It’s finally here! The newly redesigned Table for Two has been born.
Thank you SO much to Tiffany of Tiffany Kelley Designs who handcrafted this beautiful design you’re seeing in front of you. She gave every ounce of love and dedication to this and her attention to detail is beyond words. She translated my thoughts precisely and she exudes so much talent. Thank you, Tiffany, from the bottom of my heart. You really captured everything I imagined :)
Where to begin? I’ve always wanted a ProPhoto blog. It’s mainly for photographers but I have seen a few food blogs with this template. I love the features they have and how sleek they are.
I encourage you to click around and get accustomed to the new layout. It shouldn’t take you long as this is a very user friendly template.
Here are some new things I should highlight:
- The comments section has a neat expanding and contracting effect, kind of like an accordion! Add a comment and see :)
- I’ve organized my categories into main categories and sub-categories so posts are now easier to find.
- When clicking on a main category or sub-category, the results are displayed in a grid-like fashion that makes looking for posts easier.
- I now have nifty social media buttons, lol
- I have social media links at the bottom of the posts now so it’s really easy to share!
- It’s MOBILE FRIENDLY!! Like, super mobile friendly!
- The contact form is now an actual form that expands and contracts (give it a click!).
- The search bar is now at the top and will appear when you hover over the tab. The results are displayed in a grid-like fashion, as well.
- I’m still working on my sidebar badges, the code is actually in a Word document at work ;)
I hope you love this new design and layout as much as I do! Feedback is appreciated!! <3
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“Bourbon chicken? Bourbon chicken? Sample?”
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You know those food court Chinese places that you pass in the mall that shove chicken on a toothpick in your face and practically force you try it even if it’s like 10am.
I won’t lie, it’s hard to refuse something like that. It just smells and tastes so good, even if it is early in the morning.
However, it’s not “real” Chinese food and I don’t like that they broadcast it like it is. Hey, I’m a tad bit bias. Oh, oh, this is funny: there’s this one around here called “Kelly’s Cajun Grill” and they have this as their sample when you walk by. Haha, last time I checked, I don’t think bourbon chicken (at least in this form) is Cajun. And one thing that has always irked me: why do they call it bourbon chicken? Cause it isn’t! I think it’s more like the non-fried version of sesame chicken. *shrugs*
Anyway, enough of my hating because we all know how obsessed I am with that stuff and as far from Chinese as it may be, I still get it whenever I go to Panda Express or am grabbing a quick bite at the food court. But now that there’s a way to make it in the crockpot (and believe me, it makes your entire house smell so fantastic), I don’t think I’ll be getting it anymore at a food court. It’s SO easy to make. It’s like 9 simple ingredients that you already have at home & you throw into a crockpot and wait 3 hours and you have food court style food at home.
Crockpot Honey Bourbon Chicken
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about 5
Salt and pepper
1 cup of honey
1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Cornstarch
Sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Place the chicken thighs in the crockpot insert and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine well. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours.
- When done, remove chicken from stock pot and cut into chunks. Prior to putting the chicken back in the stockpot, combine some cornstarch in water and whisk it into the crockpot to thicken up the sauce a bit. Throw the chicken back in and stir around to recoat the chicken in the sauce.
- Serve hot over a bed of white rice (optional) and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
Adapted from Six Sisters’ Stuff
This post has been delayed over 2 months, no lie.
Not because it was bad, but because I wasn’t too proud of the pictures. I mean, how do you photograph enchiladas without having them look like a pile of meh? At least, I haven’t mastered the art of photographing them, yet.
However, despite the ugly pictures, I felt that I needed to share this recipe because it was so flippin’ good. Homemade enchiladas just can’t compare to the restaurants. Even the enchilada sauce is homemade and it’s simply to die for. It made our entire hallway in our apartment smell of a Mexican restaurant and as this was cooking, I kept peeking at it, as if that would help it cook faster.
J & I had friends over that evening so they got to enjoy this dish along with the refried beans I made a while ago. Amazing combination and it was so filling. All 4 of us polished off the entire casserole dish and we were left very satisfied. This is the best enchilada recipe I’ve ever made and it’s something I would definitely make again in a heartbeat. Next time, I just wish I had a huge slab of guacamole on top!
Beef Enchiladas
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped
3 garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 tsp. sugar
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 large tomato
1 pound ground beef (I used 80/20)
1 cup extra sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
12 6-inch soft corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, saute the onions and jalapenos until softened, about 8 minutes. Then stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds then stir in the water, tomato sauce, and tomato. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in another skillet until no pink remain. Drain and set aside.
- Once the sauce is done, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat. Take about 1/2 of the red sauce and mix it in with the beef. Reserve the rest of it.
- Stack your tortillas and pop them in the microwave for about 40 seconds to warm them up & get them pliable.
- When ready to work with them, on a flat surface, take a tortilla and in the middle, sprinkle a mixture of the two cheeses then add the red sauce and beef mixture on top. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay them seam down in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until all the ingredients have been used up and the casserole dish is full.
- Take the cooking spray and spray the tops of the enchiladas. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes, or until the tops of the enchiladas start to brown.
- Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees and take out the casserole dish. Pour the remaining red sauce you reserved evenly on top and top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.
- Remove the foil and let bake uncovered for another 5 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with whatever sides and toppings you like. Suggestions: guacamole, refried beans, sour cream, salsa, etc.
Adapted from Pink Parsley
I’m so obsessed with buffalo.
Jeebus, I just wish I could gobble up that tortilla scoop right.now.
Truth be told, I can’t get enough of buffalo. It’s like a new found love or something. I swear, ever since I got my hands on two bottles of Frank’s hot sauce, I’ve been dousing everything in it, specifically chicken.
I made this infamous buffalo chicken dip aka crack dip for Superbowl Sunday. Haha, yes, Superbowl Sunday, like 2 weeks ago.
Seems like everyone has made this dip before and it’s gotten rave reviews and for good reason. This dip was pretty much devoured in half an hour. It’s just so easy to eat with the scoops and it’s insanely addictive. It’s spicy, it’s creamy, and it’s really bad for you. Top 3 reasons why you need to try it. It’s okay, if you make it for a group of 6-8, it’ll be gone really fast so that whole being bad for you part is virtually nonexistent since everyone is sharing the portions and you’re all eating badly ;)
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Yield: 4-6 servings as an appetizer
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup chunky blue cheese dressing
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, microwave the room temperature cream cheese until it’s softened, about 30 seconds. Then add the hot sauce, celery, blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressing, and ground pepper. Mix well.
- Then add in the shredded chicken and mix well until all is incorporated in the goodness.
- Add the entire mixture to an oven safe dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.
- Serve immediately. It would go great with tortilla chips, pita bread, bagel chips, you name it!
Julie’s notes: Highly addictive. You’ve been warned :)
Adapted from Frank’s Red Hot via Baked by Rachel
The fact that this is covered in bacon makes me want to face plant into this.
I’m sure you wouldn’t mind having this for breakfast, right?
I hadn’t made pizza in a while and I was seriously craving some homemade pizza. Problem was, I didn’t have pizza dough. Yes, yes, I was the type of person who would use the pizza crusts from the can. Did I mention how much I HATE those things? I literally stand 5 feet away from the can and stick a knife into one of the seams and every time, no fail, I scream when it pops. Gah!
I’ve been meaning to try to make my own pizza dough for a while but I’m still weary about yeast. I swear I’m a yeast killer.
Homemade pizza dough has always been on my list because I know how much better it must be and everything. So one morning, I decided I was going to do it! I prepped the water and the yeast and 5 minutes later, the yeast was dead. Well, bummer. Luckily, I had one more envelope packet of yeast but there was no way I was going to kill the yeast as I was seriously craving homemade pizza. So who do I holler at? My momma. She was already on her way over anyway to drop off some stuff but I asked her to come up to help me with the yeast. Lo-and-behold, she activates the yeast instead of killing it like her daughter. Hooray!
Fast forward 4 hours or so and I have the most beautiful dough just rising in a bowl. And then I made pizza with it and I was super happy. I swear it wasn’t because of the bacon covered pizza. Conclusion: homemade pizza dough is a life changer. Please don’t be like me and use canned dough. Unless you’re in a pinch, but even then, it’s still worth it to make your own :)
Cheese Pizza with Bacon & Basil
Yield: 1 12″ pizza
Ingredients:
For the dough:
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. active dry yeast or instant yeast
2 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
For the pizza:
3/4 cup homemade or store bought marinara sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
5 slabs of bacon, browned and diced into small pieces
Handful of basil, chopped
Instructions:
- For the dough, combine the yeast and salt into a bowl of a stand mixer. Next add the honey and then warm water. Let the stand mixer combine it all with the dough hook then let it sit for 5 minutes to proof.
- When ready, add the olive oil and 1 cup of flour. Let it fully combine before adding the other cup. Then add the last 1/4 cup of flour and let the mixer run until a dough is formed and no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.
- Take the dough out and knead on a flat, lightly floured, countertop for 5 minutes. Then place it back in the bowl of a stand mixer and cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm, draft-free place for 2 hours.
- Once dough has doubled in size, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
- Start rolling out the dough on a floured surface and forming a circle the size of your pizza pan. Use your fingers to gently stretch the dough while turning it.
- When finished with your pizza dough, pour the marinara sauce on top and spread it evenly on the pizza. Then sprinkle cheese, bacon, and basil on top.
- Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.
- Serve hot, but be careful not to burn the roof of your mouth!
Dough recipe from Kayotic Kitchen otherwise, Table for Two original.
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Congrats on the new design Julie, it looks fantastic!
So pretty!
Bah! This is gorgeoussss. Loving the new look–so you. :)
Looks great! :)
I’m in LOVE with it Julie! Looks amazing!!
Love the new look gurl!
Looks fabulous!! :)
Love it! I don’t even know what a prophoto blog is, but it sounds cool. :)
Love, love, love! It’s so wonderful, can’t wait to look around!!
LOVE your new site. congrats! Love you!
Congrats Julie!!! It’s so sleek :)
I love the colour palette you’ve used, it looks so sophisticated but pretty at the same time and the design itself works so well. Congratulations, it’s really “you” I think!
The site looks amazing! Love it.