Bring on the WEEKEND!

Minh and I have now survived our first full week in the UK… and here is everything we accomplished..

• set-up UK bank account
• signed up for internet (but won’t get installed for two more weeks)
• switched over half of the utilities
• groceries and random household goods shopping
• unpacked!
• MINH GOT A PHONE!
• got a little more comfortable with driving

After a full week of work for me and exploring (and unpacking and frustration) for Minh, we wound down Friday night with a nice homecooked meal (by me!.. Minh was cooking dinners during the week). We roasted a (spatchcocked) chicken with some veggies and a side of sauteed green beans. Washed it down with a Moscow Mule.. and finished it off with melon and greek yogurt for dessert.

Spactchcocked chicken before…

.. .and after…

Sauteed green beans.. or haricot verts.. can’t remember which we actually bought..

DINNER IS SERVED!

the makings of a Moscow Mule

And then comes Saturday.. and THE SUN!! Didn’t even need a jacket in the morning.

Bistro-style breakfast on a sunny morning..

We headed off to Ikea to get some home stuff that we forgot to pack and/or didn’t have at the flat… trashcan for the kitchen, rug for the entry hall so we don’t destroy the carpet, big wood cutting board, some kitchen utensils and plastic food containers, etc. etc.. I must say that Ikea in the UK is the same enough.. but still very different…

IKEA!!!

IKEA Family login? Doesn’t work here.. needs a new one..

IKEA breakfast in the UK

Might use this set-up for my “next” spring party
(in the US)

Pretty cool displays at IKEA

We also did another Costco run, and attempted to get UK Costco American Express cards.. but that failed. We’ll need to call in to see if they can give us UK Costco AMEX without us having to pay a new membership charge and still get to keep our US cards. We’ll see.

COSTCO is the same EVERYWHERE!

Isn’t this supposed to be the ENERGIZER bunny??

In the afternoon, we rode into town for some (more) groceries.. and it was raining… (so much for the sunshine in the morning!).  I’ve discovered a new AMAZING drink called Frijj (sounds like “fridge”). I haven’t tried any of the originals, but I’m IN LOVE with the Honeycomb Chocolate Swirl Milkshake from the Incredible Range… INCREDIBLE IS RIGHT!

Frijj – The Incredible Range – Honeycomb Choc Swirl Milkshake

In the Kitchen: Sous Vide Duck Legs

Minh and I ate out a lot (A LOT!!) over the holidays.. or if we were eating in, it was big family meals (and heavy) or leftovers (also heavy). In an attempt to save money, Minh has stated to me (several times) that we need to eat in more, and eat healthier. Our first home-cooked meal of the year: Sous Vide Duck Legs, Mac’n'Cheese (semi-homemade), Potato Salad (store bought).

Sous Vide Duck Leg, Mac’n'Cheese, Potato Salad

Where are the vegetables?!?!? Why such a neutral-colored plate? Probably because I went to the gym and Minh was in charge of making sides.. he loves both mac’n'cheese and potato salad. And doesn’t understand that potatoes don’t really count as vegetables. But.. at least it’s home-cooked and we saved money. And because we sous-vide (sous-vided?) the duck legs, it was a breeze to make. After sitting in the bath all day (starting at frozen), I just gave them a quick sear in a cast iron skillet. Wish I had thought to salt them before searing, but they turned out ok in flavor, A+ for tenderness. Washed it all down with New Belgium Frambozen (which was nice and light and fruity).

New Belgium Frambozen

2011 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap: Rocky Road Cookies!

You know what I love most about the holidays? BAKING! I don’t know why I don’t just bake cookies all year round. Maybe it’s because it’s hard to find the time and it can get pretty messy… but I do love baking. This year, I’m kicking off the (holiday) baking season with my contribution to the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2011: Rocky Road Cookies!

Rocky road icecream is my ALL-TIME FAVORITE icecream flavor. I love the chocolate and the marshmallows and the nuts… basically everything about it. I know there are other rocky road cookies out there, but I thought that this one would be extra delicious because it’s adapted from Thomas Keller‘s Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe found in his Ad Hoc At Home Cookbook.

Rocky Road Cookies!!

Rocky Road Cookies (adapted from Ad Hoc At Home Cookbook by Thomas Keller) – makes about30-ish cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips (I used semisweet)
• 1 heaping cup mini marshmallows
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 cup vanilla sugar (which is sugar which has been sitting in a container with a vanilla bean)
• 2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk (sifting is for wimps).
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat half the butter on medium speed until fairly smooth. Add both sugars and the remaining butter, and beat until well combined, then beat for a few minutes, until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the first one is incorporated before adding the next and scraping the bowl as necessary.
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Mix in the chocolate, then almonds, then marshmallows. Mix just enough to incorporate – do not over mix!
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the dough with a spatula to be sure that the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Shape into balls using an icecream scoop or appropriately sized cookie scoop (My balls were a little more than2 1/2 tablespoons each). Chill in the refrigerator while the oven preheats (Keep the dough balls chilled while they are waiting to bake).
6. Position the oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
7. Place chilled cookie dough balls on prepared cookie sheet about 2-3 inches apart.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool slightly on the cookie sheet (to firm up), then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Seal them up and give away before you eat them all!

NOTE: The dough or shaped cookies can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 weeks (probably longer, but that’s entirely at your own risk). Freeze shaped cookies on the baking sheets until firm, then transfer to freezer containers. (Defrost frozen cookies overnight in the refrigerator before baking.)

I packed them up nicely with a couple servings of homemade peppermint hot chocolate on a stick and sent them off to my swap matches: Big Bear’s Wife, Katie’s Cucina, and Rosy Girl Baked Goods. I hope they enjoy them!

 

Homemade Pure Vanilla Extract Trio

Last year I was inspired by this post for homemade vanilla extract from Love and Olive Oil. I went and ordered 1/2 pound madagascar bourbon vanilla beans from Beanilla and set my plan in motion. My goal was to allow the extract to seep for as long as possible so that I would have some pretty good gifts this Christmas. And.. as all good plans end up.. IT WORKED!

Homemade Vanilla Extract Trio - made from rum, vodka, and brandy

Using the recipe provided by Love and Olive Oil, I made a vanilla extract trio using vodka (Smirnoff Triple Distilled), rum (Bacardi Superior), and brandy (Christian Brother VS). The vanilla steeped in the alcohol for about 11 months (roughly November 2010 to October 2011). After 11 months (the extract was a nice amber color) of sitting in a cool dark place, it was filtered (through coffee filters) and bottled. I opted for 2-oz bottles from Specialty Bottle. I created labels using a little lace clipart (from Martha Stewart) and some fun fonts.

Pretty nice, don’t you think?

Some photos of the initial steeping process. Didn’t get any photos of the filtering and bottling though.

Let sit and soak in a cool, dark place

Jars labeled so I know what’s what

Vanilla beans cut and scraped

all the ingredients

Homemade Vanilla Extract Trio – made from rum, vodka, and brandy

Homemade Hot Chocolate (On a Stick) with Peppermint Marshmallows

There are certain flavors that signify the start of a season for me. Summer has strawberries, watermelon, and sweet corn. Fall has apples, pumpkin, and ginger spice. Winter has peppermint and hot chocolate. There are, of course, millions of flavor profiles out there that signify different things for different people, but peppermint and hot chocolate are two things that just SCREAM winter for me.

I’ve been wanting to make hot chocolate on a stick for a long time, ever since I first saw it posted for sale at The Ticket Kitchen. Sure, there are tons of other places online that sell this.. and it probably isn’t a “new” idea.. but it’s a genius ideas for the holidays. What’s a better gift than a nice new mug and some hot chocolate on a stick. Pair that with some amazing marshmallows, a fire and a cozy blanket, and you’ve got yourself a pretty nice wintry evening.

Hot Chocolate on a Stick from The Ticket Kitchen - Service for 1, $3.95

But.. $3.95 plus shipping and handling is a little pricey for one steamy mug of hot chocolate with no marshmallows. Of course, it’s simple enough to make on your own (both the hot chocolate and the marshmallows). I found a simple recipe for hot chocolate on a stick from King Arthur Flour and used a cubed ice tray to make my own hot chocolate on a stick. Paired with some homemade peppermint marshmallows (used Alton Brown‘s marshmallow recipe, but replaced the vanilla extract with peppermint extract and swirl in a little bit of red food coloring at the end) and I was good to go for small Christmas presents.

Homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate on a Stick!

Giving Thanks 2011

This year was the first year having Thanksgiving dinner in my new home(ish – “ish” because it’s not really where I “live”.. long story). This is also our first Thanksgiving dinner with TURDUCKEN!!! I have to admit, that I wasn’t ambitious enough to make the turducken myself from scratch.. all that bird de-boning, stuffing making, bird tying-up, etc. etc. Some day, though, I will make one of these from scratch.

Last year, we were able to make a completely GLUTEN-FREE Thanksgiving. This year, because of the turducken, we weren’t able to succeed in that regard (brown rice and cornbread stuffing were already included with the turducken). But all the sides were kept strictly gluten free.

Tur-duck-hen!

The Menu for an ALMOST Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

Creole-Style Tur-Duc-Hen (from Big Easy Foods at Costco.com) with Roasted Root Veggies
Gluten-Free Dressing (my own recipe with mild italian sausage, leeks, mushroom medley, walnuts, apples)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes (made in the slow-cooker)
Brussel Sprouts with Maple Butter Pecans (recipe from The Family Kitchen)
Sauteed Green Beans with Bacon and Pine Nuts (my own recipe)
Cranberry Sauce (my own recipe)
Corn (from frozen.. nuked with butter and garlic salt.. it’s a dinner staple at my house)
Classic Gravy (from pan drippings and gluten-free)
Apple-Pear-Cranberry Crumble (modified from Epicurious)

Makeshift prep table

Apple-Pear-Cranberry Crumble.. baked and cooling on the counter

Tur-duck-hen.. fresh from the oven

Tur-duck-hen… all sliced up and ready to eat!

A sink-full of dishes

Thanksgiving dishes aftermath…

I LOVE my dishwasher!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Swinging From Trees – A Nursery Mural

My best friend is pregnant. This is exciting news for me because: (1) she’s the first person who is very close to me to become pregnant and (2) I’m going to be the godmother (!!!). Godmother duties apparently start off before the baby is born with (a) throwing the baby shower and (b) getting the nursery ready. The baby shower is schedule for the end of February, and I’ll have more details on the projects for that and the event pictures afterwards (here’s a teaser.. the theme is Curious George). But we have already started getting the nursery ready.

Michele wanted to put a tree mural and incorporate monkeys somehow. Since I had a week off between Christmas and New Year’s, I headed over to help her out.

Just starting to pencil in the tree..

I free-handed the tree in pencil, and then we refined it even more with the painted outline. We were originaly going to give it some shading and texture, but decided that it looked better in just the one color. Then we added leaves (used a Behr paint sample card as a stencil). Looked pretty cool with just the tree and the name.

Painting in the tree and branches

Michele painting in the leaves (I did the stencilling)

Finished tree with leaves

To add some different texture, we made monkey’s from felt to stick on the wall. I used a picture of the bedding that she had registered for as inspiration and drew three monkeys in different positions. Then we cut them out of felt and glued them to some cardstock before sticking them to the wall.

Many steps (probably not all necessary) in making these monkeys..

In all honesty.. it turned out a lot better than I was expecting. And got me even more excited to be helping her out during this important time in her (and Hung’s) life.

Starting to really look like a nursery.. not just a room with a crib..

Here are some more pictures that we took that day..

Just starting to pencil in the tree..

Painting in the tree and branches

Michele painting in some branches while I take a break

Michele painting in the leaves (I did the stencilling)

Smile for the camera so Baby Hunter knows the love that went into this..

Stenciling in some more leaves

Rough sketch of monkey

Finished tree with leaves

Many steps (probably not all necessary) in making these monkeys..

Felt monkey – sans eyes, nose and mouth

Finished monkey threesome.. so cute!

Michele attaching the monkeys to the tree (wall)

Starting to really look like a nursery.. not just a room with a crib..

Getting excited for Baby Hunter!

Simply having a WONDERFUL Christmastime!

I’ve been wanting to make wreaths for the holidays, but never got around to it. I had a plan to make five, and bought supplies for one… which just sat around my room for weeks. Last night I decided to finally put it together, and here’s what I got:

Pretty cool, huh? Kept it simple with small clusters of ruffles rather than covering the entire wreath with ruffles. All-in-all, it took about 40 minutes to make… Only 10 minutes to actually make the wreath, and 30 minutes trying to tie a pretty bow and deciding how to hang it.

Sorry for the crappy picture.. we have bad lighting in the house and I was using my camera phone. The wreath is wrapped with forest green ribbon (leftover Williams-Sonoma present ribbon from wrapping). The felt ruffles are white with maroon pom-poms glued inside.

And here’s a shot of our Christmas tree at home..

It's been a good several years with this tree..

We’ve decided that it’s time for it to get donated to a better cause, so this will be it’s last year at our house… Good bye fiber-optic Christmas tree..