Christmas Pizelle

My Italian grandfather always had licorice flavored candies of some description around, and every so often a batch of pretty pizelle cookies from the Italian bakery. Love 'em or hate'em, that's usually the case. And guess what? I love pizelle! Some people are turned off by the traditional anise (licorice) flavor, but I enjoy their light texture and that zingy flavor. Although they are a cookie, they're not terribly sweet, and compliment the Christmas sugar overload nicely. They're delicious with coffee or hot chocolate too!

I was perusing the Crate and Barrel sale section and this CucinaPro pizelle maker jumped out*. I liked the idea of making my own fancy cookies, because I'm historically not great with baking cookies, so this will be foolproof, right?! Reviews told me this model is well-made, and easy to use. Tonight I tried it out with high hopes of becoming a pizelle making machine, maybe it will be a Christmas miracle...

Backyard Chickens in the Snow

Now that most people know we have chickens, the number one question we get is, "Are they okay in the cold?!" And the short answer is, "yes, they're fine".

Generally chickens are hardy little beasts, and just like other wild animals they have ways to keep themselves warm in the winter. They mainly use body heat from one another to stay warm in the coop, which is enough. We also took note to get breeds that are relatively "cold hardy". Our two Rhode Island Reds will venture out in yard with a light coating of snow, brave little girls they are. But 2 inches and above, all five of them hang out in the run and coop. Here are a few things that we're doing for the flock to help them get through the winter weather.

You can see the girls poking their heads out of the run.

December Playlist: 2013 In Review

When you need a breather from non-stop Christmas tunes, here a few tracks from some of my favorite releases of 2013. 

Thanksgivingworthy Apple Pie

Apple pie is a Thanksgiving staple in my book. Although I'm an expert at eating them, I'm not an expert at baking them, yet. Emily was with me on Saturday night and walked me through this recipe because she clearly possesses superior baking skills and she's also admitted to making mini versions of this for herself from time to time, check it out here. Why did we make an apple pie a whole week before Thanksgiving? Because we can, that's why.

Homemade Horseradish Sauce

My aunt gave me a horseradish plant in the spring. Fun, I like horseradish. I planted it in a sunny spot outside of the garden beds because I was warned that it will take up a lot of space. The plant flourished throughout the growing season, producing long large leaves that sprouted into a big dome shape. I never watered it or tended to it, it just grew in the corner of the yard. Yesterday as we prepped the lawn for winter, mowing, raking and mulching, I figured it was time to unearth the horseradish that I had all but forgotten about.

DIY Mason Jar Pendant Lamp

If you're ever on Pinterest surely you've seen a version of this, a million times. But I liked the look, and we wanted to replace the pendants that came with the kitchen without spending too much. I looked into changing just the glass shade but nothing would fit properly. A decent-looking full pendant assembly costs at least $50 per lamp, and we needed three. Making our own mason jar lamps looked like a good alternative at a cost of $20 a piece. Worth it!

Coconut Curry Acorn Squash: Two Days, Two Ways

It's the season of the squash! One of my favorite, the acorn squash, is a staple in the supermarket and I always tend to throw a few in the cart. Unlike the unyielding butternut, acorn squashes are easily halved and roasted. Wednesday I wanted to make a mild side to go with Rogan Josh spiced chicken and lentils (very similar to the Maharajah Curry). A smooth and coconutty mashed squash would compliment the heat nicely. Since I had two squashes I roasted them both to make enough for two meals.

DAY ONE:

November Playlist

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Happy Halloween! I already posted about all the treats I was making for myself, so today here's a little something festive for all the puppies in our lives. Emily made Dante homemade dog treats last year for Christmas and he went berserk for them, which says a lot because he is extraordinarily picky about his treats. The one store-bought treat he loves is a duck jerky, but unfortunately there's been a lot of warnings going around about harmful chemicals used aging the jerky made in China and making many dogs very ill. Yup, ours is made in China, into the trash it goes!

When I was in the pet store looking for new treats I saw a stack of pumpkin puree for doggies. I read the label and it's meant to be good for their digestion. The ingredients read: organic pumpkin puree. Hmmm, why would I pay extra for this can because there is a cute dog on the front? I went home and baked these with the canned pumpkin I had, for humans. These are easy enough to make for the baking impaired, like myself.

Professor Sibyll Trelawney Costume

I love Halloween. Dressing up in homemade costumes is so much fun for me and I kinda wish I had an excuse do it more often. So I usually jump at any opportunity where it's socially acceptable to get my geek on. This get-up was for a Harry Potter weekend in Chestnut Hill.  If you already own a lot of bangles, you're half-way to a decent Professor Trelawney costume!  I chose to imitate Emma Thompson's version of the character in film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. You don't have to be spot on, but there are a few must-haves to convey the look of the looney Divination teacher... or be mistaken for a new-age ceramics instructor living in Tucson*.

Homemade Halloween Candy

As a kid it was a cardinal Trick-or-Treating rule to not eat any homemade or opened items. Which is a shame now because I love the idea of making my own Halloween candy. But who says you have to make it for the Trick-or-Treaters? Instead, be a hit in the office or at a party. Here's a few recipes for better-than-store-bought-candy. Although I've only attempted the peanut butter cups (my favorite) I hope to be indulging my sweet tooth in the next week, and maybe getting a stomachache or two.

Beet and Spinach Orzo

So I have to admit I haven't been stellar at keeping up with Meatless Mondays, but we do have a lot of meatless other days. I feel like I've significantly reduced our meat consumption, which is the end goal anyway. And now that the chickens are laying we can get a lot of our protein from eggs. I got some tasty beets from the farmer's market and wanted them to be the star of something. I found this recipe on Food52, I know, I'm on there a lot, but I had this recipe saved and decided to make it last night.