Peppermint Bark

from: Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday

Ingredients
11 lemons, preferably organic
1 liter 160-proof vodka or grain alcohol
3 C sugar
3 C boiling water

Directions
Peel strips of zest from lemons using vegetable peeler; reserve remainder of lemons for another use. Put the zest and vodka into an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 days and up to 1 week.

Stir together sugar and hot water until completely dissolved; let cool completely. Stir sugar mixture into vodka mixture; refrigerate in an airtight container overnight.

Pour liquid through a large sieve and funnel into airtight bottles. Discard zest. Limoncello can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

from: Jess

Ingredients
2 packages vanilla flavored almond bark
rice krispies
starlight mints or candy canes

Directions
Stick the candycanes or mints in a plastic bag and use a hammer or a shoe or your meat tenderizer to mash 'em up. don't get them too fine. You want some color!

Smush up or chop the almond bark. Put it in a sauce pan and melt it over low heat. It isn't like normal chocolate … no need to use a double broiler. But do watch it.

Once it's all melted, stir in some rice krispies. Not so many that the almond bark doesn't cover it, but enough so that they permeate.

Pour this mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet and spread it around until you have an evenish layer. Sprinkle the candy pieces all over the top and push them gently in with the back of a spatual or something else flat.

Then cover the whole thing up with foil and set it somewhere cold (like your patio in the winter, say) and let it sit for a while. It will get all waxy when it is properly set. Make sure it is really set and then break it apart.

Limoncello

from: Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday

Ingredients
11 lemons, preferably organic
1 liter 160-proof vodka or grain alcohol
3 C sugar
3 C boiling water

Directions
Peel strips of zest from lemons using vegetable peeler; reserve remainder of lemons for another use. Put the zest and vodka into an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 days and up to 1 week.

Stir together sugar and hot water until completely dissolved; let cool completely. Stir sugar mixture into vodka mixture; refrigerate in an airtight container overnight.

Pour liquid through a large sieve and funnel into airtight bottles. Discard zest. Limoncello can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

from: Holiday Cookies

Ingredients
2 C all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t table salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
3 C oats (not instant)
1 C dried cranberries
6 oz good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped (or chips)

Directions
Heat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl; set aside.

Cream butter, both sugars, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture; stir with rubber scraper or wooden spoon until completely blended.

Fold the oats, cranberries and white chocolate into the dough until evenly distributed.

Drop dough in 3T mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2″ apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until golden, but a little moist.

Giant Ginger Cookies

from: Holiday Cookies

Ingredients
2.5 C flour
2 t. ground ginger
1 t. round cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t table salt
1/4 t ground white pepper
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 eggC molasses
1/4 C candided ginger, misnced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 C powdered sugar
sugar in the raw
2 T powdered egg whites or meringue powder
1 T milk
minced zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 a lemon

Directions
Whisk together the flour through the ground white pepper. Cream the butter thru the fresh ginger and then add the whisked dry ingredients. Combine until dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm (1 hour or so).

Heat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 2.5″ balls, coat in the raw sugar and place on a baking sheet about 3″ apart. Flatten balls with the bottom of a measuring cup and bake 15-18 minutes or until set.

While cookies are baking, whisk together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk. Spread icing on cookies when dry and allow to set before storing.

To Do …

1. take Loki to the dog park before it snows again
2. mail packages to out of towners (today!!)
3. download some new Christmas music
4. figure out what to make for dinner tonight
5. find 2348971873 stocking stuffers (give or take a few)
6. wrap gifts (while watching excellent Christmas movies)
7. clean up my messy house
8. read s'more World Net Daily cuz it makes me laugh
9. watch the last 20 minutes of the last ep of Veronica Mars
10. put new sheets on my bed (flannel, I'm thiking)
11. track a couple of packages
12. figure out which dessert to make for Christmas Eve
13. order and pick up photos from Target
14. make myself some hot chocolate and catch up on Tivo

Moroccan Spiced Pie

from: 161

Ingredients
1/2 C orange marmalade
16 oz can whole cranberries in suace
2 tsp. orange zest, grated
3-lb turkey breast

Directions
Combine marmalade, cranberries and zest in a bowl. Place the turnkey in the slow cooker and pour half the mixture over the turkey. Cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3.5-4 hours until the turkey juices run clear.

Add the remaining half of the orange-cranberry mixture for the last half hour of cooking. Remove the turkey to a warm platter and allow to rest for 15 min before slicing. Serve with the orange ranberry sauce.

Nutritional Info (1/9 recipe(
270 cals, 1g fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 18g carbs, 46g protein

from: 161

Ingredients
1.5 lbs lean stew meat, trimmed of fat
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced,
1 tsp. salt
1/4 t black pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms
can cream of mushroom soup (healthy variety)
1 C water
1 C fat free sour cream

Directions
Combine all ingredients except sour cream in slow cooker. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir in sour cream. Cook on high for a few minutes to heat sour cream.

Nutritional Info (1/6 recipe(
240 calories, 7g fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 15 g carbs, 27 g protein

from: bbcgoodfood.com

Ingredients
2 tsp each coriander and cumin seeds
1 tsp paprika, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp ground cinnamon
150ml/¼ pint olive oil
900g squash, peeled and cut into small chunks (about 2cm)
12 shallots, quartered
4cm/1½ in piece root ginger, finely chopped
140g whole blanched almonds
140g shelled pistachios
75g pack dried cranberries
6 tbsp clear honey
225g pack fresh spinach
400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
100g butter
8 large sheets of filo pastry
lemon wedges to serve

FOR THE HARISSA YOGURT SAUCE
200g carton Greek yogurt
6 tbsp milk
3 large sprigs mint, leaves chopped
2-3 tbsp harissa paste

Directions
Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Dry fry the seeds briefly in a small pan over a medium heat until toasty – don't let them burn. Grind coarsely using a pestle and mortar (or a bowl and the end of a rolling pin), then mix in the paprika, cinnamon, 1⁄2 tsp salt and 4 tbsp oil. Tip the squash into a roasting tin, pour over the spiced oil and toss. Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan, add the shallots and cook, stirring, until they start to brown. Stir in the ginger and 100g/4oz each almonds and pistachios.When brown, toss in the cranberries, 2 tbsp honey, and the spinach so it wilts. Take off the heat and stir into the squash, when it comes out of the oven. Set aside.

In a food processor, whizz the chickpeas with the garlic, cumin, remaining oil, lemon juice, 2 tbsp water and salt and pepper to make houmous. Stir in the coriander.

Melt the butter in a small pan. Put a loose-bottomed 28cm quiche tin on a baking sheet and brush with some butter. Keeping the filo covered with a damp cloth so it doesn't dry out, lay one sheet over half of the tin so that it hangs over the edge by about 10cm. Lay another sheet on the other side, so it overlaps the first in the centre and hangs over the opposite edge. Brush with butter. Lay two more filo sheets in the opposite direction in the same way and brush with more butter.

Build up two more layers in this way, so you use a total of eight sheets of filo. Pile half the squash mixture in the centre of the pastry. Spread over the houmous and then the rest of the squash mixture.One at a time, bring the edge of each filo sheet up to the centre to cover the filling, creating voluptuous folds as you go. Brush carefully with more butter. (If making a day ahead, cover now with cling film and chill. To reheat, remove the pie from the fridge, heat the oven, then bake for 35-40 minutes.)

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until crisp and golden. Just before the pie is ready, reheat any remaining butter in the pan, tip in the rest of the nuts and fry until golden. Spoon in the 4 remaining tbsps of honey and, when it melts, take off the heat and pour over the pie. Serve with Harissa yogurt sauce (mix the yogurt and milk together to make a thin sauce, stir in the herbs and season. Swirl in harissa to taste) and lemon wedges.

Nutritional Info (1/6 recipe(
987 kcalories, protein 21g, carbohydrate 82g, fat 66g, saturated fat 15g, fibre 7g, sugar 13g, salt 1.64g

Stocking Stuffers

It's been Christmas 24 Hours a Day around my blog lately, but that's the state of affairs, so I'll just go with it. I feel the shopping drawing closer and closer to a close … I really have only one big hole to fill, but there's quite a lot of little ones left to fill. Which brings me to the question … what suggestions do you have for stocking stuffers. I have a fairly good arsenal … and I'll be happy to share that with you, but I'd love to know what you tie onto packages or stick in the stockings of your loved ones. So lemme know …. Continue reading “Stocking Stuffers”

Trans Siberian

Last night, Matt and I had a date night. We don't do this very often unless you count making food at home and playing video games or watching Tivo together. We went to see Trans Siberian Orchestra.

In case you're not familiar with them, they largely take the classics and give them Bon Jovi stylings … lots of guitar and rock-ballady singing. They're probably something of an acquired taste. I enjoy their concerts, but Matt is the real TSO affecianado in the house. They also do scads of Christmas music which is our favorite bit.

Overall, it was a very nice concert. They had this back story that I didn't quite “get” and a few songs that just weren't to our liking, but nothing major. The worst part of the concert were the teeny tiny cramped seats at Pepsi Center … I'm five foot nothing and I felt nearly as cramped as my six-foot hubby. Awful seats. Still, it was great to be out for a night with my best guy and little one, who kept up an alternating schedule of earthquake simulations and gymnastics trials throughout the concert.

28 Weeks

Well I had my 28 wk appointment yesterday. I got to see my nurse practitioner who I like loads … and I got to watch two six-minute videos … one on baby blues and one on preterm labor … both with hilarious 80s hairstyles and last but not least, I got to drink the 10 oz of orange stuff and have my blood drawn (don't know the results for that yet). I am measuring on schedule, little miss has a nice heart beat and the orange stuff wasn't as repellent as I had feared. All in all, an hour and a half well spent at the clinic.

I did next to nothing last night, including put up cookie recipes. They are coming, though, swear. I also went to bed quite early since I was still feeling tired. However it doesn't seem to have helped much. I think I'm just to that stage where sleep isn't as great. I'm quite sore in my hips and lower back. Thank goodness for the heating pad.

2nd Annual Cookie Extravaganza


As I might've mentioned, we went away this weekend to hold the 2nd annual cookie extravaganza. Last year's was little more than my friend Holly and I going insane in my kitchen one Saturday afternooon & evening … this one involved 7 adults, one baby and a weekend trip to Vail for a large-scale operation.

I will have to post recipes later as my books are not available this moment, but here's what we made:
1. decorated sugar cookies
2. cranberry oatmeal cookies
3. giant ginger cookies
4. chai crescents (not actually crescent shaped)
5. peppermint bark
6. a huge mess!
7. some great memories

Hope everyone else had a great weekend!