mellowgoose

[mellowgoose]

ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR!  

Spicy, Guatemalan-inspired hot cocoa is our family favorite when the cold weather begins to set in. As my husbands mother is native to Central America, her influence can be found in many of our recipes.   I swear, one sip and my body relaxes, easing me into a night of slumber ahead. 🌙✨

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups oat milk + 1/2 cup half & half (or nut milk creamer)

2 Tbs brown sugar 

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

4 ounces semi-sweet choc chips  (I’m a sucker for Ghirardelli)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 pinch coarse salt

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, 

4 cinnamon sticks

1 pinch cayenne pepper 

whipped cream, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a saucepan, over medium heat, add milk, creamer, and chocolate chips.

Whisk gently until chocolate begins to melt and color the milk a light brown.

Add cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt.  Whisk until well blended and a deep brown color.  

Lower heat and whisk in the nutmeg and cayenne pepper.

Add one cinnamon stick to each mug (there should be four) and pour hot chocolate into the mug.  About one cup per mug.

Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream or marshmallows (optional)

#spicyhotchocolate #hot cocoa #comforting #delicious #treatyourself

[mellowgoose]

ONE WEEK until we escape to a cabin in the woods.  Nothing makes me feel more at peace than a return to nature: hiking, camp fires, playing with the dog, cooking the evening away over a hot stove, photography, snuggles, early rising and taking it all in, minute by minute.  

equinoxl

#fall escape #r&r #peaceful #calm #birthday

[mellowgoose]

Spotted in Asheville, NC 🖤🖤🖤

⦿ Photo taken on Pentax K1000

#blacklivesmatter #blm #film #35mm camera #asheville #north carolina

[mellowgoose]

Taking my husband to our first corn maze this Sunday!  He’s a wonderful photographer so its fun to find experiences for us where we can engage and explore while he observes and takes in the moments.  I’ve no doubt there will be some VERY BASIC photo opportunities, pumpkins, cider, some confusion (its a maze!) and all the flannel your heart could desire.  While our surroundings will not look anything like this, we are excited to get our butts outside, interacting with the community.  Masks up! 🌽🎃

By Kiel James Patrick

#onyva

[mellowgoose]

The air feels static with election electricity.  Change is both necessary and imminent.  Let’s hold our candidates feet to the flame & hope to bring us back some semblance of peace. 💙

⦿ Photo taken on Pentax K1000

#central park #sheeps meadow #pentax k1000 #black and white #fall 2020 #film #photography #just relax

[mellowgoose]

Here I was trying to sort my cravings... and you showed up.  Gorgeous.  I’ll take the whole batch, thank you! 🍪

Chewy Brown Butter & Maple Pumpkin Cookies

[mellowgoose]

Missing Mom’s Roast Chicken

An Herb Roast Chicken:

Ingredients:

4 lb whole organic chicken

1 Lemon (halved)

1 head garlic (separate cloves, remove skins)

1 large yellow onion (quartered)

1 Large Carrot (peel and rough chop) example

2 Parsnips (peel and rough chop)

8 sprigs of Thyme (de-leaf 4 of them & chop, set 4 stalks aside)

8 sprigs Rosemary (de-leaf 4 of them & chop, set 4 stalks aside)

8 Sage leaves (chopped)

¼ cup salted chicken stock

¼ cup Olive oil

½ cup softened butter

1 tsp Hot paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425*

Roots:

In a large mixing bowl, toss carrots, parsnips, onion and all but two garlic cloves with olive oil and about a teaspoon of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Butter

In small mixing bowl, whisk softened butter with chopped herbs, hot paprika, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside

Chicken:

In a large baking dish, place whole, raw chicken breast side up.

Slide your fingers beneath the skin of chicken to loosen.  Slather the chicken (over and under skin as best you can, including legs) with herb butter. This will ensure a moist chicken!

Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper all over the chicken.

Stuff chicken cavity with half of the lemon, the remaining sprigs of thyme and rosemary and two pieces of garlic.  

Squeeze lemon juice from other half of lemon over the chicken and seal the cavity with that lemon slice then pour chicken stock into the pan to coat the bottom of dish.

Neatly arrange carrot, parsnip, onion, garlic mix around the chicken (use pieces of the roots to help prop the chicken legs together).

Place baking dish in oven and bake at 425* for 20 minutes.

Lower heat to 350* & continue to roast the chicken for one hour. Be sure to baste every 20-30 minutes to allow juices to run all over chicken and roots back into the pan.

Remove from oven once golden & allow chicken to sit for 20 minutes before cutting & serving.

⋙ photo not my own but you can definitely replace roots with any of your choosing!  I tend to add potatoes to the skillet if I don’t have plans to cook them another way. That said, theres ALWAYS potatoes! ⋘

#roast chicken #herb #butter #autumn #comforting #delicious #juicy

[mellowgoose]

⫸ Sunday morning aesthetic ⫷

cinemagraph artist: kitchenghosts

#cozytime

[mellowgoose]

Found myself in Washington Square Park a few weeks ago enjoying the fleeting moments of summer.  Kids on skateboards, live music, protestors ready to rally and be heard, cops watching, idly by... finally they’re wearing masks!  Roller skaters, painters, performers, florists selling fall bouquets; It’s hard to steal a quiet moment in such a bustling city.  Captured here is a glimpse of calm amongst the chaos. 

No matter what you read, New York City is not dead.

⦿ Photo taken on Pentax K1000

#pentax k1000 #pentax #porta400 #washingtonsquarepark #newyork #poppy #romneya #floral #35mm film #calm

[mellowgoose]

MOTHER OF GOD 

(source)

#ask and ye shall recieve

[mellowgoose]

Sarah’s Lasagana

Turkey Bolognese Lasagna

INGREDIENTS

4 hot Italian chicken sausages (peel outer layer off to mince in the pan)

1lb ground turkey

1 head Garlic (peeled & minced)1 large Onion (diced)

2 Tbs Italian seasoning

1 Tbs red pepper flakes

Handful Fresh basil (rinsed & chopped)

2 cups ricotta cheese (whole milk)

1.5 cups shredded mozzarella

1 jar plain pasta sauce (tomato basil)

1 Package lasagna pasta

Pinch brown sugar 

Salt

Pepper

Wax Paper

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk ricotta with pinch of salt and Italian seasoning.  Set aside.

Over medium heat, use a large skillet or sauce pan to sauté onion for 3 minutes.

Next, add chicken sausage and ground beef to the pan.  

Be sure to chop into the meat with a pan-safe spatula while cooking.  The real key here is to be sure meat is very minced and blended together.

Cook until browned. 

Add garlic to pan. Stir.

Pour in jar of pasta sauce and mix well.  

Add basil, red pepper flakes, pinch brown sugar, salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil then add ½ cup water.  

Stir and simmer for 30 minutes.  Set aside.

Boil the package of pasta according to package instructions and, just BEFORE al dente, drain the water and lay the pasta out across wax paper so they don’t get stuck together. 

Layer a large, deep baking dish with some olive oil and about ¼ cup of your sauce to “wet” the bottom.  

Next, place a layer of pasta across the bottom of the dish.

Using a large spoon, spread 1/3 to about half of the ricotta cross the pasta so as to evenly coat and create a nice smooth surface.

Then spoon your bolognese sauce across the ricotta to cover completely but not so as to drown the dish.

Repeat one or two more layers depending upon your pan depth.

Finish with a thick layer of mozzarella on top. 

Place dish in oven uncovered.  

Bake for 25-30 min or until bubbling and golden.

Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

(photo not my own, but MY GOD!)

#lasagnes #lasagna #moms spaghetti #italian #delicious #comforting

[mellowgoose]

It’s getting spoopy out! Wondering how we can safely honor the season alongside our chosen ones.  I’m thinking cozy blankets, scary movies, baking a spiced pumpkin loaf & enjoying some cider with a small group of friends. 

⦿ Photo taken on Pentax K1000

#october #spoopy #black and white #pentax

[mellowgoose]

Oh Absolutely! Pass the whipped cream, please!

Apple pie

[mellowgoose]

 ✞ BLESS THIS HOME✞

⦿ Photo taken on Pentax K1000

#pentax #photography #church #newyork