KitchenNotes Summer Giveaway: CSN Gift Card!

My, oh my!  Is it just me, or is this summer just flying by?  Things have seemed especially busy lately as we are getting ready to move into a new house.  The days have been a blur of organizing, packing, cleaning, and taking care of home improvement projects before we move in.  I definitely feel like I'm on a first name basis with the folks at my hardware store and paint shop these days!

My friends at CSN stores must have sensed the craziness that is my life because they contacted me for another KitchenNotes giveaway!  Hooray!  The first giveaway went so well (hope you're enjoying the LeCreuset baking set, Laura!), that I jumped at the chance to do another.  This time around, the prize is a $50 gift card to spend as you wish in any of CSN's 200 stores.  I guarantee you that you will have a blast spending this prize!  They have a huge variety of products, great prices, and a BBB rating of A+.  I, for one, have been browsing their shops quite a bit lately as we decorate the new place.  Too bad I can't win this prize myself!  If I could, I might pick up...

Some new wine glasses.  We broke a few in the move- oops!

Anything from Dwell Studio- perhaps these cool placemats?

Or maybe I'd put it towards a great accent lamp!

What would you do with $50 from CSN??  In order to win this fun giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment with your first name and last initial, as well as how you'd like to spend the prize.  Be sure to enter before Friday, August 6 at 11:59 P.M.!  I'll announce the winner on Saturday, August 7.  Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Fresh Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I don't know about you, but when the weather is this hot and sticky, the last thing on my mind is a big, heavy dessert.  Anything frozen (popsicles!) or anything fruity, and definitely nothing that's going to heat up my kitchen any more than necessary.  Despite this streak of hot weather, I was in the mood to do a little baking recently, and decided to make cupcakes with some limes I had on hand.  These were surprisingly easy to put together and the fresh lime flavors were perfectly refreshing...especially when topped with some cream cheese frosting. Yum!
    

Fresh Lime Cupcakes 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
*Juice and zest of two medium limes*
Green food coloring, optional

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.
-Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
-Cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
-Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
-Add the flour mixture and blend ingredients together until only just combined.
-Stir in the milk, lime juice and zest, as well as a little green food coloring. Blend mixture until ingredients are fully incorporated.
-Portion batter into muffin cups.  This recipe with make about 16 cupcakes.
-Bake in preheated oven until cakes are light golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes.
-After removing cupcakes from the oven, cool completely on a wire rack.
-Once completely cool, top with fresh lime frosting (recipe follows).

Fresh Lime Cream Cheese Frosting 

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 ounces butter (1 1/2 sticks)
12 ounces weight powdered sugar
*Zest of two medium limes*
*Juice of 1 medium lime*

Directions:
-Cream together the cream cheese and butter until blended.
-Add the powdered sugar gradually until ingredients are combined.
-Blend in juice and zest.
Mix on a high speed, and if icing is too thick, you can add a little milk or cream until frosting is smooth and creamy.
-Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe frosting over the top of each cupcake.

*Note: The limes I used when making these were medium-sized.  If the ones at your market are very small or very large, adjust the amount of lime juice and zest accordingly.*

Easy Summer Cooking: Pasta Caprese

Quite a while back, I promised my friend Heidi some simple and summery pasta recipes.  The task was certainly easy enough!  After all, my go-to hot weather dinner is often a combination of farmers' market finds and whatever pasta I have in the pantry.  (You should definitely try my mom's summer pasta salad or this greek orzo salad before the end of the summer, by the way!)

Unfortunately, I've been a little lazy with my posting and that promise of recipes was almost forgotten.  This evening, though, I realized that I had the makings of a very tasty and easy dish already on hand.  Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil- how could you possibly go wrong with a combination like this?  Throw it together, serve warm (maybe alongside some grilled chicken),  and you've got a perfect summer dinner!

Pasta Caprese

Ingredients:
16 ounces penne pasta
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely minced
12 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
1/2 cup chiffonade of basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
-Bring a pot of water on to boil and cook pasta to al dente.  Drain and put pasta in a serving bowl.
-Toss halved grape tomatoes and vinegar together and set aside while preparing other ingredients.
-Heat olive oil in a saucepan.  Add minced shallots and saute over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
-Add tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Continue cooking until tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes.
-Remove from heat and pour tomato mixture over pasta.  Use a rubber spatula to scrape all of the juices out of the pot and into the serving dish.
-Fold in the fresh mozzarella cubes and plenty of basil.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
-Serve warm!

Sundried Tomato Basil Butter

Julia Child once said that "with enough butter, anything is good."  If said butter is kicked up with sundried tomatoes and fresh basil, I'd tend to agree!  Compound butters add great flavor to all kinds of dishes, and this one is especially yummy.  Finish a piece of grilled chicken or steak with it for a subtle hint of flavor, or use to punch up baked potatoes and veggies.  I don't imagine it would be half bad on some crusty bread either!  

These butters keep really well in the fridge or freezer, and are perfectly easy to make when you've got extra ingredients (like fresh herbs) on hand.  I often make lemon dill compound butter to complement roasted chicken or grilled fish, but this tomato basil might be my new favorite.  With the abundance of fresh herbs right now, why not make a batch of each and put aside?  You'll be surprised with all the different ways you'll use them!

Sundried Tomato Basil Compound Butter

Ingredients:
8 oz. butter, softened
1/3 cup drained and finely chopped oil-packed sundried tomatoes
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs. minced shallots
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:
-Cut the softened butter into pieces and place in mixing bowl.
-Add remaining ingredients and bring together with a rubber spatula or bowl scraper.
-Take half of the compound butter and place dabs in a line along the length of a piece of parchment or waxed paper.
-Fold one side of the parchment over the butter.
-Press and shape together to make a log of butter.
-Repeat with remaining half.
-Refrigerate logs until firm, then twist ends of paper together.
-The butter can keep for several days in the fridge, or longer in the freezer.  Store paper-wrapped logs in a resealable plastic bag if freezing.