Road Trip Kit {Tutorial}

My parents are currently on a very long road trip and my house was the first stop. Knowing my mom's tendency to crave snacks and my step-dad's affinity for pop-rock mixed CDs, I wanted to make them a road trip kit, to take with them the rest of the way.

This six-pack case had been hanging out in my craft room for awhile, waiting for the perfect occasion to be used. This was it. And just like the robot baby shower favors, this kit uses Starbucks Frappaccino bottles. They're piling up in my garage, so the more crafty ways to reuse them the better.  

This kit is cute, portable, full of tasty snacks and road trip tunes - it's the perfect road trip companion. Best of all it's cheap. This easy gift was made from things I had laying around the house. The only thing I went out and bought specifically were the snacks (tailored to my parents tastes, of course).

Brag Books from Paper Lunch Sacks

My mom saw a little brag book in a local store made out of brown paper bags. She asked if I could make her one. Well...I love a challenge. After tinkering around in my craft room for awhile, I came up with these little brag books, using brown lunch sacks from my pantry.

These brag books are just what you'd think. They're mini scrapbooks to show off the little ones in your life.  They can easily fit in your purse and they're a definite upgrade from wallet photos.

The open ends of the lunch sacks become pockets for extra photos. So as time goes by you can always tuck more recent photos inside.

Tractor Baby Photo Shoot

I've been in Washington this past week visiting the fam. And I am now more convinced than ever that my nephew is the most gorgeous kid on the planet. I call him "little man" and he can make me laugh and smile like no other. With my sister in charge of wardrobe and staging and I behind the lens, we've been snapping photos of him all week.

On Memorial Day, my sister had the brilliant idea to set him in the bucket of my uncle's backhoe. So while the ribs and BBQ chicken were finishing up on the grill, we snuck off and snapped a few photos.

Dutch Oven Bread

Did I make this beautiful-looking bread? I think I did! It was beyond easy (no kneading) and it looks so artisan - makes me feel fancy. All you need is a dutch oven, like my beloved orange Le Creuset above, which also makes me feel fancy.

The loaf comes out with a crunchy golden crust and soft and chewy inside. The most amazing part: you get to choose the flavor! The flavor combinations are endless, so let your imagination and pantry contents run wild! 

We tried a rosemary Parmesan and cracked black pepper loaf with the agrodolce pork chops we made the other night. As well as, a sharp cheddar and jalapeno loaf that made for some killer garlic bread to accompany our spaghetti. 

Seriously though, what smells better than fresh baked bread throughout your house? Nothing. 

Butte 52: Week 6 - Patrick Ranch Antique Faire

On the Patrick Ranch, in Durham, is this beautiful old home. I wish that I knew the year it was built - no dice. I would guess the turn of the 20th century, but really I have no business making architectural guesses. 

It's one of those houses that leads my mind to wander, imagining all of the interesting people of wealth and privilege that once lived there. That and how awesome it would be to play hide and seek in a house with so many rooms.

There was an antique and design faire on the front lawn of the ranch last weekend. Ryan and I wandered through the tents and booths, scouring for inspiration. We didn't actually take anything home with us, except for a few photos with ideas.

These skeleton keys - genius! I love that they've been bathed in glitter. Wouldn't they make beautiful ornaments at Christmas time? I will definitely be doing this soon.

No Ordinary Cream Corn

About a month ago, I was frustrated and couldn't think of what to make for dinner. So Ryan volunteered to come up with something that night. I could hear him scavenging through our fridge and pantry, thinking to myself good luck. 

Then he walked out of the kitchen with this:

This is my Instagram photo of dinner that night. Look how delicious! I really do have the most amazing man. He stuffed a chicken breast with fresh jalapenos and grated cheese and served it over a bed of cream corn. I pretty much inhaled my plate and I never eat that fast.

Juicy Pork Chops with Agrodolce Sauce

Typically when you say "pork chop", I say "not interested." The majority of pork chops, at least that I've encountered, have been dry and tough (sorry, mom).

That was before I was introduced to using a brine. A brine, if it's new to you (like it was to me), is a heavily salted water that you soak meat in before cooking. It helps to break down the muscle fibers and keep the meat juicy...really juicy.

These pork chops are served with an agrodolce sauce. Agrodolce is a traditional Italian sauce that has sweet and sour elements. In this case - honey and balsamic vinegar. Oh yeah, it's incredible.

We paired it with mashed sweet potatoes. Perfection. And the guys really loved the flavor and crunch of the green onions on top. If you avoid pork chops like the plague, as I once did, you have to give the recipe a shot. You just might change your mind.

It all starts with some kosher salt and a little molasses in a pot full of water.

Add some fresh rosemary and little black peppercorns.