Christmas Style

I am beginning to realize that my Christmas style
is not very traditional.

I have found that I like things that only
hint at the Christmas season...
especially when decorating my house.

Like this wreath for example...

Or this amazing Christmas Tree Skirt
Does it not look like Peacock Feathers!



And these ornaments would go great on my Tree.









And lastly; it is so hard to find good
Christmas Linen (in my opinion).
But this is perfect.


I would have all of these in my house in a heartbeat.

Baking Season

What do you do on a snowy day.
Especially the first snowy day of the season.


You bake Christmas cookies.

Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2 sticks of butter, softened
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan and line it with 2 crisscrossed pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, then cut into 32 bars (8 rows by 4 rows)

Yield: Makes 32 bars


Lemon Icing (for Sugar Cookies)
1 batch of your favorite sugar cookie recipe
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and zest until it forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more lemon juice if necessary). Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, about 15 minutes.

**thank you RealSimple magazine.

To much Turkey

What do you do when you have way to much leftover turkey?
You get creative.

Lemon Turkey Pot-Pie
1 sheet puff pastry (9-inch square), thawed but cold
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 onion (diced)
1 celery stalk (diced)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound leftover turkey
Pepper
1 leeks—stems split, thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons chopped thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Roll out the puff pastry into a 12-inch square. Set aside four 2-cup bowls; invert 1 bowl onto the pastry and cut out 4 rounds. Place on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with the poppy seeds and bake until golden, 12 minutes. Let cool.

2. In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, salt the water and cook until tender, 7 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute; drain.
3. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons EVOO over medium heat. Add the turkey and onion, season with salt and pepper and cook for 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon EVOO to the skillet. Add the leeks, carrot, and celery; season with salt, pepper and the thyme. Cook for 3 minutes.

4. Scoot the leeks to the side and add the butter. Whisk in the flour, then the wine and chicken broth. Stir in the chicken and cream and heat through. Stir in the lemon peel, lemon juice, potatoes and peas. Fill the bowls with the chicken mixture and top with the crust.

*Thanks again to this chef...and her photo!

O Christmas Tree

One of my favorite days of the year
is the day where I get to decorate the Christmas Tree.

And each year I purchase a new ornament.
This year it was the green pigeon (shown above).
I bought three of them to place on my tree.
I am so in love with them.

Now a Tradation

Hand and Foot.

I do believe that this is now a tradition.
Not only for our Sunday Game Nights with the Smith's....
but for family holidays as well.

Day Four

On the fourth day of Thanksgiving
my family and I had.....

The traditional Thanksgiving brunch
with the traditional family "Tea Ring".....

then a traditional Thanksgiving Turkey dinner
(it was a 22lb'er)....

Day Three

On the third day of Thanksgiving
my family and I had...

a birthday party for Jericho.
Happy 3 years!

Day Two

On the second day of Thanksgiving
my family and I made....

Alfredo Pasta with Lobster
Burschetta
Salad

I don't have the recipe because Tiffany and Marlene made it.
But I can tell you that it was amazing.


Jericho


Then we played a family favorite....
Hand and Foot

Day One

On the first day of Thanksgiving

my family and I made.......


Pot Roast with Button Mushrooms

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4-pound) boneless chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion wedges
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup beef broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the salt and pepper to a small bowl. Rub seasoning into the roast on both sides. Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the roast, searing it on both sides. Place the meat in a roaster pan. Add onions and garlic to skillet for 1 to 2 minutes to absorb leftover roast juice. Place into roaster pan with meat and bay leaves.

Combine the mushroom soup, wine, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth into a bowl.
Pour over the roast.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until tender.
Add the button mushrooms about 1 hour before the roast is done.

Hey Jude

More reasons

why
I love
photography.

These photos were take by Jude McConkey.
I absolutely love her haunting style.

Lost

Lately I have been somewhat lost.
Lost in wondering why the Fall seemed to fly by so quickly.
But with my days being swept up by the stresses of work
and the preparations for Thanksgiving,
I have been able to....

almost finish this book....
















dream of living on a houseboat...
(is this not the most wonderful living space ever?
I found it via her blog)




















cook meatloaf for the first time
(which made my husband very happy).....

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (preferably chuck)
2 cups cooked stuffing, roughly chopped
1 large egg, beaten
Kosher salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 deg.
Combine beef, stuffing ,egg, and seasoings.
Bake for 45 minutes.


be introduced to the most wonderful snack ever.....






and have a much needed date night with Micah
(guess where we went to hang out).

Took a bit longer.....

but book #2 is finished.

















Now, on to book #3.

3 Days

I started this book on Wednesday......
And finished it on Friday.

That should tell you how good it is.

Thus, today I had to make a run to the bookstore to buy book #2 of this series.

Ersy find

If you have never been to the online shop Etsy,
then you really need to check it out.
Just think of Ebay, but 100x's better.

I found the artist:
Tina Tarnoff
selling her work on the etsy site.

Here are a few of my favorites...

I just think her work is so beautiful.

Wassenaar 01

If you are in the mood to check out
some captivating photography,
go to this link:

Wassenaar 01

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

I have a confession to make... I am obsessed with Giada.
You know, the Italian chef that has a bizzilion cookbooks
and about a dozen TV shows on the Food Network.
Well, Micah bought me one of her cookbooks last year....
and that is when the obsession started.
I love almost everything she makes.

So here is a recipe that I cooked last night.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Checked off

Here is another book
I can now check off my "to read" list.

40 degrees with a Coffee in my Hand.

So the weather this week has made a turn for the worst?
No....for the better!

So here are a few of my ultimate favorite Coffee recipes
that can be enjoyed on cold days like this.


Creme Brulee:
12 oz of steamed milk
1 oz of white chocolate sauce
1/2 oz of Italian eggnog syrup (Torani syrup)
1/2 oz of Caramel syrup
1 shot of espresso

Caramel Coconut:
12 oz steamed milk
1 oz caramel sauce
1/2 oz coconut syrup
1 shot of espresso

Divinity:
12 oz steamed milk
1/2 oz of hazelnut syurp
1/2 oz of almond syrup
1 shot of espresso


Now you can go to your local coffee shop
and enjoy a hot cup on a cold day.


* picture was taken on my previous pictures day with Kath.

Dreamy Drawings

Once again I was just surfing the blogging waves
when I came across this artist:

Ordinary Forest

They remind me of paper dolls that I use to play with as a kid.

Are you board......

and in need of some amusement?
then go check out this blog.....
go fug yourself

it's just pure entertainment.