Month: June 2022

Lavender and Vanilla Cold Foam Cold Brew

Lavender and Vanilla Cold Foam Cold Brew

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

I love cold brew. I love lavender. I decided to put them together to see what the outcome would be. Well, I can tell you what the outcome was… awesomeness in a cup.

I’ll walk you through how to make a great (and easy!) cold brew with a hint of lavender with vanilla cold foam. If you love lavender as much as I do, check out my great London Fog Latte recipe while you have your lavender handy.

Also, if you dig this glass tumbler as much as I do, you can pick one up full of the best bubble tea you’ll every have from Billie Gold Bubble Tea. If you’re in Dayton, follow her wherever she goes… you won’t find any better!

Ingredients & Supplies

  • Cold brew system (check out my favorite from Amazon)
  • Coarsely ground coffee
  • 2 Tbsp half and half
  • 3 Tbsp milk (any variety-2%, whole, soy, almond)
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla syrup
  • Dried lavender (you can find culinary dried lavender on Amazon)

Directions

  1. Place coarsely ground coffee into cold brew filter 3/4 full. Place culinary dried lavender on top of coffee grounds.
  2. Fill cold brew pitcher with water and let brew overnight or 7-12 hours.
  3. Drain and remove the coffee ground/lavender filter. Pour cold brew/lavender mixture over ice and add equal amount of water to the cold brew to dilute concentrated cold brew to taste.
  4. In a cup, add half and half, milk, and vanilla syrup. Froth using a milk frother or immersion blender until a foam is formed. Pour over iced cold brew coffee and enjoy the coffee and lavender goodness.
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Simple Banana Bread

Simple Banana Bread

by Engineered Mama ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The other day a friend saw my less than impressive over-ripe bananas and said, “Perfect banana bread bananas!”. I told her I was planning on either making banana bread or banana chocolate chip muffins, which are always a big hit. She told me to try the Magnolia Table recipe for banana bread and I came across another very basic Joanna Gaines recipe that I attempted instead. It bakes in a 9”x13” baking pan instead of a loaf pan and uses 4 bananas. I love that it’s fairly basic, so mix-ins can easily be added. Here’s my take with what our family loves to mix in to customize it!

Ingredients

  • 4 very ripe bananas
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tap vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 stick softened butter
  • Optional: chocolate chips, blueberries, nuts, cinnamon, or other desired extra ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Cream together the sugar, softened butter, and vanilla using a stand or hand mixer.
  3. Mash bananas well with a fork and add to sugar, butter, and vanilla mixture. Add eggs and mix well.
  4. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until fully mixed.
  5. Add any additional desired ingredients such as chocolate chips, nuts, or blueberries and add to a greased 9”x13” baking pan. Bake at 325 Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Tent pan with aluminum foil and serve when cooked.
Easy Slow Cooker Blackeye Peas

Easy Slow Cooker Blackeye Peas

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

Blackeye peas has to be one of my favorite rainy day meals. It’s easy, it’s full of flavor, and it’s so filling! As always, it goes GREAT with cornbread!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb dry blackeye peas
  • 7 cups chicken broth (or 4 cans)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced ham
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients except salt to slow cooker. Stir well until all ingredients are combined.
  2. Cook on low 7 hours. Add salt to taste. Serve with cornbread, greens, or other desired sides.
Easy Oven Broiled Sirloin Steak with Onion and Mushrooms

Easy Oven Broiled Sirloin Steak with Onion and Mushrooms

by Engineered Mama ♥ 1 Comment

I’m not a griller. I’m just not. It has fire… and gas. Fire and gas make explosions and I’m intimidated. So, when I want steak and the designated griller isn’t around or the weather is just too crummy, it’s the broiler to the rescue! This recipe has a very flavorful sautéed onion and mushroom topping that is almost better than the steak! Fair warning: the cast iron skillet produces A LOT of smoke when searing the steaks prior to oven cooking, so make sure you have an assistant to silence your smoke detectors!

Ingredients

Steak

  • 3 steaks, room temperature (approx. 1 – 1 1/2 inch thick cuts, cuts such as filet mignon, rib eye, T-bone, strip steak, sirloin, or flank steak are great for this recipe)
  • 2 Tbsp high heat oil (I prefer avocado oil, but any high heat oil will do just fine)
  • 1 tsp sea salt (or seasoned salt of choice)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Sautéed Mushrooms and Onion

  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 lb Baby Bella mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 1 Vidalia onion, sliced thin
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat broiler on oven (I set mine to the default-500 degrees). Let the steaks rest on a plate until they reach room temperature.
  1. In a small bowl, prepare the seasoning by mixing the salt, pepper, and garlic powder until mixed well. Set aside.
  2. While the broiler is heating and the steaks are resting, chop the onion and Baby Bella mushrooms. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to turn a light brown color (approx. 5 minutes). Stir the mushrooms about every minute or minute and a half to prevent burning. Add the onion and cook until the edges brown and become translucent (approx. another 5 minutes). Continue stirring every minute or minute and a half to prevent burning or sticking.
  1. Reduce heat to low the final minute and add the minced garlic, stirring continually. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  2. Blot the steaks dry with paper towels and brush the oil onto all sides of the steaks. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture onto the steaks, covering all surfaces front and back.
  3. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove on high for 6-8 minutes. Once the skillet is extremely hot, add the steaks and press the steaks onto the skillet to ensure the back of the steaks are seared. Cook the steaks in the pan for 30 seconds.
  4. Carefully flip the steaks and transfer the skillet to the oven. Broil the steaks for 3 minutes, then flip the steaks using tongs and continue baking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
  5. Continue this method of flipping the steaks every 2-3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 5 degrees below the desired internal temperature, as the steaks will continue cooking after being removed from the oven.
  1. Once the steaks are cooked to 5 degrees below the desired internal temperature, immediately remove the pan from the oven and transfer the steaks to a clean plate. Brush any pan juices on to the steaks. Loosely tent the plate with aluminum foil and let the steaks rest for 3 minutes.
  2. Serve with prepared sautéed onion and mushrooms.