Rachel Schultz

raspberry-thyme lemonade

May 25, 2013 · 0 comments

I’m delighted to have Emily from Dish & Tell guest posting today! If you’d like to create a guest post for my site, please e-mail rachelschultzblog [at] gmail [dot] com. Now, here’s Emily:

When anyone has ever asked about my most memorable childhood memory (it’s an FAQ, by the way), I’ve been somewhat (non-dramatically) torn. I can never decide whether to give the inquirer a run-down on my once-upon-a-time backyard circus (think leotards. clown wigs. and rainbow balloons.) — OR, to talk about when I used to crawl around my attic with a magnifying glass, pretending to be one of the Olsen twins. Only, I had a twin brother. Still do, actually. Weird.

But today, my mind wanders back to the good old lemonade stand days. Did you ever have one of those? Like, with a mason jar of money and “homemade” (store bought) lemonade in dixie cups? You were practically never a kid, if you didn’t. Though ours wasn’t an actual stand. It was a Red Flyer that we pulled around the neighborhood, sloshing lemony goodness at every pothole. But it worked. We were mobile and bankin’. Like a trendy LA food truck.

I like to think we were ahead of our time.

When I made this thirst-quenching bad boy last week, I was so excited to pull it around and sell it. Just kidding. But, I had been busy mindfully preparing for a summer like those I had as a kid. Which is weird, because I am usually a skeptic about spring/summer/anything-sunshiney until we hit the June 1st safe-point. Michigan is nifty like that. It instills a constant fear into every sun-loving individual, and tends to annoyingly swing from ice age, to sauna, to ice age again, the moment we stash our winter boots away (I keep mine in my Olsen attic, obvi).

But this optimistic drink was just what I needed to break the ice, hit up yoga (ow), and go shopping for panama hats + other cute and unnecessary summer accessories. Definitely could have skipped the yoga, but the hat is supa fab. Happy springing!

Raspberry-Thyme Lemonade
Serves 16

4 cups water
1 pint (about 2 cups) raspberries, plus more for garnish
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 quart lemonade
6 thyme sprigs (plus more, for garnish)
Ice, for serving
750 mL sparkling water

Bring water, raspberries, thyme and sugar to boil in a large saucepan. Stir occasionally, dissolving sugar. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing gently on berries to release juices; discard berries and sprigs of thyme. Let syrup cool completely. Combine syrup and lemonade in a large pitcher. Divide among 16 glasses filled with ice. Top each with sparkling water. Garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of thyme.

Raspberry-Thyme Lemonade

Author: Emily @ Dish & Tell

Serves: 16

Ingredients

4 cups water
1 pint (about 2 cups) raspberries, plus more for garnish
1¾ cups sugar
1 quart lemonade
6 thyme sprigs (plus more, for garnish)
Ice, for serving
750 mL sparkling water

Instructions

Bring water, raspberries, thyme and sugar to boil in a large saucepan.
Stir occasionally, dissolving sugar. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain mixture through a sieve, pressing gently on berries to release juices; discard berries and sprigs of thyme.
Let syrup cool completely. Combine syrup and lemonade in a large pitcher.
Divide among 16 glasses filled with ice. Top each with sparkling water.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of thyme.

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what we ate

May 24, 2013 · 0 comments

I’m a member of the meal planning revolution. Okay, “revolution” is dramatic. We just love meal planning! Here’s why.

Monday: breakfast pizza
Tuesday: bubbly garlic cheese bread
Wednesday: strawberry shortcake cupcakes
Thursday: italian layered sub bake
Friday: tomato & chickpea salad
Saturday: slightly sweet chicken salad sandwiches
Sunday: green chile corn dog muffins

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strawberry shortcake cupcakes

May 23, 2013 · 2 comments

I need to share something a little/lot bit lame. David and I were getting our Yahtzee on and we decided it’d be nice have a movie on in the background. Rifling through the extremely limited amount of movies we own, we chose the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie (what?).

Okay, I haven’t seen that movie since 8th grade. During 8th grade, however, I saw it in theaters three times. Yes, it made me have a celeb-crush on Orlando Bloom. Yes, at the time I thought it was the greatest conceivable achievement in cinema.

But playing Yahtzee this weekend, I couldn’t even remember what happens in the movie. I had kind of distanced myself from thinking they were cool over the past 10 years of my life. (10 YEARS? I feel old.)

It was much like watching it the first time. Then it ended, and we were still playing our three sets of seven games of Yahtzee series. (We go hard.) So what else is there to do, but put in the SECOND Pirates movie, right? I know what you’re thinking. Who would possibly own that movie? I do! And the craziest-ness of me having it is that I’ve never watched it. Why do I own this? Is all I could think, staring blankly while Dave took his dice turn.

Fast forward and we finished the second movie and ordered the third one on amazon. Like. What is up with me? I’m just super into Pirates lately. They’re good movies! Wouldn’t it be funny if the Pirates of the Caribbean had a cult following like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Don’t get me wrong the franchise is successful. But they’re not on Trekky level. (If you do like Pirates on a trekky level, I need to meet you.)

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes
Serves 24

2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 and 1/4 cups butter, softened
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
24 strawberries
Whip cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, cream eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla with a hand mixer. Slow incorporate dry and wet ingredients, forming a thick batter. Spoon batter into a lined muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool thoroughly. Hollow out a portion of the center of the cupcake. Place de-stemed strawberry inside.

Top with whip cream frosting.

strawberry shortcake cupcakes

Author: Rachel Schultz

Serves: 24

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 and ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 and ¼ cups butter, softened
⅓ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
24 strawberries
Whip cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, cream eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla with a hand mixer.
Slow incorporate dry and wet ingredients, forming a thick batter.
Spoon batter into a lined muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow cupcakes to cool thoroughly. Hollow out a portion of the center of the cupcake. Place de-stemed strawberry inside.
Top with whip cream frosting.

Modified from Lady Behind the Curtain.

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i love to read: “from fear to freedom”

May 22, 2013 · 5 comments

I sort of like TV shows (depending on the show). I can like movies (also depending). But I LOVE books. A friend recently asked me what I like to do to relax and just chill out while other people are eating french fries and watching movies. My answer: BOOKS! (Although can I still get the french fries?) Not just any book, of course. Like TV and movies, there’s obviously good and bad. But, there’s nothing quite like when you really hit your stride in a great book.

That happened for me recently! This book is like… beyond words. Definitely in my top 10 of all time list – perhaps even top five.

The book is From Fear to Freedom by Rose Marie Miller. And yes, as indicated from above I found it life altering. Rose’s (I’ll use first names since I feel like her and I are friends now) writing centers around our need to understand God’s love for us is based only on Christ. We are all trapped by our own sense of self-righeousness. I cannot have any meaningful relationship with Jesus if I don’t experience forgiveness from him. And to be forgiven by him, I have to really know that I have real sins to bring him. I think I’m not so bad, or usually only sin because of other people or circumstances. No, the truth is my human heart is prideful and loves to shift blame. I must ask God to do the impossible in my life – to show me I do not have any real strength on my own and cannot be self-sufficient.

Much of the book is about Rose’s life. Although she tells many stories, I appreciated that unlike some memoir or autobiography-type books, the focus isn’t ultimate herself, her story, or her life. The books is God-exalting and not her-experiences-exalting. It’s a 10/10 and the moment I finished I wanted to start over and read it again.

What are y’all reading? Is it good?

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slightly sweet chicken salad sandwiches

May 21, 2013 · 0 comments

A (moderately) fun fact about me is that I am 1/8 Cherokee. This is not a part of my life that I am in touch with or that any of my close friends probably even know.

One day, I think while David and I were engaged, it somehow came up, or I mentioned it in passing.

And. He. Was. Stoked.

Since then, he has been really proud of this and wanting to encourage me to like, wear historic native american clothing and have us start celebrating Cherokee holidays.

To reiterate, I don’t even know any Cherokee holidays.

But, I like that he’s so excited about it. And no disrespect to people who are repping Cherokee nation – it’s just not something I know much about. But that won’t be the case for long if Dave has his way.

Slightly Sweet Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Serves 3-4

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
2 cups grapes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup blush wine salad dressing
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup feta
Salt & pepper
Rye bread, sliced

Shred cooked chicken breast with two forks and season with salt & pepper. Combine in a large bowl with grapes, olive oil, honey, salad dressing, red wine vinegar, green onions. Top with feta and serve on rye bread.

slightly sweet chicken salad sandwiches

Author: Rachel Schultz

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
2 cups grapes, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup blush wine salad dressing
½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup feta
Salt & pepper
Rye bread, sliced

Instructions

Shred cooked chicken breast with two forks and season with salt & pepper.
Combine in a large bowl with grapes, olive oil, honey, salad dressing, red wine vinegar, green onions.
Top with feta and serve on rye bread.

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