Recipe

Building the Perfect Slider

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Building the Perfect Slider
I’d like to show you how to build the perfect slider (or burger) that highlights all the great ingredients within this amazing sandwich.
Too many times I get the patty on top of the vegetables or the condiments in the middle of the ingredients that it just becomes a sloppy mess halfway through the burger.
Allow me to share with you my OCD-ness into how to build a perfect slider. With summer BBQs fast approaching, you too can share your knowledge at the grill into how to stack your ingredients and why you shouldn’t put the mayo on top of the patty.
I like to add veggies into the ground meat of my burger patties: carrots, celery, and onions. They add more flavor as well as keep the patty moist while cooking. I toss the veggies into the food processor and chop them well. Then mix in the ground meat. Add an egg to keep your ground meat held together while it cooks. Season with salt and pepper. I always taste test my patties before I cook them by just making a small meatball and cooking that first. Tasting it and then adjusting my seasoning accordingly.
The Art of the Stack:
The patty should be at the bottom as it is the heaviest ingredient. You want your burger bottom heavy. The ketchup at the base sticks the patty to the bottom bun as well as seasons your burger. If you like melted cheese on your patty, that can also act like a glue to hold your veggies still.
The next ingredient to go directly on top of the hot patty is your tomato. This is heavier than the onions (remember, think bottom heavy). Onions should go on top of the tomato. Note, that if you decide to go with grilled onions, then that should be directly on top of your hot patty as it also is hot.
Think of your lettuce and mayo as the most temperamental ingredients. If you place the lettuce (or in this case I used spinach) directly on top of the burger they wilt. Same with the mayo as it doesn’t do well in warm temperatures. The onions and tomato make a good barrier against the heat of the patty. Finally, the mayo holds your lettuce leaves in place.
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Entertaining

Margarita Bar

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Margarita Bar

Cinco de Mayo is a big holiday in Los Angeles with the large Mexican population. I love celebrating it. Who wouldn’t love to drink margaritas, eat $1 tacos and sing along to this playlist in mumbled (or drunken) Spanish? My dentist office even called me yesterday to invite me to their Cinco de Mayo celebration complete with a taco man serving tacos before having your teeth cleaned.
My friend Luci from Luci’s Morsels came over and we created a DIY margarita bar for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. Simply place fun ingredients out and let your guests create their margarita to their likeness. Here are some of the ingredients we used.
Some other fun ingredients you could use for mix-ins are watermelon chunks, sliced jalapeño, mango chunks, mandarin segments, or basil. The possibilities are endless! We chose to do a lime-chili salt to add an extra kick to every sip.
photos by Luci of Lucis Morsels
The margarita mix I used is how my favorite margarita bar makes them; just limes, agave sweetener and your favorite tequila. Create the margarita mix beforehand and have your guests add their desired ingredients to a cocktail shaker, muddle together then pour into a salt-rimmed margarita glass. Luci decided to create a strawberry, blackberry and cucumber margarita, and I made a pineapple and mint margarita.
Bring out the chips and guacamole and you can all it a party! Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
Ingredients:
Margarita mix:
(makes 1 liter)
1 cup tequila (I used my husband’s favorite, Tequila Corralejo)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup water
1/4 cup agave sweetener (more or less to taste)
ice
 
Chili salt: 
1 part chili seasoning like Tajin
1 part kosher salt
 
Mix-ins:
strawberries
blackberries
frozen or canned pineapple chunks
lime wedges
tamarind (scraped out of the pod)
mint
anything else you like 🙂
 
Step 1: Rim your glass with a lime wedge then salt. You can do this for your guests beforehand if you prefer.
 
Step 2: Have your guests place their mix-ins into a cocktail shaker with ice, muddle with a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon.
 
Step 3: Add margarita mix then shake. Pour into your glass and enjoy!
Recipe

Chia Seed Tapioca

by Christine Raitt1 Comment on Chia Seed Tapioca
chia-tapioca-pudding

I’m a big fan of chia seeds. I began to fall in love with them while I was pregnant and wanted the benefits that these little powerfoods hold. They are rich in omega-3 fats (good for brain development), high in fiber (good for regularity), a good source of protein (for rapid cell regeneration), and high in antioxidants (for fighting off bad cells). I put them in my morning oatmeal, smoothies, granola, and salad dressings.

I found some chia pudding recipes and tried them but I didn’t like the globb-y consistency so I adjusted the recipes a few times and came out with this!  The texture is more consistent and is very similar to tapioca. Enjoy!

Chia Seed Tapioca
Ingredients:
1/4 cup dry chia seeds
1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice) 
1 Tbs honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
a splash of extra almond milk to top
fruits or nuts to top (optional)

Soak the chia in 1 cup milk, honey, and vanilla extract for at least 4 hours. Mix every couple hours.

When the chia has absorbed all the milk, you can now serve it with a splash of extra milk and toppings of your choice.  I like to add the splash at the end to create a smoother consistency. 

Share your chia tapioca with me on Instagram by tagging #feedmysole

Los Angeles

Toast and Coffee

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Toast and Coffee

I love coffee meetings. I’ll take any excuse to have a meeting at a coffee shop. Especially if that coffee shop specializes in jam. I came to Sqirl recently with fellow food and fashion blogger Luci of Luci’s Morsels, and of course, we had a little photo shoot.

Sqirl makes their jams from scratch and can take up to 3 days to make! They then naturally preserve them in copper pots made by a local coppersmith. Jam built this house. Not to mention, they have amazing, seasonal dishes that rotate daily. Now they are offering jam classes! Sign me up!

blouse: Target Style // ponte leggings: Uniqlo // bag: Kate Spade // jewelry: Leola Lace // watch: Michael Kors // boots: Coach
Sqirl
720 Virgil Ave. #4
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 284-8147
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Fashion

Closet Essentials: Outerwear

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Closet Essentials: Outerwear

I thought I would share some essential pieces that every girl should have in her wardrobe. In this Closet Essentials post, I want to share must-have outerwear. I love the look of layering with jackets and coats so it was difficult picking out just a few items that I thought were necessary. What type of jacket/coat do you think is essential?
1. Parka – For chilly days, this coat is perfect to keep you warm and works with any casual outfit.
2. Leather Jacket – Add a little edge to your outfit by topping it off with a bit of leather.
3. Hoodie – A must-have for everyone. Who doesn’t love a good hoodie?
4. Chunky Knit – The comfy-coziness of this sweater makes you want to live in it everyday.
5. The Boyfriend Blazer – Dress up your outfit without feeling too stiff and stuffy. The boyfriend version is a little more relaxed than the career blazer
6. The Trench Coat – A classic. Change it up by choosing one with a vibrant color or a pattern.
Entertaining

Mini Pizza Bar

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Mini Pizza Bar
superbowl-pizzas

superbowl-pizzas
The Super Bowl is right around the corner. I’m not a big sportsfan but I am a big foodfan and anywhere there is food and a party I am there! I created these super easy pizzas for hosts with little time. You could even have your guests put on their own toppings and pop these into the toaster oven. Just prep all the items and create a pizza bar.

If you are making a big batch, heat the oven to 400º F. Bake for 10 mins or until the cheese is nice and melty. For smaller DIY portions, I like to use the toaster oven set at the same temperature and people can just set the timer when they pop theirs in.

You can get very creative with the toppings but I kept mine simple. Here’s what I used.

Ingredients:
low calorie sandwich rounds (you can also use English muffins or pita bread)
marinara sauce from a jar
sliced tomatoes
sliced red onion
pepperoni
oregano
parmesan cheese

For a pizza bar, set up all the ingredients for the guests in different containers so they can easily choose what they like. I would include a few different cheeses like mozzarella, parmesan, and even goat cheese. A cream sauce would be a fun twist paired with the traditional marinara. Several meats like pepperoni, salami, shredded chicken, bacon, and prosciutto are good toppings. I love a good veggie pizza so include some vegetables like mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, and herbs.

This is a fun meal even if you aren’t cheering for a team. Kids will love it and you will too! Which team are you cheering for?

Home

Update

by Christine RaittLeave a Comment on Update

Hello! I’ve been away for a bit because of my new bundle of joy, but I’m back in the blogging world and I’ve missed it! I have been active on Instagram (because I’ll admit, I’m addicted), so if you don’t follow me there here’s what I’ve been up to.

Lots of coffee for sleepless nights, our date night at the JT concert, strawberry croissant-doughnuts, picking out color swatches for our new abode (which I’ll talk more about soon), Christmas cards/Birth announcements, and a whole bunch of baby goodness!