Holiday Cookie Inspo

My life right now:

• A blazing fire and a sort-of-sometimes-but-not-really cuddly cat
• Three sets of mis-matched battery operated tree lights (including one that only blinks and won�t stay solid) bc my first Christmas with said cat, 10 years ago, she bit into the lights and electrocuted herself and I�ve used battery operated ones ever since. 
• Mariah Carey Christmas tunes 
• Teavana white chocolate peppermint tea 
• A (3rd) rewatch of How I Met Your Mother
• Trying to ignore political news because: anxiety
• Regretting every single time I go on Facebook because: political news/ anxiety, but doing it anyway
• A pot of chili (usually with turkey, black beans, and pinto or white beans� never kidney beans bc Evan hates them, and only squash additions when he�s not looking) bc it�s all I want to make this chilly-chili weather season
• My Favorite Murder podcast, all day everyday

It�s sounds like I�ve been really hunkering down, but I feel like I�ve barely been home lately, and I�m really craving some cozy couch time with a side of hot cocoa (wherein no one talks to me for a good 24 hours bc the introvert in me is maxed the F out and needs some quiet alone time to recharge). Three weekends ago was turkey day, two weekends ago we were down in my hometown visiting my ma and eating the most giant ribeyes ever at a neighboring town�s diviest ever dive-bar that serves huge amazing steaks + baked potatoes, and last weekend Evan and I were in SF meeting our squishy, precious, amazingly sweet, absolute doll of a new baby niece, Sydney Rose (we were also eating all the things, as one does in SF). Between those trips plus holiday parties plus work plus life plus fitness (just kidding, I haven�t worked out in like, 2 months� just adding that one in there, in the hopes it motivates me), I haven�t made one batch of holiday treats (actually, considering I haven�t worked out in 2 months, maybe the lack of Christmas cookies in my life is a good thing).

BUT! In all disregard for my hips and waistline and also a pic I just saw of myself right before my wedding/ right after my dad passed away when I was a good 20 lbs less than I am now, sigh/ugh... I do hope to get some cookie baking in this weekend. So, without further ado, here�s some holiday baking inspo:

From the Loves Food, Loves to Eat archives:

SLICE AND BAKE CHOCOLATE DIPPED ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD COOKIES: I posted these ON THIS DAY last year, and they were so buttery, herbaceous, and chocolatey. Not too sweet, great addition to a cookie exchange or tin of mixed treats!

SLICE AND BAKE SPICE COOKIES WITH CITRUS GLAZE AND SEA SALT: Slice and bake for life because I�m so lazy and it�s just too easy. I even slice and bake my chocolate chip cookies now� but anyway, these little pretties are spicy and chewy and citrusy and make them.

PEPPERMINT MOCHA ICEBOX COOKIES: OMG you guys� I didn�t even mean to do this as I was pulling together this list, but here�s another slice and bake.

From around the interwebz:

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM VIA DESSERT FOR TWO: Christina says these drop cookie sandwiches are super easy.. they�re not slice n bake, but I�ll take it. They seriously look so good� but also what about a tahini buttercream filling!?

GINGERBREAD THUMBPRINTS VIA LOVE AND OLIVE OIL: My mom made peanut butter blossoms every Christmas when I was growing up (ie: PB thumbprint cookies with a Hershey�s Kiss)� but it turns out, my sister doesn�t like the PB + chocolate combo (which kills me), so these might be a perfect replacement!

HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH TOASTED MARSHMALLOWS VIA THE CANDID APPETITE: cozy, cozy, cozy. These just make me wish it would snow already, and make me wish I liked winter sports. 

VANILICE VIA LITTLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE: For starters, these little sandwich cookies are the cutest. And also, she keeps vanilla beans in her powdered sugar� genius. 

Unrelated... remember when I did this Home Alone Dinner + Movie post? lololuuulll. On my movie-watching to do list between now and Dec. 25: Home Alone and, because it's been awhile, Home Alone 2, Lost in NY, a full Wes Anderson marathon, and of course, Krampus, the Evil Christmas Elf. Happy wintertime holiday fun, friends! 

Thanksgiving Menu 2015

THANKSGIVING WEEEEEEEK (forget Oprah voice, we're singing that with Jean-Ralphio flush-with-cash voice)! I�m hosting for the first time, and I�m so excited! I usually help my ma out in the kitchen, and make one or two dishes, but I've never been in charge of the full meal, or the turkey. I'm stooooooooked to do the turkey! I'll probably post some updates on Instagram (is this what Snapchat is for? Ugh. I just feel too old for Snapchat... I mean... be real, it's just for d**k pics, right??), to let you know how it all turns out. If you need any last minute inspiration, here�s my menu!


I�m making:

• Dry brined, spatchcocked (!) turkey & gravy
• Mashed sweet potatoes (with nutmeg, butter, and milk...no egg or sugar) topped with spiced pecans and bacon and toasted maple meringue 
• Honey Dijon roasted brussels sprouts 
• Homemade green bean casserole (but with French�s onions because I love them)
• Massaged kale salad with apples, pomegranates, shaved parm, and roasted delicata squash 

Our guests are bringing:

• Classic mashed potatoes 
• Caramelized onion and kale stuffing
• Rolls 
• Cranberry sauce 
• Papa's marinated olives & pickles 
• Cheese & crackers
• Pumpkin pie & whipped cream 
• Cheesecake 
• Pecan pie with chocolate and caramel drizzle

We�re drinking:

• Sparkling cider
• Prosecco
• Wine 
• Beer
• Apple peel bourbon cocktails, for the kids table 

Have a happy, happy Thanksgiving, and remember, the people around your table are more important than the decorations or the food on your table! Enjoy your friends and family, be thankful for your loved ones, and don't stress out!

Thanksgiving Feels

I'm feeling ALL THE THANKSGIVING FEELS. 
I'm thankful that my mom, sister, and I made it through a full year without my dad. That first year was hard. It's still hard. He is missed so, so, so much. But I find my grief has become less of the daily gut wrenching variety, and I'm grateful for that. 

I'm thankful for my family, and so, so sad and hurt for my family. My aunt, my mom's sister, is fighting stage 4 cancer right now. Sometimes life feels so unfair. 

I'm thankful for my friends. The older I get, the harder it is to keep in touch with people. Even people who are just down the street. Time just flies so quickly that before you even blink, weeks have gone by without catching up. But then, with this handful of people I hold dear to me, when we do catch up, it's like no time passed at all. It's cheesy, but they truly fill my cup.

Of course, I'm grateful for my husband and my cat, for unlimited binge watching tv possibilities, delicious food, and the nice, warm house we get to come home to everyday. 

I have a family and friends and a warm house. I have suffered heartbreaking losses and people I love are fighting huge battles...and beyond me and my small world, we see mass shootings in the news everyday now, I'm terrified for the next Presidential election and the wars being waged in this country on women's health, gender and marriage equality, the insane amount of injustice people face because they weren't born into privilege... and beyond that, I can't even begin to list the atrocities in other parts of the world. SO WHY THE FUCK ARE PEOPLE WORKED UP ABOUT RED COFFEE CUPS.  

We're all fighting battles... fight the ones that matter, and be thankful for a warm cup of coffee. And if matters to you that much... order the fucking Christmas blend already.

On that note, here are some appetizer, salad, and dessert recipes for your Thanksgiving table!

Papa's Marinated Green Olives

Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Truffles

Pear & Bleu Crostini with Salted Maple Caramel

Sweet Potato, Pear, and Wild Rice Salad

Date & Chorizo Kale Salad

Mini Cranberry Tarts

Pumpkin Cream Pie

Slice & Bake Spice Cookies with Citrus Glaze

Summer Salad Roundup

This weekend is two of my favorite events of the year: Ragnar Relay (my 6th year!) and Burning Beast. Next weekend we�re hiking/camping for Amanda�s birthday, and the following weekend is�wait for it� my bachelorette party weekend! In Sonoma! 

Um, also�did I mention that Evan and my wedding is in 2.5 months!? Where did the time go!? At this point, we mostly just need to pull together some last minute decorations and things. We have each other and we have the food, so that�s really all that matters in the end. Oh, but we�re having a helluva time picking out the aisle song. We love music and want it to be something special, but most of the bands we love sing about the opposite of happiness and love. Maybe you can help: I love classic rock (think CCR, Stones), bluegrass, Lana Del Rey, and Miley (don�t hate). Evan loves electronic music & Elliot Smith. Together, we�re bigtime fans of DCFC, Colin Meloy, and Neutral Milk Hotel. Annnnd, go! 

So anyway, with all I have going on lately, I�ve been living off of quick salads. Not even exciting ones. I know that�s kind of boring, but it�s true. Sometimes I toss some chicken on the grill and then put that in the salad, or maybe I�ll throw the whole thing in a tortilla, and call it dinner. I�ve been so busy and it�s so warm out that I�ve just had no energy to put together a real dinner. I think Evan loves it, because it means he can eat out whatever and whenever and I just don�t care. The Korean place around the corner probably loves it too, because Evan�s been a very frequent customer (sidenote: their grilled pork & kimchi sandwich is insane, and I�ll probably need to recreate it for you sometime soon!).  

Summer�s a busy time, man. If you�re also living off salads, here�s a little inspiration from the archives:

• Warm Potato Salad with Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Spicy Sesame Soba Salad with Tofu
• Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing
• Tuna & Whitebean Salad with Tomatoes & Kalamata Olives
• Wheatberry Salad with Avocados, Strawberries, & Caramelized Shallots
• Fried Green Tomato Salad
• Southwest Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad

And a few from the interwebz:

• Sweet corn, peach, and cherry salad with creamy goat cheese and a lime dressing from Flourishing Foodie
• Octavia�s Warm Shrimp Salad with Cantaloupe & Feta from Dunk & Crumble
• Grilled Peach and Haloumi Salad from A Cozy Kitchen
• Char-Siu Chicken B�n Bowls from The Pig and Quill (basically a salad...right?)

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Recipes

It's fiesta time! Here's a little roundup of some of my favorite Mexican-inspired recipes for Cinco de Mayo! 

Having a Cinco de Mayo brunch? Serve Baked Tortilla Cup Huevos Rancheros and these awesome Black Bean and Chorizo Egg Tortas!

Every fiesta needs BEBIDAS! Put out a bucket of Mexican beers, Jarrito & Tequila To-Gos, and of course, whip up a batch of Coconut Margaritas! 

For snacks, put out a big bag of tortilla chips (my favorite are Juanita's!), some Totally Grilled Guac, and some cheesy Aperitivo de Frijol!

Taco bar? Be sure to add this spicy/tangy shredded beef for Machaca tacos! 

It turns out, I don't have any Mexican dessert recipes on the blog! Crazy! You know what else is crazy? I've never had tres leches cake. Like, ever. Never even one bite. I'm thinking of changing that real soon, and here are a few contenders:

• Shutterbean: Coconut Tres Leches Cake 
• The Candid Appetite: Classic Tres Leches Cake
• Chez Us: Coconut & Lime Three Milk Cake
• How Sweet Eats: Banana Bread Tres Leches Cake 

Labor Day Camping Round-up

Labor Day! Camping! You�re camping, right? I went camping last weekend (because I have other very important plans this weekend). So here are some of my insta-photos from that camping trip, plus a lil� camp-food round up for ya!

�Oh, what are my very important plans, you ask? Well�since you asked�OMG you guys. Deathcab is playing Transatlanticism in full at Bumbershoot!!! AAHH! I�ve actually never been to Bumbershoot� I�m not a big music-festival fan. I mean, I like music. I like festivals. But, the crowds and stuff. I don�t know. I just don�t know. Wait� I�m not even sure I like festivals.

Anyway, Transatlanticism!!! Are you dying yet!? I am. That album was the soundtrack of my freshman year in college (which was 10 years ago�I�m old now). The. Soundtrack. Aside from Get Low�which I�m embarrassed to admit was my dance-party JAM that year (to the windows, to the walls!)�the most defining moments of my first two years of college include Ben Gibbard.

I�m not even kidding. Evan and I broke up to a song from that album two days after we first started dating. Tiny Vessels. How emo, right? Is emo even a thing anymore? And the Transatlanticism tour is the first show we ever went to together. At the Showbox. My friend V and I wore matching outfits to that show, which is kind of weird, right? So anyway, I�m going with Evan and his twinsie Mark. It�s going to be epic. We might cry. All 3 of us. I can�t wait. I�m freaking out a little.

Ok. Camping. GO!

• This video and Camp Cobbler from Happy Yolks kills me (in a good way).
• There�s some serious gourmet action happening with these 16 camping dinners from Sunset Magazine.
• I wish I knew about these camp-fire burritos last weekend!
• Retro camping photos are the best, check out this retro-camp-coffee cake.
• Forget everything above, and just make foil-packet dinners (which I call Girl Scout Packets, from my days at Girl Scout Camp). Need ideas? Here are 50 of �em.
• Sweet Paul�s bread on a stick� bread on one stick, hot dog on the other. Ammiright?
• I assume that Portland chefs know a thing or two about camping. Also� paella.

PS. If you make s�mores, please put berries in them. Fresh picked huckleberries if you can.