Cookies for Christmas: German Chocolate Cake Cookies

OK these are a keeper! Relatively easy and easy to eat more than one, these cookies were my second for my 12 Cookies of Christmas adventure. I made these for volunteers at my church's food pantry who have been working tirelessly to distribute gifts from the Giving Tree to those in need this holiday. They enjoyed them a lot. The extras I had, I brought to the craft club we do monthly at church - - the ladies there liked them just as much!

It's a more expensive cookie to make since pecans are so pricey, but they add a nice crunch and flavor to the cookie you can't skip that part.

You can find the recipe here.

My only modification was that I had no chocolate chips (I know, what kind of baker am I?!!) so I had to shave off chocolate from my chocolate bar I bought to make holiday bark. I like to think it made the cookie taste better, but I can't compare it to the chips so who knows. All I know is that I have about five of these cookies in my stomach and I couldn't be happier!

Cookies for Christmas: Thumbprint Cookies

I'm attempting a large undertaking this Christmas: baking 12 different kinds of cookies over the course of 6 days. Not entirely sure I'll be able manage, but for now, I have about 7 cookies I want to do. We'll see where the other 5 come into play ...

I decided to do this because in all the hustle and bustle of the season, you need to slow down and really enjoy what it's all about: family, friends, special moments, cheer, merriness, and an overall appreciation of the absolute reason for the season. It's easy to get caught up in shopping and parties and exchanging presents, so why not spend time in the quiet of a kitchen playing carols and wearing a holiday apron?! That is what slows me down and helps me unwind through this chaotic season.

Today's cookie was a thumbprint cookie. Beyond easy to make and quite delicious. I've made similar cookies to this before, but by far, this was the easiest to make. These cookies are being used as presents for some neighbors of mine. I put them in a blue mason jar instead of a cookie box - something different and of course, the mason jar can be reused and doubles as another gift ;)

Christmas Cookie #1 
Thumbprint Cookies

1/2 lb butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 cups flower
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk
Jam (for filling - I used blueberry and raspberry)

In a mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat until a smooth cream is formed.

Add the flower, vanilla, and egg yolk. Blend well then put bowl in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the dough into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Using your thumb, indent the cookie in the center to make a crater. Place jam into the crater.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.

Kiss Cookie Cups

We had a Thanksgiving Dessert Party at work this past Friday so I had to make something for a crowd. The solution were these cookies with a twist - a hershey kiss jammed in the center as they came out of the oven. I made a variation of these a couple of years ago for my year of cookies adventure, but it was a peanut butter based cookie. Those were a bit better than these, but these were definitely delicious. Very easy to make as well - a welcome relief during the busy holiday cooking/baking!

You can get the recipe here. You'll notice these are for "pumpkin spice cookies" since they use a pumpkin spice  hershey instead of a milk chocolate. I couldn't find the special hershey kiss so just stuck with a milk chocolate variation.

Food for Thought

Sometimes you have to put your sail up, close your eyes, and hope you're going in the right direction!

The Southerner's Handbook

I am a born and bred Brooklyn girl, but I have an affection for the South - - so much so, I sometimes think I was a Southerner in a previous life. I love the hospitality, the food, the drawls, the sprawling fields, the mountains, the moss hanging off the trees, the heat, the tea, the pineapples, and the genuine welcomeness you feel in any of the Southern cities. I subscribe to Southern Living and visit family in Virginia and travel to any Southern city as much as I can. There's so many great places! So it only made sense to order a copy of this new book when I read about it in a recent cnn article.

I'm learning a lot from the book so far, even if I'm not living south of the Mason-Dixie line. Things like how to make a biscuit or how to season your cast iron skillet (which I recently got and apparently cleaned all wrong ... oops!). So really, you don't need to be a Southerner to do any of the things in the book. And really, let's be honest, everyone should have some of the South in them just as the South should have some of the North in them. Makes for a well-balanced individual don't it?

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

Tea anyone? These cookies go excellent with it ... I hosted a tea party over the weekend and this was the newest recipe I tried out for it. VERY simple to whip up and were well received. Apparently, they taste better the next day. I wouldn't know since I didn't keep any leftovers for myself! Next time ...

I used Lady Earl Grey tea for this recipe, but will do Earl Grey next time. I also was just below 2 tablespoons of tea so I'll need to be more exact which will result in more of a tea flavor. Note that when they say "loose tea" I really think they mean you cut open the tea bag and use the smaller ground tea - - not literal leaves of tea. Learned that the hard way when I used a good blend of Earl Grey which stubbornly would not pulse in the food processor. Just cut a tea bag open - it's much easier.

You can get the recipe here.

Happy tea time!

Baby Blankets

I've been knitting for about 5 years now and pretty much the only things I knit are baby blankets and scarves. At some point, I'll need to learn something new to make - like socks or a hat! For now though, I do the basic knit and purl. Sometimes I get super fancy and do the seed stitch! 

Baby blankets have become something special to make because they have unique stories associated with them. I won't get into those stories here since they're all rather personal, but I did want to share photos of the blankets I've made and the adorable babies they were made for. 

Baby Finn

One of the first blankets I made was for Finn. It was small, but I was proud of my accomplishment!: 

Baby Cleo

Next up was the blanket which has become my favorite one, especially with the yarn used - oh so soft! I saw the pattern for this while studying a girls knitted hat on the train one morning. I really like this pattern - simple to do and looks very clean and cozy. This was for Cleo!:

Baby Caiden 

Then there was the blanket for Finn's brother, Caiden! I decided to use the same yarn so they matched, but after a couple of years experience, Caiden has the better looking blanket: 

Baby Hadley 

I had bought this yarn at the same time as the yarn for Cleo's blanket and just kept it in my yarn basket. Then randomly last February I started to make a baby blanket with that yarn. No one I knew was pregnant, but I kept at it determined to get it done. And then one night over dinner, Hadley's amazing mommy Ryan told me she was expecting a little girl and it all suddenly made sense why I had spent the previous months making that blanket. Seems like Hadley was getting her way well before she was born :) 

Baby Piper 

Another baby girl was on the horizon and so I wanted to do something a little less pink, but still girly so I got a wonderful yarn in a salmon-like color and after a few false starts, finally picked up speed and made a soft and most perfect blanket with the basket weave stitch (probably the most advanced pattern to date). I was really proud of this one! I'm waiting for a picture still of Piper with her blanket, but here's the blanket in the meantime! 

Baby Drew 

My very near and dear friend Leanne told me she and her husband were expecting their first child. I was so excited for them and even more excited it gave me a chance to knit another blanket! They weren't finding out the sex of the baby, so that gave me the challenge to figure out what gender neutral color to do. I stressed about the color for awhile and then finally decided on grey and creamy white. When visiting Leanne about a month shy of her delivery and about half-way through my blanket making, she showed me some things she had purchased for the nursery and I saw the material of her rocker was grey and white. Immediately, I knew I had picked the right colors! Drew was born in late summer and when I met him, I passed over the blanket. The design of the blanket is of one I saw in a catalog for a non-handmade blanket and figured I could recreate it. I like the rib design, seems preppy and appropriate for the little man that Drew already is!

Chicken Fricassee

I've had a recipe for Chicken Fricassee for awhile now (a year to be exact, I pulled the recipe from Martha Stewart's October 2012 issue) and just the other day, I finally made it!

Now, I'm recently obsessed with French cooking. Obsessed meaning I want to cook it for every meal, collect tons of recipes, and then shy away from it when push comes to shove. I've had Julia Child's notorious cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking for about 6 years now on my shelf (I think it makes my look like a more serious cook when people see it on my kitchen shelf!) and I've been vying over a Le Creuset pan for as long as I've owned a stove. Finally, after stumbling upon Dorie Greenspan's French Friday's with Dorie, I decided it was time to go French. Except before I embark on Dorie's blog/cooking club, I decided to give it a try with a dish that seemed easy enough and without the pressure of a club.

Cue the Chicken Fricassee recipe that's been on my bulletin board for a year. The pictures looked mouth watering, but then again, what Martha Stewart recipe doesn't?! I made a little trip to Williams Sonoma after work one night and picked up this delightful new addition for the kitchen and decided it was a good investment for all this French food I'll be doing! It is well worth every penny! Very easy to care for and to cook with!

And so French Friday's commenced with Chicken Fricassee quite successfully. The only deviation I made from the recipe is cooking all chicken breasts, instead of a whole chicken. I just don't find it very appetizing to eat a whole chicken and would rather my guests get equal portions of meat. A slight tweak I have is to add salt to the broth as the dish seemed to need some more of it.

A tres bon recipe you can find here! I hope you enjoy it very much!

Chicken Fricassee served with egg noodles

Berryville, VA

From November 1 - 3, I retreated at Holy Cross Abbey in the most beautiful Berryville, Virginia. It was a silent (mostly) retreat and provided a nice reprieve from the hustle and bustle of Halloween, which was a large production at my cousin's house in Williamsburg, VA. I'm sure he needed the retreat more than anyone since he had been building props and masterminding a terror night for all the kiddies since before Labor Day! But I made my way to Berryville instead and in the darkness of the night, arrived at the retreat house - - very unsure of what I was going to be waking up to. It's bizarre arriving anywhere in the pitch black, but more so when you're traveling on a road that no one really frequents unless there's a need for it. Would there be all woods? Rolling hills? Were there other houses around? So many questions of what awaits in the light ... my mind couldn't quiet from the curiosity!

But the next morning, I woke up to this:

There's a song about this place, maybe not the exact place - - but close enough to it: 

Almost heaven, West Virginia 

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River...

Almost heaven indeed - or what I imagine heaven would look like. Such quiet, pure nature, and the most amazing fall scenery. I was lucky enough to see Vermont this fall and Virginia - - colors I never remembered seeing before and smells of crispy fall. Fall seems more beautiful this year, is it just me? 

Here are some other photos from my walks on the grounds of Holy Cross Abbey: 

I hope your fall has been enjoyable!

Favorites for Fall

My favorite season has finally arrived and so has the crispy mornings and night! I have to say, I'm a bit excited to be wearing a jacket and scarf again. And I don't feel foolish buying Dunkin Donuts hot chocolates now that it's chilly enough for it!

Here are some of my favorite things for fall this year:

Polka Dot Sweater from Brooks Brothers

Anthropologie Lounge Pants

Gehwol Foot Cream - to prevent cracking heels!

Embryolisse Milk Wash - great for body & face, it smells amazing and leaves skin super soft!

Nest Pumpkin Chai Candle

And of course: 

 A Fireplace

and

a weekend in Vermont - even past peak it's still beautiful!

Ahhh Fall! Hope you're enjoying yours!

A Good Thing: Warby Parker

A friend told me about Warby Parker after I mentioned I needed to get a new pair of glasses. What an awesome company! Similar to TOMS, they donate a pair of glasses to someone in need - excellent concept. Cheap prices, amazing selection, and a fast process - I recommend to everyone!

If you choose to do your eyeglass search online, Warby allows you to try on 5 pairs of glasses at home. For free! They send you a return UPS label as well so you literally just need to try on your glasses then drop off the box at a UPS store. Can't get much lazier than that! But they do have several locations in NYC as well as elsewhere in the country - check out a location near you here!

Once you decide on your frame, you let them know via an online form and then you can either give them your prescription or your eye doctor's information. I did the latter.

Within 2 weeks, your glasses arrive in a wonderful glass case and expertly crafted. So very happy. And only 125.00 poorer! Above are my new frames!

A Tourist in My Own City!

It was brought to my attention by my lovely cousin, Corinne, that I haven't posted anything about her on this blog. Naturally, this blog should be all about her since she's goodness! Well, she is in many ways and I told her that I'd be writing about her once I got caught up with some entries. I haven't yet written about her and her friend, Brandi's, trip to NYC. Their trip to NYC meant me being a tour guide which meant me visiting places I've never been to ever. I've been living here all my life and have just visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Empire State building? It's just a landmark to figure out my direction. 30 Rock? That's where clients work. But their visit forced me to go where I've never been before and it was lovely. And exhausting. And hot. And delicious. And so memorable.

Here are some highlights of our whirlwind NYC weekend:

We visited The Empire State Building, at midnight. It was beautiful (and amazingly cool - temperature wise) and breathtaking:

En route to Chelsea Market, these were the faces staring back at me on the train: 

I think this gelato made everyone happy though:

On the highline and with a nice shot of the Empire State where we were 12 hours before:

A visit to Columbus Circle for some macaroons and some frisky-ness!:

Then some delicious burgers at Burger Joint: 

We also enjoyed a trip to Bliss spa for some massages (aka a nap) and then a concert in Central Park Summerstage after our burger indulgence.

We ended that evening with some good ol' fashioned street food: 

 This was my first hot dogs in over 3 years:

We did some window shipping on 5th Avenue ... I particularly liked these tea sets at Bergdorf's. One day... 

And we did Times Square, and Toys R Us, of course:

My favorite: Top of the Rock:

What I loved about the Top of the Rock is that you could look at the Empire State building. After all, that IS our skyline! Without seeing it, the city looks like any other (just a lot more lights). It was also great to see the city from above during the day since we did the night before at the top of the Empire State. Whole new perspective and it was such an amazingly clear day, you could see for miles.

The highlight of the weekend was the Yankee's game. I was very lucky/fortunate to get Legend's Suite tickets, front row behind home plate, thanks to a client. It was hot as anything that day, but having a nice cool indoor space to take breaks between innings helped out a lot.

Before the game, we were able to have lunch in the dining room. Ever think you could go to a baseball game and have this for lunch:

It was followed by a cannoli and more gelato. And then a few more gelato's since it was so hot.

The girls enjoyed their meals, lots of lobster for them!:

The seats were really awesome: 

But I tend to do things like this instead of paying attention to the game:

Can you blame me? Who can resist a man in uniform ...

There was awesome memorabilia all around, but this one was really special:

I'm really grateful that these girls came up to visit since I got to see this amazing city through their eyes. Gave me a different perspective and appreciation. I've considered starting a touring business after this weekend adventure ... kidding!  ... not really ...