stacie lang

Salt River Bars, a la Liberty Market

Food, How To0

One of our family favorites inspired by our go-to dessert at Liberty Market, and what recipe I probably get asked for more than any other. Nothing better than a salty but sweet, chewy but crunchy treat, am I right? If you’re making for a very large group or party I’d double the recipe, but if you’re only making for your family + leftovers, I’d follow this recipe as is and use a half cookie sheet. These are super rich and a little goes a long way! Watch a 30 second video tutorial, HERE.

Ingredients: 
1 Sleeve of Graham Crackers (Place in ziplock bag and smash into crumbs with rolling pin, or use food processor.)
1 Cup Butter (Yeah I know, I never said these were healthy!)
1 Box of Club Crackers 
1 and 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Butterscotch Chips
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter 
Coarse Sea Salt for Sprinkling
 
 
1) Melt Butter in saucepan, then add brown sugar and milk.
2) Once melted, add the graham cracker crumbs to saucepan, stir and remove from heat.
3) Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then lay club crackers across paper like tile, covering completely.
4) Pour a thin layer of butter/sugar mix over crackers evenly, then press another layer of club crackers on top.
5) Repeat step once more, until you have 3 layers of crackers and butter mix total. Put in fridge and let cool as you prepare the chocolate topping.
6) Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.
7 ) Pour over bars evenly and finish with lots of sea salt. Put back in fridge until set and ready to serve. (About 2 hours!). Be sure to keep leftovers (if any!) in the fridge. Enjoy!

SWEATHER WEATHER… ISH

Clothes0

It’s 100 degrees outside today, so naturally I filled up a bunch of online carts and then left them for someone who can safely wear a sweater to the mailbox in September. Feel free to shop my favorites here, and then go ahead and drink a hot chocolate for me while you’re at it. 😉

The Best Biscuits in the Business

Food0
Best biscuits in the business right here. The recipe yields the perfect amount (well I mean, Geoff and I ate the entire batch in one sitting but that’s neither here nor there), and they can be whipped up in less than 40 minutes from start to finish. See how they’re made in 15 seconds, here.

The One Where I Talk About My Tongue Scraper

health, reviews0
I love all things teeth. Brushing, flossing, walking down the oral hygiene aisle…. you name it. Actually, when Geoff and I were first married and couldn’t afford regular dental visits, I made sure to get at least one cleaning a year by scheduling myself special birthday appointments. I’ll take a good teeth scraping over a spa day, every time.
Anyway, thought I’d share some of my favorite mouth cleaning gadgets in the mix right now, starting with my Quip brush. They come in pretty colors, they’re affordable, and I love the convenience of a new brush being mailed directly to me when it’s time to swap it out. (You can also buy directly at Target or Amazon, they’re great for kids too!)
Next up, this Marvis toothpaste. My friend Betsy recommended this a couple weeks back and I’m hooked. One of the Amazon reviews says that this will “turn your daily teeth cleaning ritual into a wonderful sensory experience.” They’re not wrong.
Lastly, my trusty tongue scraper. I’m convinced that this is the most disgustingly satisfying thing a person can do. One more thing to add to your wonderful sensory experience each morning and night. 🙂
Honorable mentions: these floss plackers to keep in your cabinet/purse/car, and a waterpik, especially if you have kids with braces. Game changer!

Ultimate Zucchini Bread

Food, reviews0

I’ve been loyal to the same zucchini bread recipe since high school (that was very telling of how cool I was in high school, wasn’t it?), but I recently decided to branch off and try this one instead, and I can confidently say that it’s my new go-to! It’s just as easy, full of flavor, and what really sold me… the sweet and crunchy bark-like top it comes out of the oven with. I wanted to go full George Costanza and save the top layer in a ziploc bag to hoard for myself. (Zucchini Top Singles!) Consider trying this recipe out this holiday season, and don’t forget a healthy smear of butter or cream cheese when serving. That’s non-negotiable. 

My Bookend Sisters

Family, Journal0

Before we found out we were expecting Mabel, I had a recurring daydream about what a 4th baby would look like in our family. For whatever reason, I always envisioned Ivy confidently holding this hypothetical baby on her hip, with her tiny legs, knobby knees, and her signature well-loved Birkenstocks beneath her, supporting them both. I loved this image my mind had created, and I had a feeling that a little baby brother or sister to help take after would really light something up inside of Ivy. For once I was right about something, and these two have had such a special bond since day one. Watching Ivy love on Mabel in such a caring, maternal way this year has been so heartwarming. (And helpful, I don’t know how we’d do it without Ivy!)

It makes me think back to some of my favorite memories with my oldest sister, and it makes me even more excited about their 10 year age difference. Being an 8 year old girl I got to help my sister pick out a Winter Formal dress, and I got to send handwritten letters (and quarters for the laundromat!) to her weekly while she was away at college. I got to brag to other kids in elementary school that I was an aunt (!), and when I was in junior high, I got to fly out to her house after she had a newborn to entertain her busy toddler for a week.

Ivy tells me daily that she can’t wait to “drive Mabes around one day”, and that she “would do anything for Maybe” and it’s truly the stuff Mom Dreams are made of. I guess what I’m saying is, there’s really no such thing as too big of an age gap when it comes to siblings. Like all relationships in life, they’re going to be close or they’re not. You just have to do your best and cross your fingers that they are.

Watch Out, Auntie Anne

Food, reviews0
I never considered myself to be the biggest soft pretzel lover, but then I made these, and everything changed. They were SO fun to make, a lot easier than I imagined, and the different ways to serve them were endless. Salted and on their own, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and paired with a side of cream cheese frosting, or served with a a Torchy’s copycat queso dip. Okay maybe not endless, that’s actually all I can think of. But! Give these a try and let me know how amazing your house smells while these are baking. Worth making for that reason alone.

Add it to your List

Food, Guide, reviews0
Honestly, seeing what others buy from TJ’s is as interesting to me (if not more!) as seeing other peoples I don’t know,  what are people curious about? Skincare routines? Browser histories? 😉 Thought I’d share some of our family favorites, as well as some extra things I added to my cart the other day to try out. I can never leave without at least 2 bags of these caramel bites, a bag of Elote Corn Chips to dip into guacamole or pimento dip, and Everything But the Bagel seasoning. (Here’s 50 things to sprinkle it on!) A little bird told me to try out the strawberry licorice last week and it did not disappoint, and I got some burrata so I can make this burrata salad on repeat. I always grab a pack of their flatbread to toast and add to any meal, and I threw in some Brussel sprouts and Gnocchi so I can make this recipe. Kettle Corn because it’s my favorite (seriously, if there was a secret video taken of me eating this, I’d be mortified), and the beets and carrots so I can make this. What are YOUR Trader Joes staples? Would love to hear them!

Our Favorite Pizza Dough Recipe

Food, How To0

One meal we repeat more than we probably should in this house, is homemade pizza. A couple years back we got a Blackstone Pizza Grill and have had so much fun learning how to up our pizza game. (Correction: Geoff has had fun learning, I’ve just had fun being the official taste-tester.) When Summer hit and it got way too hot to cook pizza over a 500 degree flame outside, we got the Baking Steel Stone for inside and honestly like the results just the same, if not better! We follow this 72 Hour Dough Recipe exactly (which makes 4 12″ pies) but sometimes substitute the bread flour for 00 flour if we have it on hand. Some of our favorite combos are fresh mozzarella with Boars Head pepporoni + hot honey, BBQ chicken + red onion, sweet potato + ricotta + caramelized onions, roasted corn + tomatoes, and lemon zest + goat cheese.



In a rush? The first several times we test drove our Blackstone, we practiced first with store bought dough. (Learning how to launch a pie is no joke! Be sure you have a good pizza peel and dust whatever you build your pie on with some semolina flour.) Store bought dough can make the whole process much simpler and quicker, and you can get some pretty good results with dough from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. (Or ask your local pizzeria if they’ll sell you pre-shaped dough balls!) If you decide to go this route, just be sure to allow the dough to rest (up to 5 hours) as individual balls to obtain a shapeable dough. Cold dough that hasn’t rested will be incredibly elastic, making it near impossible to work with. If you have to use a rolling pin to shape your dough, it’s not ready yet, and you likely won’t get that light and airy crust we all love. Once you’ve mastered the art of simply working with dough, challenge yourself and try out the 72-hour dough! (Having a bin like this, and containers like these for each dough ball is super helpful, too!) GOOD LUCK and sure to check out Baking Steel’s site for more tips and recipes! 🙂