December 13, 2010

Peppermint Bark Bandit!

Some bunny is getting into my Peppermint Bark stash! Can you really blame him?!? He’s only had the teeniest nibble of one and he WON’T forget it! “Minty Candy? Pweease Mama?” is what I’ve been hearing over and over again.

In the past week, I’ve made two batches of Peppermint Bark for my friends & family. I posted the recipe for them long ago…Go check it out! Making this candy and sharing it with loved ones has become one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Everyone raves about it; it’s so nice to hear such wonderful compliments! I packaged up a few boxes and shipped them out along with a big honking stack of Christmas cards. I’m glad that I can cross that off the list! Phew. I think I’ll make a few more batches of the bark closer to Christmas.

So what does it taste like? Think of a thick white chocolate minty CRUNCH bar with extra crunch (from the peppermint candy canes). It’s really light too! If you are looking to make a real show stopper, you might wanna hear what my sister-in-law does. She peels off the bottom sheet of waxed paper when the bark has set and spreads a layer of melted bittersweet chocolate on top. How’s that for rich?! The dangerous part is that you might not notice that you’ve eaten a whole plateful until it’s too late. You’ve been warned! Please enjoy responsibily! 😉

recipes, Uncategorized

December 7, 2010

Cranberry Apple Cake

Inside my head there’s a tornado of Holiday TO-DO lists whacking into the side of my skull. Christmas cards, Christmas gifts, Christmas candy, CHRISTMAS ANYTHING. AHH!! MAKE IT STOP. The only thing that calms the storm is the sound of Scoop. Measure. Stir. My measuring spoons hit the bowl, my sink is littered with batter smeared bowls and the cake goes off into the oven. I’m standing in the kitchen licking the remains of batter off my wooden spoon and suddenly I smell the heavy scent of cranberries, apples & cinnamon waft in the air. The tornado disappears and I’m temporarily focused on things that don’t stress me out. CAKE! Ahhhhhhh.

I’m in love with this cake! The recipe comes from Ina Garten’s new book, Barefoot Contessa How Easy is That?— a new addition to my cookbook library, thanks to my INA OBSESSED mom. She knows I love a good/easy recipe and thank goodness for that because this book is chalk full of them! The top of this cake is a splendid union of tangy cranberries & juicy apples rocking a cinnamon sugar citrus vibe. Think pineapple upside down cake meets Christmas. A very light spongy cake (that has no baking powder or soda!) is what it sits upon…and at the very bottom of that is a crispy cinnamon sugar crust. Three layers of deliciousness are all waiting for you to meet them. Go ahead, introduce yourself! I suggest you top off a slice with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato. I’m sure it will silence your holiday tornadoes. I can vouch that temporarily silenced mine!
CONTINUE READING

around the home, Uncategorized

December 6, 2010

Christmas Decor 2010

Almost done decorating for Christmas! We put up our tree late Saturday morning! Probably wasn’t the best idea because Cooper loved the tree soo much, he wouldn’t take a proper nap. How could I forget how exciting Christmas can be for a young one!?! He kept calling for his Christmas tree. So far hasn’t been touching the ornaments (that much) but he does insist on holding our hands and bringing us into the sitting room to show us the Christmas tree. I think he loves it.

recipes, Uncategorized

December 5, 2010

Soup Roundup!

After making FOUR soups this week, I’ve got tons of leftovers in the fridge & freezer! Today, a big bowl of Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup warmed up my afternoon. It’s so nice to just work through the leftovers on a lazy Sunday. Since I don’t have any fridge space left for a new soup today, here’s a little roundup of soups from the past! Enjoy!

Trader Joe’s Tomato Roasted Red Pepper Soup I always keep this in my pantry!

Mexican Chicken Soup This soup is great for ANY kind of weather.

Sausage & White Bean Soup This soup changed my life! I always have the ingredients on hand for it!

Curry Zucchini Soup I love this soup. Especially because my mom always makes it on Christmas.

Sweet Potato & Chipotle Soup Smooth! Creamy! Spicy! Easy! A good tortilla chip vehicle.

Tuscan Ribollita The most incredibly hearty soup in my arsenal!

Vegetable Minestrone – I call this “Clean out your Fridge, Soup!” I make a batch of this almost weekly.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup So incredibly creamy, without the cream!

Creamy Mushroom Soup You might have the power to change someone into a mushroom lover with this one!

Here are the soups I accomplished this week:

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup with Cilantro Oil

Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup

Wow. That’s kind of a lot! Are you totally souped out now?! Don’t worry next week is gonna be filled with crafts, holiday treats and some more things to cross off my 31 comes before 32 list.

recipes, Uncategorized

December 4, 2010

Portuguese Kale & Potato Soup

This soup has Sunday Afternoon written all over it. When it’s cold outside, and you want your belly full of greens, meat & potatoes, THIS is the soup you should turn to. It’s also one of those soups that gets better the second day, when the flavors meld together. I love that! The overnight stay in the fridge brings out more than you could have possibly anticipated!

Sausage AND Kale? I think this soup really has MY name written all over it.
CONTINUE READING

recipes, Uncategorized

December 3, 2010

Curried Squash & Red Lentil Soup

This soup introduced me to two things: Red Lentils & Cilantro Oil. I learned that red lentils are super deceptive. They don’t really stay Red or keep their lentil shape when cooked. However, they do thicken up a soup and add extra fiber & texture. I like that. Cilantro Oil? It’s my new favorite thing! It’s a crucial component to this dish and it is INSANELY good when paired with my Killer Garlic Bread. Casey and I tested out a shameful amount of pieces with it! How could the garlic bread be anymore enticing??!! Cilantro oil! The best part is that it’s easy to make and such a fancy little accompaniment. The soup instantly elevates to fancy status because of that special green oil. Who knew?

OK back to the soup. I’m usually skeptical of soups that have water as the base instead of chicken or vegetable stock. This soup shocked me. There was simply no need for stock because the curry and ginger packed the flavor punch it needed. The squeeze of lemon at the very end adds the slightest tang and beautifully balances the sweetness of the butternut squash. And let’s talk about the butternut squash for a second. It’s creamy! The way it squishes between your tongue and the roof of your mouth? Lovely! I spent a good 15 minutes sampling that feeling with each cube. Please try it and tell me I’m not weird. Ok umm I’m feeling self conscious now. Go make this soup!