The Year in Review: 2012

Some years seem to go by more quickly than others and 2012 was definitely a fast one. Speed aside, it was mostly a good year. Sure, there were some of the normal difficulties of life but we were fortunate to avoid any personal tragedies. We spent the long, cold winter waiting for the first blooms of spring and then took full advantage of the warm weather. We grilled many steaks and sipped many frozen cocktails on summer weekends. We took an amazing vacation to coastal Maine. We went leaf peeping and pumpkin picking in autumn and we cooked up lots of deliciousness for the holidays. And, throughout it all, we had each other and our beloved pup. Our house is peaceful and full of love and that alone made it a good year.

Skinny Cocoa Martini

It seems everywhere I look these days I see ideas for sweet, delicious looking cocktails. OK, maybe I pay a little more attention than some... :) And, sure, I've indulged. But chocolate syrup and egg nog and cream liqueurs all seem to be attaching themselves to one of my hips. The other hip is doing battle with the holiday cookies! And the thing is...I'm not quite ready to give up on the cocktails just yet. There's New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day and I've-Had-a-Hard-Week Day and Friday and...I'm going to need a cocktail.

The Couple that Freezes Together...and Other Christmas Adventures

Judging by the movies I've seen, normal people spend the holidays gathered around the tree (or menorah, as the case may be), surrounded by their family.  They unwrap presents and eat many cookies while basking in the warm glow of the fireplace.  We, however, are clearly not normal.

Happy Holidays!

Hadley, the furry sous chef, wishes you all a very happy holiday season filled with peace on earth and good will toward men...and doggies.  May there be love in your house, food on your table (don't forget the doggie biscuits) and many belly rubs in your future.  Most of all, she wishes that mommy and daddy would take this silly hat off her head.

Happy holidays from the Hungry Couple!

Rum Nog Cocktail

Eggnog is one of my favorite things ever and, when I was younger, I'd cheer when the first containers appeared in the stores around the holidays. But, for the last few years, the 350 calories per cup it contains seem to want to attach themselves to me. Sometimes a few of them latch on just from walking past the display in the store! Besides, even if I could somehow justify that amount of calories in a cup, I certainly can't justify the amount in the whole container...which I would absolutely inhale. So, the cartons of eggnog remain in the store and I just walk longingly past them when I go shopping. So sad...

Homemade Apple Pie and the Basics of Pie Making

Many people I know are master cake bakers, cookie makers and cupcake decorators and I envy their talent. Me? I make pie. Really good pie. And that is way easier than any of the above, which is why I'm frequently surprised when I hear otherwise accomplished cooks say they fear pie. So today, we're going to talk about pie and when we're done, you'll know how to make really good pie.

Our Weekend

We went about our lives on Friday, working and getting ready for a nice weekend during the holiday season. I made a delicious soup and fun grilled cheese croutons and shared the recipe with you. All was well and life was normal and we were still blissfully oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded that morning in a Connecticut school. But slowly the news started creeping in and we learned about what happened. We spent Friday evening sadly watching the news.

An overlook across the Hudson River, where we always stop.

On Saturday we headed out for a drive upstate that is usually a Thanksgiving weekend tradition. We'd had to postpone it this year because we'd both been down with flu that weekend. And so we headed out on a nice, clear day. This drive is steeped in romantic tradition for us and we had the Christmas music playing in the car, as we always do and we held hands, as we always do. But we also talked about the tragedy. Trying to understand, trying to make sense of it and maybe holding hands a little tighter.

Grilled Cheese Croutons

Soup and grilled cheese - a pretty classic American combination, right? And you dip the sandwich into the soup, right? But, what if the grilled cheese was made into croutons that you actually put in the soup? Genius, right? I can't take credit for this genius idea because I saw it in several places floating around the web. But the part of my brain that's responsible for recognizing other people's genius ideas immediately knew I had to make this.

Cream of Chicken Soup with Cheddar and Herb Dumplings

When I was growing up, my mother always made chicken soup from scratch. She'd serve it either with noodles or matzo balls and the boiled chicken would be shredded and used to make sandwiches. It was good but if I wanted any other kind of soup, it came out of a can, and my favorite was cream of chicken. I didn't want any visible herbs or chicken pieces in it, either, and would fish those out with a spoon. No, my picky child's palate wanted that smooth, velvety texture. As an adult, I don't mind the additions but the canned variety of the soup has lost its appeal and I haven't had it in a long time.

Gingerbread Loaf with Ginger Glaze

I've been in a gingerbread kind of mood lately, buying fresh ginger, buying grated ginger, perusing gingerbread recipes and pinning up a gingerbread storm. But, when all is said and done, what did I really want to make? I was tempted to make the lebkuchen of my youth but that may have to wait for a bit since I also had to balance the treat with all the heavy Chanukah foods we've been consuming. A sweet ginger tea bread seemed the most appealing since we could have it in the morning with coffee or as a light afternoon treat with a cup of tea.

Oven Baked Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

This weekend Brian and I are headed to my mother's for a traditional Chanukah dinner. And, in my mother's house, that means latkes and lots of them. I know some families make a brisket and maybe some veggies but my mother always wisely felt that these foods would just interfere with your ability to stuff as many potato pancakes into yourself as possible. And considering how perfectly she made them, I would have to agree. She is a purist who wouldn't dream of any kind of machine grating or shredding. A box grater and lots of arm strength is what's called for here! She fried them with generous amounts of canola oil and served them hot and crispy with apple sauce and sour cream on the side. I'm drooling in anticipation!

The Month in Review: November 2012

I hope everyone had a very happy November and maybe one of you can explain to me where it went. Looking back on it, I realize it was quite busy but, for the life of me, I can't fathom how quickly it disappeared.

It's always been one of my favorite months for the crisp weather and my most beloved holiday, Thanksgiving. And although it ended with nasty head colds for both of us, we still had a delicious month and lots to be thankful for. So let's look back at all the yummy treats we cooked up. Enjoy!

Baked Jelly Doughnuts (Sufganiyot)

Speaking strictly from a non-religious perspective, I've always enjoyed the spectacle of Christmas. The lights, the beautiful decorations, the wonderful music and delicious baked treats. But I wonder that the reverse is not true of Chanukah. Consider that this holiday includes lighting a beautiful candelabra for 8 nights, playing dreidel games with chocolate coins, receiving a gift for each of the 8 nights and feasting on oil fried foods such as potato pancakes and jelly doughnuts. You really have to wonder why this hasn't caught on more in popularity...