siblings are my favorite.

{mexican wedding balls}


{christmas cookies and oreo truffles}

I am the middle of five kids. I am so blessed to have four siblings, each with a very different personality and temperament, but each so dear to me.

This Christmas, my two older brothers, both married, are spending the holidays with their respective spouses. While I love that they married into families who celebrate and view the holidays as family time, I miss their presence in ours.

So that leaves me and the younger two home for the holidays. Our town is pretty small, and most of my friends have moved on from this area, so Christmastime at home becomes all about the siblings, and holiday baking.

My sister and I have spent the past few days creating some of our all-time favorites. Christmas is a time of celebration, and so much of that is done with good food. Here is a preview of what we will be feasting on today.


{oreo truffles}


{home-made caramel corn}

gingerbreading.

{a gingerbread cottage}

This semester of grad school has been overflowing. The amount of work and time has been daunting, but the end is nearing increasingly fast. I feel myself longing for the end, yet not wanting to wish the season away.

This past weekend, I had a 20page research paper due on the significance of the water-to-wine story in the gospel of John. Approaching the paper, I felt intimidated; having finished the paper I feel accomplished. It is quite a task to enter into a gospel, and attempt to knowledgeably and articulately explain the significance of a miracle to a professor who is considered an expert in the field. I found myself feeling insecure in my own ability to articulate thought as I approached the paper. I finished at 2am Saturday morning.

Sunday afternoon was one of lingering over lunch and remixing Christmas hymns with the djembe at a friend's apartment. It was lovely. And in sitting there, belting out gospel-versions of "O Holy Night" I was reminded of the purpose of writing my John paper. The purpose, of obtaining any form of knowledge, is to pull us deeper into the source of love. The purpose, of understanding the historical significance of a miracle in a gospel, is so that I can better know he who performed the miracle. The purpose, is to enter deeper into that source, abundant and outpouring source of love.

On Friday, as a fun preface to all of the weekends' work, a group of us spent the evening making gingerbread houses. Tis the season. Of fun, of joy, and most of all LOVE.


{candy overload}

thankful!

thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
it is so lazy, family oriented, and all about FOOD.
yum.

i am a lover of the classics; i love turkey and stuffing and sweet potato casserole...

Each year our family goes ALL OUT for thanksgiving. We start with 2 hours of appetizers, consisting of corn chowder, cheeses, various crackers, bottles and bottles of wine, and this year SUSHI. Homemade, phenomenal sushi, with chili mayonnaise. A bit non-traditional, but delicious.

spice and ease.

{roasted sweet potatoes}

Yesterday afternoon was a lazy one.
I came home and spent the afternoon in my apartment making jewelry and puttying around with new craft supplies.
But I needed a good lunch.
So I whipped up some spicy fish, cabbage-lentil soup, and roasted sweet potatoes. So easy. And so yummy.


{broiled white fish with onions and spice, and lentil-cabbage soup}

Broiled Fish:
1 Filet whitefish, tilapia, or other flaky fish
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Sliced Onions
Spices (I used Jerk seasoning)

Drizzle the fish in olive oil, spread with onions and spice, broil for about six minutes, or until fish is flaky and cooked through.

Sweet Potatoes:
Slice a sweet potatoe into wedge-like pieces. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil and 2teaspoons of garlic salt. Cook at 425 for 15 minutes, and then broil them for a couple minutes until crispy.

Cabbage Lentil Soup:
This was a reheat for me.
Here is the recipe.
I added a head of shredded cabbage to my pot while the soup was simmering.

temperature dropping.

{crab-cake stuffed pitas and roasted red pepper and tomato soup}


{garlic roasted asparagus and balsamic french bread toasts}


This week, it has gotten progressively colder. If you know me, you know full well that I hate winter. I loathe it actually. I think my body temperature runs at 2 degrees below the normal population, so I walk around in the cold, bitter at the misery I am experiencing.

However, I do have to say, that comfort food is one of my favorite things. Winter offers a lot of opportunities to hole up in my apartment and make, eat, and enjoy comfort food.

Warm, savory things, have been my niche lately. This week, I was house-sitting. It was wonderful to be in a large, well-stocked kitchen, with endless possibilities at my fingertips. For dinner, I made crab-cake stuffed pitas, roasted red-pepper and tomato soup (from Trader Joes) and garlic-roasted asparagus with pine nuts. Two of my dear friends came for dinner, and our table conversation consisted of an analysis of what it means to "play the game."

Highlights:
1. To play the game, its a lot like throwing the ball back and forth.
2. In order to play the game, you have to trust that the other person wants, and is willing to catch the ball from you.
3. Some girls play the game out of insecurity... Throwing the ball every direction hoping someone will catch it; or not throwing the ball at all, because they don't trust that anyone wants to catch it.
4. Really, there is no formula to "the game." And most of the time, you learn how to play, while you play.


Anyways. Here are some recipes. Try it out.

Crab-Cake Stuffed Pitas
Serves 4

4 Pre-made Crab-cakes, or home-made if you have the time!
4 Whole-Wheat Pitas
2 Cups Shredded Cabbage
8 Tablespoons Hummus
1 Cup Sliced Red Peppers
1/2 Sliced Avocado
Other assorted Vegetables
Feta Cheese

Cook the crab cakes according to directions. Meanwhile, warm pitas in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Slice each pita and stuff with hummus, cabbage, peppers, avocado, and other vegetables. When the Crab cakes are finished cooking, slice them in half and put two-halves in each pita. Top with Feta Cheese and garlic mustard if desired.


Garlic Roasted Asparagus:

2 Cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Bunch of Asparagus
1/2 Cup Pine-nuts

Mince garlic. Stir into olive oil. Place asparagus on cookie sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil mixture. Sprinkle pine nuts over the asparagus. Bake at 450degrees for about 15 minutes.


Balsamic French Bread Toasts:

Slice a loaf of french bread. Dip each slice in a mixture of equal parts balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with cheese of choice (I used mozzarella and Parmesan). Bake in the oven with the asparagus (or at 450degrees for 15 minutes).
These are a great addition to any soup!

chaicake monday.

oh my goodness.

it has literally been a month sincei have posted. that is RIDICULOUS.

i guess it is representative of the last month though. it has been a time of chaos, and unfortunately the documentation of food in my life has taken the back-burner.

today, however, i am going to attempt to jump back in.

mondays are interesting. they are usually full, with meetings, class, and more meetings.

tonight, i was able to slow down a bit and enjoy some homemade pizza, roasted sweet potatoes and chai cake with friends.

this morning, while mulling over dinner's upcoming menu, i invented a chai cake in my head. i love chai, fall flavors, and i LOVE ending a good meal with a fabulous dessert. so here is the recipe... it is an explosion in your mouth. literally.

chai cake with chai glaze:

1 stick butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 heaping scoops of chai powder (about 6 Tablespoons-i used the kind from Trader Joes)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 package brown sugar instant oatmeal

1/2 flour

Glaze:

1/4 cup sour cream

1 heaping scoop of chai powder

2 cups powdered sugar

2-6 Tablespoons of Milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

For the cake, cream together butter and sugar. Add chai powder, and vanilla and blend til smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly stir in flour and baking power and salt. Pour batter into a well greased 8x8 or 9x9 square pan.

Make the filling by blending all ingredients until crumbly. Pour evenly over the top of cake. (It will sink during baking.)

Bake the cake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Mix the sour cream, chai powder, and sugar, slowly adding milk until the consistency is glaze-like.

When the cake is done, serve warm with each piece individually poured with glaze.

cupcake friday.

I have been busy this week. Clearly that is represented by my lack of posts. But last night, I got in the mood to bake. I have been supplying my afternoon class with spontaneous baked goodies throughout this semester, so I decided to bake them vanilla cupcakes to celebrate Friday. Thank goodness for weekends.

These are vanilla cupcakes with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting. They were very easy to make, and have rich gooey consistency.

Makes about 24 cupcakes
2 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend Sugar and butter on high til fluffy. In a separate bowl whisk eggs and milk and vanilla. Add to butter mixture. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full. Bake at 325degrees until golden, or about 20 minutes.

YUM!

great. and full.

today is 85 degrees and sunny.

this is unheard of in chicago in october.

i am loving it.

it is glorious. the colors of fall are so vibrant, and the trees are radiant with reds and oranges and yellows.

today i feel remarkably grateful.

in a book titled The Best Thing I Ever Tasted, Sallie Tisdale writes a memoir about her love for food. She says, "Food fills many empty spaces. It can be symbolic, mythic, even archetypal- and nothing special. How we feel about food is how we feel about our own lives..."

today i feel remarkably grateful. For life, and for food.

On Friday night, my friend Annie and I invited our professor and his wife over for dinner. It was lovely. Their company and conversation offered both a blessing and insight. It felt joyous to share a meal with a couple who is approaching their 35th wedding anniversary. We discussed at length relational dynamics and what it means to be immersed in a culture with very reactive dating tendencies. I am grateful for their wisdom.

I am grateful for fall and sunshine.

I am grateful for friends and color and the ability to walk into the grocery store and choose what will nourish my body for the week.

{in my kitchen. mushroom and red pepper flatbread in hand.}

to make a flatbread.

start with pizza dough. You can get a basic recipe here.

Spread your dough onto a cornmealed pizza stone.

toss together an assortment of veggies, seeds, nuts, olive oil, and cheeses.

top with more cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic salt.

cook in your oven at 425 degrees until cheese is bubbly and crust is brown.

some favorites:

butternut squash, onions, sunflower seeds, and provolone.

pepper, mushroom, parmesan and mozzarella.

apple, maple, walnut and cheddar.

fall for soups.

Fall is the perfect time for soup.

The weather has begun to change, and with the coming of the cold, there is nothing better than sitting down to dinner to a warm bowl of soup.

I have never cooked with eggplant, but this past weekend I decided to experiment. I have eaten eggplant, love it, and love the color, but I have never attempted to cook it. I found a couple of eggplants on sale at Valli Produce, and decided to try something new.

I stumbled upon a recipe for eggplant and chick-pea soup. It sounded risky, but adventurous, which I am all about. The recipe was easy. It consisted of roasting chickpeas and eggplant, and then warming up a delicious garlic broth, and cooking it all together.

The soup was a hit. My guests loved it, and it will absolutely become a repeat in my fall-soup-repertoire. We added a simple flatbread and spaghetti squash, and it became the perfect warm-me-up Friday night dinner.

coffee break.

A biscotti is a hard cookie, perfect to dip in a steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

A respite in the day, biscotti and coffee often offer me a much needed afternoon break.

Biscotti is fun and easy to make. It is tactile, but simple, and can be filled with a variety of ingredients. Try figs, nuts, dried fruit, white chocolate.

{dark chocolate and cranberry vanilla biscotti}

willing to die

you give up your will;

keep still, until

moved by what moves all else,

you move.

-wendell berry

I like vegetables. A lot. I like things that grow from the ground, or on plants, that come in seasons. My parents own a small plot in a community garden, and while at home this fall, I was able to gather tomatoes for our dinner. They were delicious.

Cooking is often nostalgic for me. It reminds me of childhood, and of family. My mom has incredible intuition with food. I have childhood memories of my mom taking random ingredients and creating masterpieces for dinner. She knew the way to combine, and play, and experiment with food to form the most phenomenal and unique dishes.

Perhaps my love of cooking was birthed long ago, at home.

This morning, while eating an apple and cheddar frittata, I had a yearning for home. To be in the kitchen, with my family, or in the garden, with my sister.

Today I am thankful for food and memory, and for the ability to remember.

break. but not fast.

this year has seemed to be thematically narrated by food.

Thus far, in my school year, I have managed to have some fabulous food memories. I was reflecting on this today while I waited for my friends Bekah and Angela to come and join me for breakfast. Sitting at my kitchen table, I watched the campus walk by, sipped my coffee, and breathed in the aroma of fresh baked oatmeal and cinnamon bread.

It's really quite grand, to be in the presence of good company, and to share good food. I could not ask for much more.

We enjoyed our meal slowly, taking time to breathe between bites. We refilled our coffee cups. We ate with the windows open. We lingered.

{cranberry and corn pancakes with eggs and fruit}

In my opinion, breakfast should be slow. There is something beautiful about taking the time in the morning to be still, to be reflective, and to enjoy the company of friends. This morning we laughed hard about about memories, talked dreams of future, and reveled over daily crushes. It was fun, and slow, and memorable.

Perhaps that was my main reflection. Breakfast should never be fast. It should be enjoyed, and slow, and in the company of good friends.

{my friend Sally and I at an orchard in Michigan. That is a Honeycrisp Apple. Delicious.}

I am feeling exhausted today. I am supposed to be studying for a test that I will be taking in two hours, and instead, I find myself wanting to look up recipes.

Friday will be October. That is unbelievable. It seems so odd that we are entering deeply into the fall. So before we leave September, I have to acknowledge on of my favorite foods.

The apple.

Its remarkable.

There are so many varieties, shapes, colors, tastes. Some are crisp and tart, others sweet and soft. I am an advocate of the apple. It lands on my top five list of foods, hands down.

And who doesn't love an apple orchard.

These bars, though simple, are one of the best gooey fall treats I have had. Top them with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream and you will experience bliss. Its a promise.

Apple Brownies

1 ½ Sticks Margarine

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

2 Eggs

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Cup Chopped Apples

Bake in a 350 degree oven in a 9x13 pan for about 30 minutes or until set in center.

o-pie, oh my.

Word of today.

Accolade.

it means, 'an expression of praise or admiration.'

My dear friend Annie recently got me hooked on a show called Pushing Daisies. It is about a pie-maker who has the ability to bring the dead back to life. Odd, yes. But very entertaining.

Shortly after the show addiction began, Annie became inspired to bake her first pie. It was phenomenal and the inspiration somehow spread to me.

On a day that required rich chocolate and indulgence, I chose to make a peanut butter-chocolate-banana cream pie with a home-made graham cracker crust.

I can admit I am classically girl. There are days where I clearly need rich, dark, mood-altering chocolate.

On an emotional day, where you need some form of food gratification or coping, make this.

dinner party.

{black bean soup with home-made croutons and avocado}

I love cooking for people.

If I had my way, I think I would cook for a friend everyday.

I have learned about myself that food is somewhat of a love language. To cook for a friend represents providing for them, inviting them into my space, and sharing a necessary piece of life with them.

On Friday, some friends came over for a dinner party. It was lovely. There was seven of us, all women, and each one of them has become someone special to me over my past year in grad school.

Our question of the evening was to choose five words to describe yourself. It was insightful, and a fun exercise of naming ourselves.

Walt Whitman has a beautiful poem titled What am I After All

he says;

What am I after all but a child, pleas'd with the sound

of my own name? repeating it over and over;

I stand apart to hear - it never tires me.

To you your name also;

Did you think there was nothing but two or three

pronunciations in the sound of your name?

I love to see the process of an individual naming herself. I love to see people owning the things within them that they love.

This, in my opinion, is a walk toward freedom.

oh, and my words were...

ebullient

playful

reflective

dreamer

{roasted red pepper, mushroom, and parmesan flatbread}

{pepper flatbread, zuccini and walnut pasta, squash flatbread, spinach and feta salad, and black bean soup}

falling in love with food in the fall.

I have recently begun to fall in love with food.

Truthfully, I have always loved food.

But recently, I have become increasingly adoring of the ways to create, to experiment, and to enjoy good food.

So, I have jumped in. Full force.

My life has begun to slow a bit over the past week. Up until then, my days had been chaos, scheduled to the minute, and now, with the coming of a slower pace, I find that my internal speed is struggling to adjust to the halt. Perhaps cooking has become a way to stay busy, to keep my mind going.

But if I am honest, I think it is more than that. Cooking, in my opinion is play, it is learning, it is joy for me to create.

My food of the month is Squash. I am obsessed. Fall foods are so fun. Squash. Its a weird word, it looks weird, taste incredibles, and compliments any meal.

With our dinner the other night, I made a butternut squash flatbread with cheddar, sunflower seeds, and onions. Yum. And Fun.

It's easy. And unique. Try it.