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You guys.

YOU GUYS.

Buy this book. For real. Buy this book.

And I know it sort of seems like a nonessential kind of cookbook. And honestly, I'm sure you're probably thinking, "who loves Mac and Cheese THAT MUCH that they wrote an entire book highlighting all the various ways to make virtually the same dish?"

But I am telling you as a friend, BUY THIS BOOK AND NEVER LOOK BACK.

Do you know that this evening I made arguably the most restaurant-quality dish that I have ever made at home? Like, I'm pretty sure if I put this on a dish at Noodles and Company (any Midwesterners out there?), they would not know the difference. And at the end of the day, isn't that the ultimate goal of home cooking? You want to be able to feel like you're in a restaurant, but in the comfort of your own home, and preferably in those jammies that your parents have been telling you to throw out for years, but you just can't seem to part with. (Don't even pretend that you all don't have a set like that!)

THIS.

THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is what I made tonight, and will be enjoying tomorrow for lunch:

CLASSIC MAC AND CHEESE WITH BACON AND SPINACH.

And after this beautiful pot of magical, cheesy deliciousness was finally finished, I toasted some panko in the oven five minutes for an extra bit of crunchiness. I personally believe that mac and cheese always needs a little extra push, and toasted bread crumbs are certainly the way to do it.

BOTTOM LINE: BUY THE BOOK.

Buy the book, then tell me how it goes.

HAPPY BUYING/ MACARONI AND CHEESE EATING!

The Day All of My Baking Dreams Came True

The summer I turned 19, my mother enrolled in a history class to keep up her teaching certification. Her teacher was the absolute coolest, and planned the best field trips to interesting places in Milwaukee and beyond. We ended up in Illinois at an older military museum and property that was once an estate belonging to this huge newspaper mogul. While I wasn't totally keen on the military aspect of it all (though I will forever support the troops and appreciate their sacrifices!), I was super interested in getting a tour of the GIANT mansion that was in the exact center of the campus. The house was built in the 40s or 50s, and I of course was in love with the decor and felt right at home. It was a house almost exclusively built for entertaining, complete with one of those upstairs/downstairs set-ups where there was a separate set of quarters for "the help." The place was so big, and this family had done so much entertaining, that having not one, but TWO kitchens in the house was deemed necessary.  And while the kitchen decor was definitely a shade of yellow that deserves to remain in the past, one of the biggest talking points was something you really might not expect: the KitchenAid stand mixer perched on the counter.

Let's just get real for a second: those mixers are BEASTS. They're machines! They're...beautiful, wonderful, amazing, etc. etc. etc.

And while I suppose most people on a tour of a mega-mansion wouldn't really want to spend much time talking about a common household appliance just taking up space on the counter of this huge house, I just couldn't get enough. And maybe that's when I should've realized that some day I would love cooking and baking more than many, many other things that I used to find interesting.

From that tour I remember just a few things, but the one little comment that stuck? In all of the years that KitchenAid has been producing the stand mixer, the design has never changed. And why should they change it? Classic lasts, and classic is forever.

OKAY, SO. You've stayed with me thus far, and you might be saying, "GET TO THE POINT, SYD. I'VE GOT A LIFE TO LIVE."

Well the point, dear friends, wonderful dainty dwellers, is that I am now the proud owner of a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. For years I patiently waited for my chance to make one of my baking dreams come true and finally, FINALLY, Macy's had the sale I needed to make it happen.

Someday, someone will take a tour of my home (probably not. It'll just be like...my grandkids maybe?) and sitting on that counter will be something I never want to part with. Classic lasts, and classic is forever.

I WILL BAKE UP A STORM, I PROMISE.

I've got my eye on a whiskey olive oil carrot cake recipe. You in?

Maybe We Should Talk

 

We talk about baking and cooking a lot. Like, A LOT. And while there is never too much when talking about food, sometimes it's good to step back and discuss other things.

For example, did I ever tell you that I'm a singer/songwriter? No? Oh, okay, well, I'm a singer/songwriter.

Today, I just released my THIRD album, Maybe We Should Talk!

Give it a listen? :)

Maybe We Should Talk

I Dream of SOWA

I love flea markets.

Love them.

Love, love, love them.

But I've always been THAT person that goes to many, and never finds anything. Meanwhile, other people are finding all these rare treasures at insanely low prices, and doing it like it's the easiest thing in the world. I love flea markets, but sometimes they just don't love me.

And sometimes they do.

One of the things I love about living in Boston is the big vintage presence. There are tons of thrift stores and consignment shops  to go around. There are also, in the summer (and in some cases, all-year-round) open markets. This past Sunday, I took my second trip to arguably Boston's biggest and busiest open market, SOWA, located in the South End. (A friend told me yesterday that SOWA, stands for South Washington.)

This place has it all: food trucks, handmade craft kiosks, and an entire floor dedicated to vintage clothes, silverware, instruments, furniture, housewares...You name it, it's there. And in any other setting, I might find such a huge selection to be quite daunting and overwhelming, but not at SOWA. At SOWA, you embrace it, own it, and you say "excuse me" a LOT to the millions of people clogging up the aisles like they're the only ones there.

I'm moving into a new apartment soon, which means an entirely new decor that I've planned out. Bearing this in mind, I looked for things that would go well, and BOY DID I SCORE BIG THIS TIME!

Aren't they great? The picture really doesn't do the clock's color any justice. In person, it's this very brilliant turquoise color. The owner of the shop uses chalkboard paint exclusively on all of his vintage pieces, and adds a little shabby chic flair to each one. When I saw it, I looked at the price, put it down, and said that I would think about it. Then I saw another woman come in, pick it up, then put it down. So what did I do? Yep, that's right, I picked it up and immediately took it to the register. Shopping is a battle til the end, baby.

Also a sucker for scented candles, I bought this as a trial-run for some of the vendor's bigger sizes:

It smells heavenly, and I love it even more, because buying it means that I have supported a local business.

And I'm all about local business.

All in all, it was a REALLY good day for a lover of flea markets that's usually down on her luck.

And if you're looking for other great markets in the city, my personal favorite is located in Davis, and happens every Sunday from June through October!

HAPPY MARKETING!

Baby, We're Rollin' (in Dough)

I made doughnuts.

That's it. My life is forever changed.

And these weren't just ANY doughnuts, my friends. Oh no. These were...are you ready for this?

You sure?

ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS?

Okay, okay, sorry. I get a little too dramatic in the mornings.

 BAKED. PUMPKIN. CAKE. DOUGHNUTS.

Yes.

I took a  trip to Target about a month ago, and was perusing the home section when I came across a Nordic Non-Stick Doughnut Pan for a low, low price. Being one to never pass up a good deal, I threw it in the cart without even the slightest bit of hesitation.

Also, can we just take a moment to talk about the magic that is Target itself? Has anyone honestly ever gone in there thinking, "I'm just going in to get ______, then I'm out of there!"? No. Never. It's impossible. At Target, you have the semi-freedom to shop with abandon...You always learn your lesson when you get to the register of course, but by then it's too late, and you've already figured out a place for your new items in respective rooms in your home. I love it there, and Boston's about to get one a LOT closer to home! And you know where I'll be opening day.

Let's move on!

The recipe itself was amazingly simple. Honestly, all I did was throw a few things in the bowl. And for tools? Bowl, spoon, whisk, measuring cups, doughnut pan. That's it. I'm sure all you bakers out there can agree that sometimes the simpler the recipe, the less cleanup, the happier EVERYONE IS. We all like to dabble in complicated masterpieces, but on occasion, it's just nicer to take it easy in the kitchen. Especially in the summer, especially after all this heat.

I think I spent a total of 30 minutes preparing the mixture, then scooped it into the pan using my handy dandy 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, set the oven to about 17 minutes, and it was done!

Dunkin' Donuts, you eat your heart out. Then, you can come over for doughnuts.

What You'll Need:

Doughnuts:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus heaping 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons  Unbleached Flour

Coating:

• 3 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar mixture

Get the recipe here!

Happy baking!

While I've Been Away...

I've been away, and I hope you can forgive me.  

Since graduating, I've been a little busy. I've been baking, traveling to the beautiful state of New Hampshire, and planning, then hosting, a food tour! But you've always been on my mind, dear dwellers, and that is why I have returned.

It has always been an interest of mine to stay creative, to post my thoughts in a space where I could connect with other creatives, foodies, artists, anyone. But I never wanted to be locked into just talking about one thing, you know? Some people pick just one interest, and they make it their entire life. I'm not really like that. I can be the happiest gal just baking in my tiny kitchen, or strumming on the guitar in my room alone. Food and music are two big parts of what makes me, me. But there are other things.

That's why I've decided, once and for all, that Dainty Dwellings is all inclusive. It'll be art, decorating, cooking, baking, music, television recommendations, books, and my life in general. And I know I've said this before, but I want to take you with me.

You in?

Cookbook Club Anyone?

I need another excuse to buy cookbooks. (No I don't, but you can be my enabler.) Sleep on it. Think it over.

I'll just be here, adding hundreds of books to my Amazon Wishlist.

Confession Time!

Hi, I'm Sydney, and I can't stop buying cookbooks.

Just Purchased:

-Mastering the Art of French Cooking

-Thoroughly Modern Milkshakes

-Tiny Food Party

-The Secret Life of Baked Goods

HELP! I can't stop! They're all just so wonderful.

My lifetime goal: Write a cookbook, host a cooking show, and become the next Julia Child. Or, at least, be the coolest mom on the block when I have kids. Who didn't frequent the house of the kid whose mother couldn't stop baking?

Exactly.

What I'm Reading

My cookbook collection is growing! It's growing at a pace that is probably too rapid, and my wallet sometimes doesn't appreciate it, but one can never have enough cookbooks right? Right? And anyway, sometimes I just can't help myself. The colors, the concepts, the detailed descriptions and backstories! I just can't get enough. Recently, I picked up a book that was at the perfect level of quirkiness, and I thought I would share it with you!  

I'm currently reading:

BUY THIS BOOK. Not only will you impress your friends with your newfound ability to turn their favorite foods into cute, little bite-sized pieces, but you'll have a blast leafing through the pages, taking in all the possibilities! The other day I made the most delicious muffin-sized cheese and green pepper pizzas,with red wine sauce. And for dessert, I tried (and failed, but hey, at least I know how to fry dough) to make mini eclairs! My only criticism would be that I wish they gave more troubleshooting  advice. I ended up burning a third of the dough in my saucepan! Next time, I'm making my eclairs full-sized!

Bottom Line: Buy the book. Impress your friends.

Happy baking!!

I GRADUATED!

Well, guys, I did it. I'm a college graduate.

And as happy as I am to say those words, I did have to make a few sacrifices along the way to make sure it happened. One of those was giving up my baking, and not keeping in touch with you. BUT NO LONGER! I'm back, baby!

Prepare for a summer filled with baked treats (that I give away to all of my neighbors), tours of the city, restaurants you HAVE TO TRY, weekend trip destinations, and anything else that comes to my mind (like manicures. WHY didn't anyone tell me how much fun it is to get your nails done??).

It's good to be back.

Speak soon,

Sydney