Monthly Archive for December, 2010

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“I’m not dead yet!”

Published on December 15, 2010 in Inspiration. 0 Comments

Bad Monty Python reference, but just wanted to let you all know that I’m not dead…yet.

Yes, I realize posts have been, um, nonexistent the last couple days. I’ve been a bit under the weather and had lots of school stuff on my plate.

Most importantly, my newfound and very very deep addiction to Friday Night Lights has been keeping me away from the kitchen and laptop, but I promise I have something good on the way.

Good stuff. Stuff with butter and sugar.

But first, can we talk about the fact that I have a serious girl crush on Connie Britton? Is she not brilliant? And also how excited I am that I’m still only on the first season? There are like 22 episodes and then all the other seasons. YES! Please don’t tell me that it goes downhill in the second season. I don’t want to hear it.

Homemade Holiday – Part 1

Published on December 9, 2010 in Holiday, Inspiration and Kids. 0 Comments

Is it just me or does it seem like since we hit Halloween, the year has been absolutely racing to a close? It’s already December, and Christmas feels like it’s just around the corner. And while I’d love to take the pledge, I’m afraid with a toddler and a certain tank engine who shall remain nameless, it just ain’t gonna happen.

But! I am still doing a lot of crafting (and baking, of course — that’s part deux coming up) and wanted to share a few nifty ideas that I’ve found here and there, some that I’ve done, some that I’m thinking about doing and some that for the time being shall remain fantasies. But you can do them and then rub my nose in it (or just give them to me).

Christmas Stocking

I made this for G for his first Christmas and am still trying to decide if I need to embroider his name on there or add some type of embellishment. I kind of like the whole simplicity of it as is, but you could do some fun things with felt (maybe some snowflake cutouts or felt balls? Love these). For the life of me, I can’t find the pattern, but there’s a similar one from Lion Brand here (fyi, you need to sign up to see the patterns). I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick yarn in cranberry and natural cream.

Paper Doily Snowflake Garland

While living in Buenos Aires last year, I spotted this on Design Sponge and thought, yes. It’s 85º out right now, but damn it, we’re celebrating Christmas. With these. Paper doilies are not hard to find in BsAs because porteños take their pastries very seriously (you can’t walk 50 feet without stumbling on a panaderia, NOT that I’m complaining), so baking supply shops are also in abundance. Anyway, I picked up a few and snip, snip…there was snow in December in the southern hemisphere.

Cotton Dishtowel

If you haven’t visited Purl Bee or the store, Purl, now in a lovely semi-new location on Broome Street, you’re missing out. I made this dishtowel from yarn I picked up in Buenos Aires (which, on a side note, has an amazing yarn district, which was literally just blocks from our apartment; so if you’re a knitter/crocheter (is that a word?), send me a note and I’ll send you a list of good stores). To be honest, I haven’t been able to bring myself to sully this lovely towel just yet…but maybe if I give it to someone, they’ll be less hesitant.

Neckwarmer

Neckwarmers and circular scarves/hoods are all the rage these days (I’m really loving these — on the list for my next project). But this lovely one I found on sixoneseven (which is a great site and a new read for me now…love when that happens) via Ravelry.

This is super-cool and looks really easy — and satisfies my newfound felt obsession

More felt — and yes, I realize this one is in the fantasy realm

So, what are you all making this holiday season? Or are you just hoping Santa will come up with the goods?

Zucchini, Tomato, Cannellini Quick-Cook

Published on December 6, 2010 in Beans + Legumes and Side Dishes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .


Yeah, that’s not the best name…it takes longer to say it than to make it. Frankly, I didn’t really know what else to call it. I didn’t want to leave out any of the three main ingredients as they really do all come together so nicely and one isn’t necessarily the star of the dish more than another (although don’t those cherry tomatoes look absolutely mouthwatering?*) And I refuse to use the word “medley” — that is reserved only for those of the musical variety and then, only those sung by Cher (Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, Half Breed and Dark Lady being my personal favorite). But I digress.

I came up with this recipe when I was a lazy single gal. Not that all single girls are lazy; I just was. When it came to cooking, that is. Yes, cooking! What did you think I meant? Anyway. I was known, at times, to eat a yogurt for dinner or even cereal (yes, girls do this too, boys). Not always, mind you. Just some nights. Oh you know what I mean. Anyway.

One night I was feeling mildly less lazy and had some zucchini and cherry tomatoes laying around and a can of cannellini beans in the cupboard. So I tossed in a little garlic, a pinch of dried sage, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a nice big grind of black pepper, and I was golden, Pony Boy. It’s a super-easy one-pan meal, but you can also serve it as a side dish (for those really industrious types). And if you want to make it a complete protein, just serve it with rice or pasta. It’s also lovely over quinoa. And it beats cereal any old day.

Zucchini, Tomato, Cannellini Quick-Cook
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium or 2 small zucchini, cut into thin half circles (or quarters if you have a small person)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried sage (or 1 tablespoon fresh, minced)
12-15 cherry tomatoes, halved (about 1 cup)
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt
Black pepper
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, sauté until the pieces start browning. Add garlic and sage and stir everything around a bit. Squeeze the juice out of each cherry tomato half into the pan and then toss the tomato in. Cook for another minute or two. Add the beans and cook until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan.

* Courtesy of Dan‘s garden…and all gone by this time of year…so I had to use store-bought (but still local and organic!)

Eagle Brand Cookies

Published on December 3, 2010 in Cookies and Holiday. 2 Comments


Oh my. It’s begun. The holiday cookie madness is taking over and I just can’t stop. But I’m not going to fight it. Nor should you, friends. Just give in to it. This is one of the three Christmas cookies my mom always made (here’s one; the other one is coming). For the life of me, I’m not clear on why these weren’t made year-round. They’re super easy, have 6 ingredients and are ridiculously good. It makes no sense. We shall rectify this situation — after, you know, the holidays are over.

But for now, let’s get going, shall we?

The official name of these cookies are “Eagle Brand cookies,” in honor of the monopoly Eagle Brand had on the sweetened condensed milk market back in the day. I prefer to think of them as “chocolate coconut haystacks” (especially considering Whole Foods doesn’t carry the Eagle Brand brand [Eagle brand?]; so much for that monopoly), but my mother refuses to acknowledge this name and I also must admit that while more descriptive, the name just ain’t sticking.

I digressed again. It’s all the sugar. My mind is racing. Sorry.

Oh, but first, some notes:
Use the best chocolate you can get. With only six ingredients, it makes a difference. As for the nuts, I used walnuts, but pecans would be smashing. Lastly, my mom’s original recipe doesn’t call for the espresso/coffee, but I think that a little bit of coffee really brings out the chocolate flavor even more, which is, naturally, a good thing.

OK, here we go, for real now:

Eagle Brand Cookies

2 ounces best quality unsweetened dark baking chocolate (I used Scharffen Berger)
1-14 ounce can Eagle Brand (or “fill in the blank” brand) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups coconut (I used unsweetened, but if you’re insane, you can use sweetened)
3/4 cup walnuts (pecans would also be smashing)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brewed espresso or strong coffee

Preheat oven to 275ºF/135ºC (or what my mom endearingly calls a “slow oven”).

Melt the chocolate in a medium mixing bowl in the microwave. Add the condensed milk, stir to combine, then add the coconut and nuts. Mix in the vanilla and coffee.

Spoon a heaping teaspoon onto a Silpat-lined cookie sheet. Cook for 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Cool for a couple minutes on the pan. Delicious hot, but great cooled as well. Also easy to freeze (but why would you want to do that?).

Lunch

Published on December 3, 2010 in Beans + Legumes, eggs and Sauces. 0 Comments

This was so good-looking, I just had to take a photo. I’m a weirdo. I know this.

Scrambled eggs with Monterey Jack, black beans, avocado and Cholula (if you don’t know about Cholula, you are either a) living under a rock or b) don’t like hot sauce (in which case you should just pack it in and move to a).

Christmas cookie recipe #1 coming up…