no no no... yes please

Have you ever seen a picture of a sweet treat and craved it so bad that you just had to have it! Well, that happened to me yesterday morning. I was on a fun new blog {here} just exploring and then I saw it... The gluten free double chocolate chip black bean brownie. The what... What! Gluten free black bean what? No, That can't be good. It had beans in it and it was gluten free... Absolutely NO NO NO 

Then later in the morning as I was dying on the floor after an hour and fifteen minutes of pure torture from my heated sculpt yoga class... My fabulous yoga instructor said, in a soft quiet tone... Cut out flour, sugar and alcohol just for 10 days. You will see such a difference with your body and with your mind. Something hit me...  You can do this! Yes you can! 10 days really is nothing. So I devised a plan... I will take it day by day and journal hard! 

As I left my class {beyond motivated}... I decided to pick one sweet thing to bake for the last time for a while... Of course the stupid gluten free double chocolate chip black bean brownies came to mind. Uggh ok I'll do it.

That was the BEST decision of my life... Besides having my 2 kids {wink}! I followed the directions to the T. I didn't change or add one thing out of fear {I usually do that} it was going to be bad. The one thing I did do that was not the norm for me at all... Was blend it all in my new Vitamix blender. It was perfect! 

I've attached the recipe for you to be able to make these brownies as well... And yes those are my actual pictures of MY brownies!!! Believe me they are amazing! 

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

 

• Ingredients
• 
  
• 1/4 cup gluten free rolled oats (5 minute oats)
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips, divided

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. 2. Place the oats in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute or until finely chopped.
3. 3. Place remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips in the food processor and pulse until combined, about 1 minute.
4. 4. Pour 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into the batter and pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan and top with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
5. 5. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. 6. Cool brownies and cut into 2 inch squares.

happy sunday...

dreams

Did you know I have always wanted to design a  nail salon?!?! OK... Don't ask, but I really want to! I dream at night what "my salon" would look like. Wouldn't that be fun... One day people, One day! I pulled a few images together of what my salon would look like... Simple and elegant with a coastal touch! 

l o v e

Let all that you do be done in L O V E... Happy Valentine's Day! 

go green {menu}

{recipe here}

* Avocado Caprice Salad *

ingredients

• 2 cups fresh arugula
• 2-3 campari or cocktail style tomatoes, sliced
• ½ avocado, pitted and sliced
• 3 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
• fresh basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (I prefer the fruitiest, lightest flavored)
• 1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• generous pinch of sugar or dollop of honey
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 
  

instructions

1. Assemble the arugula, tomato, avocado slices and mozzarella in a serving bowl. Top with torn or slivered basil leaves. Whisk the extra virgin olive oil in a small bowl with the balsamic vinegar, sugar or honey and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and pour over the salad. Toss to coat and serve.

pillow party {sale}

So I once again changed my mind on a few things in Taylor's new room. I'm cutting my losses and selling them for a steal of a deal! E-mail me if you're interested in purchasing - alexandra@rusticrooster.com!

1 BRAND NEW Bolster Pillow

{turquoise and white stripe - Robert Allen fabric}

21" L x 9" H

$45.00

 * never been used *

1 BRAND NEW Bolster Pillow

{white denim fabric}

29" L x 11" H

$55.00

 * never been used * 

2  BRAND NEW burnt Orange Pillows

{100% Polyester Fiber fabric}

24" x 24" 

$44.00 - for both

SOLD

 * never been used * 

happy sunday...

everything else... but

I'm on the hunt for antique maps for a client right now... And of course I find everything else but maps {ugh}. Does anyone else have this problem? If it's not one thing it's another... Of course I'm loving what I found for another client, but my new goal for 2017 has been to stay on task and check off my todo list one step at a time. So guess what I'll being doing today... You guessed it, looking for antique maps. Happy Tuesday! 

monday {menu}

Soulful Chicken Soup

{recipe here}

ingredients 

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, skinned and trimmed 

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/4 cups) 

1 celery root, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups) 

1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned, chopped 

2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed 

2 fresh thyme sprigs 

2 fresh sage sprigs 

1 fresh rosemary sprig 

1 bay leaf 

1 1/2 teaspoons table salt 

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

8 cups chicken broth 

2 cups wide egg noodles 

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 

preparation 

1. Place chicken and next 11 ingredients in a 6-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until chicken and vegetables are tender and chicken separates from bone.

2. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Dice meat, discarding bones. Return meat to slow cooker. Stir in noodles and parsley. Cover and cook on HIGH 15 to 20 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in lemon juice. Serve immediately, and garnish with any leftover chopped fresh parsley.

happy sunday...

hello 2017

merry christmas

seasons greetings

Rustic Rooster Interiors will re-open January 2nd... 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  

breakfast is served

{recipe from here}

..Glazed Lemon Blueberry Scones..

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour, plus more for hands and work surface
• 6 Tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• zest of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
• 1 large Eggland's Best egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (190g) blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 
  

Glaze:

• 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2-3 Tablespoons (30-45ml) fresh lemon juice
• 
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust baking rack to the middle-low position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Grate the frozen butter (I use a box grater; a food processor also works - here is the one I own and love). Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the cream, egg, and vanilla together. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then toss the mixture together with a rubber spatula until everything appears moistened. Slowly and gently fold in the blueberries. Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. Dough will be a little wet. Work the dough into a ball with floured hands as best you can and transfer to a floured surface. Press into a neat 8″ disc and cut into 8 equal wedges with a very sharp knife. Place scones at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. To make the glaze, simply whisk the confectioners' sugar and 2 Tablespoons lemon juice together until smooth. Add another Tablespoon of lemon juice to thin out, if necessary. Drizzle glaze over scones right before serving.
5. Make ahead tip: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 extra days. Scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up to your liking before enjoying.

happy sunday...

let there be light

{all photos from rustic rooster pinterest}

Adding the perfect lighting inside and outside a home is extremely important. You spend so much time making your home so beautiful that by the end sometimes the little details get lost or forgotten. I have noticed so many times that lighting has been neglected and it really bothers me. I had one client that was so determined to make sure all the light bulbs were on a 3 way switch because at different times of the day the light in her home was very different... So she needed to make sure her lights were shining bright and beautiful at all times. I l o v e d that idea... I now notice so much standing in a clients home or looking at an exterior of a home. It really makes a huge difference. You can't go too small on your outside lights... You should have statement lanterns on your porch. The best thing I can say is, Go big or go home! I hope I'm not coming off as too picky or judgmental, but I just feel that you spend so much money making a home stunning and then you stop... Why? If it's the funds... I recommend start saving and and make a goal to have new lights installed within 3 to 6 months after you complete your home. It's such a great investment!  I just love these 4 pictures above... They definitely stand out to me! 

What do you feel that is neglected the most in a home? 

Would love to hear all about it?

hot chocolate kind of day

{cooking directions here}