Sparkling White Cosmo and The Year in Review

One more day till we count down to a new year and a fresh start.  Do you make resolutions?  Some years I've made them and kept them, other years I've made them but they got abandoned.  This year my plan is to make plans.  Rather than resolutions that feel like failures if they're not immediately implemented, I have plans for what I'd like to achieve, personally and professionally in the coming year.

The Month in Review - December 2013

Wow, looking back on December, it seems it was a very sweet and boozy month.  Well, that's probably why we remember it so fondly.  Those parts of it we remember, of course...  Actually a lot of what happened since Thanksgiving is a sweet and boozy blur.  But a happy blur!

In fairness, we mostly fed others, and had ourselves a festive, company filled holiday season.  Did it go by faster than usual this year?  Well, there's still New Year's Eve to look forward to before we dig out the scales and the diet plans.  So let's take a look back at delicious December, in case we need a sweet memory to get us through the winter.  Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Whatever you're celebrating today, we wish you and your family a very happy holiday filled with good food and good company!

Creamy and Crunchy Corn Casserole

Over the weekend I had a huge craving for one of Brian's delicious burgers.  He seasons them with Worcestershire sauce and garlic, then gets the cast iron pan screaming hot for a great sear, and he serves them with a mound of amazingly good caramelized onions on toasted ciabatta rolls.  I had to have one!  So, while he was out shopping for the ingredients, I got to work on the side dishes.

Spicy Black Mudslide

The chilly New York weather (oh, who am I kidding - it's damn cold!) means we stay home a lot more on Saturday nights and that seems to lead to some fun cocktail experiments.  We love spiced rum but, thanks to the Captain's Table Challenge, the good folks at Captain Morgan have introduced us to their spiced BLACK rum.  It's far more potent than their classic which makes it perfect to mix with sweet liqueurs.

Christmas Pie with Rum Gingerbread Caramel

I'm about to tell you something scandalous about this pie.  It's not too sweet, it's bursting with apples and tart cranberries and it's not about the crust.  Wait...did I just say that?  I, who am famous for eating the crust right out from under the filling?  Yup, though it pains me a bit to say it.  But, it's not so much that this pie is about the fruit but rather about how amazingly good the fruit tastes when it's slathered with the rum gingerbread sauce.  Actually, I think cardboard might be good slathered with this sauce.  One spoonful on top of each bite of fruit, one spoonful right into my mouth, repeat.  Seriously, someone take this sauce away from me right now.

Chocolate Babka

Today we're taking a break from all the Christmas celebrations to discuss an odd group of friends, a strange pole and a 'show about nothing.'  And by now, all you Seinfeld fans are smiling.  It's been 15 years since the TV series left the air but it's still very much around in syndication, popular culture and a little made-up holiday called Festivus.  Celebrated with a bare pole and an airing of grievances, it's a time to come together and say "I got a lot of problems with you people!"  It's all in good fun, of course, and in its 9 seasons, quite a lot of delicious food came up on the show.  So some of my blogger friends and I decided to cook the foods best associated with the Seinfeld years and give away some great holiday gifts.

Almond Shortbread Cookies

I have some pretty good willpower around most cookies.  For the record, I have absolutely none around peanut butter.  But, cookies...yeah, I can usually walk away.  Unless they're shortbread cookies and then I keep coming back to stare at them.  Add in some almond and suddenly I have a cookie problem.

Rustic Roasted Veggie Tart

It's possible that I was a mouse in a previous life based on my love of cheese.  I always keep a few cheesy staples in my fridge for recipe inspiration or just to perk up a dish.  And those Kraft bags of shredded cheese are such great time savers for quick weeknight meals.  With all the holiday entertaining this month, we've been going through our fair share so I was delighted to find great savings on Kraft products at Target.  In fact, Kraft is offering up to $20 in coupons towards their products there so check out the link at the bottom of this post for the savings.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Herb Dressing

Pardon me while I take a moment away from the holiday cakes, cookies and cocktails to discuss a vegetable that hasn't been candied and topped with marshmallows.  No worries, though, because there are plenty more caloric goodies coming your way before we all wake up on New Year's Day and realize there are only 6 short months till bathing suit season.

Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle

So, we all know what you're supposed to do when life hands you a bowl of lemons.  But, what to do when life hands you a fallen crumb cake and you're supposed to give it as a gift?  If you've been paying attention around here at all, you know I am the queen of the crumb.  I can practically make a crumb cake in my sleep.  I add crumb topping to almost everything.  What on earth is the world coming to when my crumb cake fails??

Crunchy Kahlúa Buckeyes with Sea Salt

The holidays mean gift giving, and gift getting, but there's always the question of what to give.  Brian has an easy time of it because I just put everything I want on my Amazon wish list and he knows to look there.  But when I'm invited to someone's home, I think an edible or drinkable gift is always happily received.  Whether it's homemade or store bought depends on your level of comfort in making it but I like to do both.

Raspberry Red Velvet Cake with Chocolate Raspberry Glaze

Recently, Driscoll's asked me to create a recipe using their fresh raspberries and to talk about their Made with Love Holiday Sweepstakes (more about that below).  But it's the phrase 'made with love' that stuck with me because love is why I cook and bake special treats for Brian.  And I know how very much he loves my red velvet cake.  But when I first made it for him, he asked me why it needs to be red.  I didn't have an answer for him other than that it was traditional but he really dislikes the idea of the red food coloring that's commonly used.  Suddenly I had an idea.

The Rum and Maple Cocktail and Baked Brie with Rum Cranberry Compote

There's something about this time of year that brings friends and family together more often and our holiday entertaining has only just begun.  But that always leads to the question of what to serve.  We're all about great cocktails, as you should know by now, and love introducing our guests to new flavors.

Captain's Table Challenge with Captain Walker

From time to time you see me create recipes for specific food brands and it's something I find both challenging and rewarding.  They're always brands I like anyway and I enjoy the challenge of creating new recipes and new ideas for using well known products.  And, if that product just happens to be a spirit, well... that's kind of extra fun.