Tally Ragsdale

The End of our Culinary Cooking Challenge

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Baking

I can’t believe it. It’s over. Back in February my sister and I decided to go on a crazy culinary journey and now that journey for the timing being is at an end.

I won’t do a recap of every week here as I did that at 20th week marker(read here) but I will go week by week and do our top pick for the week. As a farewell to all the goodies…

Week #1 California

Week #2 Lemon

Week #3 Favorites

Week #4 Soul Food

Buttermilk Biscuits, Sausage Gravy and Fried Apples

Week #5 Jane Austen

Week #6 Redwall

Week #7 Coffee

Week #8 Vegan

Week #9 Italian

Week #10 Vietnamese

Week #11 BBQ

Week #12 Mom’s Picks

Week #13 Harry Potter

Week #14 Caribbean

Week #15 Icelandic

Week #16 Tay’s Birthday

Week #17 Non-break

Week #18 Hungary

Week #19 Blueberry

Week #20 Tay Cooks

Week #21 Pizza

Week #22 Swedish

Week #23 Scottish

Week #24 French

Week #25 Picnic

Week #26 Sleepy Hallow

And that is it! Whew! What an adventure. Thank you so much for joining us on this incredible adventure. And our adventures aren’t over. Stay tuned for an extra special announcement!

Lots of love,

Tally

Texas Trip Part 2

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Travel

And we are back for more fun down South! We left you in our last post with some very yummy bbq. Next day we took a day trip down to San Antonio to see the Alamo.

This was arguably our favorite part of the trip. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I mean it was crowded and there were people everywhere but the whole mood around the church was so respectful. It reminded me a lot of our visit to Westminster Abbey.

Then we strolled along the River Walk and had some lunch!

After that we booked it back up to Fort Worth and crashed in our hotel.

The next day brought an early morning trip to the Fort Worth Zoo. Guys this zoo was fantastic! If you even remotely have the chance to visit you should totally do it. The animals were so well cared for and the zoo was well maintained.

After lunch we headed north of the city to the Stockyards.

We ended the night with a steak dinner and another movie and crash at the hotel. The next day we flew home. It was a great trip!

Trip Review: Dallas, Fort Worth TX

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Travel

This trip was amazing! The weather was beautiful the entire we were there. The food was amazing and of course we got to do all the things!

Our trip included a visit to Fort Worth, Dallas, and San Antonio. We went to the Depository, the Dallas Science Museum, the Alamo, Fort Worth Zoo and Stockyards. A very packed trip as per usual when I plan them. I am always very ambitious.

Me and my brother’s hound. Isn’t he gorgeous?

We also of course visited my big brother(the whole point of the trip) and his school TCU.

Fort Worth was very pretty! And like I said earlier the weather was perfect. Mid-70’s during the day and nights got down to the mid-40’s.

And then there was the ginormous monster that was Dallas, TX. And we’ll have to do the rest of the picture recap tomorrow! See ya then!

I’ll leave you with BBQ we enjoyed in Dallas.

Where have you been?

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Lifestyle, Nannyhood

Did I drop off the face of the earth? I might as well have- I am so sorry I have been absent from the blog scene. My life went from on direction to another and another in a matter of weeks and I am still reeling. But this is my attempt to catch up and put all my runaway thoughts in order.

First things first…

The last you guys heard from me was that my sister and I were taking a trip to Dallas/Fort Worth to visit our brother. And that trip(though is had it’s ups and downs) was fantastic success. And I will be doing a recap of it next week. So stayed tuned!

Second!

I will be doing a wrap-up next Monday, the challenge is coming to an end. I will be replacing it with a new and exciting content but I simply don’t have time for it. I will of course still cook and bake for fun. But for now the Culinary Cooking Challenge is on an indefinite hold.

Third-

That’s right I am starting a bakery!!!! (Internal freak-out) Right now I am strictly doing local pies for Thanksgiving, but I am opening my bakery’s full menu(breads, rolls, cookies, scones, muffins, hand pies, etc.) up in December. So if you guys live in the south-Eastern WI area get excited! I will be doing a full post in the coming weeks.

Lastly… Er fourthly…

(More internal screaming!!! And maybe some external) This rapid development is what really threw me for a loop! My parents(who are moving to WI) and I bought a house together! They’re gonna live upstairs and I am going to live downstairs. And I am so excited and so happy! And I just can’t wait!!

I know that’s a lot- it’s a lot for me too. Just a lot. (Stress and excitement in equal measure) Anyway obviously more will come in the coming weeks but yes- God is good and moving and just all kinds of things. Until next time…

Lots of love,

Tally

Culinary Challenge Week #26

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Baking

Welcome back to the culinary cooking challenge! And this week we tackled Sleepy Hallow. Let’s get to it!

I mean it’s creamy and fishy, so yeah it was amazing. Not the best clam chowder ever(that I got while visiting Door County, WI. read here) but still very good.

And it was even better with these ginormous rolls. They were absolutely fantastic!! Like so fluffy and perfect. I will be making these again and again and again.

I mean it was a good spinach salad…. But nothing spectacular or anything. Definitely a pretty salad.

Speaking of spectacular this is probably my new favorite cake. It is extremely sweet and moist. I think ate most of this by myself… *oops*

First off make sure you really, really grease your pans. These babies stick like crazy. They are also amazingly tasty and uniquely different from my normal breakfast go to fare. So yes I liked them. (Tay did too in case you were wondering)

So I botched this recipe(hence why there is no pretty crow on my bread) but it was still a delicious bread. I can’t wait to try this recipe again and do it correctly.

Someone say yay! I love baking scones. Probably next to bread in my favorite things to make. These Pumpkin Scone got better with age and the maple icing was by far the best part.

Autumn Chicken and Roasted Veggies 6 out of 10

So this chicken+veggie sheet meal was not nearly as good as other chicken dishes I have made. Just another run of your mill meal.

Last but not least were theses “okay” gingersnap cookies. I love gingersnap cookies! They’re probably my favorite after snickerdoodle and that’s why these were kinda disappointing. Super cute but in the end lacking.

And that is it! We are out of town this next week, so we will be back with another cooking challenge the week after that. But what did you guys think of our Sleepy Hallow recipes? Let me know in the comments down below.

Lots of love,

Tally

Culinary Challenge Week #25

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Baking

And welcome back! Or at least welcome back for the next two weeks. After that Tay and I are off on vacation(more on that later) But for this week’s culinary challenge are word was picnic. So basically anything that could get packed in a picnic basket. Here we go!

Not exactly the most healthy potato salad but I mean what potato salads are healthy. (Answer not many) High in calories and bacon, this was not bad. I can’t say I’ll be in a hurry to repeat it. But it wasn’t awful.

So these would have been amazing if I had put holes in all of them. The donut nuggets were not cooked all the way through(pretty much cooked just very slightly underdone) Which was distressing. But the proper donuts were fantastic!

These were buttery and delicious! They were really good two days after and reheated. I will be making these again and again and again.

The first night was definitely the best night for this soup as the noodles absorbed all the broth making it more like chicken and noodles. But of course that was tasty too.

I made my own authentic French puff pastry!!! It took 3 days to make it but oh was it worth it!! These completely homemade hand pies are the bomb. As a friend told me and I quote:

That pastry – the apple one DIVINE! Better than in any bakery I’ve been to or tasted! Truly. Sublime! 🙃☺️
-My Friend

So this salad wasn’t necessarily bad it’s just my Mom makes an absolutely amazing crab salad and this one wasn’t very good compared to it. That being said Tay enjoyed it.

So I did get my crackers thin and crispy enough that they made the cracker crunch. Unfortunately my spices were off just a bit so they weren’t very “tasty”. They didn’t taste bad they just didn’t taste much anything.

Yes we went on a picnic after our traditional long Monday Hike.

And that is it for Picnic Week! We will be back next week for a new week of cooking and baking. Our word is very appropriate for this time of year… Sleepy Hallow. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Lots of love,

Tally

Dream Cast for a Sabrina Remake

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Lifestyle

I know, I know- Remakes are awful. But hear me out on this one. So let me first say I love this movie to obsession. I mean I have-

An goldfish named George.
Sabrina 1954

Because of this I was super hesitant to come up with a dreamcast. But once I got started I found I couldn’t stop.

I think I should also take a moment to mention how much I dislike the 1995 remake. It’s trying to be too much like the original and in that failing awfully. That’s why with my reboot I would change the story ever so slightly. Again trust me! (By the way here is my dreamcast for Mansfield Park)

Sabrina

So this movie’s success and failure depends solely on it’s namesake Sabrina. A role made iconic, timeless and elegant by the one and only Audrey Hepburn. Recasting Audrey is a monumental task. One might even say an impossible one. Her looks and style, her nativity and sophistication are hard to find recapture. But I think I might have gotten there by casting Olivia Cooke the lead role. Have you guys seen her in Vanity Fair? She is awesome! I think her spunky, fun attitude would endear her to the audience and make her a different Sabrina from Audrey.

Linus Larrabee

Talk about another tough casting!! Humphrey Bogart is my all time favorite actor. And is this movie he is fantastic! Going up against William Holden’s ever-lovable David and stealing Audrey from underneath his very nose is a task a lesser actor would have fumbled. But even an older, a little more awkward Humphrey pulled it off. He made you believe in love in the end. In casting a new Linus I wanted an actor who could capture the screen and provide the wit and humor and intelligence needed for the role. That’s why I chose Ben Mendelson. He fits the age requirements and is a very fun actor to watch on screen. I think he would be fantastic!

David Larrabee

Oh David! If I ever have another dog his name shall be David. (I told you I was obsessed) Anyhoo William Holden was terribly charming and adorable as David Larrabee. Even though we pleaded for Sabrina to get over David we understood her fascination. In recasting the playboy we need someone who is handsome and charming and yet not cruel or totally brainless to get with the program at the end. To achieve this I assigned Richard Madden to the role.

Elizabeth Tyson

Daughter of a tycoon, Elizabeth Tyson is a multifaceted character, who despite his lack of interest in her genuinely seems to care about David. In the 1995 version she is credit with helping David at the end set up Linus and Sabrina. In a attempt to give her character more of a role. Instead of doing this however, as I like David’s character growth and how his final acts show how much he loves his older brother; I’d make Elizabeth a little bit older and an almost a mirror image of Linus. Where she is the tycoon(or works jointly with her father) and is all for the merger. And despite herself maybe she has been in love with David for a while. They grew up together kinda thing. I also like how since she’s more Linus age and sped Sabrina might see her a rival for both her first fascination with David and her later love for Linus. Anywho I have casted one of my favorite actresses ever Carrie Mulligan as Elizabeth.

Thomas Fairchild

Probably my favorite character in the original film, I struggled to find someone to play Sabrina’s father. I while I love the idea of Dustin Huffman playing Fairchild I feel like he may be a little too old. What do you guys think? I did think the fantastic actor would be able to intimidate Ben Mendelson’s Linus and go toe-to-toe with Mrs. Larrabee(see below)

Mrs. Maude Larrabee

Okay this is probably my favorite casting- so I think this remake should combine Mr. Larrabee and his wife Maude into one character. Imagine Mr. Larrabee died long ago when Linus was in college, which required Linus with the help of his financial savvy mom(Maude) to take over the empire. Her strong will and deep love for her sons is a running theme throughout the story. She wants to run Sabrina out of town when she comes back after David, but is convinced by Linus’ logical mind to hold off. Never dreaming her eldest son would be in danger from the pretty Sabrina. For this strong woman I have picked the ever intimidating Glenn Close.

So what do you guys think? Any casting choices you disagree with? Would you ever like to see another remake of this movie?

Lots of love,

Tally

Apple and Pork Festival

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Travel

Happy fall! Yes I am still on that kick and will be till December(or just right after Thanksgiving)

This weekend I made a much needed but quick visit down to my Mom and Dad’s. We relaxed by eating and watching old black and white movies; and going to the Apple and Pork Festival in Clinton, IL.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day! Sunny and warm but with the customary stiff breeze of rural Illinois. We had an absolutely amazing time.

We of course got a pork chop sandwich and apple fritters. Though it wasn’t a very “apple-ie” Apple and Pork Festival. We would have thought there would have been more apple related stuff… Apple pies, donuts, cider etc. Oh well!

All in all it was an absolutely fantastic day!

Culinary Challenge Week 24

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Baking, Lifestyle

Oh man! I knew French cooking would be fantastic, but I didn’t realize how absolutely amazing it was going to be. Without further ado, here is French Week.

Umm this is probably my favorite bread ever- it’s flaky, buttery crescent roll layers just got better and better as the days progressed. It tastes amazing with soup, jam and of course all by itself! (And as you will see later it makes great French Toast as week)

I also think this may be my favorite soup ever! This is absolutely fantastic! I literally could eat it every day and not grow tired of it.

I did it!!!! I made buttery, fluffy, heavenly croissants!!! I laminated the dough and everything! I am so, so, so, so, so proud. And yes they were totally worth the work of two days. And I would do it again in a heart beat.

Not the first time I have made this veggie delight(my mom and I used to make it often) and it will definitely not be the last. I was fortunate to use veggies I bought at the local farmers market. Making to taste infinitely better.

If I was scoring this dish from a technical standpoint I would say I did an amazing job! And while

Yes Deuxie thought the French toast it was good too! Made for a very yummy Monday morning.

These were the perfect balance of nutty goodness and sweetness. I could make madeleines all the time. These delicate French pastries were a huge hit with everyone who tried them.

A very yummy and easy to make salad. Would make again for sure.

And we finished the week off with a very sweet and rich treat one chilly fall night. We both agreed we could get used to finishing everyday with a pipping hot cup of French Hot chocolate.

And that is it! It was a beautiful and delicious week. I am going to say it again… Probably my favorite week so far. (Lol) So I am out of town this next week and therefore will not be cooking. Just digesting and remembering French Week.

Lots of love,

Tally

Visiting An Apple Orchard

Featured by Tally Ragsdale, posted in Travel

Nothing says fall like visiting a local apple orchard. Even if the Sunday afternoon you choose to go is the one Sunday in the whole month where it was 90 degrees… oh well we still pretended it was fall with hot apple cider and warm apple donuts.

Oh how many apples!! Did you guys do this every fall as a kid growing up? Being homeschooled if was one of our field trips we took. I still remember running from goats and chickens and getting all sticky from the amazing donuts.

This was the first time visiting Peck&Bushel Orchard in Colgate, WI. But it was beyond cute. From its organic orchard to it’s very impressive gift shop(Christmas gifts anyone?) and locally sourced- everything. I can’t wait to go back!