Winter

This is what winter makes me want to do.

Holiday Gift Guide

I am having such a hard time this year spending money on gifts, or really anything for that matter (other than Parmigiano Reggiano and maybe a little Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam).  Inherently, I am a gift giver.  I like to make people happy.  I've composed a list of things that I wish I could buy for people and things that I think I actually will make for people.

Buy (I wish):

Maya Brenner State Necklaces 

Playful Learning Writing Caddy

Playful Learning "The Botanist Kit"

Verabel Hippy Owl Art Locket

Rifle Paper Company "Heirloom Recipe Card Box" and "Recipe Cards"

Make:

  

Design Sponge Wool Throw

The Eleventh Hour Scarf

Transparent Boutique Soap

Ruffled "Butterfly Connection Pillow"

Sew Mama Sew's "Little Pink House"

And finally, I will try to make food gifts look really amazing like this...

foodcraft

(Anybody have a really good granola recipe?)

Good luck this holiday season being crafty and creative!

Thanksgiving Break

I've decided to start taking more photos (as of 10 minutes ago).  Good thing I walked by my kitchen window to make some tea and saw this beautiful scene.  Here is the first photo I took after this decision (about 9 minutes ago).

 Then I took this one, to get the whole tree.

Pretty sunrises are indeed something to be thankful for, along with waking up on a Wednesday morning at 6:45, instead of 5.  Yippee!  Here's to a great Thanksgiving...

APPLES!!!

I'm going to make this this weekend...
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/spiced-applesauce-cake/

YUM!

Fig Jam

Thanks to Ms. Betty's suggestion as I'm sitting at school eating figs right from the carton, I made this fig jam to spread on fresh bread with butter.

It's as simple as this....

Fig Jam
1 carton of organic figs (They were only $2.99 at Whole Foods)
2 t. white sugar
pinch of salt (I think a tiny bit of salt with fruit always brings out the flavor)

1.  Slice the figs in half or in quarters depending on the size.
2. Place in pan with sugar and a pinch of salt.
3.  Cook on low for about 8-10 minutes, using a potato smasher (or whatever it's called), to make into a jam like consistency.

If you cook it for about 3-4 minutes and don't smash it, and maybe add a little bit more sugar, it would be really yummy on some Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream.  But, alas, I don't like sweet things, so much to Trey's chagrin, we will be eating it on salty buttered levain toast.

Penne with chard and sausage

This is one of those recipes that I always skip over in my favorite cookbook, The Art of Simple Food.  I decided to make it when all I could find in my refrigerator and freezer and cupboard were the exact ingredients that went into making this meal.  We loved it, and I'm sure you could make it vegetarian friendly with a bit more olive oil or butter.  I do think that the Italian sausage made it that much better.  It's a good one for weekday dinners, which have hit me like a ton of bricks.

Penne with Chard and Sausage
slightly adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

1 large bunch chard, trimmed and chopped
1 pound Italian Sausage, rolled into small balls
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
1 pound penne, cooked al dente in the same water as the chard
Parmesan cheese

1.  Cook greens in salted boiling water until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2.  Heat olive oil in pan.  Add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan with drippings.
3.  Add onion to pan and allow to slightly caramelize.  Then add the greens and sausage with drippings the pan for a couple minutes.
4.  Cook pasta in salted boiling water.  Drain and return to pan.
5.  Add onions, greens, and sausage to the pasta.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
6.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

new blog...

One of my favorite breakfasts.

Another blackberry buttermilk cake with my tea.

As I am preparing myself for school to start I have been inspired to start a weekly blog about recipes we try in the classroom. The recipes will be categorized by practical life activities, i.e. whisking, sifting, pouring, etc. We are going to cook on Tuesdays and taste on Thursdays. I'm thinking our first recipe will be cherry tomato pasta, and our first tasting will be heirloom tomatoes. And of course the long standing rule applies: You have to take a bite. :)

Here's the link to the new blog.