Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

I never post. I am a bad blogger. I shouldn't even call myself a blogger.

I'll be better. I swear. There's been an infinite amount of adjusting to my new life in the midwest and my real day job. I'll get there. I will. Have faith.

In the meantime, this salad turned out too good not to share. It was kind of an accident. I was going to make a more traditional salad, but our lettuce was nasty, dead in the fridge nasty. So I started throwing fresh stuff together, and deliciousness was born. Is deliciousness a word? Oh well. Deal.

It tastes like summer. Literally, August. Peaches, sweet dark tomatoes, fresh whole milk cheese and creamy avocado with a splash of good balsamic. That's it, about 10 minutes and you have a delicious, sweet, decadent, and summery lunch...or side dish...or breakfast. Ya know how I roll.

Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

You'll Need...
2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cubed (I used amazing dark red almost purple tomatoes from Trader Joes)
1 medium avocado, cubed
1/4 cup of whole milk mozzarella, cubed
2 juicy peaches, cubed
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Done! :-)

Happy Father's Day...as always slightly late.

I am terrible at being on time for all things, including acknowledging things like holidays celebrating people. So, it's now 2am the day after Father's Day and I am finally sitting down to post a bit about the greatest guy in the world, my dad.

Things to know about my dad.

1. He's a superhero.
2. He's Italian.
3. He's like really Italian. Like SUPER Italian.
4. He's an Italian super hero.

5. He's super smart. Especially at math. And money. And Italy. And soccer.

6. Ok. Super smart at all things in life.

7. He's one of the hardest working people on the planet. 

8. He used to wear his hair in a fro with really tight jeans.

9. He's incredibly photogenic. Seriously. I didn't get this from him.

10. He's unbelievably and wildly supportive, loving, caring and understanding. I wouldn't be the person I am today without him and I am very lucky to have him as a dad!

That is all. Happy Father's Day (yesterday) to all you great dads out there. I hope you enjoyed your day and got presents and ate pasta. 

Today for Breakfast...

we had, whole wheat pancakes with smooshed raspberries.

smooshed=yum.

Week In Review: Teeny Bit of Cooking

A lovely week here in Michigan. Beautiful weather, good food, great people, fun baby. We are adjusting, and now all thats left is to move into our own place. We can't wait! I've got so many decorating ideas, I can't wait to get started. I also can't wait for the puppy to have her own space, I feel like we are cooping her up, she just can't handle the excitement of being around the other dogs here and becomes a complete a total maniac. Like seriously, maniac. It's like she's possessed. Alone with us, normal dog. Downstairs with everybody, demon from hell.

She'll be fine.

I'm going to go enjoy this sunny morning. Found an exciting person working in Michigan last night, just sent an email begging for a meeting...more on that later!!!!

Photos: Making marinade/Quinoa Avocado Dried Fruit Salad by Shutterbean/Frog Dog/New Couch Fabric/Making Paneer/I MADE PANEER/Baby A

Sausage, Kale & Mushroom Risotto

There are lots of things I love. Three of them are sausage, kale and mushrooms. I also love rice. Also, fancy words, like Arborio.

Do you love these things? 

Here's my challenge to you. Pick things you love. Throw them in a pan. Whisk whisk whisk. Enjoy. Then tell me about it please.

That's kind of what this risotto recipe was for me. I read the original recipe and it called for spinach, also a loved thing. I've made the spinach version, is bangin' (yea I said it), but this time when I went to make it I had kale. 

Whoa. 

The slight crunch of kale really took this creamy dish over the edge. Things I love in a pan. Cream, crunch, yum.

This is getting ramble-y. That's kind of what happens after Chako and I eat an entire pan of risotto. Rambling happens.

Unpacking and Being Healthy

I put too much stuff in my juice to make it all fit on the picture! So...JUICE!!

We made it to Michigan. We are getting pretty settled. It was pretty intense for me at first, and I don't think I let myself be prepared for it. Especially because we are staying with Chaco's parents for the first few weeks (who are the most kind and generous and welcoming people ever), and because I don't have any sort of job or work lined up and because I need a car...I just felt like I was on vacation. Then when I realized I wasn't on vacation I would freak out. I need a job! I need a car! I've been a little bonkers.

Then yesterday I had a little job interview for a part time gig, and I took the car for several hours and found my way around on my own. Something about this little act of getting lost then finding my way, and running errands without Chaco just made me feel like myself again. I think I just needed to feel like an independent lady for a minute. I've lived in New York for years, for a lot of it on my own and I just didn't really know how to react to the change, and to moving with someone.

I'm very happy to be here. The pace is different, I feel suddenly more relaxed and I'm getting creative ideas that I want to work on on my own, new things I want to try. You'll see and hear more about those soon...

Also, since we arrive here, we are taking steps to be more healthy and lose a bunch of winter weight we gained while being all lazy and in love in the city! Seriously, it needs to happen. For my birthday I got a JUICER! Then we went produce crazy at all the GIANT HUMUNGO grocery stores here, and we are juicing crazy.

That's what went into today's juice. Carrot, cucumber, bok choy, grapefruit, green apple and ginger. This one is not as elegantly curated as other, but it was very tasty and packed full of healthy stuff.

I am getting addicted so you can look forward to more posts with fun juice combos and recipes. I've been getting a lot of ideas from Shutterbean, as she is a master juicer!

Enjoy, have a great day, be healthy, and RELAX! It's Friday!

A Moving Story

I have a special story for you. A horror story. 

Seriously, it's frightening. I'm shaking. It's a story about moving. About attempting to pack everything you own into boxes and bags and baskets and on the backs of your pets and then renting a truck and putting it all in the truck and then getting the animals in the truck without the help of sedation and then driving 12 hours only stopping to pee and get Burger King.

Are you scared now?

Want to meet the main characters?

We have fear. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Monday we will be moved. At least into Chaco's parents lovely home. Then we will do it all again a few weeks later. But that will be much less scary.

The next few days are going to be a bit insane. We have a goodbye party tomorrow night, then its go time.

More updates next week. Hopefully we will look less like above.

Oh, and Chaco got new glasses. Not pictured here. He's super hot.

Quick Shots

I really miss cooking. I miss my kitchen. I can't wait to get to Michigan so I can cook in Chaco's mom's amazing kitchen. Then set up my new kitchen. Then cook there.

In the meantime. Some quick shots.

May Kitchen Wish List

Dreaming of setting up my new kitchen in a few weeks...here are a few things I would love to acquire in the new space!

sources: one/two/three/four/five/six/seven

our little almanac. {Oakden Fam}: Giveaway::Displaced Vintage

our little almanac. {Oakden Fam}: Giveaway::Displaced Vintage

Another very awesome blog is having a Displaced Vintage giveaway! Check out Our Little Almanac for more details and to enter!

A Displaced Vintage GIVEAWAY with Blythe Ponytail Parades

The awesome Violet at Blythe Ponytail Parades is hosting an awesome giveaway for my vintage etsy shop, Displaced Vintage. It's for a $20 gift credit to the store!! You can enter up to 6 times!!! That's bonkers. She's a smart lady.

Visit Blythe Ponytail Parades for the details and to enter now!! Seriously, do it. It's easy. And you could get free jewelry, with pearls. Or a vintage clown doll. Or a crystal ice bucket. I have all these things.

Check out this sweet graphic Violet designed, she's uber talented.

Again...Blythe Ponytail Parades.

Schwangin'.

Back by Popular Demand...

So I got this idea in my head that I needed to streamline. I felt like I was doing too  much stuff and I needed everything to fit into one brand, one name, one look...and I was driving myself insane doing it.

I started the Etsy store, which I love, and started a tumblr and became obsessed with making everything work together, and I cut out this blog and stopped having fun blogging and cooking and taking pictures. People kept asking me when I was going to post to this blog again, and I realized how I miss it!

So, here I am, new layout, new recipes and soon...a new kitchen. Not so tiny anymore!!!

The lesson from all this...don't stop doing things you enjoy just because you think something else makes more "sense".  Seriously.

A fresh start

Chaco and I are hitting the road. Leaving New York. Hopefully to a bigger kitchen.

I have absolutely loved writing this blog, it really helped me in many ways. Helped me learn to do something for me, just for me. Cooking, writing, taking pictures...being creative without a deadline. Selfish creativity. I'm totally in love.

With this move I have decided to broaden the scope of my personal writing and sharing, I started a new blog, that will feature lots of cooking, art, photography, stories and updates about my transition from New York to another part of the country. It will be wild, and well documented.

This blog will stay up for awhile, so access to the index will be available, and there is an archive on my new blog that links back to all the recipes here as well.

I hope you will join me and follow the new blog, I love sharing with all of you and hope it can continue!

Check me out www.displacedvintage.tumblr.com

Also, check out my new store! It's an Etsy store dedicated to beautiful and unique vintage finds. Check it out. Buy a dress...or some leather pants. It's sweet. Displaced Vintage on Etsy.

With all my love,

Chantel

Things I Like

aka "Bits & Pieces"

1. Cauliflower
2. Heart shaped corn muffins
3. Olive & artichoke tapenade on sourdough
4. Vegan chocolate cake, recipe from Joy the Baker
5. Roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and veggies
6. Country fried chicken!! Major accomplishment
7. Homemade gnocchi
8. My crazy cousins
9. Our Oscars menu

It's been an interesting week. Happy to be working more freelance and thrilled to be getting started with my vintage store. Putting together more inventory and having a big photo shoot soon, get ready!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend :-)

Tiniest Kitchen Expands! Sells Stuff!

MORE TINY STUFF!! RIGHT HERE!!!

Today I started an Etsy store to sell some very cool vintage stuff and hopefully some very yummy stuff in the near future. You can see it at...http://www.etsy.com/shop/TiniestVintageYums

I am starting off with a bunch of great vintage things, and shortly I hope to be selling jams and candies!

Check it out! Like it on Facebook! Favorite the shop on Etsy! I'd love you for any of those!

A few things listed right now...

Super cool crystal and glass decanter set.

Special art deco metal/bronze purse.

Gold chain and ball wrap necklace.

Gold and pearl choker.

Check it out at HERE!!!

Thanks for the support, lots more inventory to be added ASAP, keep checking back for new stuff. I'll keep posting shop updates on the blog, hope you find something you'll love!

Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal, a love for brunch.

I want to talk about brunch.

I know it's Wednesday night. Not prime brunch discussion time, but I believe brunch is an important topic and can be discussed at anytime. Especially Wednesday night, you have just lost your glow from your past Sunday brunch and are approaching the point where you can start eagerly anticipating Saturday brunch.

This is what hump day means to me.

What do you need for brunch? An array of options. All yummy. That can touch on your plate. And all should taste good with some amount of maple syrup on it. 

There should be eggs, meat, carbs, coffee, butter, syrup, juice and alcohol. Always. 

There should also be either oatmeal or grits. Always. Sweet oatmeal or cheesy savory grits. This post is about the oatmeal. Maybe next week we can discuss grits.

I like oatmeal. I actually love Quaker Instant Oatmeal, especially the cinnamon & spice flavor. I was raised on it, and my mom and nana always taught me to eat it out of a huge plate, and to start at the edges, eat in large circles from the outside to the inside so I wouldn't burn my mouth.

Now I am grown up. Sort of. I do now, however, make oatmeal from oats and stuff and flavor it myself, rather then out of the little paper pack. I like lots of flavor, so this recipe gave me lots of joy. 

This oatmeal reminds me of eating a pumpkin pie with no crust. So yum. Lots of health. Toasted spices. Pumpkin puree. Oats. Milk. 

Pair it with...

And a lovely friend...

And at our house someone's always doing this during brunch...

And you get....

Yup. That's brunch. This photo is by said Lovely Friend (www.beewaterhouse.tumblr.com)

Countdown to Saturday.

Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal

From the New York Times Cookbook

You'll Need...

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus more on top

1/8 tsp ground ginger

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

4 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats

3/4 tsp salt

Stuff you might like on top, apple sauce, apples, syrup, honey...

Toast the allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger in a large saucepan until they smell lovely, probably about 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin and mix together. Add the milk and raise the heat till it comes to nice simmer. Add the oats and let it all simmer over a medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the oats are tender but not mush. 

Remove from heat and add the salt. Serve topped with cinnamon and other things you love. 

Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Caramelized Onion, Cranberries & Sausage

I'm in hibernation.

I always go into hibernation a little bit in February. Something weird always happens, and it's cold, and I can usually find a way to hide out from the world for a little bit. You'd think this would mean I could blog a lot with all that time, but instead I'm basically hoarding new recipes. Cooking non-stop, immediately devouring and returning to the land of the people inside my television.

I'm reemerging. I think it's time. So now I share food! Yummy yummy food! It's time to move on from the rough events of the first half of this short month and try and make things better and more exciting in the second half. 

I'm looking for new things now. New things to do, new things to do to make money and new things to learn. It's a goal. Not to be confused with a resolution. Different.

Any ideas? Let me know!

This pasta was a step in the right direction. It combines all things I had in my kitchen that I've never combined before. It has stunning color and amazing taste. It is healthy...-er then a lot of things we eat here.

Try it. Want a close up of awesome colors???

Yea. That's what I'm saying. New. Fresh. Exciting.

Do it.

Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Caramelized Onion and Cranberries
Adapted from Saveur


You'll Need...
2 pieces of sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and chopped (optional, can be vegetarian!)
Glob of olive oil (about 2 tbsp, but it's up to you!)
2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved vertically
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup dry vermouth
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 oz. fettuccine
Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste


In a large saucepan, sauté sausage in the olive oil until cooked through. Using a slotted spoon remove the meat and put aside.

Place the Brussels sprouts face down in the oil from the sausage and cook till the faces are browned and beginning to crisp, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and toss with the sprouts until translucent. Add the broth, vermouth and cranberries; scraping anything from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a strong simmer, then cover and lower heat slightly, let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sprouts are tender.

At the same time, cook your pasta (nice and al dente!). Reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. Drain and add to the saucepan with the sprout mixture. Mix well until the pasta absorbs most of the liquid. If the pasta seems to dry, add the reserved pasta water 1 tbsp at a time. Add the sausage and toss. Serve, garnished generously with fresh parmesan.