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...

Lemon Meringue Martini

So, we finally broke down and bought a bottle of Pinnacle Whipped Vodka. We scoffed at first at all those commercials but they wore us down. Even other vodka brands started getting themselves whipped and fluffed and goodness knows what else. We couldn't take it anymore. So when we were browsing around the liquor store (yes, we are the kind of people who browse in liquor stores) we saw the Pinnacle bottles, noted that they were reasonably priced and put one in our basket. Back home we approached the blue bottle with doubt. But, you know what? It's good. Really good. Sweet but not overly so and not at all artificial tasting which we had assumed it would be. We...um...may have gone through a few more bottles since then...

Moist Pumpkin Cornbread

Just because the onslaught of pre- Thanksgiving pumpkin recipes has wound down doesn't mean we've stopped cooking with it. Far from it, in fact. Pumpkin puree (yes, even the canned) is a terrific source of nutrition and it adds a delicate taste and moistness to lots of recipes. Cornbread, in particular, can get dry and so I've had my eye on a pumpkin cornbread recipe for quite some time.

Baked Pumpkin French Toast Sticks

I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving weekend. As much as I have to be thankful for, I must say that coming down with the mother of all head colds the evening before the holiday is probably not at the top of my list. By Thanksgiving morning I was in bad shape. Fortunately I had already prepped, cooked or baked almost everything so all I had left was to wrestle the bird out of its brine and into the oven.

Happy Thanksgiving Round Up

The day before Thanksgiving is always a happy and busy one for me as I get the house and the food ready for company and a lovely long weekend. For us, this holiday is not about shopping or gifts. We won't be dashing off at midnight for any sales nor getting up at 4:00 am to get in store lines. We'll sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast (maybe something a little special) and head out to enjoy the day with our pup. On Saturday we'll get in the car and take our annual drive. It's a romantic tradition that I look forward to each year.

Corn Chowder

I'm sure you remember reading about my complete cold weather soup dependency and secret stash of canned soups. And also my promise to tackle my fear of soup making this winter. Well, it's November, it's cold and I've already successfully tackled potato and leek soup and light and creamy pumpkin soup. Soup making, as it turns out, is not a difficult undertaking and I'm happy to say that the stash of cans has gone untouched. Somehow they no longer appeal to me.

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Casserole

Sometimes it's not all pot roasts and boeuf bourguignon around here. Sometimes, when Brian's away, I just throw something light together for myself. I used to make a quick omelet with toast but now I much prefer to bake it all together in a little, individually sized casserole. All the flavors meld together into one, yummy meal. Add a side salad and my dinner is served.

Skillet Whole Wheat Cheesy Cornbread

Confession time. I have never made cornbread. Well, except from a box mix, I mean. The box is OK but it never made me lust after it. When I've eaten corn bread at restaurants and various other places, sometimes it's amazingly good and sometimes it's no better than my box mix. Maybe those people are using the same box mix? So the result is that sometimes I have a huge craving for cornbread but I don't make it because I know the box mix will disappoint me. So why, you ask, don't I make my own? I have no earthly idea.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Brian and I both really like Greek food and, whenever we find ourselves in a Greek restaurant, we peruse the menu with great interest. We point out this dish and that as delicious choices and make plans to share different options. And then, we both order pastitsio. We love pastitsio! If you've never had the pleasure, pastitsio is a lasagna-like dish with layers of noodles, spiced meat sauce and bechamel topping. It doesn't taste anything like typical lasagna, though. Interesting and mysterious spices waft up from beneath the creamy sauce and all you can think to yourself is that this is Greek comfort food.

Wheatberry, Wild Rice and Butternut Squash Salad

When I think about healthy food that's completely delicious, without any compromise in flavor, this is one of the recipes that comes to my mind. I've been making this salad, and its variations, for about five years and it never ceases to amaze me that something so good is so good for me. I keep the base ingredients of wheatberries and wild rice the same but vary other ingredients based on season. In autumn, this salad plays beautifully with one of my favorite seasonal veggies, roasted butternut squash.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

Recently I was invited to enter a recipe challenge sponsored by the folks at Walkers Shortbread. And, since shortbread is my favorite kind of cookie, I was pretty excited about it. To jump start our creativity, Walkers sent each of the entrants a sample box with many of their flavors including some that I'd never seen before. Chocolate and vanilla and lemon and orange and ginger...oh, my... So Brian and I sat down to sample all the flavors. Some we had to sample several times due to...um...complex scientific research needs. And while we were stuffing our faces with shortbread scientifically researching, my mind was racing with all the possible recipe options.

Light and Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Hey, who turned on the cold?? We seemed to have gone from jacket weather to winter coat weather in a big hurry around here! For me, cold weather brings on major soup cravings. A nice, steaming hot bowl (or two) with some crusty bread and I'm quite happy to call that dinner. For years I got through winters with my, somewhat hidden, stash of canned soups but this year I decided it was time to tackle my lack of soup making skills.

The Month in Review: October 2012

Every month, when I finish my round up, I think to myself that next month can't possibly be as busy. But somehow, they just get busier. October, in fact, was a whirlwind. We so looked forward to beautiful foliage and were rewarded with some amazing color. And, oh, so many delicious pumpkin recipes. I was practically giddy when I opened my first can of pumpkin puree for the season. And let's not forget the apples and all the lovely things I created with those.

October also brought me some terrific sponsors, whom I featured, and a detailed article on photo sharing sites that I was asked to write. Sadly, just as we were getting ready for the month's crown jewel, Halloween, we were faced with a dangerous hurricane and one of the worst storms in history. Hurricane Sandy brought devastation to so many. We were very fortunate to escape the worst of its wrath and we remained warm and safe and dry. Our hearts go out to those less fortunate. Perhaps this sense of gratitude is the perfect way to begin our countdown to Thanksgiving but for now, let's recap all the fun of October. Enjoy.

Happy Halloween!

Over the years I've been known to throw my share of Halloween parties where everything was cobwebbed, punch bowls bubbled and skeletons popped out of closets (HA!). But the truth is that I'm not that much of a scary Halloween fan. I'm more a cute, decorative and pumpkin kind of Halloween fan. Besides, those of you that know I live in New York and just endured the wrath of Hurricane Sandy can understand that we've had enough scariness for a while.

Creamy Potato and Leek Soup...and Hunkering for Sandy

As you read this, we are in the process of hunkering. I'm not sure I've ever fully understood the meaning of that word but we've been instructed to hunker down so we're giving it our best shot. As most of you know, we live in New York and, consequently, are in the path of Hurricane Sandy. No, we won't take the biggest hit but she's definitely coming to call. There have been mandatory evacuations in the most flood prone areas but we are fortunate enough to be safely ensconced on a high floor of a solid brick hi-rise building. Nevertheless, the city's hurricane prep affects us as well. As of 7:00 pm last night, all trains and buses have been suspended and we're told that bridges will be open only on a case by case basis depending on wind speeds. Schools and offices are closed.

Cinnamon Candied Walnuts

A couple of days ago, I declared a sick day for myself. I hadn't slept well and woke up early to a bad headache and the sound of rain pounding on the windows. The room was chilly and I was happy to be tucked under my comforter. The pup was snuggled up against my leg. So I got up, took some aspirin and fed the pup her breakfast. Then I went back to my bed and warm comforter. I turned on the morning news but quickly fell asleep and, when I woke up again, the pup was asleep in the crook of my arm, it was still cold and rainy and now it was nearly 11:00 am. Oh, and I also still had that damn headache.

Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Recently I decided to fill some holes in my baking pan collection and so I picked up my very first bundt pan. That began a search for the perfect bundt pan cake recipe to break it in. Given that it's pumpkin season I had my eye (and my pins) on some spiced pumpkin cakes. But then Anuradha from Baker Street posted a chocolatey, pumpkiny, marbleized, swirled, glazed creation that was baked in a bundt pan. My choice was made!

Autumn in the Valley

Brian and I have a few traditions throughout the year and one of them is a road trip north into the Hudson River Valley at some point in October.

  Most years it happens a little earlier in the month but extra warm conditions have kept the leaves from turning until now.

Old Fashioned Pot Roast with Onion Gravy

When I was growing up, my mother's best dish was pot roast with onion gravy and no one was ever late for dinner when she served it. Brian grew up about 50 miles away but with basically the same mother's special pot roast. As I grew up and learned to cook, I became more adventurous with my flavors and ingredients and craved more complex tastes. But sometimes, I just want the original.

A Tutorial: Working with Photo Sharing Sites

Joan from Chocolate, Chocolate and More has been doing a series of tutorials on blogger resources such as Facebook and Pinterest.  She asked Carla of Chocolate Moosey to write the tutorial on using Twitter and has asked me to share my knowledge about photo sharing sites.  I believe they can be a huge driving force for blog traffic and I've spent a lot of time getting to know them.

Pumpkin Party Martini

As much fun as it can be to create creepy, spooky Halloween foods, they don't always entice me to eat them. And the cocktails are sometimes the most gruesome with "blood" dripping down the sides. Fun, sure...creative, sure...will I be posting one...maybe. But I probably won't be drinking one.

Sponsor Shout Out - Part 2

On Tuesday I introduced you to two of Hungry Couple's amazing sponsors this month and today you're going to meet the other two.  Check out these talented cooks and get to know their blogs, stories and delicious recipes!

Creamy Spinach with a Sweet Potato Dumpling Crust

There are some food words that just make me happy. Chocolate, cookie and gravy are some examples. But one of my favorite happy food words is dumpling. Something about it conjures up all sorts of delicious, comforting thoughts. Dumplings in soup, dumplings in stew...yum. You could, of course, make dumplings using a box of Bisquick. It's quick, easy and tasty. That partially hydrogenated oil part doesn't make me so happy, though.

Sponsor Shout Out - Part 1

You may have noticed at the beginning of this month that four sponsors joined Hungry Couple.  Today I'd like to introduce you to two of them.  If you're not already following these two fantastic bloggers, I hope you get to know them because you will certainly love them.  And come back on Thursday for part 2 of this feature where I will introduce you to the other two amazing sponsors for October.

An Apple a Day...

What could be healthier than an apple...even if it is occasionally accompanied by some sugar? 

We've been celebrating apple season with old and new favorites. Check out all the apple recipes below and maybe some can become your favorites, too.

Death by Pumpkin Cocktail

If you like pumpkin and own an ice cream maker, you've probably already made a batch of pumpkin ice cream. I've certainly been seeing recipes for it everywhere. Alas, I don't own an ice cream maker...yet. I also can't say that I crave ice cream much in chilly weather. But the other day, as I was walking the pup past Sedutto's, a local gourmet ice cream shop, I saw a sign in their window announcing that pumpkin ice cream is now available. I just couldn't resist finding out what it tasted like so I went in, bought a small container and took it home. YUM!  As I was shoveling it in and making plans to purchase more, it also occurred to me that it had cocktail potential.

Creamy Parmesan Corn

Did you ever have one of those experiences where you come across a recipe, possibly with a fetching photo, and feel an urgent need to make it right away, even if you don't necessarily have all the ingredients on hand? It's not just me, right? OK, maybe it is. Anyway, that's how it was the day I came across Simply Gourmet's recipe for Creamy Parmesan Corn. Of course, you have to have at least some of the ingredients in order to do this. I mean, it's hard to make a corn dish without, say, corn. But I knew that I had a lonely can of plain corn sitting in my pantry, just hanging out, doing nothing. And I had Parmesan cheese because I always have it. The dog won't eat her kibble without a sprinkling of grated Parmesan on top. It's not just my dog that's like this, right? OK, maybe it is. I don't usually have bacon but that day I did (left over from my Butternut Squash Pasta Bake recipe) and I figured I'd wing the rest. Off to the kitchen I ran!

Pumpkin Streusel Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl

Lately I've been having a huge craving for pumpkin bread. I've made it before and I've even made a skinny version but this year I was inspired by Pinterest (pinspired?) and all the cream cheese swirl recipes. Um...did you know that all those recipes are different from each other? Which one to choose? So, I wrote 'em all down and then compared them to each other and to my own recipe and did some calculations (math was involved!) and made some assumptions and...well, here we are.

Apple Pie Martini

Sure it's autumn and it's apple season and we've been baking them into cakes and tossing them into salads. Sometimes we even get a little crazy and just eat them as they are! When I was growing up my mother would frequently make me an afternoon snack of apple slices and cottage cheese...and yes, I loved it. Sometimes I still make it for myself although I can't quite seem to get Brian excited about the cottage cheese...

Happy National Vodka Day

One of my fellow bloggers keeps track of the national food days and always lets us know.  Taco Day?  Roast Beef Sandwich Day?  If I ever run out of creative cooking ideas I could always just cook whatever food is on the calendar that day!  Fortunately, we're not there yet...

But, considering how extensive our cocktail collection is, it does seep appropriate to celebrate that most versatile of all liquors, vodka.  We have a lot of vodka recipes.  A lot.  Yes.  We do.  So today we're taking a break from apple crumb cakes and pumpkin doughnuts to honor the basis of some of our most favorite cocktails.  There's sure to be a variation that appeals to everyone.  Enjoy!

Click here to see our entire collection of vodka based cocktails.

Baked Pumpkin Doughnut Holes

Doughnuts? Donuts? I went so far as to take a poll. Opinions seem to be fairly evenly split but doughnuts did get a slight edge. Either way, they are seriously delicious. So, have you been seeing these "doughnut muffins" all over Pinterest? The taste of doughnuts without the deep frying. If, you, like me, are tragically afflicted with DFP (deep fry phobia) then you probably have a few of those recipes pinned. They were on my long, long list of treats to try when I happened upon a pumpkin version in an adorable doughnut hole size and the recipe quickly shot to the top of my list. So now that I've made them, let's discuss.

The Month in Review: September 2012

September was a particularly fun and delicious month here at chez Hungry Couple!  It was also a time to catch up. The second half of August is usually a whirlwind for us because it's when we like to take our summer vacation. We usually get back just in time to head out east for the long Labor Day weekend so we tend to spend a few weeks living out of travel bags. But we love it!

As we finally settled back into our routines and welcomed the cooler days of autumn, we started enjoying the start of apple season and those lovely first pumpkins. Oh, how we've missed the pumpkins... Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I know many people like their smoothies for breakfast but, in the mornings, I'm a quick bowl of high fiber cereal kind of person. The afternoons, though, are my ideal time for this treat because it gives me natural energy and keeps me full till dinner. Oh, and it's completely delicious...and skinny as well!

Sweet Potato Salad

We usually think of potato salads as summer grilling and picnic food and once the cooler weather sets in, we want them baked or mashed. But the white spud's second cousin once removed (botanically, they're not even related), the sweet potato, makes for fine cool weather fare.

Pumpkin Crumb Cake

We enjoyed the first official weekend of fall and took advantage of a lovely, lazy Sunday. It had been a bit of a tough week for both of us with some family stresses so it was great to have a day of leisure just to ourselves. We slept in, lazed around all morning and then headed out with the pup to enjoy the nice cool weather. We shopped for some pumpkins, picked up a bottle of pumpkin spice liqueur and headed home for an afternoon cocktail. Dinner was a great butternut squash pasta bake but we definitely left room for the dessert.

Pear Cosmo

These days we're kind of in that middle place between mourning the passing of summer and our great vacation and the anticipation of autumn and pumpkins and a slight nip in the air. So what kind of cocktail goes with that? We've pretty much put away the blender and our beloved frozen cocktails until next year. But it's still a bit warm for some of our great winter drinks. We need something in between.

A Review of Earth at Hidden Pond

354 Goose Rocks Road, Kennebunkport, ME, 207-967-6550 earthhiddenpond.com

When we were inquiring about good restaurants in the Kennebunkport area during our recent vacation, we were directed to Earth at Hidden Pond. Ken Oringer, famed Boston chef and James Beard award winner, created this "farm to fork" restaurant with a vision of forging a close knit community and relationship with local growers and purveyors of meats, produce and seafood.

Summer Vacation Heaven on the Coast of Maine

It's been a few weeks since we got back, at least physically.  Emotionally we are still lounging in our cottage by the water, strolling through adorable towns with interesting shops, running with our pup along the rocky coastline of southern Maine, driving through green, lush and pristine countrysides and admiring stately waterfront homes.  It wasn't our first time in Maine and, hopefully, it won't be our last.  Relief at getting back home to sleep in our own bed?  Nope, just misery that our heavenly vacation was over.

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake

For those of you who will be celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the holiday begins at sundown on Sunday evening and includes eating sweet apples as part of the festivities. For those of you not celebrating Rosh Hashanah, apple season begins in autumn and includes eating many delicious apple desserts. In our house, we celebrate both!

The First Pumpkins!

OK, I'll be the first to admit that I didn't want to let go of summer. Even while my fellow bloggers claimed to detect a late August nip in the air and began musing about fall recipes and sweaters and boots, I clung to summer. New York was still hot, we still had lots of summer vacation plans and I'd waited far too long for my beloved summer to let go so easily.

Baked Rice and Zucchini Cakes

Don't you just love happy food accidents, successfully thrown together bits of this and that and necessity producing tasty inventions? On the Friday before Labor Day I was still unpacking from our Maine vacation, getting laundry done so we could go away for the long weekend and baking Brian's birthday cake. He was going to be working late and we needed to hit the road so I told him I'd make him dinner and bring it with us. I knew I had some leftover ground beef and several ideas for quick tasty dinners.

The Cottages at Cabot Cove

7 South Main Street, Kennebunkport, ME 04046, 207-967-5424 cabotcovecottages.com

"Harbor" cottage

Two summers ago we vacationed, for the first time, in coastal Maine. I'd done extensive research on all the quaint inns and B&B's in the area and we settled on Captain Jefferd's Inn. A close contender though was the Cottages at Cabot Cove. We loved the look of them and the reviews on Trip Advisor were good. But we were slightly concerned that each cottage was independently owned and we might not have anyone to talk to about problems. So we chose the inn and were reasonably pleased.