I’m rolling out fragrant, gingery, cinnamony, lemony Pepperkakor dough and mixing up dough for my maple cranberry cookies while watching Holiday Inn on the little DVD player in the kitchen. That little machine gets more use during the two-or-so weeks before Christmas than it does any other time of year. I watched Christmas in Connecticut…
I woke up thinking about spending the day in the kitchen, baking our favorite Christmas treats, and that’s exactly what I did. I started with the dough for Swedish pepperkakor which is still chilling in the refrigerator. I moved on to Snowballs (Russian Tea Cakes with chocolate kisses in the center…and snickerdoodles with Rolos in…
I finally finished decorating for Christmas. Well, sort of…I still have to go out and get a couple more packs of tinsel, and we have to set up the electric train under the tree…but then I’ll be done. I find that every year the decorating gets more and more organic and simple. I have SO…
I have three bags of chicken and turkey bones in the freezer so I’m making another pot of soup. This time, chicken noodle with the wide, yummy egg noodles. Jeff and Gracie demolished the last batch. I forgot to get carrots when we were at the grocery store yesterday, so I’m bundling up and walking…
It’s a winter wonderland in the Mississippi River Valley today… So far we’ve gotten nine inches of snow, and it’s still coming down steadily. Big, white, puffy flakes. The snow plows are working over time, and we’re all snuggled in after a little lunch outing an a trip to the market. We’re going to watch…
tasting ~ tea, hot buttered rum and wine seeing ~ snow kissed things, new Italian glass and English teacups from a recent antiquing excursion, Christmas decor, twinkling lights feeling ~brisk breezes as we walk up to the corner market for ingredients for making dinner…. warmth from the fireplace, contentment in my heart, generosity of spirit…
Happy Friday! Here’s an elegant appetizer for your next gathering. Steamed artichokes are so easy and delicious. Perfect served with drawn garlic butter and a glass of Pinot Grigio. Jeff and I had some for lunch in front of the fireplace a few days ago. Romance! whole, fresh artichokes sea salt butter garlic Wash artichokes.…
This easy spiced ham is a real hit on Easter as well as Christmas and other holiday get-togethers. Back in 2012 when I posted this recipe, we were preparing for Christmas. I’m working on a few Christmas projects, cooking a cozy pot of chicken soup with sage dumplings, baking bread and doing some editing today…
Sipping a glass of Chianti while listening to Dino croon Christmas songs over the little speakers in the kitchen…steam rises from a colander of pasta in the sink… the pungent, seductive scent of oven roasted garlic mingles with that of mushrooms, onions and peppers sauteed in butter… Think you’ve had goulash? This isn’t your Mama’s…
I took a little break today so I could make a special scone recipe for teatime. Jeff and Gracie recently discovered their love for Biscoff spread. They’ve been scooping it out of the jar and eating it by the spoonful…melting it and pouring it over ice cream… I had to hide the rest of the…