Uncategorized – Serendipity by Sara Lynn

Beef Sliders with White Cheddar + Bacon + Peach-Bourbon BBQ Sauce

Published on May 31, 2017 by serendipitybysaralynn2 Comments

Well guys, I’m graduated!!! A couple weeks ago, I crossed the stage, didn’t even trip in my tallest heels, and I’ll be mailed my actual diploma in a few weeks time! It was great. The tradition at UNR is to go to the famous college bar, The Little Waldorf, before graduation and drink mimosas and maybe relive your most wonderful/awful times as a college student? Idk, because I had never even been to The Wal until that day, but I was able to get past the sticky, beer-soaked floors that I’m sure have never been mopped, and my friends and I drank cheap champagne on empty stomachs and it was perfect. After graduation, I stuffed my face with Thai food at our favorite local joint, and then after I attempted a nap, we had a huge graduation BBQ with my friends and family. My parents ended up playing rage cage with all of us young kids, and also it was my first time playing! Of course I had all of my college experiences the day I graduated. But it was a super amazing time, everyone drank and had fun, and I got to sleep the whole next day with a less-than-fun hangover (shoutout to Gatorade for getting me through that one).

I’m off to Europe in less than two weeks (!!!), so I’m trying to enjoy some of my favorite Reno summertime activities before I leave. Namely, Lake Tahoe, fun outdoor bars, and sitting at patios at cute local restaurants. Also, I spent the last weekend in San Francisco drinking lots of coffee and cocktails with my cousin. We even found a bar that had a “bondage” theme, and I was impressed. Oh SF, I ❤ u.

Since I’m leaving so so soon, I’m trying to get all of my cooking in while I can. Although I’m soooo excited to eat at wonderful European restaurants for 4 months, I also will miss the luxury of a kitchen, even though I’m sure my airbnb hosts will be accommodating if I really get the itch. Namely, I’ve been taking advantage of my BBQ, because we just got a brand new sparkly one, and in the summertime, I’m pretty sure the only acceptable food is any that is BBQed. The other day I was craving burgers like no other thing in the world, but I wanted something a little more creative than my standard beef-cheddar-veg-bun combo I normally go for. I really love smashed burgers, but since it’s summer I have a difficult time cooking indoors when my brand new sparkly grill is in eyesight from my kitchen window. Also, I really wanted something with BBQ sauce but not ribs or pulled pork, so I just combined everything into one package and then added bacon for good measure.

It’s a little more work to make the homemade BBQ sauce, but it’s honestly a super easy recipe and totally worth the effort. However, if you really can’t be bothered, you can always buy some store-bought sauce, but you’ll probably miss out on peaches and bourbon which is not the kind of world I want to live in.

P.S. the BBQ sauce will make quite a bit, and you definitely won’t need all of it for the recipe. You can either put it in jars and seal it (if that’s your thing) or you can use it for another recipe, but I’d use it within a week (or two if you’re willing to risk it, which I am). This sauce would be perfect on pulled pork, ribs, or chicken.

Also, I served my burgers with wedge salad, but some oven fries would be amazing too.

burgers

recipecard - Copy

XO Sara Lynn

*Song of the Day: Warned You by Good Morning

Blood Orange Margarita

Published on February 6, 2017February 5, 2017 by serendipitybysaralynnLeave a comment

It’s that perfect time of the year where citrus is at its absolute peak, and I stock my fruit bowl with clementines, limes, and grapefruit, my absolute favorite. Although grapefruits are essentially available year round, January-February seems to be the time they get that very sweet, intense grapefruit flavor. I usually end up eating so much of them that I get blisters in my mouth. I would probably eat even more, except that I absolutely hate peeling/cutting/spooning out grapefruit, so that keeps me within my boundaries a little. If anyone knows an easy way of dealing with grapefruit, I’m all ears, because it’s honestly the biggest pain.

Equal to grapefruit on my list of Citrus I Get Too Excited About is the blood orange. I tend to forget about it every single year until the day I walk into the grocery and have the good fortune of spotting dark red oranges out of the corner of my eye. I then buy at least a couple pounds of them, because I can think of endless ways to incorporate blood oranges into my favorite recipes. Plus, their season is so short that you have to take advantage of the opportunity to buy multiple while you have the chance.

If you’ve never experienced a blood orange, I highly encourage you to head to your local grocery, especially if you have a food co-op or health food shop that frequently carries seasonal ingredients, and buy at least a couple. I know the name doesn’t necessarily sound appetizing, but the blood orange is one of the most beautiful fruits in my opinion. The flavor is tart like a regular orange, but has sweeter berry-like tones. My favorite part of blood oranges is how versatile they are – while they are perfectly delicious on their own, I prefer to take advantage of their beauty to use them in salads, desserts, and with a splash of tequila, because I’m fun like that.

My first round of blood oranges was used in an almond-blood orange cake that had a truly delicious, fresh flavor but lacked a textural component I was looking for. Not to worry, I will continue to practice making this cake, even if I have to use regular oranges until next year…

I also threw some segments into a salad that I made for dinner, and of course I ate one or two on their own, but then I realized that blood oranges were made for alcohol. The tart-sweet taste would blend perfectly with a little vodka or gin or tequila (!!!) so I decided to go for it, because life is short, and margaritas are good. Plus, I was looking for a simple Valentine’s Day recipe that was not couple-y (because single, yo), but one that would also have the pretty V-Day colors I was looking for. How fitting that blood oranges happen to show up in late January-early February, right as I’m trying to think of a drink to make for my Galentine’s celebration! Yay for love and female friendships!

Also! Whilst walking out of a grocery store alone at 4:30 p.m. on a Friday night carrying only a large bottle of tequila, I discovered one of the ultimate forms of self-loathing. If you’re going to partake in these types of activities, I’d recommend also grabbing a bag of tortilla chips, some salsa, and maybe a puzzle, because it’ll earn you less judgmental stares, and it may even make you feel better about trying margarita recipes by yourself when you should be out socializing with friends.

Are you ready for some margarita action?!

margarita

Further notes: If you can’t find blood oranges, because they are unavailable or not in season, go ahead and use regular oranges or another citrus if you’d prefer. The recipe is perfectly versatile!

P.S. I chose my tequila based off of a list of “Best Cheap Tequilas” I found on the interweb while in the middle of the liquor aisle at my grocery store. (In Nevada, they sell liquor at grocery stores, which I guess is shocking to some. Born and raised Nevada-girl does not understand why this is surprising). Use whichever tequila you have laying around the house, or go for a silver tequila made with 100% agave – just stay away from Jose.

P.P.S. How fun would it be to have a Mexican-food-night-Valentine’s-Day?! If you don’t want to rush through dinner crowds, you could make some delicious carnitas (or order in), and have ruby-red, romantic margaritas with your lovie (or girlies or dog or….). If you decide to have a Valentine’s Day-girl’s night, pls invite me, and I’ll make a big pitcher of blood orange margaritas to share. Just promise me no weird anti-V-Day hooliganism, because I’ve already been to a singles party before, and I don’t need that in my life again.

XO Sara Lynn

*Song of the Day: Unfucktheworld by Angel Olsen

Mascarpone Cheesecake with Orange & Amaretto

Published on January 8, 2017 by serendipitybysaralynn2 Comments

I am unashamed to admit that I am currently involved in a love affair with a cheesecake. I have to say, this is fairly out of character for me, considering I’m not a huge cheesecake fan – cheese = yay! cake = yay! cheesecake = meh. Many of my friends and family are cheesecake lovers, but I tend to fall more towards the creme brulee side of the custard spectrum – I can’t resist a burny-caramely top, and I hold firmly to that belief. I find many cheesecakes to be a little too creamy, or even worse, crumbly, and oftentimes they aren’t sweetened enough, leaving the filling reminiscent of a bagel that’s been sitting on the counter getting cold. Not a pretty visual there? Well, that’s how the ~~cookie~~ cheesecake crumbles, and I think there absolutely needs to be a seminar on how to properly bake a damn cheesecake. Sorry, not sorry – I’m putting an end to this.

Okay, maybe I have a holier-than-thou attitude towards cheesecake, but seriously, have you ever read reviews on any NY cheesecake recipe? Good lord, those east-coast peeps have a cheesecake power complex of epic proportions. (Okay, I really do get it though – you’re a tried and true New Yorker, and you’re desperately trying to recreate the cheesecake your grandmother used to throw together sans recipe. I promise, my family has been trying to do this with my grandmother’s enchiladas for years, and we can’t get it right – this is what happens when you let a Norwegian woman make Mexican food).

Anyhow, let me tell you, those recipe-reviewing-cheesecake-aficionados know their craft – crumbly cheesecake? Waterbath. Chunky chunks of cheese? Room temp the cheese and eggs! Genius. Props to you guys (and your grandma’s tips!). I appreciate you and your power complex (;

And on another note, here I am about to crush your OG-cheesecake loving souls. Because I added mascarpone to my cheesecake. And I added orange zest. And I added amaretto. And the crust is made with almond cookies. And it’s the most delicious, light, wonderful cheesecake I ever did eat. If it makes anyone feel better, I’ve heard a lot of Italian cheesecakes use mascarpone and amaretto! Does that help? Bueller, Bueller?

Anyways, I decided to use mascarpone, because as I said earlier, I don’t love the super-thick, creamy cheesecake in most restaurants (I’m especially looking at you Cheesecake Factory). However, the mascarpone rids of that overly-rich cream cheese taste and adds a fluffy, light texture that I adore. Orange zest was added to get away from the lemon that typically adorns cheesecakes. As for the amaretto, it was almost not added – I stared at that bottle in the grocery store for approximately 15 minutes, walked away from it, and thought, “Sara, that is so not the spirit”, turned back to the liquor aisle, and added it to my cart. It was a dilemma of vast proportions, but it made the cut, and I’m so relieved it did. Alcohol helps desserts always.

cheesecake

Btw I brought this cheesecake to my parents’ house for a family dinner and, I almost freaking DROPPED it while slipping on ice. But not to fear, my clumsy footing still appreciates the sanctity of $12 worth of cheese. I held onto that cheesecake like Harry held onto the Sorcerer’s Stone.

Yes, I did just make a HP reference, and I stand by that decision.

XO Sara Lynn

*Song of the Day: Stay This Way by Peter Bjorn and John

Single Lady Mac & Cheese

Published on December 12, 2016December 11, 2016 by serendipitybysaralynnLeave a comment

This past weekend was kind of rough for a multitude of different reasons. Even though I had some relaxing moments spending time with friends and family, most of my weekend was spent in a state of “blah” that I couldn’t quite shake. When I’m feeling like this, I know the best thing to do is to engage in self-care with a little bit of comfort food and TV. My craving was mac and cheese, but I didn’t want to make a huge pan of leftovers that could go to waste. After a few minutes of thought, I realized I could easily make a tiny mac and cheese that would feed just myself. Even in my difficult times, my brain comes up with great things!

This recipe is perfect for a feel-sorry-for-yourself-night, because it only requires one pot and it’s super versatile. You can use whatever cheese and pasta you have around the house, although smaller pastas with plenty of nooks and crannies are always the best! I’m also partial to a cheddar-parmesan mixture if you have that around the house.

As far as fanciness, this mac and cheese is pretty fancy-free. I just blend it all together, top it with a little parm, and broil it until browned. I add a little ceyenne pepper, mustard powder, worcestershire, onion powder, and garlic powder. Feel free to add whatever spices you want or none at all. Broil or don’t broil. Eat it out of the pan and leave the dishes for later, or wash the pot while the pasta broils (my method, because dirty dishes give me anxiety). Once your mac and cheese craving has be fulfilled, you can crawl back in bed or take a walk or go grab a coffee. This mac and cheese is about you and your needs after all.

mac-and-cheese

Take time for self love this week my friends ♥ We all deserve it.

XO Sara Lynn

*Song of the Day: Dandelion Wine by Gregory Alan Isakov

The Best Damn Pie Crust of Your Life

Published on November 15, 2016November 14, 2016 by serendipitybysaralynn1 Comment

IT’S FINALLY HERE. Even after countless pies and months of promising you all the best pie dough recipe in the whole damn world, I had not delivered. That is, until now. I really should stop making promises like these considering I’m a full-time student, I have 2 jobs, plus I try to volunteer a few hours a month on top of all the normal things I have to do on a day-to-day basis a.k.a. I’m freaking busy and don’t always have time on the weekends to do a pie dough tutorial. Honestly, I don’t know how I have free time sometimes, but bless my marketing internship for giving me college credit to work only a couple hours a week from home is all I have to say. Aside from that major tangent, my point is that I know the wait was worth it, and I would like you to agree with me, because it would make me feel much better about my slacking.

Let’s have a conversation about pie dough, my friends. I’ll try to keep an open mind here, but let’s just face it, I’m biased and totally Team Make Your Own Pie Dough. Most people refuse to even try to make their own dough, settling for either freezer-aisle roll-out pie dough (boo) or worse, store-bought pies from the grocery store (double boo). We’ll call this side Team Wrong. No offense if you’re on that team, I understand why you are, but hear me out. I have a major theory that pie dough is one of the most misunderstood forms of pastry, and I can attest to this, because I was a frozen pie dough fan for many years. After making pie dough once, I was a forever changed woman. It’s so. damn. easy. Surprisingly so, but it makes all the difference in the world. If you care about pie, make your own dough! I’m not kidding, you will not be able to go back to the store-bought stuff. It’s really life-changing, especially this recipe, which yields the flakiest, buttery-est crust I ever did eat. Thanks to Bon Appetit magazine for inspiring me to give it a try and also for giving me the recipe. I appreciate for real ♥

So, after a long guilt trip from Team Make Your Own Dough, do you feel inspired to make your own pie dough for (please, at least one of) your Thanksgiving pies?! Yes you do!

Let’s get started!

First, you’re going to start off with 2 sticks + 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. Cut the butter into cubes, trying to work quickly to avoid melting the butter with your warm hands. I like to use a bench scraper for this so I don’t have to touch the butter, but a regular knife works well too! Put that butter in a bowl and pop it in the fridge while you gather your dry ingredients.

Now we’re going to prep for the next few steps. Whisk together 2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons of sugar (1 Tablespoon for a savory-pie crust), and a scant teaspoon of kosher salt. Also prepare a glass of ice water and set the glass aside. Toss the butter in the flour mixture.

Now, working quickly, use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour, creating shaggy pieces of butter. Some of the pieces should be thin and long while others are chunkier. Be careful not to let the butter melt in your hands.

Mix together 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 3 Tablespoons of iced water. Swirl to combine.

Drizzle the vinegar-water over the butter mixture, running your fingers through the flour mixture to incorporate all the ingredients. Quickly knead the dough until it starts to come together. It will be a little crumbly and dry, but resist adding more water or your crust will turn out tough.

Turn your dough onto a floured surface and knead it a few more times, incorporating the drier areas.

Cut the dough in half and press into 1 inch thick discs.

Wrap your dough in plastic and set it in the fridge for at least an hour and up to 5 days. You can also freeze the dough for up to 2 months! I like to make dough in advance and save it in the fridge for big events like holidays. When you’re ready to use it, roll it on a floured surface and fill with whatever makes you happy.

Here’s a few pie ideas, if you needed any (;

Apple Pie with Sugared Crust
Pumpkin Pie
Beef & Veggie Pot Pie
Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie
Pear & Ginger Galette
Strawberry and Grapefruit Galette
Mixed Berry Pie

And here’s a handy-dandy recipe card:

pie-dough

I hope this recipe makes the pie dough of your dreams as it did mine ♥

XO Sara Lynn

*Song of the Day: Where is my Mind? by Pixies

A Day in SF – French Food and the Botanical Garden

Published on September 6, 2016September 5, 2016 by serendipitybysaralynnLeave a comment

As I’ve mentioned countless times in the past, visiting San Francisco for the weekend is one of my favorite things to do, especially since I live so close! I will be posting updates with all of my best SF recommendations as I continue to visit. Stay tuned for my favorite restaurants, bars, activities, and places to go!

The last time I was in The City, I dropped by Haight-Ashbury to hit some of my favorite spots. Haight-Ashbury has an incredibly unique art culture and history, so I always try to stop by if I have the chance. In addition to going to some of my favorite stores, I have been learning more about the neighborhood restaurants, coffee places, and other local spots. As soon as the Uber dropped us off, I grabbed a capp at Stanza Coffee Bar and went to this really cool art store called Mendel’s to pick up some fabric. I always try to stop by Mendel’s when I’m in the city, because they have a huge variety of art supplies you can’t find in run-of-the-mill places. Afterwards, I went to one of the most unique thrift/vintage shops, Decades of Fashion, just to check out what they had in stock – if you love vintage clothing or unique costumes, definitely stop by! I also made sure to hit one of my favorite record stores, Rasputin Music, which has a large variety of CDs, records, and DVDs, both old and new, classic and recent. After a couple hours of shopping, we were pretty hungry and looking for restaurants close by. I had never eaten at a restaurant in Haight-Ashbury before this trip, so I was excited to see what the neighborhood had to offer. Trusting solely on Yelp reviews, we decided on what turned out to be an amazing French restaurant called Zazie, just a few blocks up on Cole St.

Zazie is located on a quiet street in a narrow space, that I believe is an old apartment building. The ambience is classic French bistro, with yellow walls and pretty wooden tables. They have many of the French favorites, breakfast, lunch, and specials including the pancakes I got! I had poppy pancakes with lemon curd and strawberries, and they came with a side of potatoes. I also got their house tea, which was amazing! Other orders were the Croque Madame and the French toast, which were both delicious (based on the few bites I had!).

After brunch at Zazie, we drove over to Golden Gate Park to enjoy the beautiful NoCal weather. Golden Gate Park is one of my favorite places in San Francisco, so I definitely wanted to take a long walk, especially after a few stressful weeks at home. Previous to this trip, I had walked past the Botanical Gardens in Golden Gate Park multiple times, but I had never actually gone in. This time, I thought it would be fun to walk around since the tickets are fairly inexpensive, especially if you have a student ID! The Botanical Gardens were beautiful, with all kinds of unique plants and greenery. It was a very peaceful way to spend an afternoon, especially in the busyness of the city.

Later that night, we walked around near the beach and enjoyed a quiet dinner (can’t remember the name of the restaurant – if I see it next time I’m in SF, I’ll update).

If you need any more recommendations, feel free to reach out! San Fran is one of my favorite places to go, so I have lots of things to share!

For a list of my favorite coffee places in SF, click here.

XO Sara Lynn

*Song of the Day: Horchata by Vampire Weekend

Basic BLT

Published on August 5, 2016August 6, 2016 by serendipitybysaralynn1 Comment

Living in Reno means that I live a short three and a half hours away from the beautiful Bay area and amazing wine country, which has both its perks and its downfalls. Perks include relaxing weekend getaways, good wine being delivered straight to local mom and pop’s doors, and the influence of The City* trickling into the BLC**. And the downfalls? Weekend getaways are $$$. Good wine is $$$. Then there’s The City’s influence on Reno…

See, Reno’s culture has significantly changed in the last few years. Reno has gone from a failing casino city to a hip, local college town with amazing restaurants, bars, coffee shops, thrift stores, record stores, book stores, parks, events, music, etc. etc. etc. Not all people appreciate BLC culture, but damn I love it. However, with the influence comes the the traffic, and the increase in rent, and…the fusion. Asian fusion. Greek fusion. Italian-German fusion with a twist of California fusion. And, okay fine, fusion can be cool, but some things are just meant to be left alone. Including BLTs.

It seems as if every restaurant I go to lately has “their version” of a BLT, with 100 other letters attached to the end to show how different their bacon sandwich is from every other restaurant. BLTTC = Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Turkey, Cheddar, which I’m sorry is just a club sandwich. BLTGC = BLT grilled cheese, which just shouldn’t be a thing. And BLTA?! A BLT with avocado?!?! Okay, that one’s fair, and it works, but I have a slight allergy to avocado, so it doesn’t work for me. BLTs should be BLTs and nothing more. Nobody asked for this madness.

Luckily, you have me to set the record straight. Here’s how you should be doing your BLT.

Grab a loaf of good bread. I like sourdough, but white or buttermilk also work. Toast it ya’ll.
Bake your bacon. I swear. You better do it.
Find a good tomato. It has to be a good one. Slice it thinly. This isn’t a tomato sandwich.
Freshly ground black pepper does wonders.
Add avocado if you must, but please don’t tell me.

There’s definitely some gaps in there, but I’ll fill them in later. For now, I want to clarify what is deemed appropriate to serve with BLTs. Hint: it’s potato chips and beer. Iced tea if you don’t drink alcohol.

Okay, that’s it. Those are the rules. And here’s the recipe:

blt

If you want some other do-not-mess-with-me recipes, check out my 3 Bean Chili and Vanilla Creme Brulee!

XO Sara Lynn

Song of the Day: Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg

*The City = San Francisco
**BLC = The Biggest Little City a.k.a. Reno