monday {menu}

{recipe from... h e r e}

b a n a n a

crumb cake

Ingredients...

• 1/2 cup butter {softened}
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 ripe bananas {mashed}
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Crumb Mixture...

• 1/2 cup butter {softened}
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Instructions...

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.
2. Combine softened butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until well combined.  I used a hand mixer but you can mix it by hand or with a stand mixer.  Add mashed bananas and combine.  Add eggs, one at a time and stir well after each addition.  Add vanilla and sour cream, mix to combine.  Note:  The mixture will seem thin but that is how it is supposed to be.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt and stir until just combined {don't over mix}.  Pour into the bottom of the greased 9x13 pan.
4. In a small bowl combine all of the crumb mixture ingredients.  Work the mixture together into small crumbs using a fork.  Don't over work the mixture or you will get a paste and it will change the texture of the bread.  Sprinkle the crumbs in an even and thick layer over the top of the banana bread batter.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs or is clean.  Serve warm or cool and cover.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

happy sunday...

get anchored {for sale}

1.) Navy Anchor Tote Bag
$ 19.00 
 {tax + ship}

The perfect bag for e v e r y t h i n g...

. market trips

.sleepovers

.meetings

.catch all
.beach bag

&  Y E S I can ship to you!

big plans

{all picture from rustic rooster pinterest... here}

Any big plans this weekend? I sure do! Friday, were decorating gingerbread houses with the cousins... Always a huge mess, but defiantly a memory maker! I think last year, I used a hot glue gun & burned my finger. Good times... But that didn't stop us {me}. Our houses turned out fabulous. This year I bought pre made ones from Sprouts. I'm hoping they're   still together when I open the boxes up. Keep you posted. On Saturday, we're going to Ryan's first pre-season rugby game. Always an adventure. His season hasn't started yet, but they're prepping the kids & seeing what level skills they're at. It's always exciting to watch.  Sunday, I'm attending my 1st 1/2 marathon training meeting by a running coach. Right now I'm training on my own with a schedule I found on pinterest {here}. I really like this schedule. You start slow & gradually increase your miles. I'm on week 8 & I feel great!  Busy weekend. Oh forgot to add in Christmas shopping. Shhhhh I haven't even started yet. Truth, I don't really care this year. I'm not stressing myself out! My kids will survive if they don't get the latest & greatest. Plus, the day after Christmas we leave super early for the east coast so I don't want too much to deal with. So do you have any big plans for the weekend... Do tell! Happy Friday everyone! 

monday {menu}

{recipe from... here}

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups (210 g) all purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter)

3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar

6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (84 g) unsulphured molasses

1 tablespoon (21 g) honey

1 egg (60 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing, for decorating (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.

• In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk again to combine, working out any lumps. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, molasses, honey, egg and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will be thick and sticky.
• Transfer the dough to a large sheet of unbleached parchment paper, cover with another sheet of parchment and roll into a rectangle about 3/8-inch thick (more than 1/4-inch, less than 1/2-inch). If you are concerned that the dough will be difficult to handle, place it in the refrigerator or freezer after you roll it out to allow it to firm up. Pull back the top sheet of parchment paper, dip a gingerbread man cutter in all purpose gluten free flour or cornstarch, and use it to cut out shapes from the cookie dough. With each cut, jiggle the cutter back and forth to create a neat shape. Place the dough on a flat, portable surface like a cutting board and place in the freezer until firm (about 10 minutes).
• Once the dough has chilled, peel back the rest of the dough from around the cut-outs and gather the scraps. Then carefully peel off the cut-out shapes and place them, about 1 1/2-inches apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining dough until you have used it all.
• Place the cut-outs on the baking sheets in the refrigerator or freezer until firm (about 20 minutes in the refrigerator, or just 5 minutes in the freezer). This will help them keep their shape during baking. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake until just set, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. Decorate the completely cooled cookies with royal icing, if desired. Allow the icing to set for 24 hours before stacking the cookies.
  
  
  
  
  
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happy december {sunday}...

guns a blazing

So the day after Thanksgiving do you go guns a blazing and start decorating for Christmas? We made a rule in our house this year... No Christmas music till the day after thanksgiving and this year we're buying our tree December 1st. I'll admit I have been so lax years past on getting a tree earlier in the month.  Don't get me wrong, I absolute love Christmas, but for some reason my exterior shines bright earlier than my interior. Not this year people... W A V E when you see me 1.) Hanging off my house decorating the exterior and 2.) With my Christmas sweater on at home depot the 1st of the month buying our tree! Game on my little elves... Mrs. Clause is on it this year! I challenge you to a decorating off! Go follow my  Instagram account {@rusticrooster} to see me decorate away...  

gobble gobble

{all photos are from rustic rooster pinterest... here}

Thanksgiving is a little reality check in my book. It's a time to show gratitude and thank the special people in our lives... Being thankful is more than the clothing on our backs, but its the people we surround ourselves with. Taking a moment and writing down a list of who or what you are thankful for is pretty simple and really only takes 5 minutes. Try it... You will feel joy and happiness within. What or who are you grateful for?

Every day I thank my lucky stars for my kids... They show me how to love, laugh, cry be patience to live life. I receive pure happiness from them. As I teach them they teach me. If you stop for a moment and listen to what they have to say they are pretty wise. I couldn't imagine my life without my kids. I am grateful everyday God blessed me with these two beautiful and healthy little angels. I'm just truly thankful for them!

Hope you all have

a 

Happy Thanksgiving!

      

beauty

{all these images are from rustic rooster pinterest... here}

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder... So for my eyes I only see beauty in these images, soft classic beauty. The simplicity of a classic petal pink mixed with traditional style. I gravitate to all things that have a lasting persona. Finding things now a days in an ever so changing world is difficult. So what I tell my clients and myself, go with your gut. Your gut is generally 99% correct every time. If you love the classics and have always steered towards them... Then lets create a classic environment. Create something that's timeless sounds perfect to me! What does your eye see?

run forest run...

Want to know what I'm up too these days? Yup... Training for an "Imaginary 1/2 Marathon". You heard that right, "Imaginary 1/2 Marathon". I haven't picked on yet. I just want to see if I can tack on the miles and if my body can take running again. About 3 years ago I hurt my hip. So far so good.  No pain and no indication I need to slow down. I've been taking it slow and liking it. Yes, I've really been going slow and don't care what people think. Hey, I'm doing it and that's all that matters, especially to me! Look forward and not around you... Do things for you! Truth once you're done doing whatever you want people will notice and say, w o w you did it and wish they had done it too. So go people, go do what you want! 

I'm on week 5 and today I run 2.5 miles. If you read my post from yesterday {here}... I listen to motivational speakers off of youtube. Oprah is awesome & Les Brown is amazing too. So good... I also listen to music from Pandora and think to myself... If my dad had cancer and pushed through the pain for years... You can run 2, 3 or 4 + miles. Tough love does help! 

Any fun and easy 1/2 Marathons you recommend? Copy this training guide and jump on board with me. Sorry, I don't know where I found it... But I really do like it with my schedule  I have a feeling I got it off pinterest.

Happy WEDNESDAY everyone! 

which one...

Hmmmm which one sounds better... 

Tuesday Truth? or Coffee Talk Tuesday? 

They both have a nice ring to them. I'm trying to figure out a post title for my Tuesday express myself day. What I mean by this is... Once a week I would like to talk about "s t u f f" and just talk! No make-up, No fake tans or false eyelashes... Just talk and be real! Seriously, what's going on with people today. I know deep down they have a heart and are super real on the inside {I hope}... But what the heck. I actually would like to see people with no make up on for 1 week. Hmmm that would actually be kind of nice! Could you do that? I definitely could!  Ok back to my post title...  Message me and let me know which one you like!

So last Monday as I was running my mind was starting to wondering all over the place. That's pretty standard for me. I go from what's for dinner, to design projects, to deep thoughts like who are my friends, what does family really mean,  why does divorce have to suck, to i'm going to live life to the fullest and o m g I can't believe she said that to you! You name it I think it! 

I have so many ideas... I want to just talk! So as I was running and starting to struggle on my long run I decided it was time to turn on my motivational podcast to motivate me not to quite. Well, this time I stumbled upon Oprah talking about motivation. Her message was short and sweet. Basically she said, I don't believe in Luck. Luck does not exist. My ears perked up... Really? She said, look I have't had an easy life... It's actually been pretty hard for me, but I'm so thankful, blessed and truly grateful for my life. I like that Oprah. As I listened on she started to talk about purpose in life. What is your purpose in life? You have to have one and if you don't you will just flounder all over the place. OMG Oprah you did it... You really did it this time! Panic set in and I started to make a list in my head what my purpose is... 

1.)Get up in the morning for my kids

2.)Stay healthy for my kids

3.)Create beautiful spaces for my clients
4.)Tell the truth and be kind 

B U T...

One more thought kept stepping up... I had this feeling I needed to be real and honest with people. Tell stories of my life and things I've seen or done before. What are my fears and how have a succeeded or failed at them. Hey, we've all been hit with good things and bad things. Oprah is living proof of having lived through horrible things, but she kept getting back up and pushing through. She said, she was fired at 29 from being a network reporter because she was too sensitive and would cry when people would talk about kids, accidents.. etc. So she thought her career was over. Done at 29! Plus, the funny thing is she stumbled upon this job and was just so grateful she even had a job. Well, the network said, we want you to host a talk show. Hello  people God, universe, spiritual guide {what ever you believe in} was guiding her in the right direction. Amazing! So bottom line is when it's bad it's bad, but you need to believe their is a reason for that and a plan is forming! Relax and take a ride! Now look at her! 

I want to talk about it all... Trips, make-up, health, style, my life as a designer, finances, divorce, being a single parent, politics, kids, restaurants... You name it! Plus, if you have a topic you want me to talk about I totally can and would love too. 

Before I enlighten you with "s t u f f"... What's your purpose? Do you have one... Ok I'm not here to scare you, but what is it? I think you should make a list and then start refining it. Some say, to make a list of things you want to do and then check them off... And your purpose will come to you. 

Well, I'm going to really dig in and see if I'm on the right track with my purpose. But heres a funny thing that has been happening to me... Every time I want to share something with you I start seeing 11:11, 2:22, 3:33, 4:44... What! Those are angel numbers. I definitely believe in being positive and believing the universe can hear you. I wonder if my angels are starting to guide me to my purpose. Do you believe in angels? The universe? Ahhhh so many fun things to talk about... Just get cracking on your purpose and lets talk next Tuesday. 

monday {menu}

{recipe from... h e r e}

Vanilla & Rose Shortbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon rose water
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and rose water until combined.
2. Stir in flour by hand, adding melted butter or water if it’s too dry and crumbly.
3. Roll out until 1/2-inch thick on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter to cut your desired shape.
4. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes (this helps the cookies keep their shape).
5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the cookies just start to get golden brown. Cool on wire rack before glazing.

Pink Glaze Ingredients:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring
Edible dried rose petals for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Slowly add milk into powdered sugar while whisking. If you need more milk, add until the glaze is thick. Immediately frost cookies using a butter knife and drop in a few rose petals. Place plastic wrap on top (touching the glaze to create a seal) and keep in the fridge to store.

happy sunday...

next... coastal alley s a l e

monday {menu}

Chicken Shawarma Salad with Yogurt Dressing...

{recipe from... here}

Ingredients:

Roasted Shawarma Chicken

1 (3 lb) whole organic chicken or skin-on chicken thighs or breasts

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus more for serving

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground dried ginger

2 tsp flaky salt or 1 tsp fine-grain salt, plus more for serving

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Salad:

1 large head red leaf lettuce, torn

1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

3–4 tomatoes, sliced into wedges

1 (14 oz.) can butter beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 English cucumber, sliced into thin strips or rounds

Yogurt Dressing: 

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayonnaise (vegan and gluten-free, if necessary)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar

2 tsp honey

Pinch, granulated dried garlic or 1/2 clove garlic, grated into a paste

Pinch, salt

Directions: 

1. For the chicken, preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Cut chicken into 8 pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet or place already cut chicken thighs or breasts on the prepared baking sheet, along with the cinnamon stick if not using ground cinnamon. In a small bowl, stir to combine lemon zest and juice, olive oil, ground cinnamon if not using cinnamon stick, coriander, cumin, ginger, salt, and pepper. Drizzle spice mixture over chicken and rub well to coat, getting some under the skin, directly onto the meat. At this point, if you have time, allow the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, or marinade covered in a glass (non-reactive) dish or bowl in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Arrange chicken skin side up in a single layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the juices run clear and the skin is crispy. You can make this portion ahead to serve both the salad and chicken cold, if desired. Meanwhile, prepare the salad and dressing.
2. For the salad, on a large platter or individual plates, arrange lettuce, mint, tomatoes, butter beans, and cucumber.
3. For the dressing, whisk all dressing ingredients until fully combined.
4. If slicing the chicken, allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before doing so.
5. To serve, arrange chicken pieces or slices on the salad platter or plates and drizzle everything with dressing, to taste. Season with additional salt and lemon juice, to taste, and then serve.