So how are we all doing? Enjoying all the enjoyment and taking the time to relax and be merry and all the good stuff? I sure hope so, at least for a little while at some point in your time. And now we are in the home stretch. Just a few more days and New Years. Can you even believe it? Another year gone by and into a new, shiny and fresh one. Goodbye 2019, and heeeeello 2020. Be good to us!
So the week. What a week. There was so much going on that I can%u2019t even remember it all. Besides a little bit of this and a little bit of that, there was night time light drives, long walks, a few little craft projects, food shopping hell runs (I thought I was in the clear when I didn’t have to do much of any shopping for Christmas presents but then after spending an afternoon grocery shopping a couple days before Christmas , I realized that food shopping might actually have been worse then any other store. People were ruthless and crazy and just about foaming at the mouth!). There was baking cookies, and cake, cooking food for normal consumption, cleaning and just get ready for all the holiday stuff.
Christmas Day/Camerons Birthday came. The mr and I spent a little time just the two of us in the morning, trying to take it easy (the mr was kind of sick) until the house filled up. And filled with family it did, and it was great. Food, music, a little gift exchange and then birthday cake for the birthday boy (16 like what!?) We hung out, played with new toys, Megan helped me do some dishes, and then everyone got sick of each other and were exhausted and left. (I love when they come, but I also love when they leave.%u00a0%u2665%ufe0f) Then the mr and I power cleaned for a while (the house wasn%u2019t too bad this time) before sitting dow to do our own Christmas stockings. I got him a new hatchet, some crocs (so he will stop wearing mine), made him a shrinky dink trout needle minder and stuffed some candy and kiwis in there for good measure. Me, well the mr embroidered me a napkin with so much love, carved me the most beautiful salad serving spoons, added in some crazy fruits, purple carrots, and a couple bulbs of black garlic. The napkin and spoons are amazing and my favorite, but the black garlic%u2026holy crap, that shit is AMAZING! I have limited myself to eating only a couple cloves a day, when what I really want to do is just eat it all at once. So good!
And then Anthonys birthday was the next day. Spend half of it making his cake with homemade caramel and decorating it all fancy like. Then there was his party (he is 18, wtf?!). Jeff Dad had just got into town then too so I talked to him a while, and then home we went for a little crash. Friday I spend the day doing some work and baking for Saturday and second family Christmas. It was a blink of a day because all of a sudden it was Saturday and I still had to go grocery shopping for more food and get more food ready, again. Da ja vu for real.
And so they came, again. Shannnon and I had it down and made a million mini pizzas. People were then fed and then we played, exchanged a few presents with dad, had more cake and cookies, and then they all left.. This time we were not so lucky and I was stuck with cake and sticky stuff all over the floors and light switches. The bathrooms were a disaster and the recycling/compost/ even the garbage can were over flowing. Again, not as bad as past family get togethers, but the mr and I definitely spent the rest of the night cleaning. And I still am not quite done yet. {the floors need a second moping and the rug needs another good vacuum%u2026 and some other stuff, but you don%u2019t care so why am I telling you?)
Anyway, so I am ready for a freaking break. Today I am going spend a few hours at the gym saying goodbye to the old building {last day at the current location because they built a new one) then I am going to go have coffee and bring cake to my mom, come home to make one more birthday cake for the week, and then crash. I don%u2019t want to do anything by curl up on the couch with tea, my book, which I barely have had time to even open this week, and chill the f out. One more brtihday party this week and then I am done. Hopefully this crazy storm we are suppose to get tonight will be all snow and we will end up with feet upon feet and be stuck in out own separate homes for days%u2026 One can only hope. Haha!
Links from my time on the internet.
–People Can’t Even Agree On When The Decade Ends. I never even thought about the logic. I guess it isn%u2019t really the end of a decade, is it? What are your thought?
-Speaking of decades . The Top 10 Food Trends of the Entire Decade
-This would be the perfect cabin for me to hide in.
–Are You Cleaning Your Couches Enough? I AM!
-I made the mr a needle minder with shrinky dink paper.. Don%u2019t tell me it%u2019s not magic! The Science of Shrinky Dinks
-We have a Christmas baby in out family. Not sure how he really feels about it. I know I would hate it, but that is because I like to hide on my birthday. Can%u2019t hide on Christmas. The Christmas Baby%u2019s Dilemma
–The most environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree I think we are going to feed ours to some goats.
–An Expert’s Advice on Coping With Post-Holiday Depression and the Dreaded January Slump.
-It%u2019s that time of year where people often to forget to drink%u2026WATER Effects of Dehydration to Your Body
–Cabbage Is Your Next Great Vegetable Crush. Cabbage is half my diet (I for real eat a head of day). It really is the best. Cooked, raw, leaves peeled back and then dipped in mustard. The possibilities are endless and so delicious.
Pictures from the week.
It%u2019s not too late to get in a little end of the year baking. It is actually the perfect time to bake. All the holiday hub bub is still going on so there is usually still people all around still willing and able to eat your offerings (if you were so inclined to share), the days just feel more slow and of need of warmth and lovely smells. Plus we need something to do while while waiting for New Years, because we are just all sitting around waiting for that ball to drop, right? HAHAHA. No.
Anyway, I have been wanting to make some version of a boiled clementine cake for a while now. I love that fact the the whole clementine goes into the cake, that there is no peeling or zesting or juicing. It is just boil the clems for a little while to get the bitterness out and you are good to go. And it doesn%u2019t hurt that right now is citrus season so I have a humngo bowl of clementines, plus a shit load of other oranges and other citrus to go through so the thought of tossing a good few clementines into a cake, well it was just what needed to be done.
And the family is coming over to eat and trash my house so I needed another dessert besides the half eaten ice cream cake left in the freezer from Camereon%u2019s birthday/Christmas. So I baked that they will eat. And there we go. Win win.
Now to the clementine cake.
The stuff. Flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, oil, cinnamon, vinegar, clementines, and powdered sugar.
First you need to boil the clementines. Big pot, fill with water, place clems inside, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Seems like a long time but just do it while you are making and drinking coffee or doing laundry or whatever. You don%u2019t need to keep an eye on them, other then to check that the water hasn%u2019t evaporated, and it smells so nice.
After the 2 hours are up, remove clementines from water and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half. If there are giant seeds, remove them.
Place the clementines into blender and blend until silky smooth.
Now the other stuff. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon. All into big bowl.
Whisk together until incorporated then add in the clementine puree, the oil, and the vinegar. Whisk together until it becomes a uniform batter.
Scoop batter into a very well greased bundt cake pan and bake, 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
The big revel%u2026. And it went perfect! Now time to let this sucker cool a bit on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, make a simple glaze. Just powdered sugar and fresh (not boiled) clementine juice. Mixed unit glaze consistency.
Once the cake is pretty much cooled, pour on the glaze.
And now it is cake time.
-C
Makes one bundt cake
2 1/4 cups all pupose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup any neutral oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 clementines (you need 2 cups pureed)
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 clementine
To start, place 6 clementines into large pot and fill with water. Place on stove and bring water to a rapid boil then reduce heat and continue to simmer clementines for about 2 hours.
Once clementines are cooked, cut in half and check and discard any large seeds. Place the clementines into a blended and blend until smooth. Should have about 2 cups puree. If you are short on volume, add water to make up the difference.
Preheat oven to 350
Grab a large bowl. Dump the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar and whisk together until completely incorporated. Now add in the clementine puree along with the oil and the vinegar. Mix until completely incorporated. Scoop batter into a well greased burnt pan (at least 10 cup capacity) then place into oven on middle rack and bake for 50-60 minutes until a tester (or a fork) stuck in to the deepest part of the cake comes out clean.
Once baked, remove cake from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in pan, then flip the cake out of pan, gently of course, and hope you greased it well enough for it to just pop out. Once removed from pan, allow to cool on a wire rack.
While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Powered sugar into a bowl along with the juice of a clementine. Mix together. If the glaze is to thick, add more juice (or water), to thin, a little more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (pourable but not runny is good) and once cake is cooled, pour glaze all over.
And then eat cake.
Holly, jolly, fa la la. It%u2019s all the holidays and are we all just so excited and happy? It%u2019s ok if you are not, but don%u2019t tell me not to be and listen to Christmas music and bake all the cookies. I am gonna do it and really try to just enjoy it all and be happy. Easier said then done for sure, but I am committed this year. I will not get grouchy. No, that will come after the holidays when the family leaves and I find food crushed into my couch cushions or pieces of candy in my plants. Then my friends, all bets are off.
The week has been fast and plentiful of plenty. Besides the stuff of normal life as usual, we did a quick dinner at Moms. Ryan came over too to bake cookies with my mom which was just to funny. (He was able to dirty up more measuring cups then I knew my mom even owned.) I have also been to the studio a few times over the week, trying to get last minute things done, sold a few rainbows, loaded a kiln. At home we have dutifully watched the amaryllis bloom, decorated the Christmas tree (about time, only took us 2 weeks), and baked things that needed baking (cookies and cakes. duh). And I picked up the last farm share of the year which has already got me dipping hard into the freezer stock of produce so I can stretch out the fresh stuff that I got. No farm pick up for 3 weeks%u2026 There is gonna be a lot of frozen zucchini happening around for sure.
And yay for us, we finally sent out all of our Christmas cards that needed to be sent and dropped off the ones that could be dropped off. There was a lot of chatting and catching up with old friends and neighbors and we got to see some pretty fantastical Christmas trees along the way. Best card drop off happened when we stopped over at Erins to hang with the littles and give them there card. Coco took it upon himself to use the card as a hat. That kid. Too freaking cute and practical to boot.
Then the rest of the week has been just same old with a little extra this and that. Yup, just living the life and trying to be present and just enjoy.
Sunday. Already and finally. The mr and I are going to get a few more things done that need doing before Christmas and the family descends.. I am going to do all the grocery shopping for actual Christmas Day, which could possible turn into a mental melt down (I have to go go Costco and I am scared of the potential for crowds of crazy people). The mr is still finishing up the build on the new stairs at the loft so my dad doesn%u2019t fall and die when he is over there, and I think we both have a thing or two we need to do without each other. I actually am all set, just waiting to pick up the ONE freaking package that I ordered online 3 weeks ago that was suppose to be shipped to the store a week ago and it is no where to be found. I order one thing, ONE THING, from the internet and it went badly. So frustrating, but oh well, what can you do. Other then that, I am going to the gym, maybe hit the library, defiantly a long ass walk either around here or preferably in some woods. And after dinner tonight, I think the plan is for a little Christmas lights drive. Got to see the lights!
Happiest Happy Merry Holidays to you all!!! Have all the relaxing and fun you possibly can.
Internet for your enjoyment.
-The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season. Or reasons to not buy anything at all!
-Dying food with food just makes sense. How to Make Natural Food Dyes
-Yes I still call them snow tires and probably always will. But this is some good information for the next time I buy snow, I mean, winter tires. Everything you thought you knew about winter tires but didn%u2019t.
-I want to live here. A Tiny Cabin in the Woods For Creative Homesteaders In Vermont
–How to Flake Gracefully. Or go a step further and just never make plans, but then you risk not having friends%u2026%u2026%ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f
-Handmade gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Best way to go. Here%u2019s Why Messily Wrapped Presents Are Sometimes Better Than Neat Ones
–Barack Obama Says Women Could Solve Many Of World’s Problems %u2014 Which Men Have Caused. He really is a smart guy. Oh how I miss him.
-I know my house is going to be getting trashed a lot this week so I am going to chill on the cleaning and do a crazy deep clean after all the holiday crazy. I already have a list going of things I want to do. 29 Things You Don%u2019t Have to Clean Until January 6
-I don%u2019t eat candy, but the mr does and he is all about sour candy, especially sour patch kids. I don%u2019t really get it, but whatever floats his (or your) boat. A formal taxonomy of sour candies
–The healing powders of food are real.15 Kitchen Herbs and Spices with Powerful Health Benefits.
Pictures from the week.
I love December, basically because it is a month long excuse to always be baking cookies. And listen to Christmas music. And have a lovely big ass tree in the house covered in lights and dried fruit. Plus snow if we are really lucky. December. It%u2019s a good month.
And we are getting to that time when now most of us have serious cookie making on the brain. I bet if you ask 5 people what they are planning on doing in the next few days leading up to Christmas, at least 3 of them will tell you they are making cookies because really, that is what you should be doing. That is if you like to bake. If not, then by all means, skip cookie baking.
Now what cookies to bake? Well you got to have chocolate chip, and peanut butter. Plus some no bakes and sugar cookies, but also, I think, some type of gingerbread.
These cookies are the gingerbread something. I added cardamon because I think cardamom is delicious and think everyone will think so too, And lemon because lemon goes with cardamom and ginger and lemon cardamon ginger just has a nice ring to it. Then crinkle because I didn%u2019t really want to roll out dough and cut out shapes (I was being lazy), but I wanted pretty and I am really Into the crinkle look.
These cookies were a huge hit. Not crispy like a snap, but not cakey or overly soft. A nice chew and deep in flavor. The mr was basically smuggling these cookies all day before I had a chance to really hide them and he is not a typical gingerbread lover but he told me that these cookies might just be the best cookies he has ever had. So yeah, I guess this is now my new winner gingerbread cookie recipe.
And no joke, these are probably the best smelling cookies I have ever made. I wanted to bottle up the smell and wear it on me like a teenage boy wears a new bottle of axe. Seriously, I kept sniffing my sweater all day long just to get a good hit of the smell. So good!
Now to the cookies!
The stuff. In one bowl there is flour, salt, and baking soda and powder. The other bowl is brown sugar and molasses. There there is a couple flax eggs, some oil, a lemon for it%u2019s zest, and spices of ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, and black pepper. Also powdered sugar to roll and crinkle these cookies.
Wet stuff. Sugar, molasses, flax eggs, and oil. Mix until combined.
Dry stuff. Flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and the spices. Add in the lemon zest too and whisk to combine.
Wet into dry. Grab a wooden spoon and mix until a cohesive dough forms. And yes you can give up the spoon after a minute and use your hands to complete the mixing%u2026 I did.
After dough is mixed and uniform, pop the bowl into the fridge for a little while to give he dough some time to rest. Half an hour is good and you could even leave it for a day if you wanted to, just cover it if you do.
And when the dough has had it%u2019s time, scoop, roll into balls, ans roll around and completely coat in powdered sugar.
Sugars balls of dough. Now pop them into the oven.
TA DA! Baked and all crinkly.
Let the cookies cool on a wire rack because that%u2019s how all cookie cool. And smell that delicious oh so lovely smell. It really is amazing, no?
Then onto a serving plate and now you have cookies for your mouth face.
Happiest happys of all the days to come! Now go eat cookies!
-C
makes around 2 dozen cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper
zest of a lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup neutral oil (I used canola)
2 flax eggs (6 tablespoon warm water mixed with 2 tablespoon ground flax seed)
1/2 -3/4 cup powdered sugar
To start, grab a bowl and mix together the brown sugar, molasses, oil, and flax seed eggs until completely combines. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, all the spices (ginger, cardamon, cinnamon,and pepper), baking powder and soda, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry and mix together until a cohesive dough forms. Place dough in fridge for about a 1/2 hour to up to a day to let dough rest for a bit. If you are going to keep in the fridge for a while, just cover it up.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and measure out powdered sugar into a bowl
Remove dough from fridge and using a scoop or just eyeballing it, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of dough. With each scoop, roll the dough into a ball and place into the bowl of the powdered sugar and roll around unit completely coated. Place ball on a baking sheet, giving it a little pat down, NOT squishing it down, just a little indent. And don%u2019t overcrowd balls, give them a little space.
When your baking sheet full, place Into hot oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and flattened out a bit, are golden brown on the bottoms, and the tops are all crinkly and lovely. Once cooked all the way, remove from oven and transfer cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
Then eat a warm one. Heck, eat 2 warm ones, then do what you will with the rest.
Store cooled cookies in an air tight container at room temp for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for long term storage but why do you need to store your cookies? Jest eat them.
Hey there friends! You doing alright? You good? Just checking in because I care.
My week was good, even if it did blow on by super fast. That%u2019s the way it always goes for me. The closer to the end of the year, the faster time seems to fly. You too? Anyway. I am talking it all in, trying to stay sane and not get pulled into the crazy that can happened this time of year. Mostly just talking all the long walks I need and staying out of the way but still enjoying the ones around me. There is a balance you know. And I am not afraid to run away when I need to.
So besides the norm of life, Tuesday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday so we celebrated. Just the two of us. After breakfast and heart shaped balloons, we went for an awesome drive to an awesome hike in the national forest. Yes it was a little rainy and the ground was so icy and I fell and jammed by arm, but it was still so so so nice. The waterfalls we saw we raging and there was not another human soul around. It was superb. Then we got lunch (he got lunch, I packed my own) and we ate our food near a much smaller waterfall. After that, coffee and then home where we watched a movie and finished making Christmas cards. Lasagna for dinner (for him, I ate chili) and a little heart shaped ice cream cake I made him (I am the best), gave him his pencil painting, and then we just hung out, I fell asleep, and that was that. Delightful, calm, and just really nice to spend the day together.
Rest of the week went on. Me, I was trying to get a few projects done. Worked at the studio, watched all the lovely snow completely melt. The mr has been working away at this and that and is keeping itself more then.
Yesterday was the 2nd annual sugar cookie house decorating extravaganza. And what a blast we had. A bunch of littles, a bunch of cookies and a bunch of candy. Amazingly enough, everyone ate all there lunches and refrained from eating all the candy. The restraint and force I saw in these littles eyes%u2026Gave me hope for the future. HA. But seriously, they were so into it and everyones turned out so great. Even the mr got into it and made a house topped with marshmallows and cauliflower. And after the houses were built, everyone left and I turned up the Christmas jams, grabbed the vacuum and all the cleaning rags, and set to work. Turns out tootsie rolls smashed into the floor is not easily removed.
Today is a day of catch up and errands. The mr is trying to finish up a project he needs to send off to the world, I need to get on finishing off some more rainbows. And maybe we should do some grocery shopping. And maybe I%u2019ll take a trip to the library. Stuff to do yes, but hopefully still a semi relaxing day. Maybe it will even get cold enough and start to snow. I need a walk in the snow.
Interesting internet from the week.
-I am kind of shocked the the number is so low. Come on people, cooking is awesome and makes you awesome. The Grocery Industry Confronts a New Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking
–Winter camping is a great way to see more nature and fewer people. I am going to start working the mr to get him to agree to go soon.
– Is it crazy that I miss landlines? OR more so, I think I miss that says of no cell phones. And now with cell phones, you can%u2019t eavesdrop on other people conversations , or like legally and easily anymore. How the Loss of the Landline Is Changing Family Life
–These 3 supertrees can protect us from climate collapse. But can we protect them? Trees are everything so of course trees are part of the answer to helping the planet. Hopefully humans don%u2019t fuck them up too.
-Did you get into the %u201cfinding joy%u201d of all your shit? How did that go? Did Marie Kondo fans keep their houses tidy all year?
–Shopping Sucks Now. I have always though shopping sucks, but I agree, it sucks even more. There is just to much!
–Drink Up, Calm Down. Fancy expensive drinks for wellness%u2026. I don%u2019t know, I totally believe that food is medicine but some of the shit out there%u2026. I guess just beware and don%u2019t fall for fancy pants weird language saying miracle and shit.
-imoprtant. How To Reduce Food Waste
–Do I Really Have to Clean My Sheets Every Week? And 9 Other Things We Were Told Are Mandatory. Yes YES YES to the sheets!
-Lovely. %u2018The Bird & the Whale%u2019 Tells a Short and Sweet Tale Using Paint-on-Glass Animation
And pictures from the week.
What do you think about at 5 o%u2019clock in the morning? Wait, are you awake at 5? Well I am and yes, I know that most people are not and think I am crazy for waking up so early, but it is and I do and whatever. Anyway, it%u2019s 5 o’clock and I am at the gym (yes, I wake up at 5 AND go to the gym) and me and my gym friend start talking about food (as usual) and what we were going to do with our Brussels sprouts that we got from the farm (I got her to join my CSA!). That is what I am usual thinking at 5. Food, and how to prepare it. And as the sprout conversation commerced, this is what materialized in my head. Crisp, crunchy fresh Brussels spouts, shredded up and tossed in a warm tangy cranberry sauce. My mouth was salivating and as usual, I left the gym hungry.
So I came home, drank all my coffee and then proceeded to make the sprout dish for lunch and let me tell you, this sprout slaw is amazing. Tangy and crunchy and all Brussels sprouty. It has a hardy salad feel without being heavy. It is a slaw that really get me, you know. (I actually don%u2019t know.)
Anyway, you should really get on the eating this Brussels sprouts slaw (or any Brussels sprouts dish) train now, before they go out of season and you end up buying kind of not great sprouts from the market that don%u2019t taste as good. Bad Brussels sprouts suck.
To the cranberry Brussels sprout slaw.
The stuff. Fresh Brussels sprouts, cranberries (fresh or frozen), some onion, balsamic vinegar, a little maple, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts, and salt and pepper.
Start with onion. Grab it and dice it nice and small.
Dump the onion into a skillet with a little pinch of salt and a splash of water and cook for a few minutes, just unit they are not raw anymore. Then add in the cranberries and 1/2 cup water. Cook on a low heat until the cranberries all pop and the sauce starts to thicken.
While cranberries are cooking, shred up the sprouts. Thin as you can get them.
Cranberries are now a thick and chunky sauce and oh so delicious. Add in the vinegar and maple here and give it a good stir and a taste test too. If it is too tart for your liking, add more maple. Think you might need a bit more vinegar, well splash it on it.
Now toss those shredded spouts it.
Stir it around. Season with salt and pepper and there it is.
Scoop into a bowl. Top with dried cranberries and walnuts and grab a fork.
This is good.
-C
serves 3-4 as a side or one person who wants to eat it all to themselves
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 a pound Brussels sprouts ( around 3 1/2- 4 cups shredded)
1 small or 1/2 a large onion
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or more to taste)
salt and pepper
1/2 -3/4 cup water
small handful dried cranberries (optional)
smal handfuls toasted walnuts (optional)
Start with dicing the onion up into small pieces. Place in a skillet with a small pinch of salt and a good splash of water and place on medium heat. Cook for a few minutes or until the water has evaporated and the onions are not raw. Add in the cranberries and 1/2 cup water. Keep on low heat and cook until the cranberries pop and start to thicken. If the cranberries are not cooked all the way and the water has evaporated out, just add another 1/2 cup.
While cranberries are cooking, shredded the Brussels sprouts, as thin as you can. A mandolin is great for this but a knife works too.
Once the cranberries have cooked down to a saucey consistency add in the vinegar and maple and stir around. Remove from heat and carefully taste the sauce. If you think it needs more maple or vinegar, add in another tablespoon until it tastes good to you. Dump in the shredded sprouts and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
And then it%u2019s done. You can dump it all into a bowl and sprinkle the dried cranberries and walnuts on top, or leave it in the skillet and do the same. Me,I scooped half into a bowl for pictures sake and ate the rest right out of the skillet. I then licked the skillet clean with my finger. Then ate the bowl full. SO good.
December in action and we are taking it at full speed. All the activities, the birthdays, the holiday celebrations%u2026 So much and I love it all, even if I feel like a crazy lady and want to run screaming from groups of people bigger the 2. I%u2019ll deal with the interactions now and just plan to spend the month of January hiding and recovering. I%u2019ll be ok.
The week started with the hunt for our Christmas tree. The Green Mountain National Forest, seventh year running, and this year did not disappoint. A fantastic hike into the woods near a beaver pond with lots of trees, snow on the ground, and no people. Exactly how I like to find our tree. And find it we did, the most perfect (too perfect?) tree. And it only took about an hour of almost cutting down like 20 other trees. Once we were positive, the mr cut it down, we said our thanks to the world, then hiked our tree out of the woods and slid it into the back of the car. Hopped in, cranked the Christmas music, and we were good to go. A perfect Christmas tree expedition.
Then life. Kind of a busy week in terms of birthdays. The beginning of the week Justin turned older by a year, then the next day Sophia did to so we partied with spaghetti, chocolate chocolate cake with tiny apples (she wanted it to be apple shaped but I just made little apples instead), and ballerina style dancing. Then there was a little lull in activities as far as birthdays where the mr and I did some stuff like work stuff, (more him then me), decorated, hung out with Barb, did the doings.
And then Friday. After an afternoon of loading kilns next to other kilns that were 2100 degrees and almost burning my face off, it was a rush to get home and prepare for the masses. Not technically the mr%u2019s birthday, but we had his annual grilled cheese and soup birthday celebration. Pretty much the whole fam at the house again. Lots of grilled cheeses sandwiches were made, so much soup was scooped (tomato and split pea per usual), and cake and ice cream concluded the night. And I only found half a grilled cheese sandwich under the couch when I was cleaning yesterday%u2026 Progress? I don%u2019t know, but there definitely was a few big dried soup puddles on the floor. But not on the couch! So there is that.
Back to Sunday. Not sure whats on the agenda for today but I have some stuff I need to do and I know that the mr has some stuff he needs to do. Plus together we have some stuff we need to do so we will see what gets done. Mostly though, I think I am shooting for a small hike, some coffee, and a chill afternoon of reading on the couch, facing the lit up Christmas tree. That would be swell.
Check out what I checked out from the internet this week.
–The Farmers’ Almanac Winter Forecast Is Here%u2014and Brrr!. Give me all the snow!!!!
-I can%u2019t imagine a life without reading. Not A Regular Reader? 4 Strategies To Make Reading A Habit
–Why Your Kid Loves the Garbage Truck So Much. I liked the cement trucks%u2026they don%u2019t stink an they spin.
-I am sorry, but this is some bullshit. Italian Artist’s Duct-Taped Bananas Are Selling for $120,000 Each
–How to Stop Making Excuses and Start Composting Already. And in Vermont, it%u2019t the law!
-Netflix is perverted. Ha! The Brands Are (Literally) Too Horny and Must Be Stopped
–Food delivery and takeout are on the rise. So are the mountains of trash they create.I like the idea of reusable metal tin. Could we get there?
–Here’s Why Your Favorite Headband Always Leaves You With a Headache. I used o wear headbands all the time, but had to stop because of the head pressure it caused.
–How Often, Really, Do You Follow This Recipe%u00a0Instruction?. Never but always. I like to add color to food, but only when it is edible and adds flavor.
-The sink that looks kind of like a mini tub%u2026. Swoon. For a Long Winter%u2019s Nap: A Manor House and a Schoolhouse in the German Countryside, Available for Stays
And pictures from the week
I don%u2019t think I can ever eat potatoes any other way ever again.
It started with me, doing my weekly pantry cleaning, you know, when I wipe down ever surface, count all the beans and lentils in the jars to make sure I am not running low, and inspect every squash for soft spots. I was just going about my thing when I looked over at my waffle iron. Poor, sad, underused. And it hit me. When was the last time I waffled anything? I remember how excited I was when I found it a few years back at a thrift store. Such a cutie little iron. When I brought it home, I used it a bunch of times for maybe a week or two. And then it was put away and I think I have busted it out like 3 times in the past 2 years. So not cool.
I also noticed I had a shit load of potatoes left from thanksgiving.
And there I had it, a reason to use the waffle iron and a way to use up the potatoes. And now, now I am a potato on the waffle iron addict, which is weird because I am not a overly potatoy person in general. But now with this new waffled hash brown thing, well I might just be eating potatoes all day, every day. (At least until I get sick of them or I run out of potatoes.) They come out soft and fluffy inside, super crispy in ever little nook and cranny, outside. Evenly, perfectly cooked. It%u2019s hard to explain, but they are just, ugh, so good, especially dipped in mustard for a fantastic hash brown snack. (Yes mustard, no not ketchup. Let me do me, you do you.) Or smothered in refried black beans topped with salsa and avocado (that was the dinner version). These hash browns. Just make some and you will see.
And no matter what happens with my hash brown phase, I will be damned if I ever let the waffle iron go so long without use. It deserves better then that.
To the best hash browns EVER!
The stuff. Potatoes, salt and pepper, and a little oil.
Shred potatoes. Simple, easy.
Place the shredded potatoes into a clean dish towel (avoid paper towels because paper towels are the devil) and squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can.
Dump the squeezed out shredded taters back into the bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix it around.
Oil your hot iron and pile on the potatoes. Then close it and press it down. It%u2019s a bit dependent on your iron how long they will need to cook fully, mine took about 9 minutes on high. But maybe just stand close by and check yours after 7ish minutes but expect maybe 10 or so.
Deep golden brown and crispy all over.
I mean, really look. Every surface browned and crispy. It is freaking perfection!
And then like any good waffled food, you plate it, and eat it. Me, with horseradish mustard and a big stupid smile.
Thank you waffle iron. You done good.
-C
makes 2-3 servings
2-3 small to medium sized starchy potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
couple teaspoons olive oil
teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Preheat your waffle iron to high
Shred potatoes on a box grater. Once shredded, gather in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much of the liquid as you can from the potatoes. Place potatoes back into bowl and add in about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper and mix around.
Open iron and brush with oil. Place shredded potatoes on the iron, kind of pack together, and close. If it locks, lock it shut, if it doesn%u2019t push it down. And let cook, for about 10 minutes, checking after 7ish (you iron might have more power the mine does). Once the potatoes are a deep golden crispy brown, remove from iron.
Then eat. Any way you want. Plain, with mustard or ketchup. Next to some scramble something or another. Piled high with some black beans and salsa. Whatever. Just eat them and be happy for the waffle iron.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
January 28, 2020 by maximios • Blog
Hello, hello, hey hey hey!
So how are we all doing? Enjoying all the enjoyment and taking the time to relax and be merry and all the good stuff? I sure hope so, at least for a little while at some point in your time. And now we are in the home stretch. Just a few more days and New Years. Can you even believe it? Another year gone by and into a new, shiny and fresh one. Goodbye 2019, and heeeeello 2020. Be good to us!
So the week. What a week. There was so much going on that I can%u2019t even remember it all. Besides a little bit of this and a little bit of that, there was night time light drives, long walks, a few little craft projects, food shopping hell runs (I thought I was in the clear when I didn’t have to do much of any shopping for Christmas presents but then after spending an afternoon grocery shopping a couple days before Christmas , I realized that food shopping might actually have been worse then any other store. People were ruthless and crazy and just about foaming at the mouth!). There was baking cookies, and cake, cooking food for normal consumption, cleaning and just get ready for all the holiday stuff.
Christmas Day/Camerons Birthday came. The mr and I spent a little time just the two of us in the morning, trying to take it easy (the mr was kind of sick) until the house filled up. And filled with family it did, and it was great. Food, music, a little gift exchange and then birthday cake for the birthday boy (16 like what!?) We hung out, played with new toys, Megan helped me do some dishes, and then everyone got sick of each other and were exhausted and left. (I love when they come, but I also love when they leave.%u00a0%u2665%ufe0f) Then the mr and I power cleaned for a while (the house wasn%u2019t too bad this time) before sitting dow to do our own Christmas stockings. I got him a new hatchet, some crocs (so he will stop wearing mine), made him a shrinky dink trout needle minder and stuffed some candy and kiwis in there for good measure. Me, well the mr embroidered me a napkin with so much love, carved me the most beautiful salad serving spoons, added in some crazy fruits, purple carrots, and a couple bulbs of black garlic. The napkin and spoons are amazing and my favorite, but the black garlic%u2026holy crap, that shit is AMAZING! I have limited myself to eating only a couple cloves a day, when what I really want to do is just eat it all at once. So good!
And then Anthonys birthday was the next day. Spend half of it making his cake with homemade caramel and decorating it all fancy like. Then there was his party (he is 18, wtf?!). Jeff Dad had just got into town then too so I talked to him a while, and then home we went for a little crash. Friday I spend the day doing some work and baking for Saturday and second family Christmas. It was a blink of a day because all of a sudden it was Saturday and I still had to go grocery shopping for more food and get more food ready, again. Da ja vu for real.
And so they came, again. Shannnon and I had it down and made a million mini pizzas. People were then fed and then we played, exchanged a few presents with dad, had more cake and cookies, and then they all left.. This time we were not so lucky and I was stuck with cake and sticky stuff all over the floors and light switches. The bathrooms were a disaster and the recycling/compost/ even the garbage can were over flowing. Again, not as bad as past family get togethers, but the mr and I definitely spent the rest of the night cleaning. And I still am not quite done yet. {the floors need a second moping and the rug needs another good vacuum%u2026 and some other stuff, but you don%u2019t care so why am I telling you?)
Anyway, so I am ready for a freaking break. Today I am going spend a few hours at the gym saying goodbye to the old building {last day at the current location because they built a new one) then I am going to go have coffee and bring cake to my mom, come home to make one more birthday cake for the week, and then crash. I don%u2019t want to do anything by curl up on the couch with tea, my book, which I barely have had time to even open this week, and chill the f out. One more brtihday party this week and then I am done. Hopefully this crazy storm we are suppose to get tonight will be all snow and we will end up with feet upon feet and be stuck in out own separate homes for days%u2026 One can only hope. Haha!
Links from my time on the internet.
–People Can’t Even Agree On When The Decade Ends. I never even thought about the logic. I guess it isn%u2019t really the end of a decade, is it? What are your thought?
-Speaking of decades . The Top 10 Food Trends of the Entire Decade
-This would be the perfect cabin for me to hide in.
–Are You Cleaning Your Couches Enough? I AM!
-I made the mr a needle minder with shrinky dink paper.. Don%u2019t tell me it%u2019s not magic! The Science of Shrinky Dinks
-We have a Christmas baby in out family. Not sure how he really feels about it. I know I would hate it, but that is because I like to hide on my birthday. Can%u2019t hide on Christmas. The Christmas Baby%u2019s Dilemma
–The most environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of your Christmas tree I think we are going to feed ours to some goats.
–An Expert’s Advice on Coping With Post-Holiday Depression and the Dreaded January Slump.
-It%u2019s that time of year where people often to forget to drink%u2026WATER Effects of Dehydration to Your Body
–Cabbage Is Your Next Great Vegetable Crush. Cabbage is half my diet (I for real eat a head of day). It really is the best. Cooked, raw, leaves peeled back and then dipped in mustard. The possibilities are endless and so delicious.
Pictures from the week.
It%u2019s not too late to get in a little end of the year baking. It is actually the perfect time to bake. All the holiday hub bub is still going on so there is usually still people all around still willing and able to eat your offerings (if you were so inclined to share), the days just feel more slow and of need of warmth and lovely smells. Plus we need something to do while while waiting for New Years, because we are just all sitting around waiting for that ball to drop, right? HAHAHA. No.
Anyway, I have been wanting to make some version of a boiled clementine cake for a while now. I love that fact the the whole clementine goes into the cake, that there is no peeling or zesting or juicing. It is just boil the clems for a little while to get the bitterness out and you are good to go. And it doesn%u2019t hurt that right now is citrus season so I have a humngo bowl of clementines, plus a shit load of other oranges and other citrus to go through so the thought of tossing a good few clementines into a cake, well it was just what needed to be done.
And the family is coming over to eat and trash my house so I needed another dessert besides the half eaten ice cream cake left in the freezer from Camereon%u2019s birthday/Christmas. So I baked that they will eat. And there we go. Win win.
Now to the clementine cake.
The stuff. Flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, oil, cinnamon, vinegar, clementines, and powdered sugar.
First you need to boil the clementines. Big pot, fill with water, place clems inside, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Seems like a long time but just do it while you are making and drinking coffee or doing laundry or whatever. You don%u2019t need to keep an eye on them, other then to check that the water hasn%u2019t evaporated, and it smells so nice.
After the 2 hours are up, remove clementines from water and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half. If there are giant seeds, remove them.
Place the clementines into blender and blend until silky smooth.
Now the other stuff. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon. All into big bowl.
Whisk together until incorporated then add in the clementine puree, the oil, and the vinegar. Whisk together until it becomes a uniform batter.
Scoop batter into a very well greased bundt cake pan and bake, 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
The big revel%u2026. And it went perfect! Now time to let this sucker cool a bit on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, make a simple glaze. Just powdered sugar and fresh (not boiled) clementine juice. Mixed unit glaze consistency.
Once the cake is pretty much cooled, pour on the glaze.
And now it is cake time.
-C
Makes one bundt cake
2 1/4 cups all pupose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup any neutral oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 clementines (you need 2 cups pureed)
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 clementine
To start, place 6 clementines into large pot and fill with water. Place on stove and bring water to a rapid boil then reduce heat and continue to simmer clementines for about 2 hours.
Once clementines are cooked, cut in half and check and discard any large seeds. Place the clementines into a blended and blend until smooth. Should have about 2 cups puree. If you are short on volume, add water to make up the difference.
Preheat oven to 350
Grab a large bowl. Dump the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar and whisk together until completely incorporated. Now add in the clementine puree along with the oil and the vinegar. Mix until completely incorporated. Scoop batter into a well greased burnt pan (at least 10 cup capacity) then place into oven on middle rack and bake for 50-60 minutes until a tester (or a fork) stuck in to the deepest part of the cake comes out clean.
Once baked, remove cake from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in pan, then flip the cake out of pan, gently of course, and hope you greased it well enough for it to just pop out. Once removed from pan, allow to cool on a wire rack.
While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Powered sugar into a bowl along with the juice of a clementine. Mix together. If the glaze is to thick, add more juice (or water), to thin, a little more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (pourable but not runny is good) and once cake is cooled, pour glaze all over.
And then eat cake.
Holly, jolly, fa la la. It%u2019s all the holidays and are we all just so excited and happy? It%u2019s ok if you are not, but don%u2019t tell me not to be and listen to Christmas music and bake all the cookies. I am gonna do it and really try to just enjoy it all and be happy. Easier said then done for sure, but I am committed this year. I will not get grouchy. No, that will come after the holidays when the family leaves and I find food crushed into my couch cushions or pieces of candy in my plants. Then my friends, all bets are off.
The week has been fast and plentiful of plenty. Besides the stuff of normal life as usual, we did a quick dinner at Moms. Ryan came over too to bake cookies with my mom which was just to funny. (He was able to dirty up more measuring cups then I knew my mom even owned.) I have also been to the studio a few times over the week, trying to get last minute things done, sold a few rainbows, loaded a kiln. At home we have dutifully watched the amaryllis bloom, decorated the Christmas tree (about time, only took us 2 weeks), and baked things that needed baking (cookies and cakes. duh). And I picked up the last farm share of the year which has already got me dipping hard into the freezer stock of produce so I can stretch out the fresh stuff that I got. No farm pick up for 3 weeks%u2026 There is gonna be a lot of frozen zucchini happening around for sure.
And yay for us, we finally sent out all of our Christmas cards that needed to be sent and dropped off the ones that could be dropped off. There was a lot of chatting and catching up with old friends and neighbors and we got to see some pretty fantastical Christmas trees along the way. Best card drop off happened when we stopped over at Erins to hang with the littles and give them there card. Coco took it upon himself to use the card as a hat. That kid. Too freaking cute and practical to boot.
Then the rest of the week has been just same old with a little extra this and that. Yup, just living the life and trying to be present and just enjoy.
Sunday. Already and finally. The mr and I are going to get a few more things done that need doing before Christmas and the family descends.. I am going to do all the grocery shopping for actual Christmas Day, which could possible turn into a mental melt down (I have to go go Costco and I am scared of the potential for crowds of crazy people). The mr is still finishing up the build on the new stairs at the loft so my dad doesn%u2019t fall and die when he is over there, and I think we both have a thing or two we need to do without each other. I actually am all set, just waiting to pick up the ONE freaking package that I ordered online 3 weeks ago that was suppose to be shipped to the store a week ago and it is no where to be found. I order one thing, ONE THING, from the internet and it went badly. So frustrating, but oh well, what can you do. Other then that, I am going to the gym, maybe hit the library, defiantly a long ass walk either around here or preferably in some woods. And after dinner tonight, I think the plan is for a little Christmas lights drive. Got to see the lights!
Happiest Happy Merry Holidays to you all!!! Have all the relaxing and fun you possibly can.
Internet for your enjoyment.
-The $100 billion reason not to return gifts this holiday season. Or reasons to not buy anything at all!
-Dying food with food just makes sense. How to Make Natural Food Dyes
-Yes I still call them snow tires and probably always will. But this is some good information for the next time I buy snow, I mean, winter tires. Everything you thought you knew about winter tires but didn%u2019t.
-I want to live here. A Tiny Cabin in the Woods For Creative Homesteaders In Vermont
–How to Flake Gracefully. Or go a step further and just never make plans, but then you risk not having friends%u2026%u2026%ud83e%udd37%ud83c%udffb%u200d%u2640%ufe0f
-Handmade gifts wrapped in old newspaper. Best way to go. Here%u2019s Why Messily Wrapped Presents Are Sometimes Better Than Neat Ones
–Barack Obama Says Women Could Solve Many Of World’s Problems %u2014 Which Men Have Caused. He really is a smart guy. Oh how I miss him.
-I know my house is going to be getting trashed a lot this week so I am going to chill on the cleaning and do a crazy deep clean after all the holiday crazy. I already have a list going of things I want to do. 29 Things You Don%u2019t Have to Clean Until January 6
-I don%u2019t eat candy, but the mr does and he is all about sour candy, especially sour patch kids. I don%u2019t really get it, but whatever floats his (or your) boat. A formal taxonomy of sour candies
–The healing powders of food are real.15 Kitchen Herbs and Spices with Powerful Health Benefits.
Pictures from the week.
I love December, basically because it is a month long excuse to always be baking cookies. And listen to Christmas music. And have a lovely big ass tree in the house covered in lights and dried fruit. Plus snow if we are really lucky. December. It%u2019s a good month.
And we are getting to that time when now most of us have serious cookie making on the brain. I bet if you ask 5 people what they are planning on doing in the next few days leading up to Christmas, at least 3 of them will tell you they are making cookies because really, that is what you should be doing. That is if you like to bake. If not, then by all means, skip cookie baking.
Now what cookies to bake? Well you got to have chocolate chip, and peanut butter. Plus some no bakes and sugar cookies, but also, I think, some type of gingerbread.
These cookies are the gingerbread something. I added cardamon because I think cardamom is delicious and think everyone will think so too, And lemon because lemon goes with cardamom and ginger and lemon cardamon ginger just has a nice ring to it. Then crinkle because I didn%u2019t really want to roll out dough and cut out shapes (I was being lazy), but I wanted pretty and I am really Into the crinkle look.
These cookies were a huge hit. Not crispy like a snap, but not cakey or overly soft. A nice chew and deep in flavor. The mr was basically smuggling these cookies all day before I had a chance to really hide them and he is not a typical gingerbread lover but he told me that these cookies might just be the best cookies he has ever had. So yeah, I guess this is now my new winner gingerbread cookie recipe.
And no joke, these are probably the best smelling cookies I have ever made. I wanted to bottle up the smell and wear it on me like a teenage boy wears a new bottle of axe. Seriously, I kept sniffing my sweater all day long just to get a good hit of the smell. So good!
Now to the cookies!
The stuff. In one bowl there is flour, salt, and baking soda and powder. The other bowl is brown sugar and molasses. There there is a couple flax eggs, some oil, a lemon for it%u2019s zest, and spices of ginger, cardamon, cinnamon, and black pepper. Also powdered sugar to roll and crinkle these cookies.
Wet stuff. Sugar, molasses, flax eggs, and oil. Mix until combined.
Dry stuff. Flour, baking soda and powder, salt, and the spices. Add in the lemon zest too and whisk to combine.
Wet into dry. Grab a wooden spoon and mix until a cohesive dough forms. And yes you can give up the spoon after a minute and use your hands to complete the mixing%u2026 I did.
After dough is mixed and uniform, pop the bowl into the fridge for a little while to give he dough some time to rest. Half an hour is good and you could even leave it for a day if you wanted to, just cover it if you do.
And when the dough has had it%u2019s time, scoop, roll into balls, ans roll around and completely coat in powdered sugar.
Sugars balls of dough. Now pop them into the oven.
TA DA! Baked and all crinkly.
Let the cookies cool on a wire rack because that%u2019s how all cookie cool. And smell that delicious oh so lovely smell. It really is amazing, no?
Then onto a serving plate and now you have cookies for your mouth face.
Happiest happys of all the days to come! Now go eat cookies!
-C
makes around 2 dozen cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pepper
zest of a lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2/3 cup neutral oil (I used canola)
2 flax eggs (6 tablespoon warm water mixed with 2 tablespoon ground flax seed)
1/2 -3/4 cup powdered sugar
To start, grab a bowl and mix together the brown sugar, molasses, oil, and flax seed eggs until completely combines. In another large bowl, whisk together the flour, all the spices (ginger, cardamon, cinnamon,and pepper), baking powder and soda, and salt. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry and mix together until a cohesive dough forms. Place dough in fridge for about a 1/2 hour to up to a day to let dough rest for a bit. If you are going to keep in the fridge for a while, just cover it up.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and measure out powdered sugar into a bowl
Remove dough from fridge and using a scoop or just eyeballing it, scoop about 2 tablespoons worth of dough. With each scoop, roll the dough into a ball and place into the bowl of the powdered sugar and roll around unit completely coated. Place ball on a baking sheet, giving it a little pat down, NOT squishing it down, just a little indent. And don%u2019t overcrowd balls, give them a little space.
When your baking sheet full, place Into hot oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until the cookies have puffed and flattened out a bit, are golden brown on the bottoms, and the tops are all crinkly and lovely. Once cooked all the way, remove from oven and transfer cookies onto a wire rack to cool.
Then eat a warm one. Heck, eat 2 warm ones, then do what you will with the rest.
Store cooled cookies in an air tight container at room temp for 3-4 days. They can also be frozen for long term storage but why do you need to store your cookies? Jest eat them.
Hey there friends! You doing alright? You good? Just checking in because I care.
My week was good, even if it did blow on by super fast. That%u2019s the way it always goes for me. The closer to the end of the year, the faster time seems to fly. You too? Anyway. I am talking it all in, trying to stay sane and not get pulled into the crazy that can happened this time of year. Mostly just talking all the long walks I need and staying out of the way but still enjoying the ones around me. There is a balance you know. And I am not afraid to run away when I need to.
So besides the norm of life, Tuesday was the mr%u2019s actual birthday so we celebrated. Just the two of us. After breakfast and heart shaped balloons, we went for an awesome drive to an awesome hike in the national forest. Yes it was a little rainy and the ground was so icy and I fell and jammed by arm, but it was still so so so nice. The waterfalls we saw we raging and there was not another human soul around. It was superb. Then we got lunch (he got lunch, I packed my own) and we ate our food near a much smaller waterfall. After that, coffee and then home where we watched a movie and finished making Christmas cards. Lasagna for dinner (for him, I ate chili) and a little heart shaped ice cream cake I made him (I am the best), gave him his pencil painting, and then we just hung out, I fell asleep, and that was that. Delightful, calm, and just really nice to spend the day together.
Rest of the week went on. Me, I was trying to get a few projects done. Worked at the studio, watched all the lovely snow completely melt. The mr has been working away at this and that and is keeping itself more then.
Yesterday was the 2nd annual sugar cookie house decorating extravaganza. And what a blast we had. A bunch of littles, a bunch of cookies and a bunch of candy. Amazingly enough, everyone ate all there lunches and refrained from eating all the candy. The restraint and force I saw in these littles eyes%u2026Gave me hope for the future. HA. But seriously, they were so into it and everyones turned out so great. Even the mr got into it and made a house topped with marshmallows and cauliflower. And after the houses were built, everyone left and I turned up the Christmas jams, grabbed the vacuum and all the cleaning rags, and set to work. Turns out tootsie rolls smashed into the floor is not easily removed.
Today is a day of catch up and errands. The mr is trying to finish up a project he needs to send off to the world, I need to get on finishing off some more rainbows. And maybe we should do some grocery shopping. And maybe I%u2019ll take a trip to the library. Stuff to do yes, but hopefully still a semi relaxing day. Maybe it will even get cold enough and start to snow. I need a walk in the snow.
Interesting internet from the week.
-I am kind of shocked the the number is so low. Come on people, cooking is awesome and makes you awesome. The Grocery Industry Confronts a New Problem: Only 10% of Americans Love Cooking
–Winter camping is a great way to see more nature and fewer people. I am going to start working the mr to get him to agree to go soon.
– Is it crazy that I miss landlines? OR more so, I think I miss that says of no cell phones. And now with cell phones, you can%u2019t eavesdrop on other people conversations , or like legally and easily anymore. How the Loss of the Landline Is Changing Family Life
–These 3 supertrees can protect us from climate collapse. But can we protect them? Trees are everything so of course trees are part of the answer to helping the planet. Hopefully humans don%u2019t fuck them up too.
-Did you get into the %u201cfinding joy%u201d of all your shit? How did that go? Did Marie Kondo fans keep their houses tidy all year?
–Shopping Sucks Now. I have always though shopping sucks, but I agree, it sucks even more. There is just to much!
–Drink Up, Calm Down. Fancy expensive drinks for wellness%u2026. I don%u2019t know, I totally believe that food is medicine but some of the shit out there%u2026. I guess just beware and don%u2019t fall for fancy pants weird language saying miracle and shit.
-imoprtant. How To Reduce Food Waste
–Do I Really Have to Clean My Sheets Every Week? And 9 Other Things We Were Told Are Mandatory. Yes YES YES to the sheets!
-Lovely. %u2018The Bird & the Whale%u2019 Tells a Short and Sweet Tale Using Paint-on-Glass Animation
And pictures from the week.
What do you think about at 5 o%u2019clock in the morning? Wait, are you awake at 5? Well I am and yes, I know that most people are not and think I am crazy for waking up so early, but it is and I do and whatever. Anyway, it%u2019s 5 o’clock and I am at the gym (yes, I wake up at 5 AND go to the gym) and me and my gym friend start talking about food (as usual) and what we were going to do with our Brussels sprouts that we got from the farm (I got her to join my CSA!). That is what I am usual thinking at 5. Food, and how to prepare it. And as the sprout conversation commerced, this is what materialized in my head. Crisp, crunchy fresh Brussels spouts, shredded up and tossed in a warm tangy cranberry sauce. My mouth was salivating and as usual, I left the gym hungry.
So I came home, drank all my coffee and then proceeded to make the sprout dish for lunch and let me tell you, this sprout slaw is amazing. Tangy and crunchy and all Brussels sprouty. It has a hardy salad feel without being heavy. It is a slaw that really get me, you know. (I actually don%u2019t know.)
Anyway, you should really get on the eating this Brussels sprouts slaw (or any Brussels sprouts dish) train now, before they go out of season and you end up buying kind of not great sprouts from the market that don%u2019t taste as good. Bad Brussels sprouts suck.
To the cranberry Brussels sprout slaw.
The stuff. Fresh Brussels sprouts, cranberries (fresh or frozen), some onion, balsamic vinegar, a little maple, dried cranberries and toasted walnuts, and salt and pepper.
Start with onion. Grab it and dice it nice and small.
Dump the onion into a skillet with a little pinch of salt and a splash of water and cook for a few minutes, just unit they are not raw anymore. Then add in the cranberries and 1/2 cup water. Cook on a low heat until the cranberries all pop and the sauce starts to thicken.
While cranberries are cooking, shred up the sprouts. Thin as you can get them.
Cranberries are now a thick and chunky sauce and oh so delicious. Add in the vinegar and maple here and give it a good stir and a taste test too. If it is too tart for your liking, add more maple. Think you might need a bit more vinegar, well splash it on it.
Now toss those shredded spouts it.
Stir it around. Season with salt and pepper and there it is.
Scoop into a bowl. Top with dried cranberries and walnuts and grab a fork.
This is good.
-C
serves 3-4 as a side or one person who wants to eat it all to themselves
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 a pound Brussels sprouts ( around 3 1/2- 4 cups shredded)
1 small or 1/2 a large onion
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or more to taste)
salt and pepper
1/2 -3/4 cup water
small handful dried cranberries (optional)
smal handfuls toasted walnuts (optional)
Start with dicing the onion up into small pieces. Place in a skillet with a small pinch of salt and a good splash of water and place on medium heat. Cook for a few minutes or until the water has evaporated and the onions are not raw. Add in the cranberries and 1/2 cup water. Keep on low heat and cook until the cranberries pop and start to thicken. If the cranberries are not cooked all the way and the water has evaporated out, just add another 1/2 cup.
While cranberries are cooking, shredded the Brussels sprouts, as thin as you can. A mandolin is great for this but a knife works too.
Once the cranberries have cooked down to a saucey consistency add in the vinegar and maple and stir around. Remove from heat and carefully taste the sauce. If you think it needs more maple or vinegar, add in another tablespoon until it tastes good to you. Dump in the shredded sprouts and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
And then it%u2019s done. You can dump it all into a bowl and sprinkle the dried cranberries and walnuts on top, or leave it in the skillet and do the same. Me,I scooped half into a bowl for pictures sake and ate the rest right out of the skillet. I then licked the skillet clean with my finger. Then ate the bowl full. SO good.
December in action and we are taking it at full speed. All the activities, the birthdays, the holiday celebrations%u2026 So much and I love it all, even if I feel like a crazy lady and want to run screaming from groups of people bigger the 2. I%u2019ll deal with the interactions now and just plan to spend the month of January hiding and recovering. I%u2019ll be ok.
The week started with the hunt for our Christmas tree. The Green Mountain National Forest, seventh year running, and this year did not disappoint. A fantastic hike into the woods near a beaver pond with lots of trees, snow on the ground, and no people. Exactly how I like to find our tree. And find it we did, the most perfect (too perfect?) tree. And it only took about an hour of almost cutting down like 20 other trees. Once we were positive, the mr cut it down, we said our thanks to the world, then hiked our tree out of the woods and slid it into the back of the car. Hopped in, cranked the Christmas music, and we were good to go. A perfect Christmas tree expedition.
Then life. Kind of a busy week in terms of birthdays. The beginning of the week Justin turned older by a year, then the next day Sophia did to so we partied with spaghetti, chocolate chocolate cake with tiny apples (she wanted it to be apple shaped but I just made little apples instead), and ballerina style dancing. Then there was a little lull in activities as far as birthdays where the mr and I did some stuff like work stuff, (more him then me), decorated, hung out with Barb, did the doings.
And then Friday. After an afternoon of loading kilns next to other kilns that were 2100 degrees and almost burning my face off, it was a rush to get home and prepare for the masses. Not technically the mr%u2019s birthday, but we had his annual grilled cheese and soup birthday celebration. Pretty much the whole fam at the house again. Lots of grilled cheeses sandwiches were made, so much soup was scooped (tomato and split pea per usual), and cake and ice cream concluded the night. And I only found half a grilled cheese sandwich under the couch when I was cleaning yesterday%u2026 Progress? I don%u2019t know, but there definitely was a few big dried soup puddles on the floor. But not on the couch! So there is that.
Back to Sunday. Not sure whats on the agenda for today but I have some stuff I need to do and I know that the mr has some stuff he needs to do. Plus together we have some stuff we need to do so we will see what gets done. Mostly though, I think I am shooting for a small hike, some coffee, and a chill afternoon of reading on the couch, facing the lit up Christmas tree. That would be swell.
Check out what I checked out from the internet this week.
–The Farmers’ Almanac Winter Forecast Is Here%u2014and Brrr!. Give me all the snow!!!!
-I can%u2019t imagine a life without reading. Not A Regular Reader? 4 Strategies To Make Reading A Habit
–Why Your Kid Loves the Garbage Truck So Much. I liked the cement trucks%u2026they don%u2019t stink an they spin.
-I am sorry, but this is some bullshit. Italian Artist’s Duct-Taped Bananas Are Selling for $120,000 Each
–How to Stop Making Excuses and Start Composting Already. And in Vermont, it%u2019t the law!
-Netflix is perverted. Ha! The Brands Are (Literally) Too Horny and Must Be Stopped
–Food delivery and takeout are on the rise. So are the mountains of trash they create.I like the idea of reusable metal tin. Could we get there?
–Here’s Why Your Favorite Headband Always Leaves You With a Headache. I used o wear headbands all the time, but had to stop because of the head pressure it caused.
–How Often, Really, Do You Follow This Recipe%u00a0Instruction?. Never but always. I like to add color to food, but only when it is edible and adds flavor.
-The sink that looks kind of like a mini tub%u2026. Swoon. For a Long Winter%u2019s Nap: A Manor House and a Schoolhouse in the German Countryside, Available for Stays
And pictures from the week
I don%u2019t think I can ever eat potatoes any other way ever again.
It started with me, doing my weekly pantry cleaning, you know, when I wipe down ever surface, count all the beans and lentils in the jars to make sure I am not running low, and inspect every squash for soft spots. I was just going about my thing when I looked over at my waffle iron. Poor, sad, underused. And it hit me. When was the last time I waffled anything? I remember how excited I was when I found it a few years back at a thrift store. Such a cutie little iron. When I brought it home, I used it a bunch of times for maybe a week or two. And then it was put away and I think I have busted it out like 3 times in the past 2 years. So not cool.
I also noticed I had a shit load of potatoes left from thanksgiving.
And there I had it, a reason to use the waffle iron and a way to use up the potatoes. And now, now I am a potato on the waffle iron addict, which is weird because I am not a overly potatoy person in general. But now with this new waffled hash brown thing, well I might just be eating potatoes all day, every day. (At least until I get sick of them or I run out of potatoes.) They come out soft and fluffy inside, super crispy in ever little nook and cranny, outside. Evenly, perfectly cooked. It%u2019s hard to explain, but they are just, ugh, so good, especially dipped in mustard for a fantastic hash brown snack. (Yes mustard, no not ketchup. Let me do me, you do you.) Or smothered in refried black beans topped with salsa and avocado (that was the dinner version). These hash browns. Just make some and you will see.
And no matter what happens with my hash brown phase, I will be damned if I ever let the waffle iron go so long without use. It deserves better then that.
To the best hash browns EVER!
The stuff. Potatoes, salt and pepper, and a little oil.
Shred potatoes. Simple, easy.
Place the shredded potatoes into a clean dish towel (avoid paper towels because paper towels are the devil) and squeeze as much of the liquid out as you can.
Dump the squeezed out shredded taters back into the bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix it around.
Oil your hot iron and pile on the potatoes. Then close it and press it down. It%u2019s a bit dependent on your iron how long they will need to cook fully, mine took about 9 minutes on high. But maybe just stand close by and check yours after 7ish minutes but expect maybe 10 or so.
Deep golden brown and crispy all over.
I mean, really look. Every surface browned and crispy. It is freaking perfection!
And then like any good waffled food, you plate it, and eat it. Me, with horseradish mustard and a big stupid smile.
Thank you waffle iron. You done good.
-C
makes 2-3 servings
2-3 small to medium sized starchy potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
couple teaspoons olive oil
teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Preheat your waffle iron to high
Shred potatoes on a box grater. Once shredded, gather in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much of the liquid as you can from the potatoes. Place potatoes back into bowl and add in about a teaspoon of each salt and pepper and mix around.
Open iron and brush with oil. Place shredded potatoes on the iron, kind of pack together, and close. If it locks, lock it shut, if it doesn%u2019t push it down. And let cook, for about 10 minutes, checking after 7ish (you iron might have more power the mine does). Once the potatoes are a deep golden crispy brown, remove from iron.
Then eat. Any way you want. Plain, with mustard or ketchup. Next to some scramble something or another. Piled high with some black beans and salsa. Whatever. Just eat them and be happy for the waffle iron.