Author Archives for simplifiedbystacie

Simply Homemade: Greek Layered Dip

It’s official, summer is here in full force! That means meals are changing from being thrown in crockpots to thrown on grills and everything is starting to include fresh produce. Whether your produce comes from the grocery store, the farmers market, or your very own garden there is just something about fresh veggies that screams ‘SUMMER’ at us!

Growing up on a farm I never fully appreciated the value of having so much fresh food at our fingertips..literally. I remember helping my parents till the dirt, hoe the rows, plant the seeds, and water the various fruits and veggies for that year’s garden. As kids, we didn’t have any issue putting in that work because we knew the end result would be us getting to pick snacks every time we walked by the garden later on. Those were the days…stopping and grabbing a handful of green beans and rubbing the dirt off them (and onto our shorts) as we walked away crunching on them.

This is the first year I’ve attempted a container garden…actually it’s the first year I’ve attempted any kind of garden. I’m not jinxing myself by saying anything since it’s early but, so far, at least some of the items I planted are somehow surviving. Remember, I’m the same woman who managed to let a succulent plant (also known as impossible to kill plants) die just a few weeks ago… I won’t lie, the stress of trying to ignore my lack of green thumbs has been worth it. It’s fun to see my own daughter now running outside each day to check on “her” garden just like I used to do as a child. We are both obsessed with sneaking cherry tomatoes straight from the plant outside our deck whenever we get the chance. I am overjoyed at the level of love my kid has for healthy food and can only pray that continues as she continues to grow. Thankfully for both of us and our love of healthy stuff, my family has no shortage of recipes that center around garden fresh produce. This week’s recipe is a simple layered dip that you can adjust to your personal likes and dislikes quite easily. It is also simply stunning with so many colors of the garden on one plate!

Because of that, I knew this dish justified better quality pictures than those I usually snap on my phone midway through the process. I just so happen to have an amazingly talented sister-in-law who is, quite conveniently, also a fantastic photographer. The pictures this week are courtesy of her and I know you will enjoy them as much as I do! Please head to Facebook and search for her page @khphotographynebraska if you are looking for some incredible photos yourself! Whether it’s pictures for your own blog or website, family pictures, or really anything you need in/around the Omaha area, she’s got a great eye and takes some stellar pictures! If you need some convincing, check out this week’s simple recipe and gorgeous photos below as well as the pictures she’s got on her Facebook page 🙂

Teaser alert: wait until you see what she did with photographing Mom’s Monster Cookie recipe!!! I wanted to eat the screen the pictures looked so yummy…stay tuned for updated pics on that one!

Ok, sorry got a bit off track there but I am just so excited about her venturing into food photography! Now, where were we? Oh yeah, back to the healthy gorgeous fresh dip. I think you’re all ready for the food by now so keep scrolling for the latest family favorite recipe. I seriously hope these pictures convey just pretty this dish really is and I hope you get the gist of the recipe and how completely customizable you can make it. Enjoy and cheers to summertime!!!

Simple Layered Greek Dip

  • Servings: 10
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Incredibly easy and absolutely gorgeous layered dip that is perfect for your next summer get together!

This is a “rough” recipe meaning that nearly every item is able to be increased/decreased/adjusted according to your tastes. Here are some recommendations based on my personal preferences and what I’ve learned from making it so many times: I prefer plain hummus over the flavored options, I prefer using 2 small Persian cucumbers instead of a regular cucumber as they are sweeter with less seeds, I usually add a mixture of bell peppers, I prefer cherry tomatoes, and I am obsessed with eating this with the naan bread dippers!

Ingredients


– 8 ounces hummus
– 1/2 cucumber, chopped
– 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
– 1/2 tomato, chopped
– 4 ounces kalamata olives, sliced or chopped
– 3 ounces feta cheese crumbles
– 1/2 small bunch of green onions or chives, chopped
– Naan bread dippers, pita chips, pretzel thins, or crackers for serving

Directions

1) Spread hummus evenly on a serving plate or small platter.
2) Wash and chop remaining ingredients and set aside to layer.
3) You can sprinkle chopped ingredients on top of the hummus layer one by one in whatever order you’d like OR you can mix all the chopped ingredients together first then sprinkle evenly over the hummus.
4) Serve with naan bread dippers, pita chips, widely sliced sweet bell peppers, pretzel thins, crackers, or whatever else you’d like!
—If making ahead, be sure to cover tightly and refrigerate; I’d recommend serving the same day this is made only so veggies are as fresh and crisp as possible!

Can you hear them quietly screaming ‘SUMMER’?? 😉
Spreading the hummus over a plate is my favorite way to serve this since you can then sprinkle the rest of the toppings over it easily!
Layer up the health factor here with ALL those gorgeous veggies!
Wouldn’t be one of my family’s fave recipes without just a smidge of unhealthy thrown in…bring on those salty kalamata olives and smooth feta cheese please!
Could this be any prettier? I mean, look at those colors! Get ready to indulge in a fresh summer dip and accept all the compliments headed your way on this gorgeous (and did I mention healthy?) recipe!

Simply Homemade: Mom’s Banana Cake with Grandma’s Brown Butter Frosting

Many of you know that I am a very firm believer in the importance of family. My family is very close knit and I couldn’t love them more. But (yes… there is a but) that’s not to say our family doesn’t have its quirks. When I started this post idea I couldn’t help but think of the little quirks brought to light by this very dessert. So, before we dig into the deliciousness of this super soft banana cake with indulgent brown butter frosting, allow me to I introduce you to some of our quirkiness!

For starters, one of my older sisters has the audacity to dislike this dessert. Once you try it, you will be right there with me I’m wondering just what kind of disease her taste buds may be afflicted with to NOT love this cake. To be fair, that particular sister was born with the predisposition of absolutely despising anything and everything with bananas. I’m talking spit-her-baby-food-out-before-the-banana-hit-her-tongue kind of loathing. Thankfully for her, all is not lost with this recipe as the brown butter frosting portion is (almost as) equally delicious on other delightful dessert concoctions such as pumpkin bars. If she didn’t like the frosting we would have had to vote her off our sibling island for sure 😉

Next, let’s talk about another sister who loves every part of this dessert except one crucial ingredient..the nuts on top. Luckily for her, she’s the baby of the family and therefore always got part of this cake frosted without nuts on top. Unluckily for her, that made it oh-so-easy for the rest of us to tease her mercilessly about her aversion and the obvious favoritism involved for specially making this “her way”. Keep in mind that this recipe doesn’t need to have nuts on top but I personally feel that anyone who prefers it without them is nuts (sorry sis!).

One more family quirk brought to light anytime we enjoy this dessert is that of my dad. Similarly to the first sister mentioned, he was born with this condition. That is…being ornery and unable to stop himself from making others around him smile/laugh. Also similar to my second sister mentioned, he was treated to a bit of favoritism being the only boy surrounded by sisters (and a twin to boot!). His parents and siblings really had not choice other than to let him have his way, right? His quirk is that he can’t seem to help himself from cutting the first piece of cake unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. His favorite method is to cut a piece from anywhere in the middle of the cake, never on the edge or in a corner. His next favorite is to cut a piece in a shape that will undoubtedly spiral into a bunch of other random pieces (a circle or a star preferably).

Do any of you who have blasphemous food quirks like these? I sure hope it’s not just me and my crazy wonderful family 😉 Now, to give credit where credit is due, my grandma Joan brought this frosting recipe into our family while my mom brought the cake recipe. The combined marriage of the two recipes into one resulted in this being yet another instant family favorite. Meanwhile, the continued use of this recipe marriage resulted in the aforementioned family quirks coming to light. All in all, it was a fair trade to gain a new amazing recipe and to also have new material to tease a few family members about. It is my hope that each of you who tries this also finds a quirk in someone you love and that you treasure both that person and their quirk(s). Enjoy!

Mom's Banana Cake with Grandma's Brown Butter Frosting

  • Servings: 24
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Whether you enjoy both parts of this recipe as one delicious dessert or make one of them individually of the other, you are bound to enjoy!

Ingredients

    Cake:
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine (stick)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup banana pulp (overripe bananas work best)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar plus 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups flour
    • Frosting:
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup butter (stick)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

1) In small bowl, add milk and vinegar and baking soda and set aside.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9″x13″ pan so it’s ready.

3) Add butter/margarine and sugar into bowl of mixer and beat on medium until creamed (combined well).

4) Add eggs and vanilla extra to mixer bowl and beat on high until mixture appears almost fluffy.

5) Add in banana pulp to mixture and beat until combined evenly and no lumps of banana pulp.

6) Next you will add half of the milk mixture that you set aside earlier and mix then add half the flour and mix then the other half of the milk mixture and mix then the last half of the flour and the salt and mix it all together.

7) Pour batter into greased 9″x13″ pan and place into preheated 350 degree oven to bake for 35-40 minutes (until toothpick inserted into middle of cake comes out clean).

8) Remove from oven and set aside to cool while you whip together the frosting.

9) In a small saucepan, melt the stick of butter over medium heat.

10) Continue heating butter while it changes from yellow to golden to light brown in color and remove from heat only when it’s browned.

11) Set aside saucepan with butter to cool and, in separate medium mixing bowl, combine the remaining frosting ingredients.

12) Add browned butter to the frosting mixing bowl and stir well to combine until it’s smooth.

13) Spread frosting evenly over cooled cake.

14) Top with pieces of pecans or walnuts and enjoy!

Step 1 to brown the butter: melt stick o’ butter…
Step 2: stir and watch closely as color transitions from yellow to golden…
Step 3: continue stirring and monitoring closely as color transitions again from golden to light brown then take it off the heat because your butter be browned!
Are you hungry yet???

Simply Real

Today I wanted to write about something near and dear to my heart that’s slightly off my beaten path. When I started this blog I had so many ideas of topics I wanted to cover and I realize I am still very new to this but I truly love writing and letting words be heard to whoever has an interest in reading them. I don’t know that this blog will ever have one true theme besides my thoughts-of-the-moment but I’m ok with that. To those of you reading this and nodding your head in understanding of my randomness…all I have to say that I truly thank you for appreciating me as I really am.

I want to take a moment to talk about how difficult it has become to be a real person in today’s increasingly fake society. As an adult trying to balance a career and family and circle of friends, I can say that I often get caught up in pretenses and forget to be real. That being said, I make a valiant effort to stay true to myself and have found that the more I do that, the simpler it becomes. Although it’s hard to be a mom, wife, daughter, co-worker, sister, friend, and every other role in my life, I have found it’s way simpler to be ME despite which role it is that I’m currently in. Having all those roles is certainly less overwhelming when, at the end of the day, I’m still myself.

How often do you pretend something was “no biggie” and shrug it off when it is a really big deal? When was the last time you gave a complete stranger a heartfelt compliment…or anyone for that matter? Is your attitude your own or one you have adapted from people around you? How long has it been since you shared a story at work or with friends that was 100% honest and you didn’t gloss over any unsavory details? How long do you spend debating on what outfit to wear depending on who you will see that day? Let’s be real here folks, we all could use some work towards being really real.

The internet was an honest to goodness life changing invention. It has brought about incredible communication improvements but it also has brought about incredible communication issues. Literally everything is at our fingertips now so we can be “in the know” on people’s lives, see their pictures, get updates when they have milestones, etc. But it also drives us all, in some subconscious way or another, to be constantly checking on things and comparing ourselves and every facet of our lives to others. It’s no wonder we have grown increasingly more fake when things are increasingly more transparent. It’s also not surprising that we forget to act like ourselves when it appears so much better to act like someone else…someone more successful, someone skinnier, someone who is the perfect mom or wife or kid.

My challenge to all of you is to recognize this in yourselves and in those people closest to you. Once you start realizing it and focusing on it, you will be prompted to do something about it. What are we gaining from being anything other than our true selves? Imagine how much happier you would be and how much less stress would be a part of your daily life if you became yourself..the real and honest you! No more constant judging of yourself and finding something lacking. No more worrying about what anyone else may think of you but, instead, improving your own thoughts of yourself.

Ok, ok I know this sounds like a cheesy self-help book at this point and I know this won’t be anywhere near my most popular post but it’s something I have enjoyed writing because it’s something on my mind often. Please please please show yourself some love and be true to who you are, regardless of who you are expected to be!

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