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  • Blog & Recipes
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  • YouTube: Rustic Joyful Life
  • Workshops
  • Rustic Joyful Food: The Books
  • About
  • Clients/Collaboration
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Slushy BSB Cherry Lemonades

February 10, 2019 Danielle Kartes
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Happy Valentine’s Day! I wanted a fun bright cocktail for V day this year. A whiskey sour is one of my all time favorite drinks. I used a bit of the maraschino cherry syrup to color the lemonades bright pink. In honor of one of my favorite holidays. Heritage distilling makes Brown sugar bourbon. It’s sweet and a bit Smokey with perfect caramel notes. Noah has this adorable snow cone maker and I crushed the ice for great texture. If you’d like to order some of your own BSB you can find it here: heritagedistilling.com. Use code JOYFUL20 for 20% off!

Makes 2 cocktails
2 tbsp maraschino cherry syrup 
8 oz lemonade 
2 oz BSB by Heritage 
Lemons for garnish
Cherries for garnish
1 cup crushed ice 

In a chilled cocktail glass or coupe place 1 tbsp syrup in the bottom of the glass cover with 1/4 cup of crushed ice. Top with 4 oz of lemonade and 1 oz of bourbon. Repeat the process for the 2nd cocktail.

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In Alcohol, beverages, Blog, Danielle Kartes, food photography, Heritage Distilling, holidays, Rustic Joyful Food Tags slushy bsb cherry lemonades, brown sugar bourbon, heritage distilling, danielle kartes, valentine's day, pink drinks, alcoholic beverages, festive alcoholic beverages
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Crispy, Sweet Chili & Sesame Shrimp

January 18, 2019 Danielle Kartes
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How can you meal plan if you don’t know how to grocery shop? One of the foundational principles of Rustic Joyful Food is utilizing what’s fresh and in-season to SAVE BIG at the grocery store. This last year we explored a new way to help families eat fantastic food for just $100 a week! Sounds impossible, but honestly it just takes a little bit of careful planning.

 I’m not talking about writing out detailed lists, spending hours creating a downloadable meal prep plan, or couponing. Those are certainly valid ways to save, but I’m talking about doing your planning at the grocery store! Sound crazy? Not quite.

 When I enter the grocery store, I know just how much money I have to spend. I know my family has to eat at least four home-cooked meals along with a night of eggs or cereal. Let’s be real: cooking from scratch every single night without repeating yourself can be exhausting.

 Let me explain a valuable trick. When you enter the grocery store, normally you will find the freshest, in-season, and on-sale fruits and veggies taking up big bins to catch your eye, right up front. This is where your money is going to go the farthest. Pick up snack-y fruits right here! Often, the organic fruit will be right up front as well, if on sale. I make my way through produce, buying the onions and garlic that are on sale. Next, I’ll get a variety of herbs. Remember: when it comes to bargain seasonal produce, think lunches and snacks!

 Next, I hit the meat department – ALWAYS. Now that I’ve picked up my veggies, herbs, and fruit I’m ready to see what cuts are on sale. Every grocery store will highlight a new cut of meat on sale each week. For example, my store was having a great sale today on organic ground turkey: $3.50 per pound. I bought 4 packages! This will make awesome meatballs and spaghetti! At the fish counter, they had beautiful wild gulf shrimp for only $6.99 a pound. I bought a pound! This will be dinner tonight.

I try to spend $100-$125 a week in groceries. I’ll pick up one fun condiment every week regardless of need, so my pantry is always stocked for fun dishes! I NEVER use a meal plan because they often cost too much money and don’t focus on seasonal or sale prices. Trust those marketing gurus at your store. If you only shop the seasonal sales, you’re going to get new, fresh items each week!

Here is your challenge for the week: go into the store, belly full and laser focused on sales! Spend $100-$125 for the whole week! I was able to showcase this in action with The Rachael Ray Show in NYC. I’d bet you’d wouldn’t think Crispy, Sweet Chili & Sesame Shrimp would be affordable for a family of four, but it’s dinner for less than $8, for all four of us! My boys will eat a couple shrimp with no sauce plus rice. And Mike and I will eat the rest with rice and veggies! 

Crispy, Sweet Chili & Sesame Shrimp

1 lb. jumbo 14-16 ct. shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
Cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup neutral oil suitable for frying 

The Sauce

2 Tbsp. butter
1 clove garlic, chopped

1 red Fresno chili, sliced
1/4-1/3 cup prepared sweet chili sauce 
1 Tbsp. white sesame seeds
1/2 cup chopped green onions 
Squeeze of mandarin orange juice
Squeeze of lime juice

In a large bowl, coat shrimp with sesame oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, dip shrimp into cornstarch, then dust it off vigorously. The cornstarch will taste chalky if there is too much on the shrimp. In a large skillet, heat oil until it shimmers (but does not smoke) over medium-high heat. Add corn starch-dusted shrimp. Fry on each side until golden and crisp, roughly 1-2 minutes per side. Remove cooked shrimp and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.

To make the sauce, pour remaining oil in the pan out into a mug for discarding, and return pan to stove. Melt butter in the pan over medium-high heat and add garlic and chilies. Heat until garlic is fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add chili sauce, sesame seeds, and citrus juice. Heat sauce until bubbling, 2 minutes. Place shrimp into hot sauce and stir to coat. Add sesame seeds and green onions, then toss to coat. Serve with rice or plain for a fun appetizer.

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In Blog, Danielle Kartes, food, food photography, Rustic Joyful Food Tags chili shrimp, danielle kartes, rustic joyful food, seafood
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Enchilada Albondigas (Meatballs)

January 9, 2019 Danielle Kartes
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Makes 14-16 1 oz. meatballs

20-30 minutes cook time

 

1 slice sandwich bread (sub 1/4 cup almond flour for keto or whole 30 preparation)

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1 egg

1 tsp. onion powder

1 crushed garlic clove

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. chili powder

2 cups prepared enchilada sauce (recipe below)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (as garnish)*

 

Pulse bread in the bowl of your food processor to make a fine crumb. In a bowl, combine meatball ingredients with bread crumbs and mix well with a fork. Shape meat into balls a bit larger than a tablespoon. Sauté in olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick frying pan. Once the balls are set but not cooked through, add 2 cups of sauce and simmer for 5-10 minutes over low. When meatballs are ready, cover in cheese and serve with rice or veggies.

*Cheese is not included on the whole 30 diet plan and may be omitted from recipe.

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Yields 2 quarts of sauce 

30 minutes cook time 


2 Tbsp. olive oil 
1 large yellow onion
6 dried Ancho chilies
6 dried California chilies
6 dried Guajillo chilies
2-3 Arbol chilies (optional, these chilies add heat)
2 cloves fresh garlic

Salt and pepper to taste 

5 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
Water (optional, for thinning) 


In a large sauce pan, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until it begins to caramelize. Add dried chilies with seeds and stems removed. Sauté 2-3 minutes and add garlic. Continue cooking until garlic becomes fragrant. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken stock and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, cover pot with a lid and allow chilies to steep for 20 minutes. Blend the mixture with a stick blender or in your standard blender. Bring enchilada sauce to a boil again and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper. If the sauce is thicker than you’d like, add a bit more chicken stock or water to thin. This sauce packs a mild heat and has a rich smoky flavor.

In Blog, Danielle Kartes, food, food photography, recipe, Rustic Joyful Food Tags enchilada albondigas, enchilada, meatballs, danielle kartes, rustic joyful food, food photography, easy dinners, mexican meal, enchilada sauce
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My mother is a breast cancer survivor and she is rockin her radiation and port scars.  To watch her beat cancer was life changing for me.  She is a wildly incredible inspiration.  What scars do you have that the world needs to see?  Your story needs to be told.  Our lives our meant to share, we are built for community and laughter and tears.  I want to encourage you today to show your scars and be so very proud of everything you’ve come through because someone somewhere needs to see, they need to know about hope.  They need to know that God loves them, sees them and has never forgotten them.  So put them scars on front street 🙌🏻😍💥 #hope #beatcancer #ilovemymom
You guys!!! Set ya DVR’s!! I’m on @homeandfamilytv making my delicious Linzer Hearts tmr February 13th!! We always have the best time and @iamdebbiem and @cameronmathison ❤️❤️GET THE RECIPE tomorrow at Hallmark!  #rusticjoyfulfood
💥GIVEAWAY💥. With @lecreuset & @thefeedfeed 💥 I made crispy dumplings & sunny sesame & chili fried eggs in less than 10 minutes.  Who wants and NEEDS two gorgeous new pans from @lecreuset  You can enter to win these beauties perfect for sautéing everything by following the guidelines below Good Luck!  Get to tagging! 💥
💥

To Enter: 
1. Follow @LeCreuset, @TheFeedFeed, and @rusticjoyfulfood 
2. Tag a friend in the comments below (Each tag counts as an entry, but one tag per comment please! Giveaway open to U.S. only. Giveaway will close 2/14 @ 11:59 PM EST. 
See full giveaway rules @ https://ff.recipes/LC-Nonstick-RusticJoyfulFood
Ok guys!  Make sure you are setting your DVR’s and your VCR’s or whatever device that STREAMS GREATNESS ON THE TV or IPad or kindle fire 😂😍🙌🏻. I’ll be on the @picklerandben show on February 14th making my classic New England Clam Chowder from my book #generations @kelliepickler & @benaarontv couldn’t be any kinder or hilarious!  Such a fun show, AND THE SET.  Copper & Marble DREAMS!  #rusticjoyfulfood #picklerandben #happyvalentinesday
Don’t mind me, forever sitting in the airport dreaming about cocktails 😍🙌🏻❤️. If I see one more post about how dumb Valentine’s Day is I’m gonna COMMENT ON IT 😂. I actually love holidays, like all of them.  ANY excuse to celebrate anyone I love and I’m all about treats and steak and cocktails and new undies!  Yup, growing up every Valentine’s Day my mom got each of us kids a new pair of underwear and some chocolate and it was always waiting on the concrete fireplace when we woke up.  So my sweet family nowadays really goes all out!  We make fun drinks and tasty dinner at home with heart shaped EVERYTHING!  Grab the recipe for these BSB @heritagedistilling cherry lemonade slushes on the blog!  THEY ARE SO GOOD!  Skip the Bourbon for the kiddos 😍🙌🏻 #heritagepartner #sponsored #valentinesday
I made Sour Cherry pancakes and they took WORK.  I knew the frozen cherries were loaded with water and my batter was light so this was going to be a problem but I persevered and the payoff was BIG!  Isn’t that life?  Man you know I LOOOVE to go deep and get emotional about EVERYTHING.  So many lessons, even in juicy cherries wanting to burn and stick and separate from the pancake and etc etc.... but the perfect heat, lots of butter and babysitting helped turn what wanted to be a massive failure into perfectly tart and caramelized fruit mingling with buttery salty perfectly light pancake.  I was listening to Hillsong’s Glimmer in the Dust while my pancake cooked and it WRECKED ME in the best way.  This song is so beautiful and so LIFE GIVING.  We can find Hope in a glimmer of dust-  Today be encouraged to find hope, to allow the process to take longer and to be kind on your heart.  You are doing the best you can, ok Danielle?  I mean you, YOU ARE TOO!  We are all doing the best we can and it’s not just going to be ok, it’s going to be brilliant. 🥰 Go look up that song and WEEP WITH RENEWED HOPE.  God is WITH US!  #ifoundheaveninpeices 
Here are the Lyrics.  No recipe for these pancakes, YET. 💥
💥
💥
@hillsongunited 
I was lost in a moment
A glimmer in time
Like a child chasing shadows
My back to the light
I was lost in a fog till You caught my eye
Through the smoke and the mirrors
A glimmer of life
I know there’s a place I belong
Where I’ll see the fullness of love
A child face to face with my God 
Lost in Your awesome wonder 
While I wait I will not be afraid
My faith will remain all the same
My hope in the things not yet seen
Found in the greatest of these
I found love in a moment
Exploding in light
At the cross where the curtains
Were ripped from my eyes
I found heaven in pieces
In glimmer and dust
Broken glass in reflection
Till we shine like the sun
I know there’s a place I belong
Where I’ll see the fullness of love
A child face to face with my God 
Lost in…
It’s Valentines Day pasta with @nuovopasta You guys know how much I love to use fresh ravioli for simple delicious dinner around here so I used their Pasta Hearts and made 
Amatriciana Hearts 💗❤️💞. Here is the Recipe! 💞❤️💗Guess what else?  I saw these hearts at Costco!!! Go grab em, delish! 💗
💗
💗
Amatriciana Heart Pasta
1 package Nuovo Pasta cheese-filled ravioli hearts, cooked per the package instructions
5 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil 
1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced 
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half 
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1/2 cup pasta cooking water
❤️
❤️ In a large skillet with high sides, sauté bacon and onions in olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Once bacon is cooked and caramelized, add cherry tomatoes and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes or until tomatoes just begin to fall apart. Gently add cooked Nuovo Pasta ravioli, pasta cooking water, and parsley. Toss the sauce with the pasta to combine, and season to taste! #nuovopasta
Dear @food52 please repost this picture of lemons.  It’s beautiful and happy and seasonal and fits into 2 of your repost requirements #f52lemon #f52farmstand Just calling a spade a spade 😂🤷🏼‍♀️🙌🏻🍋These purty girls came from @maxzoelaw TREE 😍🙌🏻🥰. But cmon, HOW PRETTYYYY 😍🙌🏻💅🏼
Rustic Joyful Food: Generations
$38.95
By Danielle C Kartes
Rustic Joyful Food: My Heart's Table
By Danielle Kartes

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