Blonder Ambitions

Category: Food + Drink

  • FABULOUS SANTA BARBARA SPOTS – THE RED HEN CANNERY FARMER’S MARKET STALL

    FABULOUS SANTA BARBARA SPOTS – THE RED HEN CANNERY FARMER’S MARKET STALL


    It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for adorable packaging; I’ve been known to buy items just because of their gorgeous wrappers.  I was out and about at the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market {one of my favorite weekly activities} and I noticed that one of the stalls was just a bit more inviting than the others.  Maybe it was the red and white string tied around the tops of the mason jars filled with vibrant orange marmalade.  Maybe it was the exciting combinations scrawled on chalkboards that called me over {Irish Whiskey Orange Marmalade? Orange + Vanilla Marmalade? Spicy Orange Marmalade? Yes, yes, and yes, please.}  Maybe it was the name of the business {Red Hen Cannery? Pretty much the cutest name for a jam company ever}.  Maybe it was the precious red hen sticker or the fact that each jar was wrapped in a piece of literature {words and jam? As far as I’m concerned, that’s a marketing home run}.  Whatever it was, I found myself drawn to the stall and began sampling and buying the marmalade without hesitation.  I am so glad that I did.  Each and every morning since, I have eaten a rice cake smothered in almond butter and one of the Red Hen’s marmalades {her real name is Maureen Foley and she’s just as sweet and creative as her jams}.

    Maureen Foley is a local artist, writer, and teacher who lives on an avocado ranch and makes jam {how charming is that?}.  She started Red Hen Cannery, “an artisanal, small-batch jam company based in Carpinteria, California, that uses family recipes and Foley Farm fruits and herbs to produce both stunningly simple and astoundingly innovative fruit preserves.” {www.redhencannery.com}.  Currently, the jams are only available at select Santa Barbara County Farmers Markets, but she’s expanding to offer the jams online and also offers the jams as wedding favors.  The current marmalade flavors available are:

    • Meyer Lemon + Rose Petal Marmalade
    • Spicy Orange Marmalade {my personal favorite!}
    • Orange + Irish Whiskey Marmalade
    • Orange Vanilla Marmalade
    • Valencia Orange Marmalade

    Stop by her booth at Farmer’s Market and let her know that Kiki sent you.  I recommend her products without hesitation {I would give each and every one of you a jar if I had the means to do so!}.

  • RECIPE – THE BEST GUACAMOLE

    RECIPE – THE BEST GUACAMOLE

    One of my favorite things to do in Santa Barbara is to host outdoor dinner parties {basically, a slightly upscale version of a barbecue}.  We’ve been fortunate enough to have had beautiful weather as of late, so I was able to host a dinner in January and February.  Without hesitation, I knew I’d be making guacamole to keep people happy before the meal was served.  Each time, the guacamole was gone… every last bit of it.  This is my very favorite guacamole recipe… I hope you love it as much as I do.

    RECIPE FOR BLONDER AMBITIONS’ VERSION OF THE BEST GUACAMOLE

    • 5 ripe Hass avocados
    • 3 limes
    • 1 red onion
    • Bundle of cilantro
    • Sea salt
    • Freshly ground pepper
    • *I like to get all of the ingredients from the local Farmer’s Market
    1. Halve all of the avocados and remove the pits.  Scoop the avocado out and place it in a large mixing bowl.
    2. Cut all of the limes into quarters.  Squeeze all of the juice on top of the avocado halves in the mixing bowl.
    3. Chop the red onion into small pieces.  Place the chopped onion in the mixing bowl.
    4. Chop the cilantro into fine pieces.  Place the chopped cilantro in the mixing bowl.
    5. Using a fork, mash the avocado and stir in all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
    6. Add the salt and pepper to taste.  Give a final stir to the ingredients in the mixing bowl.
    7. Transfer guacamole to a serving dish with fresh tortilla chips and enjoy!

  • GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN MUFFINS

    GLUTEN FREE PUMPKIN MUFFINS


    Looking to do something with the plethora of canned pumpkin stacked in my cupboards {I had over-purchased just in case the zombie apocalypse hit us before Christmas}, I searched for a gluten-free pumpkin recipe.  When I stumbled upon a recipe here, I thought it sounded delicious.  I adapted it slightly and ended up with a gooey, not-too-sweet muffin that is a great holiday breakfast or snack.

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups almond flour
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
    • 1.5 cups cooked pumpkin
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Directions

    1.  Stir together all dry ingredients
    2. Use a hand mixer to combine all wet ingredients until smoothly incorporated
    3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients using a hand mixer
    4. Line a muffin tin {for 12 muffins} with cupcake liners and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes

  • GLUTEN FREE THANKSGIVING {HOW TO HOST A GLUTEN-FREE HOLIDAY}

    GLUTEN FREE THANKSGIVING {HOW TO HOST A GLUTEN-FREE HOLIDAY}

    Russ Parsons’ Dry-Brined Turkey {a.k.a. The Judy Bird}

    As I walked through Santa Barbara’s Farmers’ Market and collected some stunning decorative kale & gladiolas to adorn the Thanksgiving table, it struck me that this will be my first gluten-free Thanksgiving. As opposed to being discouraged, I scoured Pinterest for gluten-free alternatives to classic Thanksgiving staples.  I’ve gathered my favorites here {all linking back to their original source} for you to enjoy.  Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

    Gluten Free Stuffing

    Sweet Potato Casserole

    Balsamic Roasted Carrots

    Ginger & Citrus Cranberry Sauce

    Roasted Potatoes Seasoned with Homemade Za’atar & Aleppo Pepper

    Coconut Pumpkin Pie

  • FABULOUS SANTA BARBARA SPOT – EUREKA!

    FABULOUS SANTA BARBARA SPOT – EUREKA!

    The Story: When a new place opens up in Santa Barbara, there’s always quite a bit of buzz… When I heard about Eureka!, I was told they specialized in gourmet burgers and really creative libations. As a good burger and a cocktail are two of my very favorite things, I knew I had to give it a shot and see if it lived up to the hype.

    The Place: Eureka! has a relaxed, yet polished, appearance. Loads of dark wood give the place a slightly masculine feel (a decor choice that I love), but the mood is lightened through the use of playful light fixtures, huge windows, and a bright eye-catching bar (with more beers on tap than I could count). References to surf culture abound; a photo of a surfer chick designates one of the restrooms for the women and art referencing Rincon and Jalama can be found adorning the walls. During the day, the ambiance is relaxed and California casual.  As the sun begins to set, the surround instantly changes as young people flock to get a table or a seat at the bar before the place fills up. After taking in the environment, I knew that if the cocktails and burgers lived up to the comfortable and inviting design of the space (spoiler alert: they did!), then I was in for a treat.

    The Experience: I went in to Eureka! with my sister and two of my favorite friends and we all ordered a different cocktail and entree (tasting all of them, of course). We decided to share appetizers, so we started with the Bruschetta and the Lollipop Corn Dogs.  The Bruschetta had a wonderfully unexpected flavor due to the incorporation of goat cheese and lemon zest in the recipe. The Lollipop Corn Dogs were anything but standard because of the condiments that accompanied the pops; the spicy porter mustard, ketchup made in-house and the cheddar IPA sauce were all equally excellent. When it was time for the main course, I ordered the Jalapeño Egg Burger and the Vodka (their cocktails are named after the liquor used in the libation). The cocktail was highly aromatic (thank you, muddled basil) and light (per the inclusion of freshly squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice); I would definitely order it again.  The burger was insanely delicious… the yolk of the egg melded with the crisp bacon, spicy jalapeño, and just-sweet-enough chipotle sauce perfectly. I got my burger with a side of honey and cinnamon covered sweet potato fries (must try). My sister (and the talent behind the photographs in this article!) had the Italian Caprese Burger with a side of Handcut Kennebec Potato Fries. She loved the strength of the basil and the touch of balsamic glaze (she ordered another side of this for her fries). For her drink, she opted for the Rum (two rums, one of them spiced, combined with a medley of fresh citrus juices and a hint of vanilla bean)… I had a sip (or two!) and I immediately felt like I was in the tropics. One of my girlfriends ordered the Fig Marmalade Burger with the Panko Crusted Onion Rings and the Gin. The burger (which I ordered on one of my previous excursions to Eureka!) is covered in goat cheese and jam; in my book, that pretty much makes the burger flawless. The Gin was an incredibly unique concoction: junipero gin with maraschino cherry liqueur served over crushed ice, like a lighter version of an alcohol-filled snowcone. The last member in our party (we’ll refer to her as the “healthy one”), ordered the Watermelon Salad (mixed with quinoa, feta, and a balsamic lemon dressing) and the Tequila (a freshly-squeezed-juice-version of your typical margarita… but so. much. better.). She raved about her salad and drank every last drop of her cocktail.
    *TIP:  John, the manager, and Charlie, the service manager and social media guru, are both astute and aware… Due to this, the customer service is excellent even amidst the lively, bustling environment.

    The Details: Eureka! is a definite must-try.  All burgers can be made with beef, chicken, turkey or bison (raised on Catalina Island). You can also get all burgers made “naked” (on a bed of lettuce) or tortilla wrapped. None of Eureka!’s drinks contain high fructose corn syrup. There’s live acoustic music every Thursday night. Burgers start at $9.50 and drinks start around $9. You can check out Eureka!’s website here.  Stop by {601 Paseo Nuevo, Santa Barbara, CA 93101} or call and make a reservation {805.618.3388}.

    All photo credit for this article goes to my incredible sister, Kaitland. xo

  • RECIPE TO TRY – BUTTERFINGER CAKE

    RECIPE TO TRY – BUTTERFINGER CAKE


    It was my task to make a birthday cake for a very untraditional birthday boy… so I followed this {oh-so-easy} untraditional recipe that I found on Six Sisters’ Sweet Stuff and it was a complete success {judging from the fact that not a single piece was left in the pan by the end of the meal}.