Chinese Hot Pots

Every Asian country has their own version of noodle soup. Actually, EVERY country I can think of has a signature noodle soup! China alone, has hundreds of variations based on regional culture and resources. In China soups are thought to hold healing properties and noodles are a system of longevity. A noodle soup is therefore taken very seriously, as are most dishes!

Defining Healthy

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli and Steamed Artichokes.

January is the most diet-friendly month of the year. After New Year's Day there are no major (American) holidays involving food. You've more than likely just come off a month-long gluttonous binge and are ready for lighter meals. Plus, there are usually friends happy to join in on a first-of-the-year health kick!

A Second Helping of Salad

Gnocchi and Wilted Spinach Salad.

Ok, ok, OK, ok, okay, OKAY! So this isn't the lightest salad to start off the New Year. I admit it! BUT it IS the salad that will have everyone asking for seconds and thirds. A double helping of greens, people, doesn't that count for something?

Resolution Revelation

Grapefruit Basil Sorbet.

Happy 2011, friends! I hope I find you fully recovered from your New Year's Eve party, and another year healthier, wealthier, and wiser!

Why I Blog

...and Coulibiac of Salmon.

As a year comes to its end I always start reflecting on the past 12 months. What decisions did I make that effected myself and those around me for the better? What did I do that was a total bomb? What changes should I make in the next year???

A Matter of Perspective

Warm Crab Tartlets.

Some things never change.  I love crabmeat; I have always loved crabmeat.

When I was a little girl, I thought The Red Lobster was the fanciest restaurant on the planet. I mean, only a truly elegant restaurant would offer grown-ups special bibs so their clothes wouldn't get dirty!

Christmas Cookie Lineup & WINNER!

I'm excited to announce, the WINNER of the Bosch Tassimo T20 Coffee Brewer is:

 Comment 150, AKA High Plains Drifters! (Generated by Random.org)

Congratulations HPD! Email me right away with you shipping information.

Tassimo T20 Review and GIVEAWAY!

I was recently given the opportunity to review a Tassimo T20 Single-Serve Coffee Brewer, made by Bosch. As I was planning to buy my husband just such a contraption for Christmas, I jumped at the chance to try it!

When All Else Fails~BAKE!

Almond Sandwich Cookies.

I'm trapped in my house due to snow.

No...we don't have white drifts blanketing the landscape like many friends up North. Snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a novelty. We see it on the mountain tops. We drive up to it to ski. We even get enough in the valleys to sled once or twice each year. But drive in it? Live functional lives in it?

NO. We don't do that.

Merry Shortbread!

Orange Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread.

I told you I had a thing for shortbread. While nibbling any cookie, I think to myself, "You know what would make this even better? More butter and a touch of salt!" In my mind, chocolate chip cookies would be better as crispy shortbread. Oatmeal cookies would taste better if they had more butter and less (meaning NO) eggs. Macaroons...yep, they are in desperate need of butter.

All or Nothing

Sumptuous and Speedy Beef Stroganoff

Sometimes I watch my little girl in wonder. She will decide that we are having "party night" and goes about the house making decorations, invitations, signs, and appetizers (cheese and crackers and cereal mix). She'll even make or find little trinkets to put in goodie bags! Then after dinner the rest of us are herded into the living room to join her party.

Christmas Cookies UNLEASHED!

Molasses-Spice Marshmallow Cookies, a.k.a. "Kona" Cookies.

After displaying a picture of my sweet dog a few posts back, I decided  I haven't given him the recognition he deserves. So this post is dedicated to Kona.

Kitchen Invaders Detoured

Apple-Cheddar Palmiers.

I often feel like a military commander in my kitchen, on the day of a holiday dinner party. Barking orders, protecting the sacred cargo, holding down the fort from invaders.  

Catch The Spirit!

Dulce de Leche and Nutella Thumbprints with Sea Salt.

I'm that girl. The one who can barely wait until after Thanksgiving dinner to crank UP the Christmas music. The one who pulls out the Christmas boxes the moment the Thanksgiving dishes are put away. The one who allows the kids to decorate the tree, then rearranges it after they've gone to bed. I can't help myself.

Gratitude

Chai Latte Cupcakes.

I have a lot the be thankful for. No, I'm not a prodigy in any area. I'm not famous. I don't drive a Bentley or have spare homes in exotic lands. I'm not dripping with jewels and my closet is surprisingly small. There are mornings I wake up and sigh at the potential monotony of life. There are days I argue with my husband on purpose. I get impatient with my little guys at times. I'm a regular girl/wife/mom with regular problems.

Have a 12 Bones Thanksgiving!

Damn Good Corn Pudding. I'm not being feisty--that's what it's called!

I like to feature local restaurants on occasion, and this is one I'm very excited to share!

Kickin' Cranberries!

Pom-Apple Cranberry Relish.

Adding a simple twist to classic dishes can really give your Thanksgiving meal an appealing BOOST! Take cranberry sauce for instance... As a little girl I remember it being something that slide out of a can in a jiggling gelatinous mass (sorry mom for tattling). On a good year, whole cranberries were simmered on the stove to create a flavorful, yet mushy jelly.

Count Down to Thanksgiving

Twice Baked Bourbon-Hazelnut Sweet Potatoes.

Thanksgiving can be a little overwhelming for first time hosts. Heck, Thanksgiving can cause anxiety in award-winning chefs...don't feel bad if the thought of it gives you hives!  Here are some helpful tips to get you off on the right track:

Gear Up for the Holidays!

Vanilla-Orange Candied Cranberries.

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is only six weeks away, can you believe it?

Snooty Foodie Boycott

Broiled Pear and Prosciutto Toasts.

We all have pet-peeves, right? Well, I have a real problem with elitist know-it-all attitudes.

Of course, I used to think I could manage the whole world with one hand tied behind my back. But now? Marriage, parenthood...life, have humbled me. (Thankfully.) There's a fine line between having confidence and "putting on airs". Why do we so often feel we need to prove to others that we have all the answers?