Food « A Golden Afternoon

Buy Local: Chicken Salad with Fennel and Apricot

Around here, we are always looking for something yummy to make at lunchtime. My husband works from home (although we are in a season of him working with some clients away from his home office right now) so I often have to be creative with lunches so that we aren’t eating the same things all the time. It’s not that it’s NECESSARY to have a constantly changing menu, but in doing so, I feel like we always find new recipes we enjoy more than the last ones.

This chicken salad was the product of leftover roasted chicken, a bulb of fennel, fresh herbs, and some dried apricots we had lying around. It was AMAZING. There is something about the unexpectedly good that really makes my day. Plus, this dish is perfect for springtime since fennel is still found at the farmers markets! The sweet dried apricots and fennel work together so nicely with the chicken in this dish. Chicken isn’t boring unless you make it boring.

Bonus: the kids loved it too.

Fennel & Apricot Chicken Salad

4 cups chicken, roasted and cubed

1/2 cups fennel, finely chopped

1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons chopped chives (or rosemary!)

1/2 to 3/4 cup mayo

salt and pepper, to taste

fennel frond for garnish

Combine all chicken salad ingredients in a bowl and season to your liking. Garnish with a piece of the fennel frond you saved from the fennel bulb.

Hint: I keep the fennel fronds in a jar of water in my fridge for future uses like roasting salmon.

San Diego food sources:

Descanso Valley Farm‘s chicken

San Diego Public Market for:

Maciel Family Farm‘s fennel

Smit Orchard’s dried apricots (seasonal)

Suzie’s Farm‘s spinach, parsley, and chives

Eat Local!

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Let’s Throw a Party: How to make a banner for a cake

I love to throw parties.

I love the planning, the shopping, the excitement on everyone’s faces, the DIY creating, and the cooking. My husband has become very patient with me throughout the process in which I plan a party and I might even say he gets a little excited…a little. Maybe he’s just become really good at pretending to be excited. In any case, I love the whole process.

Most parties I throw, I never end up having pictures from because I’m usually putting it all together. I’m trying to be better at catching little snapshots here and there to share like this DIY birthday banner.

This banner is super-easy and very fast to make. My littlest, Dean, wanted a meerkat party (incredibly common) so I threw together these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, crumbled graham crackers for dirt, and a little meerkat on top with some rosemary shrubbery.

It was a hit!

Banner materials:

twine or string

washi or paper tape

skewers or twigs

scissors

Start by measuring the amount of twine you want to hang across your cake or cupcake. I like mine to hang out to the side for a more whimsical look.

Next, pick the repeating color order you want the tape to appear in and start tearing 1 1/2 inch pieces off. Put the twine in the middle of the sticky side and fold over, meeting the ends of the tape.

(Also, those are totally my 29 year-old hands and not my Grandma’s…I blame the gardening.)

Next, snip a triangle on the end, making a cute little flag. You could also keep them square or make them into triangles.

Now, get your cake. My sister turned me on to Thomas Keller’s chocolate cake and frosting recipe a few years ago like I used in these owl cupcakes. You can find it in his Ad Hoc cookbook. So good and the only recipe I’ve ever tried that is moist like boxed cakes!

Lastly, tie the ends of the twine onto the sticks/skewers and place at an angle in the cake for a cute DIY birthday banner! Twigs are my favorite trick for making easy and FREE touches to any cake. You can also use paper and just glue the pieces over the twine for the banner. These are fun because you can add words or names!

Now, if you ever have to throw a meerkat party, you will have at least one things to make! haha.

Anyone planning a party? :)

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Sweets: Nutella Heart Poptarts

We love Nutella.

We love hearts.

We love pop-tarts.

Now, they have been brought together as one. It’s a good day.

I’ve made Nutella pop-tarts before here, but the heart really gives it that sweet touch (sweet tasting and also sweet looking…har har).

Nutella Heart Pop-tarts

1 recipe for pie crust dough or a prepared pie crust, split in 2

Nutella

1 egg, beaten

crystallized sugar for sprinkling

Heart-shaped cookie cutter

Roll one part of the pie dough out until it’s 1/4 inch thick. Cut the heart shapes out and then place them on a cookie sheet. They need to be far enough away to allow for you to seal the edges with a fork. They won’t rise much so you don’t need to worry about allowing spacing for that. Spread the filling over the hearts , leaving 1/4 space on the edges for sealing. Place an additional heart over the heart with the filling on it. Then, seal the edges all the way around with a fork. Brush the hearts with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until brown. The time will depend on the size of the hearts.

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Mid-week Inspiration: I want to make this pie NOW.

Doesn’t this “Salty Honey Pie” look amazing?

I want to make it right now, but it’s 9pm.

I know, I still could but I’m pretty sure I don’t have enough eggs.

Man, those backyard chickens would sure be awesome right now…

For more yummy food inspiration, check out my dessert board on Pinterest.

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Handmade Holiday: Valentine’s Day

We all have our own love language. Mine is acts of service…from what I’m told. If I had to pick my own category, it would be thoughtfulness. I know, that’s not one of the given categories, but I’m not really a fan of categorizing myself like that so I’m making my own. I just really love thoughtfulness.

I loved it recently when my friend made a kit of lovely things to help me during a cold.

I love it when my husband does the dishes when I’m least expecting it.

I love it when my mom pulls out a vintage treasure from her “stash” right when I need it.

I love it when my kids ask if there’s anything they can do to help.

I love it when my sister bring down cookies when she visits.

I love it when someone spends time making something with their hands.

SO….

I put together a little collection of things I feel would be thoughtful gifts for your love ones on Valentine’s day from things I’ve made in the past.

//Cook a nice dinner with roasted red beets as a side dish. They will add gorgeous color to your table.//