We’ve got four different food-oriented events this Christmas! While it’s been busy and bustling and schedule-crammed, it’s been so fun menu planning and preparing for these little feasts. Even thought I might not be organized enough right now to put together a traditional post, I wanted to share anyway.

Our first little Christmas gathering was with my immediate family, my mom, dad & youngest sister Emily. We made chicken pot pie, and took lots of pictures. I hope to post them as soon as I get organized and have some spare time.

A couple of days later, we had Josh’s family over to our house – his mom & dad, grandparents, little sister Amy & brother Brian & Brian’s fiancee Lauren. On the menu that night were roasted game hens, au gratin potatoes, honey roasted brussel sprouts and for dessert, vanilla bean roasted pears. Everything turned out perfect. And I didn’t take any pictures of anything! I know! What’s my problem? My problem is the dinner was on a weeknight and I was too busy cooking to reach for my camera every thirty seconds. But trust me, it was beautiful and delicious. Josh even took the day off to get the house all ready and get a head start of preparing the food. He did a fabulous job; the game hens turned out beautifully, and he did it all!

Tonight, Christmas Eve, we’ll head over to my Aunt Katy & Uncle Brad’s house to visit with my extended family as well as my brother Jon and my other sister, Rachel & her boyfriend Phil. Grandparents, cousins, relatives we really only get to see once a year, I so look forward to this gathering. We’re just having a spread of appetizers and sweets, and we’re bringing some of our favorites; seared prosciutto-wrapped figs and homemade panettone. I hope I remember to take a few shots of tonight!

Tomorrow, glorious Christmas Day, we get to spend relaxing all by ourselves. After the busyness of the last two weeks, we’re so excited to be at home and just nest and love on each other. I’ve always been the “kid” who’s brought something to both Christmas and Thanksgiving dinner at the grown-up’s house, and I’m so biting at the bit to prepare our own meal for the holiday in our own home. I told Josh I just need to braise something. Give me a big hunk of meat and let me figure out what to do with it. Honestly, my comfort zone is in curries, coconut-milk soups and throwing together sauteed veggies and pasta. I don’t think I’ve braised or roasted a hunk of meat in my life, unless you count the rare whole chicken. This year I wanted a challenge.

We went to Central Market (one of my favorite places for Josh to date me), and perused the meat section. We landed on duck. A whole, glorious duck. We considered a goose, but as it was three times the price, my desire to go Charles Dickens settled on the duck. My friend Jamie reminded me of the Christmas Story and the Chinese restaurant; my duck comes without the head!

So after lots of research on how to properly prepare this guy, we’ll also roast some root vegetables (carrots, turnips & rutabaga) as well as spaghetti squash. A very wintry meal. Again, I’m planning to take some photos and post them later on.

Merry Christmas!

Posted via Pixelpipe.

Posted via Pixelpipe.

I Love Produce

First of all, let me apologize to you all. My poor little food blog has become anemic over the winter. *sigh* Life just gets so busy sometimes that there are too many projects and responsibilities to juggle. I try to find that balance, but there’s always bound to be something that gets neglected. Plus, in the wintertime it’s almost impossible to get good pictures with the lack of lighting (inexpensive camera for now – the goal is there!) and it’s uninspiring to post things that have lame pictures. I’m sorry friends.

Excuses are over. Onto the good stuff.

Josh and I have discovered the joys of CSA. For those of us new to that acronym, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Sort of like a co-op for produce if you will.

We’ve been wanting to do one for several months now, and I’d been looking into a few, but wasn’t terribly drawn to any of them. I noticed the folks at We Heart Food mentioned theirs, and I asked for a recommendation. They sent us to Full Circle Farm and immediately we knew we’d found our spot.

Full Circle Farm is located in Carnation, Washington, and distributes organic produce to pick-up sites in several locations throughout the Northwest (and even Alaska). The deal is, everything you get is organic, reasonably priced, and they strive to be local when possible. Obviously this time of year, it’s hard to eat anything local so some foods are brought in from other small organic farms they’ve partnered with. You get an email telling you what produce you have coming to you for the week (between 12-14 different kinds of fruits, veggies, and herbs), and you have the option of adding and swapping, which comes in handy if you’re planning for a certain recipe or have allergies in the house. They also offer other produce you can add to your box, or “green grocer” items such as eggs, honey, chocolate, and coffee.

I will tell you, the Nib Brittle Chocolate is wonderful.

Yesterday we picked up our first week’s worth of produce, and I am so stoked. We got celery, leeks, apples, pears, broccoli, red bell peppers, zucchini, tangelos, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, red chard, red lettuce and kiwi. Plus they sent a page of recipes to inspire you. And we subscribed for small box at $30 a week. Not bad for gorgeous, organic produce. We would easily pay that much at the market, we’re supporting within our community, and we’re inspired to try new kinds of produce (leeks are new for me, and I’m loving digging into recipe options).

Love it.

Things I’m inspired to change in my kitchen? Vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract and dried beans over canned.

Our New Favorite Brand

We discovered Snoqualmie Gourmet at QFC, and decided to give it a shot. It was the same price as the Ben & Jerry’s we usually buy, BUT it was local AND they had some really tempting flavors – we opted for Green Tea and Lavender (having had such a wonderful experience at Molly Moon’s with such flavors). We also grabbed a Chocolate. Because hey, it’s chocolate.

Gah…. Delicious. Go buy some. Really, there’s not much more to say. The flavors are every bit what we had hoped for. Sorry Molly, we’ll come visit you still, but when I need it close and at home, this will be my next pick! The Green Tea is crisp and refreshing and delicate, the Lavender is full and floral, and the Chocolate was even better than I’d hoped. There was almost a gooey, fudgy texture to it. It’s decadent.

Besides, with a tag line like “Experience the True Meaning of Hand-Crafted Goodness” on their website, how could I not love them??

First Time Making Snickerdoodles!

Josh and I have befriended a few Bhutanese families that are here as refugees from Nepal. It’s been such a wonderful experience for us, to be able to help them settle into their new home, and introduce them to American culture. On another outing, we learned that they girls really liked snickerdoodles. What better way to introduce them to this simple, delicious cookie than to have them over to make some from scratch?

We snagged an easy recipe from Martha Stewart and started getting out necessary ingredients. My little sister Emily and my brother Jon (not pictured) joined us in the kitchen. It was a great opportunity to practice English, have and intro to baking, and make some treats to take home to share with the rest of their family.

Punya, Rewata, Gita and Emily are Great Bakers

Rolling the Dough in Cinnamon & Sugar

The cookies were a success! The girls turned out to be wonderful bakers. While we were waiting for them to bake, we played a game of no-rules Scrabble. Another first for them, and they enjoyed it a lot!

A Game of No-Rules Scrabble

ps – Sorry for the low-quality pictures! They were taken with my phone… :)

Now I’ve had my share of nasty cooking experiences, but I think this one even beats me out.

Enjoy.

What, Did You Find Ultra-Nonfat Milk?

Josh and I love Friday Harbor. This last time we were there, we took our time wandering around and discovered some pretty amusing things. When I first saw the sign advertising “World’s Skinniest Latte Shop”, I thought that was the lamest marketing tool. Sorry folks, it doesn’t get any skinnier than nonfat. Then I saw the shop and laughed at myself. I guess it does get skinnier.

A Claustrophobic's Nightmare

A couple of shops down, we saw a sign that was too good to pass up. We won’t advertise the name of the business (to protect the identity of the writer), but when I saw the lunch special I just about died. The French would be so proud. Wash down the Chicken Gordon Blue with a glass of Dave’s Chili, and you’re all set!

Mmmm... Thirsty for Chili?

Besides, where else can you get all this AND a glitter skull, all on the same street?? This is why we love Friday Harbor.

They Just Can't Keep These on the Shelves

The Spread

Our friend, Jenn, was getting married. Emily was throwing the shower. Emily is a fellow foodie, inspiring cook, and lover of fancy things. You know this is going to be good.

Emily had made a gorgeous spread of appetizers and mocktails. She had a tower of croistini with bruschetta and shaved parmesan…

Plates of Goodness

Baked ravioli with marinara sauce…

Mmmm...

Sliced baguette with honey goat cheese… (and the bowl of spiced nuts are there too!)

For Goat Cheese Lovers

But the star of the show were the finger salads. I will quote Emily on her beloved creations: “Yes, you are actually looking at bit-sized pieces of lettuce lovingly wrapped around a cucumber spear and shaved carrots, tied with a sliver of green onion and drizzled with sesame ginger dressing. Yes. That is what you are seeing.

I’ll let your eye linger on the beautiful salads for one moment longer…”

Genius - and Tasty - Idea!

Despite the glorious finger salads, I think my favorite part of the night were the creative mocktails.

Beautiful Beverages

There was Sparkling Lemonade with Fresh Ginger entitled The Vixen – a little sweet, a little sour, a little spicy.

The Vixen

Peach Nectar and Sparkling Cider with Fresh Plum entitled Honeymoon on the Beach – sweet and sunny.

Honeymoon on the Beach

The Blushing Bride – Blooming Hibiscus in Sweetened Syrup and Sparkling Water with a Sugared Rim.

The Blushing Bride

Even water got fancy, in beautiful bottles, a bowl of lemon and lime, and a name card entitling it The Simple Life.

The Simple Life

And everybody’s favorite, Sparkling Limeade with Fresh Lime and Mint – the Virgin (until October 18th) Mojito. I love it.

Virgin (until October 18th) Mojito

Emily, you truly are amazing!