Happy Belly: Rumbleseats

Hi all! Sorry it has been so long; we just finished up a month of tech weeks and openings, all of which went well and, well- are DONE! So now it's just a matter of running eight shows at once :)

Anywho, between rehearsals and running up and down the hill (it's a real thing), I managed to stop by a great little drive in called Rumbleseats here in Spring Green, WI. And may I say YUM. Classic deliciousness fried and ready to go. Take a look:

Oh, they definitely had Battleship too. 

Jess won.

Happy Belly: Bacon Pancakes

I've had a dream for a while.


That dream was to have bacon pancakes.

Well said, Jake the Dog.


Anywho, on my May trip to California, I got to live my dream thanks to my fabulous cousin, Em.

The How is pretty simple: 

Make bacon. We did it in the oven (my favorite way- clean up is super duper easy). 

Take sip of bellini. This step is VERY important. 

After that, Mix up pancake mix. We did bisquick because, well, it has yet to let us down.

Take another sip of bellini.

Then, you chop up the bacon, and sprinkle it on the pancakes. 

Flip. 

Serve. 

Cover in butter. 

Cover in Syrup. 

EAT and be ridiculously happy. 

Happy Belly: Accidental Broccoli Soup

Sometimes you mean to make one thing but end up with another very tasty thing.

One of those sometimes was last night.


See, I set out to make zucchini-basil soup. It sounded so good and refreshing and delicious that I marched myself right over to Whole Foods and got the two pounds of zucchini and herbs needed to make it.

Then I got home and realized I had bought cucumbers instead of zucchini.

And by 'realized' I mean I was cheerfully chopping them up when my roommate looked over and said, "You know those are cucumbers, right?"




In my defense, they look very much alike and are stocked next to each other.


Anyways, I already had my onions and garlic going so I had to make something. Luckily, I had broccoli, the unsung hero of most dinners.


It turned out very very yummy. And a very pretty color.




Here's the recipe if you want to try it:

Accidental, or 'Ruh-Row' Broccoli soup

2 lbs broccoli
1/2 and onion
Garlic
Olive oil
A handful of basil
4 cups chicken broth
Salt and Pepper

Dice the onion and garlic and get them sautéing at the bottom of a soup pot in the olive oil. While thats getting going, cut up the broccoli into smallish (think 1-2 inch) pieces. Once the onions are soft and a little see-through, add the broccoli. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let that sit stirring occasionally so nothing burns until the broccoli is soft. Then, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Take it off the heat. Blend the veggies and broth either in a blender or in the pot with a hand blender  (I prefer the hand blender- less clean up). Lightly chop the basil and add to the pot. Blend until it's as smooth as you like. Serve with a dollop of cream, some parmesan, or just in a mug; all options are tasty.

Enjoy!

Happy Belly: Frisée Salad

favorite!

I love food, particularly French food.

And I love eggs- remember?

home made croutons

So it makes sense that one of my favorite meals in the world combines those two things: simple and exquisite french food and poached eggs.

Papa Cravens makes a salad of frisée, bacon, croutons, AND egg.
Here's how it works: the dressing is particularly acidic and vinegary so the creaminess of the egg warms up the salad and turns it into a glowing, luscious salad.

The salt of the bacon and the crunch of the croutons make it satisfying on all fronts. I especially love it because Papa makes homemade croutons. The whole house smells warm and salty. Sometimes, he'll get the thick lardon that stays a little chewy and soft. I love the soft parts of the bacon. It's like finding the squishy fries that have soaked up the Ikea gravy.

When all of these elements come together, it turns into a cornucopia of every flavor and texture I love: crunchy, soft, warm, cool, crisp, salty, vinegary, and creamy.


Basically, it's beautiful and delicious.

Sometimes I lick the plate.

Fine; I always lick the plate.

Happy Belly: Umami Burger

My family has... a thing for burgers.

Well, more of a history really.

Once upon a time, when my father, Papa Cravens, was 8, he was determined to build the perfect burger. He spent a meal painstakingly stacking and layering and engineering each layer to ensure maximum taste and structural integrity. Without fail, each time the burger was built to specifications, he would pick up the beast and take a bite, only to be greeted with defeat. By defeat I mean all of the luscious ingredients squirted lamely out the back of the burger. This pattern continued for the bulk of the meal. 

Finally, in the Papa Cravi's rarely seen but oft dreaded rage, he took the burger in his hand and crushed it as Zeus crushed the Titans. 

This story has become legend in our family, known universally as The Hamburger Story.

Since The Hamburger Story, Papa Cravens has mastered the art of the burger. I, quite frankly, fancy myself his grasshopper. 

I swore revenge* on all burgers after hearing the legend.  

And I have vanquished every burger in my path. Usually with relish (pun). 

*By revenge I mean I eat burgers like it's my job.

Then I met the Umami Truffle Burger. 

This is the Siren of burgers. It needs no pickle, no ketchup, no onions, no garnish or embellishment of any kind beyond it's truffle cheese promised in the description. 

It seems meek and simple at first glance. Easy to overtake. Then you pick it up and see how... juicy it is. Your pace quickens. You hold the burger lightly, careful to keep the contents in the bun. The aroma is intoxicating.

Then you take the first bite.

And your mind goes blank.

But seriously, this burger is the very definition of Redoncuous. 

Oh, and there are also truffle cheese fries.

I'm just sayin. 

Happy Belly: Italian Soup.

I love soup.

This is one of my favorite soups and is super easy and SO yummy

All you need is:

1 white onion
garlic
1 box chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if that's what you're into)
2 cans chopped tomatoes
2 cant white beans (or kidney- it's all yummy)
a handful of pasta, maybe two

olive oil
fresh rosemary
parmesan

Ok. Now you have than menagerie collected, lets do this:

Chop up the onion and garlic. toss it in the bottom of a soup pot with a little olive oil and sauté it till the onions are soft and slightly transparent. Then, add the chicken broth and the tomatoes. Note- don't drain the tomatoes; the juice is yuuuuummy. Let that simmer for a couple minutes while you drain your beans. Toss those in. Let it all come up to around a boil (this is a super precise recipe, in case you haunt noticed,). Toss in some pasta. Now, I like to ere on the side of caution here. Pasta tends to soak up the broth, so i like to put just a bit of pasta so I still get the broth goodness.

Back to the cooking.


Let the whole thing bubble till the pasta is cooked how you like it.
while that's happening, take a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a mug or cup or microwavable container. throw some rosemary in there and microwave it for 10-30 seconds. The goal here is just to warm the oil so it soaks up the rosemary flavor.

ok- its soup time!
Grab a bowl, ladle up some soup, drizzle some rosemary oil and add cheese to your hearts content.

Then snuggle down on the couch and EAT UP!!!