Happy New Year!
Putting away Christmas items and “undecorating” the tree today has put me in a reflective state of mind. In the last six and a half months, I have shared daily events and recipes. Each recipe about which I have written is part of a memory of this year. There have been new foods tried, new family members added, and the adventure of writing a blog.
In the coming year, there will be new memories created. With my love of food and cooking, I am sure that some food or beverage will be part of these memories. I would venture to guess that…
Veggie Lasagna
Christmas has been celebrated at our home no less than 5 times this season. We have had 2 Christmas Eves and 3 Christmas Days. Needless to say we are ready for New Year’s – a different holiday to celebrate.
Christmas Eve#1 was celebrated with 1 set of parents, friends, and 2 of the 4 kids. Christmas Day#1 was celebrated quietly with just a set of friends. Christmas Eve#2 was enjoyed by the other set of parents and the other 2 kids. Christmas Day#2 was all 4 kids and 1 set of parents. Today was the final get together, Christmas Day#3.
Today’s gathering was the…
Restaurant Review: Bedford Village Inn, Bedford, NH
For a special holiday fare, we decided to go somewhere with a great reputation for creating special occasions – Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, New Hampshire. My delightful girlfriend, Michele, set the entire evening up (arranging for a babysitter and getting the reservation). She set the reservation for 8:30, but was told on the phone that it would be fine to come early and have a drink in the tavern that is attached to the main restaurant.
The babysitter set up shop at our house around 7, and we decided to head out then on the half hour drive that it…
Vanilla Orange Martinis
On a recent evening, we decided to stay home and have homemade appetizers. When the appetizers were prepared, I peered into our liquor cabinet to see what unique beverage I could make. Keeping our mixer options in mind, I toyed with ideas. I considered some shot drink recipes but thought a martini recipe would be better.
After a moment’s thought I decided to use orange vodka and orange juice. However, I didn’t want it to be a plain orange beverage. It needed an additional ingredient to give it a more diversified flavor. I…
Greek Lamb Wraps
An elegant evening was planned as a surprise for last night, a sort of pre-holiday relaxing evening. A babysitter was hired for the kids and a kid gourmet meal of mac & cheese was served. While the children dined on their fine food, the two of us got dressed in more formal attire for dinner at an upscale dining establishment.
The meals at our destination were excellent. However, after a 4-course meal, I was unable to finish my meal. The waitress graciously packed my remaining lamb chops for me to enjoy at home. Unbeknownst to me at that time, this was the start of a
Almond Biscotti
With Christmas only a few days away, there are many preparations for the holiday. For us it will be a multi-day celebration. By the time New Year’s arrives, we will have had 4 or 5 Christmas gatherings with different combinations of friends and family.
As preparation for this week, I have been baking an assortment of goodies. The kids and I made frosted sugar cookies, eating some and storing many. We made reverse chocolate chip cookies (chocolate dough and white chocolate chips) and chocolate chip cookies with toffee bits. We will have plenty of cookies, both to leave for Santa and…
Brussel Sprouts with Lemon
Brussel sprouts. Just the name alone can make people say, “No, thank you,” to a dinner invitation. Probably one of the least liked vegies for kids, it is a tasty side dish for many meals. I learned just how unpopular this vegetable is at the grocery store the other day. The clerk at the checkout asked how I was. I stated that I was delightful. He laughed and said he didn’t know anyone who was both delightful and bought brussel sprouts. It was my laugh for the day.
The first time this veggie was offered to the kids, they thought they…
Mushroom Tart
On a recent weekday, I had a middle of the day appointment that kept me home from work. While getting ready for my day I thought about the meal I could make, as I would have more free time in the afternoon. Before going to my appointment I had decided it would be some sort of oven-baked egg recipe.
After the appointment, I made a few stops and pondered my ingredient options. Knowing that this dish would most likely not be appealing to the children, I allowed to mind to wander through more “adventurous” fillings. Something savory, yet simple seemed the…
Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
With the holiday season upon us, many of us let our good eating habits fall by the wayside. There are temptations everywhere you look: cookies, eggnog, fried latkes.
To balance these tasty munchies, I try to make meals using more healthy recipes. Quite often I do that by having a high protein breakfast, such as an egg wrap or smoothie. A smoothie is one of my favorite breakfasts, all year round, for many reasons. The smoothie can be made quickly and is a very filling breakfast. Also, it is portable, which is useful when trying to get everyone else in the house ready for the…
Choose Your Own Quesadillas
On a recent weeknight, the house was full of activity. With a school concert to attend and a variety of palates to please, I was looking for a meal that could be individualized but would not create lots of dishes to clean.
Pondering the taste preferences of 2 children and 3 adults, a Mexican dish seemed like a good option. Not a big fan of tacos, I considered my options using flour tortillas. Quesadillas would work well. I could make several types, allowing diners to have as much or little variety as they wanted.
Shopping for the ingredients, I thought about the range…
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