"the onion is the truffle of the poor"

lunch via courtney khail

onions via courtney khail

photos via courtney khail

One of the best parts of having a flexible schedule is being able to explore during the week. Everything moves a little slower, there aren't crowds, and everyone seems really relaxed. It was snowing and we were feeling lazy, so instead of rushing to the mountains to ski, we slept in and then went out to lunch at acorn. I opted to show the pretty part of the meal here, but soon after our table was taken over with tempura fried pickles, home made tots, the largest BLT ever, and seriously, the best burger I've ever had. Also, one of the messiest. I definitely had to ask for another napkin just to make it through.

The Most Amazing (Not Too Sweet) Strawberry Scone Recipe

The Best Scone Recipe Ever.

The beginning of this past weekend was jam packed. Between a slightly last minute yard sale (which wonderfully also turned into a "meet the neighbors" party) lunches and dinners with friends, and just the normal stuff we needed to get done, every day felt extremely full. But the good kind of full. The kind where you realize you've been laughing/smiling all day, you've been constantly surrounded by amazing people, and despite being incredibly tired and kind of sunburned you still decide to forgo going straight home after dinner in order to savor some late night ice cream. By the time Sunday rolled around, we were too worn out to make it to a friends bbq and instead decided to take a "lazy day." We lounged/napped outside on the deck, took a bike ride down to the lake/through the neighborhood, chatted with our moms/told them how proud we were of them for raising such amazingly awesome children, ate dinner outside underneath our backyard cafe lights and finally finished the day off with fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and some Game of Thrones (yep. Game of Thrones. Seriously, it's awesome and now I kind of want a pet dragon. Then again, who wouldn't want a pet dragon? Weirdos that's who.) It was one of those days where you feel so grateful for everything that you can't even put it into words. You try, but in the end you realize that the one person you're thanking can probably already read your heart.

So now to the scones. I made these a few days ago and have been waking up to them ever since. (Well kind of. I don't have a butler or someone bring them to me so I guess technically I've been waking up and making these ever since. If you do have a butler though, have him whip these up and bring them to you in bed. I promise your day will be that much better- which is saying a lot since your life already comes with a butler.)

strawberry scones 1 via courtney khail

Okay. Back to the scones. I was in the grocery store last Wednesday when I happily stumbled across the strawberries. And as if I really needed an excuse to buy them, they were on sale. 4 pints for $5.  Sold!Of course, then I came home and remembered we already had strawberries so I need to get to work using them. Like yesterday.

Hence the scones.

strawberry scones2 via courtney khail

I make scones a lot because they are amazing and freeze really well (and breakfast is my favorite meal ever. Well that and pasta. Feed me those two things and I will never leave. Want me to leave quickly? Bring out the seafood. Not a big fan.)

strawberry scones3 via courtney khail

Wow. Sidetracked much? So back to these scones, again. They rock. They aren't very sweet (you can amp up the sugar if that's what you're looking for) but they're perfectly crunchy on the outside and biscuit like on the inside and go wonderfully with fresh whipped cream, or butter, or if you really want to play up the strawberry flavor- strawberry jam. (Since they are best straight from the oven, I like to freeze any we aren't going to eat immediately (you just need to add a few minutes to the baking time.)

strawberry scones 4 via courtney khail

You don't have to add the lime zest, but it adds a summery freshness to it (as opposed to a wintery freshness?) Also, feel free to use lemon zest if unlike me you aren't painting a dozen limes and therefore don't have a ton a round to zest.

strawberry scones 5 via courtney khail

So there you have it. Amazing scones to make your mornings (or afternoons) that much sweeter. (pun intended.)

All photos taken by me and are copyright of courtney khail stationery and design

The Most Amazing Biscuit Ever (Recipe)

The Best Biscuit Recipe Ever

As I'm typing this, I'm watching the clouds roll in for what's predicted to be a "really big snow storm." Come on Mother Nature. I love snow just as much as the next person, but ski season is officially over (as of this past weekend) and therefore you must go away too. It's time for sunshine and flowy dresses. But since the weather apparently doesn't agree, I decided to throw on an apron, crank up some rap music and bake. (In case you weren't aware, baked goods love rap. It's like plants and classical music. Just trust me on this. You put on Bach and your biscuits will be flat. You sing "Baby Got Back" to them and they'll plump up. Okay, I'm kidding, but at least you'll be less guilty about downing your goods after dancing around for an hour to some old school tunes.)

So back to the biscuits. I mean business when it comes to biscuits. Don't give me some dry, flat thing and say it's a biscuit. If they aren't puffed up, delicate, and filled with enough butter to give you a heart attack, it's not a biscuit. It's sad breakfast bread and you might as well have made dry toast. Of course, seeing as we now live a mile above sea level, I wasn't exactly sure how my biscuits would work up here. But, a friend gave us homemade jam for a housewarming gift and I refused to let it go to waste on some dry toast. (It's good jam, people. It deserves good bread.) Plus I had lavender that I really wanted to cook with so I figured I'd try my hand at buttery, lavender biscuits.

And ohmygod they were so good. Like, freeze some so you can eat them every morning good. So yea. Let's get to those.

lavender biscuits via courtney khail

Do what this photo says. If you can't read my handwriting, let me know and I'll walk you through it. If your dough seems really dry, add some more milk. (Outkast's"Ms. Jackson" came on right about now so I'm not really sure how much extra I put in. Let's guestimate 2 tablespoons give or take 1/4 cup. It needs to form a ball, not be a crumbly mess.)

Flatten the dough out on a floured surface and cut out your biscuits. Technically, you're supposed to use a drinking glass "so the edges don't smush together and they really rise" but I think that's a little nit picky. Plus, I like my simple round cookie cutter.

cutting biscuits via courtney khail

Put them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Mine were done in 13.

Pull them out and try not to burn yourself as you devour them. (They are best hot out of the oven, so freeze whatever you're not going to eat right away and just add 2ish minutes to the baking time.)

From The Studio: Oranges and Grapefruit

While grapefruits were always a little too tart for me (and by the time I put on enough sugar to make that less so, it kind of defeated the purpose of eating it) oranges always held a very special place in my heart. Growing up, my aunt and uncle and grandparents lived on the St. John's River in Astor, Florida. Astor is a tee-niny little town with a post office, a food mart (that's actually what it's called) and like 4 restaurants. My aunt and uncle owned one of the only 2 places to stay if you happened to visit (mostly bikers during bike week or fisherman looking to catch "the big one" on the St. Johns) and if I remember correctly, there isn't a stop light. There may be a blinking light. Maybe. 

Going to visit was about spending time with family. It wasn't about Disney World or the beach (though those were close by if you wanted to go) but instead it was about watching the sun create glittery patterns on the river, listening to the waves splash against the docks as barges drifted by, and long talks with my grandparents. It was the kind of place you could actually breathe and hear yourself think. Aside from a speedboat or my grandfather's saws spinning in his shop, the world was quiet there.

And something you could ALWAYS count on at my grandparents was a huge breakfast every morning. You'd wake up to the smell of grits, toast, bacon, sausage, eggs, croissants and of course the juiciest, sweetest, fresh orange wedges from my grandmother's trees out front. I would eat plate after plate of her oranges. Sweet, sticky juice dripping down my hands, warm sunlight on my back- it's one of those memories that just holds on and stays with you. To this day I can't see an orange without associating them with my grandparents and those easy summer mornings. As soon as I cut into one I can almost hear the rustling of the newspaper as my granddad turned the pages and the shuffle of my grandmother's slippers as she cleaned up while we all ate. (Seriously. You could never get her to sit down. She always worried about everyone else. Was your grandmother like that too?)

Paintings and images copyrighted by courtney khail and are available for purchase right here

From The Studio: Lemons and Blood Oranges

 

Citrus fruits epitomize warm weather for me and with the temperatures rising in Denver, I knew it's what I wanted to paint next in my food series. Today I added three new paintings to the shop that remind me of spring and summertime. One is a childhood memory, and the other is just because I love the fruit.

First, the childhood memory. Growing up, my mother used to roll a whole lemon until it was soft, cut a hole into the top and then put an old fashioned peppermint stick into it. Because the peppermint sticks had small holes in them, you'd use them as a straw to drink in the fresh lemon juice. The sugar and mint from the peppermint sticks would make perfectly sweet but tart lemonade that was perfect in the summer months. Looking back, it was just one of those things my mom did to make little treats that much more special, but to this day when the weather gets just hot enough to make you want to run through a sprinkler, I can't help but crave a homemade lemon and mint drink. Through these paintings, I wanted to capture that playfulness and memory.

As for the blood orange, there is just something so exotic about them.Like a grown up orange. From the outside, it looks just like any other orange. Bright orange and smells amazing, but that's all. You wouldn't really be able to tell the difference unless you sliced into it. When you do that, you're greeted with the surprise of a deep red flesh- juicy and sweet like any other orange, but almost as though it captured even more sunlight inside. There's a sexiness to them that makes even the simplest things- like an orange juice or a mimosa- that much more special.

All paintings copyrighted by courtney khail and are available for sale right here

good design: pietro gala pasta

via the dieline

From the Dieline:

"Pietro Gala" is a new premium pasta brand, distinguished by handcraft manufacturing and high quality ingredients. Fresh chicken agency developed the brand name, character and designed production package. Pietro Gala is an italian chief cook, whose image features different kinds of pasta. Cardboard texture and one-colour print emphasize naturalness of pasta and generate positive emotions."

That's all fine and good but, I just imagine the chef singing "That's Amore!" Which, let's be honest, would make me buy this in an instant.

good design: Bombay Bakery Cookie Business Cards

via trend hunter

So I know we were all told never to take candy from a stranger, but what are the rules on taking cookies from them? (Also the germ-a-phobe in me can't help but wonder if they come in a package as well. I mean, I'm sure I speak for everyone in saying that no one wants a lint covered cookie from some guys pocket...)

kim and courtney cook: squash

Oh Fall. Crisp air, cute clothes, and of course, comfort food. Now is about the time that the farmer's markets are flooded with pumpkins and squashes, and pretty much every root vegetable imaginable, so it's no surprise that this month Kim and I decided to pick a very fall vegetable as our inspiration. (I went with an acorn squash because I think they are pretty and knew that it would be sitting out on my counter until I finally got around to making something from it. Two points for instant fall decorating in the kitchen!)

hello beautiful squash via courtney khail

squash soup via kimberly taylor

But let's get back to the comfort food. Something about cooler weather makes me crave hearty dishes. Ones that involve roasting, baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.) and wilted leafy greens. Oh and cheese. Scratch that. I crave cheese all year round. But mostly, dishes that fill your home with amazing scents and make you feel like you're embraced. (Am I the only one who feels like certain foods just hug you with warmth?) And that's exactly the feeling I wanted this dish to have.

This dish is super simple to make. The hardest part is actually cutting the squash (it's dense like a pumpkin) but the rest is as easy as boiling water. All you do is roast and cube the squash, crisp some bacon (though sausage, chicken, or pretty much anything else would work,) brown some butter, and then add things that sound good to you (I used spinach to bring in some greens.) I was also going to top it with lightly toasted acorn squash seeds, but well, I got caught up with some show and burned mine. Whoops. After all that, you just serve it over pasta and top with pepper and cheese. No need to measure anything out really- just add what looks right to you. Our  house loves bacon so I upped that, but if you're more of a veggie person- add more vegetables. You could even throw on some toasted walnuts or something delicious like that. Whatever you do, don't over think it. Cooking should be fun, right?

Anyhow. Enough with the talking. Here are the recipes- (If you want to see my dish, it's up on my instagram account. Follow me at @ckhail)

and kim's soup! Make sure you head over to her site to see more as well.

Butternut Squash Soup

from epicurious.com

Vegetable oil spray

1 2-pound butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Pinch of grated nutmeg

1 cup milk or half-and-half

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with the vegetable oil spray.

Place the squash halves, cut side down, in the prepared dish. Pierce the skin sides several times with a fork. Bake until the squash is tender, about 45 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

Using a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the cooked squash into a food processor. Discard the skins. Add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, the cinnamon, marjoram, thyme, and nutmeg and puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a large saucepan. Whisk the milk into the soup over medium heat. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add the remaining broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

good design: Brooklyn Fare "wipe that smile" Napkins

found via eat me daily

Sometimes, people can be so witty.

Did anyone's mom actually say "wipe that smile off your face" to them? Or is this one of those things that was mostly on TV? I am most definitely an inappropriate smiler. When I was in trouble you'd never know my stomach was doing flips since I'd almost always crack a smile. Or I'd start to cry. Seriously, I have the worst poker face EVER.