It’s no secret that I love baking. So, this year for my birthday, my parents got me a gift certificate for King Arthur Flour. And, I didn’t waste much time before I was scouring their website trying to decide what to order.
It honestly took me almost a week to figure out what I wanted to order… And, that’s not because there was nothing that I wanted. It was quite the opposite… I wanted to try everything all at once! Among the items in my cart were a few specialty flours, flavors, and even some fresh sourdough starter. And, as soon as the box arrived on my doorstep, I got started baking. Wouldn’t you?
One of the specialty flours that I ordered was the organic pumpernickel flour. Honestly, I’m not sure what led me to choose pumpernickel other than that I have never really used it before. Plus, I was already dreaming of the combination of chocolate and pumpernickel. Though I know it’s not traditional, I always love the soft pumpernickel breads made with dark cocoa and molasses. I had some dried sour cherries on hand, too, so I knew they would have to be worked into the recipe in one way or another.
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Tags: baking, cherry, chocolate, cocoa, King Arthur Flour, molasses, muffins, pumpernickel, quick bread, whole grain, whole wheat
Sometimes I get so caught up in worrying about the main dish that I’m making for dinner that I tend to neglect the sides. Can you relate?
With Thanksgiving around the corner, you’ve probably already thought about the perfect recipe for a roast turkey and may have already settled on the perfect stuffing, too. But, if you’re much like me, you may have neglected to worry about what vegetables to make. Unfortunately, they don’t prepare and cook themselves.
So, this week, I thought I’d share my super simple recipe (if you can really call it a recipe) for Balsamic roasted vegetables. It’s my go to recipe for vegetables in the fall and winter (and once in a while the spring and summer, too!)… It’s easy to throw together and can just hang out in the oven while your other dishes are cooking/baking. Plus, it’s a favorite with my family and friends. In fact, my husband actually gets excited when he sees me prepping roasted vegetables. Who would have thought?
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Tags: Balsamic vinegar, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, easy, roast, simple, Thanksgiving, vegetables, WFMW, Works For Me Wednesday
Do you ever start to tire of certain items in your CSA box from week to week?
Though I always do my best to find creative uses for all of the produce that we get each week, this year I have definitely started to have my fill of a few things – especially mini orange peppers and collard greens. I’ve never been much of a greens person, so that’s always one of my big CSA challenges. We get kale, chard, collards, and lots of varieties of lettuce. While they may all be good for me, I have to admit that I usually end up going back to the same things over and over when it comes to cooking with them.
One of my tried and true flavor combinations for greens is to pair them with spicy Italian sausage. I know I’m not the first person to utilize that flavor combo and I’m certain that I won’t be the last, either. Though I have revisited the flavors a few times (like this butternut quiche a few weeks ago…), I do try to find ways to incorporate the flavors into new dishes.
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With the holidays fast approaching, I thought I’d spread a bit of holiday cheer of my own. I’ll be hosting a few giveaways (and even giving away a few things of my own) throughout November and December. Sound like fun? I thought so!
This week, I’ll be giving away two signed copies of Rocco DiSpirito’s book Now Eat This. Whether you keep it for yourself or give it to someone on your gift list who likes to cook, this is a giveaway that you won’t want to miss.
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Things have been a bit crazy around here lately. Since her knee surgery last week, our doggy has needed lots of extra attention. She’s not allowed to go up and down stairs, has to avoid all slippery surfaces (easier said than done since we have hardwood floors), and must wear one of those Elizabethan “cone” collars whenever she’s…
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Tags: apple, banana, caramelized onion, chocolate, chocolate chip, cookies, flourless, gingerbread, gluten free, gratin, muffins, peanut butter, pudding, pumpkin, rice, soup, stuffed peppers, sweet potato
This time of the year, I can never seem to really focus on anything but the pending holidays. I absolutely love the whole “holiday season” from well before Thanksgiving until after New Years. I love cooking, baking, and entertaining… And, no other time of the year can compare! I imagine that most of you can relate.
So, with all of my holiday excitement (in addition to all of the other excitement and craziness in my life right now), I wasn’t nearly as diligent as I should have been about announcing a November Kitchen Bootcamp challenge. The more I thought about it, though, I realized that many of you are probably equally distracted at the moment and might not have the energy to do both a November and a December challenge. That’s a lot to add to the holiday season!
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I always have to chuckle at those commercials where a family accuses a mother of being “roaster-phobic.” The solution is a chicken that comes prepped and ready to roast so that she can overcome her fears and make her family a beautiful roast chicken for dinner. It’s all well and good until you realize that she’s…
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It feels good to finally get around to writing this blog post! I originally intended to post this recipe last Thursday, but life got in the way.
I will admit that I am not always the best at coping with the curve balls that live throws at me. In fact, I am often prone to getting caught up in the drama and getting myself worked up and overwhelmed. But, in the end, things always seem to work out and I get through. So, at this point, I’m trying to put last week behind me and move forward. The first step? Finally forcing myself to sit down and write this blog post!
Last week before my week went haywire, I made this spaghetti squash dish. I saw the cutest little spaghetti squash at the store, and I knew I just had to have it. I didn’t really have any grandiose plans for the squash, but I knew I’d come up with something… I was betting on the fact that inspiration would strike eventually, and it finally did.
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I know I’ve been MIA for a few days, and I must apologize. I’m having one of those “When it rains, it pours…” kind of weeks. Our doggy had knee surgery last week and, though she is doing well, needs a lot of attention and hasn’t been sleeping well. So, as a result, we haven’t been sleeping well, either.
On top of all of that, we discovered mice in the house last week, as well. In fact, I first discovered the mice just a few short hours before we were headed out the door to take Yellowdog (Did I mention that’s our doggy’s name? She’s a yellow lab.) to the Baltimore/WashingtonDC area for her surgery. At first it was just mice in the basement/garage, and then I spotted some evidence in the house, too. Needless to say, I’ve been scrubbing every inch of the house (especially the kitchen – it’s never been cleaner, mouse or not) and trying to find all of the mouse “vulnerabilities” so that we can get rid of the unwelcome furry visitors.
Let’s just say that I haven’t been coping with things very well, and in the midst of all of the chaos, I totally forgot to announce the winner of the my giveaway. I’m finally getting around to it now, though!
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With the holidays coming up, we can all use some fresh new ideas for hostess gifts. I always like to keep a few small gifts on hand so that I have something when I need it. You never know when you’ll get invited to a party or a get together and you need a last…
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Tags: chocolate, Christmas, coffee, cookies, Equal Exchange, fair trade, gifts, holidays, hostess, organic, tea, Thanksgiving, WFMW, Works For Me Wednesday
