December 24, 2014

Chocolate chip snowball cookies

Tin filled with parchment paper and chocolate chip snowball cookies.

Mini chocolate chips are nestled into these delicious little buttery cookies that are coated in powdered sugar to look like festive snowballs. 

December 22, 2014

Roasted heirloom sweet meat squash and chestnut soup


It's Christmas week and Week 8 of 12 Weeks of Winter Squash! This week I'm sharing a recipe that is lovely for a holiday dinner starter. It's made with a beautiful blue heirloom squash called "sweet meat" and it lives up to its name. This squash is sweet, dense, and meaty and the flesh is a beautiful bright orange - you just know this sucker is going to fill you up with vitamins. My father-in-law grew it in his huge garden this year, so we received a few of them. I had never seen these squash before so as a HUGE winter squash lover, I was very excited to try a new kind! Look at how pretty it is!



Of course, if you can't find your very own sweet meat squash, you can substitute a blue hubbard, kabocha, or red kuri squash as they are somewhat similar in texture and sweetness. You can also grow you own sweet meats next year! They make beautiful decorations, too! 

This soup will serve four as a side or starter. It's filled with other holiday flavors like chestnuts, apple, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

December 19, 2014

Orange-scented cranberry cake with sugared cranberries

Finished orange scented cranberry cake with sugared cranberries.

Sugared cranberries are something I've been wanting to make for a while now because they just look so pretty and festive. Recently, we had a birthday dinner for my mom and I was in charge of the dessert. She requested a cranberry cake and this gave me the opportunity to make sugared cranberries to decorate this cake studded with fresh cranberries and orange zest. My mom doesn't like frosting, so I went with a very light glaze made with fresh orange juice - or you could top each slice with some freshly whipped cream and the sugared cranberries. Everyone enjoyed the cake and my husband really enjoyed the sugared cranberries and was eating them like candy!

This cake was adapted from this recipe that I've had marked for a while now. I'm really glad I gave this cake a try. It was only lightly sweet, but sweet enough, with punches of tartness from the fresh cranberries. I really do love fresh cranberries and do not use them nearly enough in my cooking. I'm changing that for sure. If you are looking for an elegant holiday dessert, look no further! It's a bit of a process, but the results are worth it. I'll definitely be making sugared cranberries more often now!

Cranberry cake on a platter with sugared cranberries.

December 15, 2014

Smoky garlic, delicata squash, and bacon pizza

Finished garlic, delicata squash, and bacon pizza.

I love delicata squash because not only are they delicious, but they are so pretty and very quick cooking. I've been thinking about putting winter squash on a pizza for a while now and finally decided that delicata would be the winner. 

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The sweet, creamy squash pairs so nicely with the salty, smoky, and crispy bacon. To up the smoky deliciousness of the pizza, I used smoked mozzarella.

For my pizza crust, I almost always use this recipe. For this pizza I used this crust which I find usually makes two pizzas that are about 10-11 inches in diameter (this depends on how much flour your dough takes that day given the humidity, etc.) 

This recipe is for two pizzas about that size. We make pizzas probably about once a week or every two weeks. We love pizza and now that I've discovered these simple dough recipes, it's so simple to make at home. Plus, you can try out all sorts of toppings and combinations!

Sliced finished pizza.

December 10, 2014

Hot buttered spiced apple cider with rum

This recipe contains alcohol and is intended for those readers who are 21 and over. Please drink responsibly. 

Glasses of Hot buttered spiced apple cider with rum.

How can it be that this is only the second drink containing alcohol that I've shared on this blog?!? I mean, really? I guess it's mainly because my husband and I are generally boring drinkers - beer, whiskey on the rocks, or the occasional glass of wine. We don't really make a lot of mixed drinks except when he whips up a martini every now and again... However, I think it's time to change that. 

I've been wanting to try a buttered rum or hot toddy or some other warm and festive drink for a while now. This drink is a combination of hot buttered rum and hot spiced apple cider and it's delicious - so perfect for the holidays or any cold evening. A lot of the recipes I read for buttered rum were loaded with butter and brown sugar! My version is lighter on both of those and will make two drinks. The addition of butter is just enough to add a touch of creaminess and froth to the drink. 

I'm sharing this cocktail recipe today in celebration of 5 years of this blog! I never imagined I'd still be blogging about recipes and, even crazier, that I don't see an end in sight - I still have so many recipes I want to make and share! I'm thrilled to have "met" so many fantastic, creative, and inspiring people through this medium. I truly thank all of you who stop by and read, leave comments, share and talk on social media, etc. So this drink is a toast to all of you! Cheers!

Hot buttered spiced apple cider with rum topped with ground spice.

December 3, 2014

Whole wheat acorn squash waffles with walnut and cinnamon syrup

Plate of whole wheat acorn squash waffles topped with walnuts and cinnamon maple syrup.

I've been on a bit of a breakfast recipe kick lately when it comes to winter squash. This time, it's waffles - waffles infused with a mashed acorn squash, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and topped with more cinnamon, sticky toasted walnuts, and warm maple syrup. 

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Yes, this is my kind of weekend breakfast. I wanted to use acorn squash for a couple of reasons. The first is that we had some really small ones, so I was hoping that i would be able to use it all in the recipe and not have any leftover squash remains. 

The second is that acorn squash is not very sweet when compared to many winter squashes and I like this in a breakfast that I'm going to douse in maple syrup. I'm not a fan of sweet overload, especially in the morning.

This recipe made 9 waffles for me, though this will depend on the size and shape of your waffle iron.

Side view of a stack of whole wheat acorn squash waffles.

December 1, 2014

OSOhome personalized wood cutting board review {and special offer!}

Disclosure: OSOhome provided me with the cutting board for my review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Photo courtesy of OSOhome - I love the apple!

 Today I'm doing a post that's a bit different (i.e., not a recipe), but I hope you will enjoy it! 

I was lucky enough to meet Monica of OSOhome at the World on Your Plate 11th Annual Conference on Food & Sustainable Living in October where I sat in on her Entrepreneurship workshop. I took this workshop on a hunch that I might pick up some good tips and ideas for growing and marketing my blog. Little did I know that I would also meet someone who owns a small business that creates beautiful and eco-friendly wood cutting boards and is also pretty local to me (just a short drive over the bridge)! As you all know, I'm very passionate about local foods, supporting local farmers and food artisans, and also the environment, so when they asked me to review their cutting boards - it was a no-brainer! I am picky about the companies I support and promote on my blog, but after meeting Monica, learning about their company, and receiving the product, I'm a full supporter of their work!

 My cutting board after I opened the box. The wrapping and presentation was very pretty.

November 28, 2014

Mexican hot chocolate cookies

Platter of Mexican hot chocolate cookies.

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies with a hint of cayenne and cinnamon make these delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies.

November 24, 2014

Pumpkin spice granola

Serving bowl of pumpkin spice granola.

Granola is a staple in our household, though usually it's in bar form (I need to update that recipe as I've made many changes over the years, especially in reducing the sugar). We make granola bars almost every Sunday for our weekday breakfast. Every once in a while though, I crave granola cereal with cool creamy milk. It's usually happens around this time of year when there's pumpkin puree around because that's how I almost always make it. I love granola that is full of spices. It fills your home with wonderful aroma as it bakes. You can eat this granola just as is, but I like to eat it as cereal or with plain yogurt. I wanted to have it around for Thanksgiving week for quick, nutritious breakfasts that make me think fall! Plus, it's a perfect recipe for Week 4 of 12 Weeks of Winter Squash!

On a side note, it seems that the manual focus is working better on my camera, so I'm getting decent photos again now (autofocus is still toast). I love the little pitcher in this photo. My Grandmother made it and the matching plates in her ceramics class!

Finished pumpkin spice granola.

November 10, 2014

Pepperoni pizza-stuffed spaghetti squash

Baking dish with two halves of pepperoni pizza stuffed spaghetti squash.

I've recounted my former distaste of spaghetti squash before and how all that changed once I started eating it like this and this. Well, this pepperoni pizza-stuffed version is another recipe that makes me love spaghetti squash and even look forward to when it is in season. 

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I guess the secret of my love of this squash has been cheese, but hey, that's alright I suppose. This recipe takes all the flavors of a pepperoni pizza and mixes them into a spaghetti squash that is baked again with mozzarella cheese on top. A low-carb pizza casserole if you will. 

We both enjoyed this dish a lot. It was hot, bubbly, cheesy, comforting, and just really good.

This recipe will serve two people. You'll want a half of a spaghetti squash per person. I served these with a salad for a complete meal.

Pepperoni pizza stuffed spaghetti squash on a serving plate with a salad.

October 30, 2014

Spooky chocolate chip spider cookies

Plate of chocolate chip spider cookies.

It's almost Halloween and you still have time to make a creepy and fun treat like these chocolate chip cookies infested with chocolate spiders inspired by the idea at Real Simple magazine

October 16, 2014

Honey-sesame cashews

Bowl of honey sesame cashews.

Cashews are roasted and coated in honey, vanilla, and sesame seeds to make a sweet and delicious snack. These make a lovely snack to have with some drinks or to set out at a party. 

October 13, 2014

Apple ring pancakes

Serving plate of apple ring pancakes.

I warned you that apple recipes would be coming since we recently picked a bushel. I canned a few batches of applesauce and we've been eating them with our lunch every day, but it still leaves plenty for cooking with as well. One thing I've been waiting for apple season to make is these apple ring pancakes. 

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I got the idea from my Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook (which I love - there's been a free e-cookbook on Amazon for a while now. I have two different print versions and this one may be different as well). 

However, this recipe was for deep-fried apple fritter rings and while that sounds delicious, it wasn't quite what I wanted for breakfast. So, I decided to dip them in a spiced pancake batter instead. Served with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, some real maple syrup, and a couple breakfast sausages made these a perfect weekend breakfast. 

I must say that these three turned out the nicest, that's why they are in the photo. Most of them were a little messier, but they were still delicious!

Pouring maple syrup onto apple ring pancakes.

October 9, 2014

Sweet potato and chocolate swirl bread

Sliced loaf of sweet potato and chocolate swirl bread.

Sweet potatoes and chocolate come together in this swirled quick bread that is perfectly delicious all fall and winter long.

October 2, 2014

Pan-fried finger dumplings


October is here! This kicks off the start of my favorite two months of the year (October and November) - Halloween, Thanksgiving, apples, pumpkins, winter squash, grapes, cool weather, colored leaves, wedding anniversary - yay! October also means that we have at least one German "Oktoberfest" dinner, including some delicious fall beers. Last fall my husband and I went to a German restaurant for our anniversary dinner and I chose finger dumplings as one of my side dishes. They looked pretty much like what I made here and reminded me of a large Spaetzle. I looked in my German cookbook to see if there was a finger dumpling (or similar) recipe. I didn't find one, so I adapted the Spaetzle recipe. If you have any interest in German cooking, I highly recommend The German Cookbook. It's not fancy, but it's full of traditional German fare and is a great book.

This recipe will make two hearty servings. Serve these finger dumplings with German sausages such as a bratwurst, applesauce, and some German Sweet & Sour Red Cabbage or sauerkraut for a perfect Oktoberfest dinner (don't forget the beer). You may also like these hot and cold versions of German Potato Salad.

September 29, 2014

Pumpkin pie French toast

Stack of pumpkin pie French toast on a plate.

We started Long Island cheese pumpkins (in the photos) from seed this year and planted them over at my father-in-law's big garden. We were over there last weekend and checked on them and saw that we have a lot of pumpkins. A few were ripe so we grabbed a couple. The first thing I noticed is how adorable they are and what a lovely shade of orange they are on the outside. I roasted one up right away and froze a bunch of puree (and have a feeling I'll be doing more of that). I'm excited to give these pumpkins a try in pumpkin pie because they have a sweet, dense, bright orange flesh and according to some of my research they were historically a preferred pie pumpkin. Since we have a lot of pumpkins on our plants, you can probably expect even more pumpkin recipes this fall/winter!

One of my favorite fall weekend breakfasts is this French toast. The custard is full of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices. It's delicious, especially with an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, a good drizzle of real maple syrup, and some sage breakfast sausage. This recipe will make about 8 slices of French toast. 

Top of pumpkin pie French toast.

September 18, 2014

Chicken and apple curry

Finished plate of Chicken and Apple Indian Curry with a bowl of rice.

Autumn apples, apple cider, and warm Indian spices come together in this delightful and unique chicken curry meal. 

September 15, 2014

Pumpkin spice loaf cake

Sliced pumpkin spice loaf cake.

Behold, my first pumpkin recipe of the season! I couldn't wait any longer! Over the weekend I decided it was high time to kick off pumpkin season with this pumpkin spice loaf cake. This loaf is pretty simple to make and while I usually love to toss in nuts and/or chocolate chips when I make pumpkin baked goods, I wanted this to be all about the pumpkin and pumpkin spices that we all crave in the fall. While baking, the whole place smelled of warm pumpkin spice, which was perfect for a crisp day. This is a lovely treat for after a day outside or with a hot cup of tea for an autumn weekend snack.

This recipe will make one 9 x 5-inch loaf. Most quick breads/loaf cakes have at least one cup of sugar in them, but I almost always cut down the sugar. Feel free to add more for a sweeter cake. I dusted it with powdered sugar only to make it look prettier for the photo - that's completely optional. A glaze would also be nice, or a smear of pumpkin butter on individual slices would be even better.

Have you made your first pumpkin recipe of the season yet??

Finished pumpkin spice loaf cake topped with powdered sugar.

September 9, 2014

Jalapeno popper chicken chili


Soup and chili season is arriving! I absolutely love making and eating a hot and hearty soup when the weather is crisp and cool. My husband and I took a walk at the nearby park yesterday evening and noticed that the leaves are starting to fall and that they were crunching under our feet. The squirrels were packing away acorns, crane flies were hovering over the grass, and the smell of fall was in the air (although it's still a bit warm). It's my favorite time of the year.

We had a ton of jalapenos that needed to be used up and I found this recipe is from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice. I adapted it as written below. This soup packs a punch of heat from all the jalapenos, but the creaminess mellows it out making a smooth flavor combination. This recipe will serve about four people and the leftovers are even better. 

July 22, 2014

Cherry cheesecake ice cream

Serving bowl with scoops of cherry cheesecake ice cream.

July is cherry season and, of course, ice cream season! I've been a little behind this year on making my first summer ice cream, but here it is -- a soft, smooth, creamy ice cream made with milk, cream cheese, and sour cream. 

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I tried to make this ice cream taste like the filling from a delicious cheesecake and then added some sweet cherries to complete it. It turned out great! It's definitely a rich ice cream and it turns out really airy and fluffy from the cream cheese (which makes it really difficult to make "perfectly" round scoops, especially when it's hot). 

To make this even more like a cheesecake, you can sprinkle your dish with some graham cracker crumbs or even add some graham cracker pieces when you add the cherries. 

Summer is really flying by this year -- actually, I feel like 2014 in general is flying by! So don't forget to make some homemade ice cream to enjoy on a hot and lazy summer day.

Finished bowl of cherry cheesecake ice cream.

June 5, 2014

Stir-fried paneer and peppers

Platter of stir fried paneer with peppers.

The warm weather has arrived here and when it starts to get hot, I like to eat all sorts of Asian foods with Indian food being toward the top of that list. 

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This amazing dish was inspired by this recipe, although mine is quite different. Ever since I learned to make paneer and used it to make Saag paneer, I've been thinking about other ways to use this cheese. This idea of using it with peppers sounded really good to me (plus I had a few different colors already in the fridge). 

The whole dish was bursting with flavor and freshness - perfect for a warm day. You may be able to find paneer at your grocery store, but if not it is quite simple to make your own at home.

My husband and I enjoyed this a lot. I mean, a lot - we ate the whole plate ourselves with no lunch leftovers. I served this with a side of steamy Basmati rice and some sliced cucumber, but Naan bread would also be a good accompaniment. 

This dish has a bit of heat to it, but it is mellowed by the cheese and sweet peppers - the rice and cucumbers also help with that.

Serving stir fried paneer with peppers.

April 21, 2014

Pennsylvania Dutch flannel cakes

Stack of Pennsylvania Dutch flannel cakes.

Flannel cakes are a type of pancake that is special because the egg whites are beaten separately and folded into the batter resulting in a lighter and softer pancake.

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There's also no sugar in the batter, making these less sweet than a traditional pancake. I made these flannel cakes after finding them in one of my Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks (pictured below). 

Since I was making an old-fashioned recipe, I decided to beat the egg whites by hand, which was great exercise for my arm. My slightly adapted recipe made about 14 flannel cakes. I served them with some frozen blueberries I cooked with a bit of water and honey along with some butter. Maple syrup would also be great.

These cookbooks came from our family - one from my grandmother and one from my husband's grandparents. They are full of old-time recipes from the Pennsylvania Dutch, who are the early German-speaking immigrants to Pennsylvania. 

This is where my grandfather's family is from (and probably why my grandmother had this cookbook). I love flipping through old cookbooks like these and finding recipes to try. You can bet I'll be making more soon.

Pennsylvania Dutch cookbooks.

April 16, 2014

Chicken chop suey

Platter of chicken chop suey with chop sticks.

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 The weather is starting to warm up around here and for me that means that I start to want lighter dinners. As I mentioned in my last post, it's a difficult time of year for cooking -- no fresh local vegetables available yet and most of our preserved goods from last year's harvest are gone. We did start some seeds this past weekend as well as potted a few new herbs. 

We don't have room for a large garden, but we are doing radishes, lettuces, green beans, tomatoes, and a bunch of herbs in containers. I can't wait for the radishes to come up. We found heirloom French breakfast radishes and I'm hoping they are cute and tasty! They should be ready to harvest in just over 20 days.

But, back to this meal. I've made this dish inspired by a similar recipe at Brooklyn Farm Girl a couple of times now and we really like it. This time I used a green pepper, but last time I used some baby bok choy in its place - both were good. 

You can use both or pack as many veggies into this stir-fry as you want. Chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts would all be good in this, too. Stir-fry is one of my favorite warm-weather weeknight meals. They are a cinch to put together and they are so versatile. Plus I love making take-out foods at home. This dish will serve four people.

Close-up of finished chicken chop suey.

April 10, 2014

Lemon buttermilk pie

Serving lemon buttermilk pie.

In this household, we love pie. As a kid, I much preferred cake, but now I'll take a slice of homemade pie over most other desserts - I especially like custard and cream pies.

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This lemon buttermilk pie was inspired by a post at The Merry Gourmet - it was one of those pies that as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to make (and eat) it. 

This time of year I find myself often feeling rather uninspired when it comes to cooking. There's no fresh seasonal foods available yet, and I have used up most of my winter stash. Plus the weather varies from warm to cold almost every day, making it difficult to plan meals that fit the season. 

While not really local, you can still find good citrus this time of year, so I was feeling pretty excited about this lemony pie (lemon is one of my most favorite dessert flavors). Plus we had a bunch of farm fresh eggs, which make up a lot of the filling.

Cat trying to reach a rolling pin.
My little pie making helper (though she's a little blurry - I had to be quick!)

Slice of lemon buttermilk pie on a serving plate.

March 24, 2014

Grandma's oatmeal raisin cookies

Stack of oatmeal raisin cookies.

Soft and delicious oatmeal raisin cookies are an old-fashioned treat.

March 12, 2014

Honey orange sherbet

Serving bowl of honey orange sherbet.

Does everyone remember the brightly colored sherbet that comes in orange, strawberry, lime, and probably other flavors? I was never a fan as a kid (I much preferred ice cream). 

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I hadn't had sherbet in many years. After a bit of reading, I figured out that sherbet is made from fruit juice with a bit of dairy to make it creamy (unlike a sorbet, which is all fruit juice). It's really simple in ingredients, but the flavor, especially using fresh oranges, is so bright and really makes your tongue dance. 

It must have been the warm-up to above freezing that put me in the mood to make a frozen treat (although as I write this, a blizzard warning has been issued for tomorrow). If you've never made sherbet before, I recommend giving it a try - it's really delicious and made with ingredients you can recognize!

Spoon scooping honey orange sherbet.

March 7, 2014

Spaghetti squash and bacon casserole

Finished spaghetti squash and bacon casserole.

Spaghetti squash... I can't believe there used to be a time in my life when I didn't really care for you. Now, you are all over my blog with tons of recipes (almost always involving cheese). 

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Now, I'm a little sad to see that there are only two of you left in the basement. We've eaten our way through so many of you this winter and past fall. This may be one of my favorite ways yet...

This recipe was inspired by a recent post on The Kitchn; however, I changed it up quite a lot. 

This is a dish that could really be served at any meal. We had it for dinner with a side of broccoli, but I think it would be great for lunch or brunch as well because of the eggs and bacon in it. It would be a complete meal with a simple salad. This recipe will make about 4 main dish servings.

Top of a finished spaghetti squash and bacon casserole.

February 18, 2014

Chicken with preserved lemons, olives, and saffron couscous

Serving bowls of chicken with preserved lemons and olives along with a bowl of saffron couscous.

You may remember that early last month I made salted preserved lemons. Well they are now ready to eat! This is the first dish that I have used them in. I tasted a small piece of one on its own and it was really different -- the lemon and salt flavors were there, but mellowed. 

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The rind had become soft and almost silky. They added a nice, bright flavor to this dish and I'm looking forward to using them more. I think that they will go really nicely in other stews and with vegetables like broccoli. This dish combines a lot of Moroccan flavors and turned out to be quite delicious. It will serve about four people.

Today we made another attempt (at a different location) to see a snowy owl and I was skunked again! I couldn't believe it. We did see some snow buntings, which were new for me, but that just wasn't as exciting as the snowy. I hope that I'll see one before they start moving back up north again. We did some snow shoeing this weekend as well. I'm trying to enjoy the last of winter as it's going to get up to 50 degrees later this week! I know we'll still have cold and snow for another month or so, but I like to make sure to enjoy each season to its fullest before the next one comes.

Serving bowl of Chicken with preserved lemons and olives and saffron couscous.