Coco Luxe Organic Coconut Oil in a Tube!

It’s no secret that I love coconut oil. I use it mainly as a moisturizer since it’s the only thing I’ve really found that doesn’t leave my skin itchy, red or bumpy especially after shaving. I’ve also used it for oil pulling, taking off my eye makeup & cooking. One of the best things about coconut oil is that it’s pretty easy to find - you can pick it up at your local grocery store & even score some quality organic stuff for reasonable prices.

The one downside to coconut oil for those of us using it for non-cooking/eating related purposes is that it comes usually in a glass jar or a big tub. Albeit I usually keep both types in my shower (yes, having glass in my shower - for me- is super dangerous since I’m pretty clumsy & also pretty lazy with screwing the top back on allowing water to get into my oil - which does not mix well.) This jar/tub issue was a problem until Coco Luxe Organic sent me their organic coconut oil IN A TUBE!  This is a game changer for all of us that want to travel with coconut oil (it's TSA friendly & ready to go!) or are clumsy/lazy with jar/tub maintenance.

To refresh your memory, coconut oil is solid below 65 degrees which gives it more of a buttery consistency. To use this tube of goodness simply store it above 70 degrees for immediate use. If it is solid (because the temps dropped overnight or you keep your AC on super low) simply run the tube under hot tap water until soft. I like to keep mine in the shower & since I take hot showers it is soft enough to squeeze out & moisturize by the time I’m squeaky clean. Then I smooth it on over my damp skin which is when I feel is the best way for it to absorb. It absorbs pretty quickly so you can go about your dressing routine. If you're concerned that some of the residual oil will get on your clothes simply towel it off - the good stuff will have already been absorbed. If you find that the oil in the tube is too liquidy stick it in your fridge (or ice bucket if you’re at a hotel) or under cold running water until it reaches your desired consistency.

One extra bonus to using this magic in a tube - I use/waste less of it. Typically when I scoop coconut oil out of the jar at least one scoop lands on the shower floor. With this tube I have more control & less waste. Win. Win.

If you’re still on the fence about adding coconut oil to your beauty regimen the team at Coco Luxe suggests you use it for:

• a face wash
• an energy boost (try it in your coffee!)
• psoriasis relief
• a massage oil
• a hair conditioner
• a lip moisturizer
• a diaper rash remedy
• & even pet health!

Kugel (Noodle Pudding)

I didn’t grow up eating kugel & I’ve really only had it a handful of times but I like it. Kugel or noodle pudding is baked like a casserole full of decadent dairy & egg noodles that’s more on the sweet rather than the savory side (sometimes it can be really really sweet!). My co-worker Lisa generously shared her family recipe with me so that I could try my hand at this rich dish. It is the perfect recipe because it wasn’t super sweet & I really liked the crispy cornflake topping (that I added a little extra vanilla  because I love vanilla). Lisa & her family typically eat this before or after a fast & then for breakfast & every meal in between following.

I took my giant casserole dish to work & we ate it for breakfast! When do you eat kugel? Do you put anything different in yours?

Keep reading to get the recipe for Lisa's Kugel. It makes a ton so invite your friends & family & eat up!

P.S. Thanks for the recipe Lisa!

Fluffy Sunday Morning Pancakes

As soon as the mercury dips I deem it as the best excuse to eat lots & lots of fluffy pancakes. We have to prepare for winter hibernation after all. I’ve posted about the ways that I achieve fluffy pancakes here & have written about delicious pumpkin pancakes here. However, it’s dawned on me that I’ve never given you my basic & perfect sunday morning fluffy pancake recipe even though I’ve been known to spam your instagram feeds with my stacks of pancakes on any given sunday morning.

Today is the day I’ve giving it to you here on the blog! I look forward to seeing your fluffy stacks so be sure to tag me (@mrshoh or #heatheromade) so I can peep your work.

Disclaimer: Yes, these pancakes will take longer to prepare than just adding water to a mix but they will taste that much better. They are made with simple & very real ingredients that you can find at any grocery store &/or probably already have on hand.

Happy 1st Birthday Annie!

It's tough to believe that it's been a year since this beautiful face came into this world - but she did & Annie is 1! She's been bringing smiles to faces & stealing hearts since day 1. She's even walking already, clearly a genius.

I'm so lucky to be her auntie. These are some snaps from her first birthday party this weekend that was filled with laughs, food, everything Minnie Mouse (including a custom cake - scroll down to check out that confection) & family (including tons of COUSINS)!

Happy Birthday Annie! I love you!

Simple Fancy Fan Garlic Potatoes

I really love yukon gold potatoes & usually use them to make mashed potatoes but recently I tried making hasselback potatoes with them instead. A hasselback potato (or what I’m calling a fancy fan potato) is simply a potato that is cut in very thin slices almost to the bottom (but not quite through) so that the potato still holds together like a fan. All that really means that these potatoes look really pretty & you can stuff yummy ingredients in between the slices (like lots of garlic!). They were a hit (read: Chris loved them) so they’ll be making more guest appearances on our dinner plates in the near future. Although these taters look fancy they’re pretty easy to make once you get the slicing down.

Juicy Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Yogurt Sauce, Peaches & Arugula

Last night I was on my own for dinner so that only meant one thing - there would be olives (because I love them & Chris hates them)! I’ve been on a Greek salad & Greek yogurt kick as of late so those were also making the cut. I opted to make a Mediterranean style turkey burger with a yogurt sauce that is pretty much like tzatziki sauce with olives in other words a creamy garlicky & salty sauce. Then I added some feta, sliced peaches & arugula to hit all the other notes I love (read: salty, sweet, spicy).

I have to admit I scoured Pinterest in hopes to learn how to make a juicy turkey burger & thanks to this blog post I will always add pats of butter & milk to my burger mixture. I also opted to grate the onions & garlic into my mixture so that you don’t get big chunks or bites of either but you do get the flavor.

How do you make your turkey burgers juicy?

PS: remember if you make this pasta be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #71 Cool Down Summer Drinks with Frozen Fruit Instead of Ice.

If you didn't know - summer is here! I'm keeping cool with ice cold drinks except I'm swapping out traditional ice cubes for frozen fruit. Lately, I've been really into filling my glass with frozen strawberries, mango & peaches & then pouring a can of limonata (a fizzy lemonade) on top of all that goodness. As the fruit defrosts it adds more flavor to the limonata & cools it down at the same time. Then at the end I have a nice fruit cocktail to snack on. Plus, it looks really pretty.

I also use frozen fruit in my smoothies. That means I skip the ice cubes all together & just blend up frozen fruit. It adds flavor without watering it down. I'd opt for smaller sized fruit when making smoothies. Larger pieces like peach segments should be cut in half as they can sometimes get stuck in the blender & don't chop up as evenly as small chunks of mango would.

PS: Frozen fruit also works like magic for wine & cocktails. Try frozen grapes in your favorite glass of white wine or prosecco.

How are you staying cool this summer?

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

Fusilli with Fresh Tomato Sauce & Ricotta Cheese

After college I moved to NYC to “grow up,” which means I worked three jobs in attempts to make rent & pay off student loans while having some fun too. Glamorous, right? One of my three jobs was waiting tables  in NYC’s Little Italy. During this time I survived on a few staples for dinner: cannolis, pasta dishes my boss would generously share with me & Chinese food from my favorite place a block away.

I really hadn't thought about these meals until I was watching Giada’s show on Food Network yesterday. She was in Italy making all kinds of pasta. The one dish that she made took me way back to my early twenties when I used to share fusilli (the long curly pasta) with tomato sauce & fresh ricotta with my boss. I easily ate this once or twice (maybe more) a week. Giada’s method was simple & straight forward so feeling nostalgic for it I recreated it from memory of what I learned earlier in the day. 

The one key method for making Giada's simple & super fresh tomato sauce sung out to my inner love of tomatoes - especially fresh summer tomatoes. She took fresh tomatoes & used a box grater to break them down for the sauce. Apparently if you do this in a fancy food processor or blender the heat from those kinds of appliances actually change the flavor of the tomatoes (& we don't want that). I had to try it. I did & I loved it. This maybe my new favorite way to make tomato sauce. It’s so easy & fresh that you’ll be making on the regular too. I think it’s time to get this dish back in my weekly rotation like when I first moved to NYC.

Do you have specific food that reminds you of your first “adult” years? I’d love to hear about them. Leave me a note in the comments below.

PS: remember if you make this pasta be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #70 Neutralize Too Acidic Soups & Sauces with Baking Soda.

There’s a few things I learned about cooking with wine. The first is you have to have some in order to cook with it. If you have no wine you can’t cook with it. The second is vinegar is not the same as wine. It’s much MUCH more acidic. When you cook wine (or vinegar) it concentrates the flavor so you better like the flavor to begin with.

Why am I rambling about all this? To get to my tip of course so you can learn through my crazy mistake & miraculous quick fix. On Sunday I decided I was going to make this sauce. Four cups of red wine makes up most of the liquid of the sauce. I didn’t have any red wine on hand but I did have some red wine vinegar & some beef stock. (Remember: vinegar & wine are not the same.)

Better Home Cooking Basics: #69 Top Your Ice Cream with Spices to Add More Flavor (Not More Fat!).

It's ice cream weather! While hot fudge, whipped cream & extra sprinkles all offer extra deliciousness to everyone's favorite summer treat they also add extra calories. Today, I'm asking you to put down the typically delicious & caloric toppings & visit your spice rack instead. Spices aren't just for cooking any more. You can jazz up any kind of ice cream with spices which means more flavor without added fat! Keep reading for my ice cream & spice pairing suggestions.

Better Home Cooking Basics: #68 Revive Whipped Cream that has been Over-Whipped with a Couple Splashes of Cream.

If you're multitasking while preparing whipped cream from scratch you might opt to use an electric mixer & you may just over whip your cream making it resemble a texture more like churned butter than light & airy whipped cream. If this happens to you don't toss it! Simply add a couple splashes of cream back into the mixture & whip it back into shape & you'll have light & airy whipped cream in no time.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

Better Home Cooking Basics: #67 Freese Your Bowl & Whisk Before Using Them To Make Homemade Whipped Cream.

’Tis the season for whipped cream. Fresh fruit with homemade whipped cream is simple & sinful all at once. When making whipped cream at home I use 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar to each cup of heavy whipping cream. The sugar level really depends on how sweet you want it. One way to make the whipping go faster (especially if doing it by hand) is to freeze the bowl & the whisk (attachment) that you plan to use at least 15 minutes ahead of time. This helps to speed things along when it comes time to whipping. To make the whipped cream simply combine the whipping cream & sugar (if using) & beat the heck out of it with a whisk until it forms stiff peaks. It's quite the arm work out if you do it by hand but you can also employ your trusty mixer too if you're double tasking in the kitchen.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

3 Picnic Worthy Sandwiches

Independence Day is this weekend! I can hardly believe it. If you’re packing up for a picnic on the fourth or any summer day this weekend here are 3 of my favorite picnic worthy sandwich recipes:

1. Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich
2. Num Pang Tiger Shrimp Sandwich
3. Sweet & Crunchy Wasabi Tuna Salad Sandwich

What are you doing &/or making for the fourth? I'd love to know, so comment below! If you make any of these sandwiches be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Summer Moments

Here are some details of my favorite moments as of late. Hope you enjoy them & have a wonderful weekend.

A gorgeous sunset sky after a stormy day in NYC on a walk with my twin sis.

Beautiful & romantic flowers at my friends' (Karen + Paul) wedding last weekend.

Blurry champagne equivalent to the warm & fuzzy love in the room at the same wedding.

Fun paper lanterns & lights that we danced under all night.

Rhubarb-Almond Cake

If you’re looking for a summer dessert this is it. I love rhubarb & have traditionally enjoyed it most in a strawberry rhubarb pie (mmmm). My aunt is allergic to strawberries so when deciding on what to bring for (Easter) dessert at my Grandma’s house I opted for this Rhubarb-Almond Cake. It’s light but moist. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. The rhubarb offers the right amount of tartness to make you want seconds.

Better Home Cooking Basics: #66 Store Peaches Upside Down

I know Georgia supposedly has the best peaches but I'm partial to South Carolina peaches (they're the best in my book!). Aside from being insanely delicious &  great on their own or even on pizza they can bruise pretty easily. To get the most life out of your peaches try storing them stem end down on a flat surface at room temperature. This way they won't weeble or wobble or roll around & get bruised.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.

Sugar Snap Pea, Asparagus, Baby Leek, Pesto & Ricotta Pizza

This past Sunday night when it was pouring down rain in Hoboken I opted to make a pizza. On the grill. Outside. For dinner. Thanks to a saintly husband & an umbrella it actually came to fruition.

This is the perfect spring pizza with heaps of green veggies & flavor even you meat eaters will go vegetarian for the day. Plus, I got to use this pesto on it!

PS: Happiest birthday to one of my favorite ladies, Miss Ashley McGee! xx

Make this pizza & tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Basil-Parsley Pesto

When we visit Charleston we find ourselves at Coda del Pesce  at least once if not twice per trip. The menu changes daily but it’s always delicious. The one constant (non)menu item is the ciabatta bread they serve with this amazing pesto. It’s super light but really addicting & we’ve definitely asked for seconds (& wanted thirds) because it’s that good. The wait staff is super knowledgeable & more than happy to share how the dishes are prepared so of course we asked, “what’s in the pesto?” The answer was not much. Literally there are a handful of ingredients that make the pesto so delicious. Naturally,  I made some mental notes & then made it at home.

The one main element that separates this pesto from your usual pesto is also what makes it so light - it doesn’t have any cheese or nuts but it does have anchovies. I know that may sound a little unapproachable but really the anchovies just serve as a salt factor. It doesn't taste fishy what-so-ever. I promise. (Note: If you're preparing this for picky eaters who are put off by fish just don't mention the anchovies & all they'll know is that it tastes delicious.) It’s really fresh & great on everything (I mean everything: bread, fish, pizza, potatoes, veggies).

Make this & then let me know what you put it on. Tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade) if you do I'd love to see your concoctions!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #65 Choose the Watermelon With a Yellow Spot

When picking your watermelons out this summer look for ones with a yellow or deep cream ground spot. This yellow spot marks where the melon sat on the ground & grew! It shows that it’s ripe. Spots that are light green or white are signs of under ripe melons.

After you’ve picked your melons make yourself a refreshing glass of juice or this salad.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here. 

LIttle White Dress Picks

I want to wear little white (or white-ish) dresses all summer long & I have been doing my best to do this. Here are some sweet little frocks I found that fit the bill. Which one would wear?

1. All Eyes & Cheers Dress (ModCloth.com $128)
2. Eyelet-Stripe Fit & Flare Dress (Gap $40)
3. LC Lauren Conrad Pleated Popover Maxi Dress (Kohls $32)
4. Abby Dress (ThreadsforThought.com $40)
5. Reversible Slip Dress (SynergyClothing.com $33)
6. Textured Fit & Flare Dress (Nordstrom $$$$)