Archive | holidays

happy Labor Day!

September 2, 2013 at 2:05 pm

Happy Labor Day from someone who knows that a mama never rests from her labors!

Our Labor Day plan is very simple: enjoying one final day in Crete as we soak up the summer sun, Mediterranean sea, Greek food, and time together. For me, ultimately that’s what any vacation is about: time with friends or family! If you’d like a peek into our vacation here, I’ve shared photos and videos through Instagram.

What are you up to this Labor Day?

———

P.S. Can’t wait to share an amazing giveaway with you tomorrow! Get ready for a shopping spree!

4 :: in family, holiday, holidays, travel

Valentine’s Day cookies with Lena

February 15, 2013 at 2:54 pm

Elliott was the first one to remember it was Valentine’s Day. He gave me a kiss — “… and happy Valentine’s Day, my valentine!” — as he headed out the door early in the morning, leaving behind a still-sleepy wife and two sleeping babies. I will admit I didn’t give Valentine’s Day another thought until that afternoon, when Elliott’s return was growing imminent and I had absolutely no plans to commemorate the day.

Since my friend Shelley was generously providing dinner for us, I didn’t have to come up with a meal. But maybe I could handle a dessert?

Correction: Lena and I could definitely handle a dessert!

I found this sugar cookie recipe and halved it. I also added in the grated peel of a whole orange, which made the cookies 10xs more delicious, in my opinion! We mixed up pink frosting from this recipe. Gil woke up in his swing while we were finishing up the frosting. When I turned back around, Lena had the frosting all over her clothes! Time for a wardrobe change.

Unfortunately I didn’t realize until the dough was mixed and chilled, the frosting prepared and set aside, and the dough rolled out for cutting that I do not own a heart-shaped cookie cutter. What?! In the end I improvised by cutting the dough out around a construction paper heart (which, ironically, was a note I had written to Elliott at a Valentine’s Day dinner last year).

We made 3 heart-shaped cookies and the rest were butterflies or flowers. And yes, I did attempt to frost one while also nursing my baby. #fail

At last Daddy came home… bearing bouquets of flowers for both of his girls! Lena wanted to show hers to her little brother. “Wanna smell my rose, Gil?” *smash*

We ate a delicious meal from our friend and topped it off with the heart-shaped cookies for dessert. Later Lena blew out the dinner candles with Elliott. We eat by candlelight most nights, and no, it is not my idea! Elliott’s parents almost always have candles burning at the dinner table (something they picked up from Edith Shaeffer’s The Hidden Art of Homemaking, a wonderful book that is not nearly as stuffy as it sounds). Elliott brought that tradition into our home, and now Lena’s new tradition is to count the candles (“waaan… twoo… treee… fur!”) and blow them out with her daddy every evening.

While Elliott gave Lena a bath, I admired my own beautiful flowers: romantic roses mixed in with my favorites (daisies… or at least the closest we can get to daisies from our local flower shop). Then I tried out the ring sling with Gil for the first time (he liked it!) while washing the dinner dishes.

I’d like to say we stayed up late watching a romantic movie with glasses of red wine, but actually we went to sleep around 10pm. Oh the life of parents of a newborn! We’re both looking forward to an evening out at our favorite sushi restaurant and this amazing chocolate cafe once life takes on a little more of a routine. In the meantime, we’ll enjoy our candlelit dinners and handmade sugar cookies at home!

What did you do or make for Valentine’s Day?

9 :: in eat this, family, holidays, Instagram, Lena

3 “holiday” desserts you should make year round

January 23, 2013 at 3:33 pm

It really is a shame that some of the very best treats and sweets are intended for just one month of the year! The reality is, though, that many of these delicious goodies can be made for other occasions, especially for ones that involve red and white (like Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner). Here are a few suggestions from my holiday list of favorites…

… and then it’s your turn! What are your favorite “holiday” desserts that you can (and do!) make even in the spring or heat of summer?

{pictured above}

Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies

Original recipe from my friend Joy. These cookies are amazing.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
12 large candy canes or 6 oz. peppermints crushed into pieces (make sure not to crush too much or it will become powdery)
1 (12 oz.) bag white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended.
Beat in candy canes and white chocolate chips just until combined.
Drop using a 2 tbsp. scoop onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-14 minutes. I bake them 12 minutes.
Remove to wire racks and cool completely (about 15 minutes).

Mini Cheesecake Petit-Fours

Original recipe from paper{whites}.

Makes 24 petit-fours.

Ingredients

1 8-oz. ‘brick’ of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
6 double squares of graham crackers, roughly broken up
1 can cherry pie filling

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line mini muffin tins with liners.
Place graham cracker pieces in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until they break down into fine crumbs. Melt butter in a medium-sized, microwave safe bowl and add the crumbs to the melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Using a 1/2 teaspoon, spoon the mixture into the lined muffin tins and use your fingers to press lightly to mold them into the bottom and sides of the tins to form a crust.
Mix the cream cheese with the sugar until silky smooth (get rid of all the lumps!). Add vanilla, and then the eggs, one at a time. Scrap down the sides of the bowl as you mix.
Using a teaspoon, spoon the cream cheese mixture into the muffin tins to about 2/3 full.
Bake for 10-12 minutes and cool in tins for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before refrigerating at least 2 hours. (Note: when you pull the petit-fours out of the oven, they’ll look underdone, but they’ll firm up as you let them cool.)
Immediately prior to serving, top each petit-four with a cherry.

Caramel Pecan Shortbread Pie Bars

Original recipe from ButterBaking.com

Makes 48 small squares, or 24 larger bars.

Ingredients

For the base
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 cups flour (+ 1–2 tbsp)
For the topping
- 2 cups of pecan halves, roasted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 tbsp cream
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) and line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with baking paper.
To make the shortbread base:
1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and mix on a low speed until a crumbly mixture forms. If it is too sticky, add a couple more tablespoons of flour. It should be crumbly but stick together when pressed.
2. Press the shortbread into the base of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the top is dry and slightly puffed.
While the crust is baking, make the topping.
1. In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter, brown sugar, honey, cream and salt over a medium heat.
2. Bring it to a simmer and let it bubble for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Mix in the pecans and vanilla.
Pour the pecan caramel mixture over the hot shortbread base and spread out the pecans as evenly as possible.
Bake for about 12 – 15 minutes, until evenly bubbling all over.
Allow to cool completely before cutting.

7 :: in eat this, holidays

a tasty sip :: Pom & sparkling water

January 7, 2013 at 4:04 pm

While searching for foodie inspiration for the vet clinic Christmas party at our house a few weeks ago, I came across this delicious signature cocktail. Inspired, I bought pomegranate juice and some Prosecco, and then I also bought sparkling water for the pregnant girl (ie. me).

I gave the combination a try at the party and was totally hooked! The sparkling water and tart juice are a refreshing combination. It’s like drinking a fruit soda but with all-natural sugar.

Want to try? It’s pretty simple…

Gather sparkling water and either Pom or another juice. I tried this Blueberry-Pomegranate juice because it was less expensive, but it’s too sweet for me. I like the tangy kick of pure pomegranate juice! (The price of Ocean Spray, however, is sweeter than the price of Pom.)

Thankfully, sparkling water is cheap in Italy; I bought this sparkling water for about 40 cents a bottle.

Pour yourself some sparkling water and then splash in juice to your taste. I guesstimate that I add 2-3 tablespoons of juice.

And that’s all there is to it. Kick back and rehydrate with this refreshing mocktail!

23 :: in eat this, holidays

practicing what I preach :: toy library

December 28, 2012 at 11:43 am

Old-time readers of my blog will know that I love the book Simplicity Parenting; I wrote a book review about it for the blog almost a year ago. In one section of the book the author suggests starting a toy library. Try putting out only a few toys at at time for your child to play with and then switching up the available toys every few weeks or so.

Well, I’ve been trying to incorporate this idea into my parenting for awhile now, and anyone will tell you that I’ve been less than faithful. However, on Christmas Eve night, as I crawled around the floor on my hands and knees tidying up Lena’s toys (as I do every evening… and after every nap… and after we leave one room for another…), my husband shook his head and said, “What about that toy library, honey?”

I looked at the present Lena had just opened and the pile of presents to be opened ~~tomorrow~~ over the next several days and agreed with him. I dumped out her toy basket and removed everything except a relatively new alphabet puzzle and the gift she had just opened. Everything else went into her toy library bin. Many of the smaller items had to be organized into Ziploc bags.

(Do you see that white garbage bag under all these toys? That is full of infant toys, which I’ll be breaking out at the end of January for our new baby! And so the toy multiplication continues….)

The blue bin went back up on her closet, to be taken down again in a couple weeks, when Christmas toys will be put away and old favorites will be pulled out again.

By the time I was finished (not even 15 minutes later), all that remained in her toy basket was the puzzle, a few balls, and her new baby doll and accessories. Oh, and the box the baby came in, which I think makes a nice little cradle. Simplicity parenting, right?!

Have you ever done something like this for your kids? Or would you like to when you have some? :-)