Think Outside the Mug: http://snapguide.com/contest/think-outside-the-mug/

Cast Iron Skillet recipes: http://www.sewcreativeblog.com/cast-iron-skillet-chai-tea

Heat a slosh of olive oil in the big saucepan over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, slice 2 slices off the red onion left over from the Israeli salad and chop into small dice. Sauté in the oil until softish.

Meanwhile, cut a big tomato into medium-sized chunks, pausing periodically to stir the onions. Dump the tomato chunks into the saucepan and stir for ( Read more... )

Nanaimo bars
Gingersnaps
Shortbread
Chocolate-chip cookies
Jam thumbprints

In other news, my shopping is ALL DONE! Three days before the chag Xmas!! I am inwincible!!!

ETA: 4 down, 1 to go! W00t!

My mom grew up in Connecticut. For this reason, Thanksgiving was always a BFD at our house when I was growing up. I'm talking a dozen or so people at the table, eating steadily for two or three hours, followed by two kinds of pie. (The two kinds of pie are essential.) Since our guests were most often other American expats, it wasn't until I left ( Read more... )

SP is 10 years old today!! I find this very difficult to believe. I mean, seriously, just the other day she was still in diapers. I don't know where the time goes.

What I read in July:
Arnaldur Indriðason (trans. Éric Boury), Hypothermie
Connie Willis, Doomsday Book [re-read]
Lois McMaster Bujold, Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (eARC) [re-read ( Read more... )

I invented this to use up the leek I had left after making leek and potato soupTake one clean leek. Slice off the green part, especially if it's starting to dry out. Cut the white part in half down the middle (that is, so it's two half-cylinders instead of one cylinder). Lay them down flat and slice them crosswise ( Read more... )

I'm baking a chocolate cheesecake for the office potluck on Monday, as I do every year because sometime in November people start saying, "You're bringing a cheesecake to the potluck, right??" People are always very impressed by cheesecake, but it's actually very easy to make. What's also cool is that by leaving the crust out, you can easily make it ( Read more... )

It's a very good pie.


( Read more... )

Making pumpkin pie this afternoon. The world (or, at least, this apartment) needs more pumpkin pie.

Convergence: The Joy of Cooking has a recipe which is almost identical to the one printed on the inside of the wrapper of the pumpkin tin. I'm using the one in the book, except of course for doubling the quantities of all the spices. (Except the ( Read more... )

6 things make a post?

1. DH needed new shirts and running shoes, SP needed new sneakers, boots and snowsuit, and as a result I have had to go to the mall twice in the past week. (Twice because the shoe store had to get the purple Converse high-tops via interlibrary loan from another store; they only had pink and Batman. Sigh.) Twice. In one week. ( Read more... )