Christmas Cookies - Gingerbread

I am on a mission to save money and spread cheer this holiday season, and one of the things I want to do is bake lots and lots of cookies! I have been making time at night during the week and on the weekends to get some baking done. Everything I make is getting frozen, so that just before Christmas I can put together cookie gifts for our friends and family.

Cookie #1 - Gingerbread

I was lazy with my first cookie, and I used a store-bought mix (shh!) Andrew loves gingerbread, and I have tried several different "from scratch" recipes, but they always turn out awful. This year, I decided to hedge my bets and use a mix.

I cut the gingerbreads into stars and gingerbread men. I got about 3 dozen shapes, rolling the dough to about a quarter inch thick. I hate waste, so I rolled out the bits of leftover dough and used a mini cookie cutter to cut small flower shapes. I got a dozen little flowers out of that little bit of dough! You can see the flowers on the rack below the men in this photo.

I let Andrew have two of the first batch - the star-shaped cookies - as a snack, then as I was taking the men off the tray, I broke two of them! So he got to bring those to work the next day.

Baking is already starting to put me in the holiday spirit!

Quiche Lorraine & Other Variations

My mom's side of the family holds a Holly Brunch each year, typically the first weekend of December. About 20 years ago, my Nonnie realized that stockings were taking up a huge chunk of time during our Christmas Eve celebration, so she split stocking presents into a different holiday...Holly Brunch! This year, the family held brunch the Saturday after Thanksgiving so that Andrew and I could be there.

My mom and I made quiches for the brunch - two were typical Quiche Lorraine, per Betty Crocker, and two were Quiche Lorraine, but with spinach subbed for the bacon.

You can find Betty's original recipe here. We usually don't mess with Betty's instructions too much, but this time we swapped white cheddar for the recommended swiss, and increased the amount of cheese, onion, and bacon that we used.

For the spinach quiche, we used one pound of fresh spinach, steamed in a couple tablespoons of water in the microwave. Regardless of whether you use fresh or frozen spinach, make sure you squeeze all the water out, or you will have a very soggy quiche!

In order to transport the food to my Nonnie's house, we used our traditional carrying method: the tops of copy-paper boxes my mom brings home from work. Hey, they get the job done!

Quiche is such an easy thing to make, and it's a filling breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. You can put anything you want in it, making it as comforting or gourmet as you like.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Mr and I traveled to Connecticut for Thanksgiving this year - the first time we've spent the holiday on the East Coast in four years. A wonderful feast was enjoyed, and then came hubby's favorite part: the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich!

I am assured that part of what makes the leftover sandwich so good is the slapdash assembly. As an ::ahem:: "picky" eater, all this mixing together isn't my cup of tea, but here's how to do it:

Fresh rye bread (preferably baked by little old Polish ladies)

2 slices American cheese (or your favorite)

Leftovers:

cranberry sauce

turkey

stuffing

gravy

Toast two slices of rye bread (Andrew says he would have grilled it in a pan if he wasn't so hungry, and that this is how you should do it!) Smear cranberry sauce on one slice of rye bread - this is your base. Top with turkey, then a pile of stuffing. Add the cheese, top with more stuffing. Put the entire concoction in the microwave for about 30 seconds to ensure full melting of the cheese. Drizzle warmed gravy over the sandwich, and add your top slice of bread.

While it's not exactly heart-healthy, you really only have all the ingredients for this sandwich once a year. So don't feel guilty about indulging in a fantastic Thanksgiving leftover sandwich! It gets the seal of approval from husbands everywhere.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

"It may seem like a lot of garlic, but I promise it is not overpowering. " Samantha was right - her recipe rocks! Try this chicken recipe for a deliciously comforting meal.

Below is her recipe, word for word:

6-8 chicken thighs, bone in with skin
2-3 heads of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup diced onion
1 1/3 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup of dry vermouth
2 tbsp of butter
hot egg noodles or rice.

Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in olive oil in a dutch oven type pot. Don't cook all the way, just brown it well on high heat. Remove chicken and set aside. When chicken cools, remove and toss out the skin. Add 1/3 cup chicken stock to pot and heat it, scraping up the browned bits. Add garlic and onion and saute until onion is clear and garlic is a little browned. (I've put in carrots, celery and mushrooms at this point sometimes if I want some heartier.) Then add rest of chicken broth and vermouth. Return chicken to pot.

You're supposed to add rosemary and thyme but I never have any so I use basil, oregano, tarragon and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil then lower heat and allow to cook on low for at least 35 minutes. I usually cook it for about an hour and 15 minutes. If you haven't added the hodgepodge of other veggies, remove the chicken, the puree what's left along with the butter. Pull the chicken off the bones, shred it and add the sauce back to it. Serve over rice or noodles.

Here's a photo of my chicken in the pot - I used chicken breast instead of thighs, and I would definitely follow the recipe more closely next time.

I served this with golden smashed potatoes and green beans with breadcrumbs - two super simple side dishes.

Golden Smashed Potatoes

2 yukon gold potatoes, washed and fork-pricked
2 tsp. butter
coarse salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Microwave potatoes until softened - 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes from microwave and place on a cookie sheet. Allow to cool slightly. Using a chef's knife, slightly score tops of potatoes with an "X". Using the flat of the knife, press the potatoes flat - "smashing" them. Place a pat of butter in the center of the "X", salt & pepper potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy.

Green Beans with Buttery Breadcrumbs

1 lb. fresh green beans, cut and washed
2-3 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. Italian breadcrumbs
Steam green beans until cooked but still crisp. Add butter to hot beans, stir to melt. Pour breadcrumbs into bowl and stir to combine. This is Andrew's mother Linda's recipe, and it's a winner. Granted, it's not the healthiest way to eat your beans, so I only make it on special occasions. And Tuesdays. :)

Purple Macaroni & Cheese

We went out to dinner with Andrew's dad and stepmom to ML in Chagrin Falls. We absolutely adore the restaurant, and this meal was no exception. Ann and I decided to eat a bunch of appetizers for dinner, which turned out to be a great idea. One of our leftovers was an amazing habanero goat cheese topped with blueberry preserves. Ann insisted I take it home, so I decided I had to figure out a great way to use it.

Here is the goat cheese:

My purple macaroni and cheese was easy to make, and beautiful too! Of course, you could use any cheese you have on hand. Because of the habanero, this mac & cheese was a bit spicy, and yet a bit sweet from the blueberry preserves. It definitely made an interesting combination.

1/2 lb. rotini or pasta of your choice

6 oz. habanero goat cheese

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

1 big handful fresh spinach

nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta. Cook according to directions on box - until slightly al dente.

In the meantime, melt butter in saucepan and add flour. Whisk to combine flour & butter, creating a roux. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Slowly whisk in goat cheese a little at a time, melting and whisking to combine. When all goat cheese has been incorporated, allow to come back to a simmer - do not boil.

Add spinach to pasta water, allow to wilt. Drain pasta and spinach and add to sauce. Toss all ingredients to combine. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if available.

Happy Halloween!

An adorable little monkey...my friend Heather's sweet son Connor.

Halloween Fun

Click the title of this post for a great website with recipes for all sorts of Halloween party foods. There are lots of creepy treats to try! The eyeballs are my favorite.

Cheater's Chicken Pot Pie

Well, we ate the chicken pot pie too quickly to take pictures of it! It's my mom's recipe, and even though I usually try to cook with fresh produce, this is such a quick and easy meal that I have to pass it on.

2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can white potatoes, drained, rinsed, and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 premade refrigerated piecrust

It's this easy:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the first four ingredients and pour into a pie plate. Top with the premade piecrust. Cut off hanging edges of crust, and press edges onto the pie plate with a fork. Cut air holes into the crust. I use the cutoffs of the crust to make little shapes or designs on the crust. Bake the pie for 20-45 minutes. If your ingredients are room temperature, you will need to bake for less time than if the pie has been in the refrigerator.

If the crust starts to brown before the ingredients inside are heated, make a tinfoil ring to put around the edges of the crust.

*Optional: Scramble one egg and brush it over the crust prior to baking for a golden shine!

This chicken pot pie recipe is so simple - I think it took me 15 minutes to complete the recipe from start to finish. It can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until you're ready to bake it. It also freezes well.

Bristol Bay Info

You may have heard about Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska. It's a proposed project that would tap into a supposed $300 billion reserve of ore that is buried near the delta that feeds Bristol Bay. I've posted links in the past, but wanted to give some more information as we get closer to the presidential election.

Sarah Palin on Bristol Bay

Pebble Pedalers - An amazing group of people about to embark on a truly incredible journey

Red Gold - A film that can make a difference

Take the time to do the research on Pebble Mine and what it would mean to our ecosystem, the Alaskan way of life, and the salmon population.

It's Been a While...

...Since I blogged last. Things have been crazy at work, but now that it's all settling down, I have so much to share. Even though I haven't been posting, I've definitely been cooking! So check back soon for more updates.