The Month in Review - November 2015

November is always such a beautiful month. Chilly but not too cold, stunning foliage and my favorite holiday of the whole year. There were apple treats and pumpkin cakes, drinks and snacks and lots of good cheer. I'm sorry to see it go. But December is pretty fun, too. The tree vendors have set up all around the city, the carols are playing and the lights are stunning. Lots to look forward to but first, a quick look back at all the deliciousness of the past month. Ah, November, I'm looking forward to seeing you again next year. Enjoy!

Holiday Cocktail Round-Up

Happy day before Thanksgiving - otherwise known as hours of holiday meal prep day. But it's a labor of love, right? You've got your bird delivered, your pies baked, your side dishes prepped, the house cleaned, the table linens ironed....whoa, I'm exhausted just from typing all that. It's probably best not to think too much about it and just do it.

Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Mashed Potatoes

Two items on my Thanksgiving table never change. There must be stuffing because it's totally the best part of the holiday. And there must be mashed potatoes because...gravy! But while I'm not willing to conceive of the holiday without the mashed taters, I'm willing to entertain a slight variation to them.

Individual Italian Style Meatloaves

Thank you Hunt's tomatoes for sponsoring this recipe.

Are you deep in Thanksgiving planning and list making mode? Guest lists, shopping lists, meal plans. It's not just me, right? The thing is, there are all these food ideas and plans swirling around but no actual food yet. The big day is still a week away but we should probably eat something between now and then.

Peanut Apple Tarts with Peanut Butter Glaze

If you know me at all then you know that I'm obsessed with peanut butter. And yes, it does go perfectly with chocolate but it pairs just as well with apples. And since apples are healthy and peanuts are healthy I'm just going to assume that these tarts are healthy. Please don't shatter my illusions about that. In any event, these tarts are completely delicious, which is what matters, and a fun spin on the classic apple pie.

Cinnamon Honey Buns

I go through a lot of honey in my house because it adds both sweetness and flavor. The majority of it probably gets used as a drizzle over my daily Greek yogurt addiction but I love baking with it as well. As you know, I also write the Middle Eastern cuisine column for About.com Food and honey is a common ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. So, I guess I'm saying I should probably just buy it by the case.

Chorizo and Cheddar Snack Stacks

I think I've told you all that I have trouble resisting holiday flavors. And so, no sooner did I get through obsessing over the Food Should Taste Good Harvest Pumpkin Tortilla Chips, when I tasted their Sweet Potato. My first thought was YUM and the second was that the shape was so cute and perfectly oval, like slices of sweet potato. They were just asking to be sandwiched together with a tasting filling in the middle.

Chocolate Pumpkin Layer Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

So, I'm a sucker for products with seasonal flavors. Syrups and liqueurs that are pumpkin, gingerbread or eggnog flavored and likely to end up in my shopping cart. Oh, I may pass them by a few times but, ultimately, I'll give in. I can't help myself. So, creamy pumpkin pie syrup from Amoretti? Yup, it's here.

Elsewhere in...October 2015

As you know, I also write the Middle Eastern cuisine column for The Spruce Eats. So this is my monthly recap of the recipes you can find there from this past month. I hope you'll head over and try some of them. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cream Wine Slush

Blueberries were all over my cooking, baking and drink making this summer. Sweet and packed with fiber and vitamin C, they're one of my favorite treats. And now that summer is over...I see no reason to stop. Frozen blueberries get me through the other three seasons just fine. They're picked fresh and frozen to preserve their color, flavor and nutrition. So the blueberry recipes continue to flow.

Cinnamon Meatballs

Greek food is definitely one of my favorite cuisines and I'm always up for going to a Greek restaurant. But even though I love many things on the menu, I tend to wander back to my favorite option which is pastitsio. Layers of spiced beef, pasta and cheesy bechamel sauce all baked together. What is there not to love? And yes, I've tackled making it myself at home. Still, when I think of easy weeknight dinners, I don't think of homemade pastitsio. I do, however, think of meatballs. So, pastitsio meatballs? Coming right up!

The Month in Review - October 2015

So, I'm sitting here wondering why it's so dark (oh, yeah, the clock thing), staring at a dish of leftover Halloween candy and a basket of different kinds of squash from my farmer's market haul this weekend. Happy November! It's been so warm that the leaves were late changing color but we're in full Autumn mode now. The ghosts and goblins have been subdued with chocolate and I'm going into serious Thanksgiving idea mode. It's going to get delicious in here. But, actually it was pretty delicious in October so let's take a quick look back.