process.  Slow and steady wins the race!

are you ready to have children?

Mess Test
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flowerbed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

Toy Test
Obtain a 55-gallon box of Lego's. (If Lego's are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream. (This could wake a child at night.)

Feeding Test
Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug, while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

Dressing Test
Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

Grocery Store Test
Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

Night Test
Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 - 12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8:00 P.M. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 P.M. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 P.M. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 A.M. Set alarm for 5:00 A.M. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

Physical Test (Women)
Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10 of the beans.

Physical Test (Men)
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheck to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

Final Assignment
Find a couple who already has a small child. Lecture them on how they can improve their discipline, patience, tolerance, toilet training, and child's table manners. Suggest many ways they can improve. Emphasize to them that they should never allow their children to run riot. Enjoy this experience. It will be the last time you will have all the answers.

homemade granola

I love granola!  Skip the milk, just add some yogurt, and my breakfast is ready.  The last time I went looking for it in the cereal aisle, I was disappointed.  I like raisins, but it seems like there should be more options.  So I decided to make it myself.  I use a basic recipe, and play from there.  The current batch Alaina and I are eating has dried cherries, dessicated coconut (not the sweetened shreds, it's unsweetened and much smaller flakes), and slivered almonds.  Take advantage of the bulk food and/or natural food section of your grocery store.  I think I'll play around with dried mango and ginger in my next batch!


Basic Recipe
2 cups rolled oats
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Combine brown sugar, vanilla, and vegetable oil (I don't recommend olive oil, unless you are a HUGE fan of the taste) thoroughly.  It will have the consistency of paste.  If you want to add spices (cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, etc.), this is a great time.  Add the oats on top, and mix well.  Get your hands dirty!  You want every piece of oatmeal coated.  Spread mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet.  You want to keep some of the texture, but you still need bite-sizeable pieces.  Put in a preheated 325 degree oven, and bake for 15 minutes.  After 10 minutes, flip granola using a spatula.  If using nuts, add here (unless they're already toasted).  Bake for 10 more minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheet.  Top with your choice of dried fruit or other toppings that can't go in the oven (chocolate chips might be an awesome addition!).  Will keep for a week in an airtight container.

a new blog for a new chapter

I started a blog about being a stay at home mom.  And now, over a year later, I realize I had myself pigeonholed.  Sure, I'm a mom first.  But I'm also a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a student.  Not to mention a reader, a cook, a girl who loves to make people laugh, a karaoke rockstar, and a good steward of the Earth.

The title of this blog comes from the flowers that represent the month I was born in (May, Lily of the Valley) and the month my daughter was born in (August, the poppy).  I think flowers are a wonderful reminder that, no matter how humble the beginning, we can always grow into something glorious.