Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I am taking a blogging vacation from now until the first week of January. I'm planning to curl up in our cabin, drink tons of hot cocoa and tea, find my kids some snow and enjoy every single moment of my favorite two weeks of the year.

Here is a peek at what I am planning to make in the next two weeks. These are some of my favorite recipes and I can hardly wait to enjoy them again! If you are interested in the recipes, you can click on any of the pictures for a link to the original post.

Spicy Five Bean Chili with Steak and Sausage is the ultimate winter comfort food. Nothing beats this chili after it has simmered on the stove all day long. This is the very first meal I plan to make as soon as we arrive at our cabin.

Slow Cooked Cranberry Almond Oatmeal is still my favorite oatmeal combination. I've made this more frequently than any other oatmeal this year. (It's actually in the crockpot this morning, as I write this post.) Every single member of my family loves it. I don't usually prep it the night before, although the directions do include instructions for that. I typically just toss it all into the crockpot in the morning and then just walk away for an hour. I love that I can start this as soon as I wake up and by the time the rest of the family gets moving, breakfast is ready to eat.

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes have been requested once again and so they will be made for our  Christmas dinner. Unbelievably smooth and creamy, I will probably be enjoying these for a dessert as well. Luckily, I will have a food processor at my disposal this time!

Crockpot Pulled Pork is a great meal to start in the morning and then forget about all day. I plan to use my crockpot as much as possible and avoid all but the most fun cooking whenever I am able.

Carmelized Brussels Sprouts have become a new favorite food in my house. I'm still surprised at just how much we like these. Each time I buy Brussels Sprouts, I intend to try something different with them. However, when it comes time to cook them, I can't help making this awesomely easy recipe once again. They are perfect every time!

I've been wanting to make this Twisted Chicken Piccata again for a while now, so it is on the menu for the week after Christmas. I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait!

I have made several batches of these Ginger and Honey Roasted Almonds already. I added a dash or two of cayenne last time and they were even better. (Thanks for the suggestion, Chris!)

I can not resist the temptation to make the Cranberry Christmas Cake once again this year. This is one of my favorite new dessert finds and I have a LOT of cranberries stashed away in the freezer now. I plan to enjoy this several times throughout the coming year.

I am wishing you all an absolutely wonderful Christmas. 

May God richly bless you and yours throughout the coming year.

Chunky Chicken Corn Chowder

Chunks of chicken with lots of corn in a creamy broth made for a very simple and tasty dinner. Are you noticing a pattern here? Through the month of December, it's all about quick and easy meals in our house. We stay busy with so many other fun things, it's nice to have a easy meals planned through most of the month. This was a great soup to throw together with no advance planning.

Chunky Chicken Corn Chowder

2 lbs chicken, this was 3 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, roughly chopped
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped jalapenos or green chiles, use what you like for the amount of heat you prefer
2 cups frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth, I used Better Than Bouillon to make a quick broth, so I added no additional salt as noted below
2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, adjust to taste, I kept this fairly mild to please the whole family
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt, only if needed
1 bay leaf
3 cups milk

Place the chicken in a medium size sauce pan and add just enough water to cover them. Simmer the chicken breasts just until tender enough to shred with a pair of forks or tongs. Shred them in the pot, to re-absorb as much broth as possible. This helps the chicken to stay moist. Let the chicken rest while starting the rest of the soup.

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add the garlic, onion, celery and jalapenos or chiles and saute until tender. Add frozen corn, shredded chicken and the chicken broth. Stir to combine. Add the spices (except for the salt) as listed above. In the bottom of a glass measuring cup, whisk together the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of milk. Add enough milk to fill the rest of the cup. Add to the pot and simmer to thicken.

Add 2 more cups of milk and simmer again until the soup is warmed through. At this point, taste the soup and add salt if needed. If using homemade chicken stock, you will definitely need salt. Keep warm until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Brown Sugar Whole Wheat Shortbread

Buttery and just barely sweetened, the brown sugar in this shortbread was a delicious change. The addition of the fresh whole wheat improved the texture and added a new dimension to the flavor as well.I am not usually a fan of basic shortbread. Yet, I kept finding myself going back for one more piece. I finally resorted to sending the rest of these home with a friend later that day.

These were not very pretty cookies, by anyone's standards. However, they were delicious. If I had taken a little more time rolling out the shortbread and then cutting it into even pieces for the oven; it is likely that I would have arrived at a much lovelier final result. Pretty or not, they were delicious!

Brown Sugar Whole Wheat Shortbread

1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 whole wheat flour, I used freshly ground hard white wheat

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk together the flours and then slowly add the flours to the butter mixture. Combine all ingredients well.

Using your fingertips or a rolling pin, press out the dough on a silpat mat. Press the dough to about 1/3" thickness. This made a rectangle approximately 8"x10" in size. Cut into triangles or rectangles and place on a baking sheet. Dust with brown sugar and use your fingertips to smooth the sugar across the top of the cookies. Pierce them with a fork prior to baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just barely browned around the edges. Let cool on the sheet until firm enough to transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Roasted Green Beans

Did you know you can roast green beans? I have no idea why it never occurred to me before now, but they are amazing when roasted. I've been roasting almost all my vegetables over the past couple years, but green beans were never on the list. I finally tried it a couple weeks ago and they were delicious. Roasting vegetables brings out so much more flavor than other cooking methods. This time of year especially, I love the excuse to turn on the oven and enjoy my vegetables this way.

Roasted Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans, I used very small petite beans
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the green beans and pat dry. Place them in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread the seasoned green beans across a large baking sheet and roast for about 12-15 minutes, stirring once about halfway through. They are ready to eat when they are bright green and crisp tender.

Click here for printable recipe

Carmelized Onion Chicken Soup

It's been a cold and rainy past few days here in Arizona. I came back from a weekend out of town and I wanted nothing more than a warm pot of soup for dinner. However, I wasn't really in the mood to cook anything at all complicated. This soup is the opposite of complicated. In the interest of truly making this simple, I picked up a rotisserie chicken while I was at the store this morning. I also used caramelized onions that were already in the freezer.

I started making this with a plan for something more complex. When I tasted the soup initially, I realized it was delicious with nothing more than the onions and the chicken. I will probably play with this combination in the future, but this soup was delicious on it's own in all of it's simplicity.

Caramelized Onion Chicken Soup

1 cup caramelized onions, chopped small, I used frozen ones I made in the crockpot earlier
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chicken, diced small, I used the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken
4 cups chicken stock, I used fresh stock made from the rotisserie chicken's carcass
1/2 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste, depending on the stock that you use

In a medium size saucepan, saute the onions and the garlic for about a minute or so, just until fragrant. Add the chicken and the stock. Simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed. Simmer on low until ready to eat. I left mine simmering over an hour and the broth was slightly thickened and full of flavor from the onions.

Click here for printable recipe

Ham and Pineapple with a Balsamic Brown Sugar Glaze

Sweet pineapple and savory ham glazed with a light balsamic and brown sugar sauce, this turned out so much more delicious than I even hoped. I tasted it when it was still way too hot right of the oven and it was perfect. I quickly snapped a few pictures, despite the fact that I truly did not have enough light. I wanted to be sure to save the recipe to make again soon. I think this will be excellent on the grill as well; so I'll be doing that next time!

Ham and Pineapple with a Balsamic Brown Sugar Glaze

1 lb ham steak, cut into 1" pieces
1 small fresh pineapple, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar would work as well
1 tablespoon coconut oil, or another flavorless oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Move the top oven rack to within 6 inches of the broiler and then preheat the oven to broil. (This would also be excellent on the grill.) Slide the ham and pineapple onto skewers and set aside. Layer a large baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack over it.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, vinegar and mustard. Place the skewers on top of the wire rack and brush them with the glaze. Place in the oven and broil for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the skewers over and brush with the glaze again. Place back in the oven and broil 5 more minutes. Liberally baste the skewers with the rest of the glaze and broil an additional 3 minutes or so, until they begin to caramelize and become lightly browned.

Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Roasted Broccoli with Pecorino Romano

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to roast. So much more flavor is brought out when it is cooked this way. A few years ago, a friend brought us a meal and she included a whole tray of roasted broccoli. Wow. We had no idea that broccoli could really taste this delicious! Topped with just a bit of freshly grated cheese, this is one of our favorite year round side dishes.

Roasted Broccoli with Pecorino Romano

2 lbs of fresh broccoli, washed and cut into pieces
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, adjust to taste
Optional: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, sometimes I add it and sometimes I don't
Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese, I've used both

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the broccoli, shake it well or even dry with a towel. You want to remove as much water as possible from the broccoli. Cut it into pieces. I like to leave a portion of the stem attached, because I like it that way. If you do not, simply cut the broccoli into florets.

Place the broccoli into a large mixing bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss with your hands to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle the coasted broccoli generously with the spices. Toss again. Spread the broccoli across a large greased  baking sheet or a sheet lined with a silpat mat.

Roast in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, or just until the broccoli turns bright green with some slightly browned tips. It should be crisp tender and not at all soggy. Remove from the oven and grate the cheese over the warm broccoli. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Overnight Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Cranberries

I've recently had a lot of fun discovering new ways to use fresh cranberries. In the past, I have simply bought them for our traditional cranberry sauce and left it at that. This year, I already have plans to use them in numerous ways over the next few months. I can hardly wait!

If you haven't bought fresh cranberries before, it couldn't be simpler. They stay fresh in the refrigerator for weeks and for at least 6 months or more in the freezer. I just buy them when they go on sale and hang onto them until I'm ready to use them.

This oatmeal was a great combination of mostly sweet oatmeal with a bit of tart from the cranberries. The kids loved it even more than I did. If you like cranberries, you will probably love this combination!

Overnight Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Cranberries

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
Optional: 2-3 teaspoons cream or half and half for drizzling over the individual servings as desired

Place the cranberries and the dry ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Pour the melted butter over the dry ingredients and stir lightly to coat. Add the eggs and the milk and stir once more.

Grease a 7x10 pan (or 9x13 if you want to double the recipe). Pour the oatmeal mixture into the pan and cover with lid or foil. Place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, uncover the pan, stir and place in a cold oven. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until set in the center. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

You can serve this sliced or scooped into bowls. I like mine broken up like warm granola in a bowl and my kids prefer to eat theirs like a slice of cake. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Pumpkin Mousse

This is my family's favorite pumpkin dessert. Every year, when I make it, another die-hard pumpkin-hater falls prey to it's awesomeness. A co-worker gave me this recipe, more years ago than I feel like counting. I took one bite of the mousse she brought to the office and I was smitten. My husband has consistently chosen this as his dessert of choice every holiday season since then. Nothing makes him happier, during the season of holiday baking, than knowing I am going to make this dessert.

Prior to making this for the first time, I'd never bought a carton of heavy cream before in my life, let alone whipped it into peaks. However, this mousse was a turning point. I discovered that year, that quality ingredients can produce results at home that trump anything a restaurant could possibly serve. I also learned that making this for just two people was not a good idea. I recommend making this only when you have guests!

Pumpkin Mousse

1 packet unflavored gelatin ( 2 1/2 teaspoons)
1/4 cup dark rum
16 oz can unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream

Sprinkle the gelatin over the run in a small heatproof cup. Let it soften for a few minutes.While the gelatin softens, combine the remaining ingredients except for the cream, in a large mixing bowl. Set the cup of gelatin in a pan of gently simmering water and stir the gelatin until it has dissolved. While the gelatin is still hot, whisk it into the pumpkin mixture.

Whip the cream to soft peaks and carefully but thoroughly fold it into the pumpkin mixture. Fill (8) 6 ounce ramekins or a large glass bowl. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple

Roasted pineapple and sweet potatoes? This sounded too interesting not to try. I had half a pineapple left in the refrigerator. So, I happily made this the very same night that I saw the recipe in this month's issue of Everyday Food. I served this with simple ham steaks and it was absolutely perfect. 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pineapple
recipe adapted from Everyday Food

2 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces (next time I won't bother peeling them)
1/2 of a huge pineapple, or 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons coconut oil, or another flavorless oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine the sweet potatoes and pineapple in a medium size bowl and drizzle with oil. Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with spices and toss again. Spread the pieces across a greased baking sheet or a silpat mat lined baking sheet. Bake until the pieces are tender and starting to brown, approximately 30-35 minutes. Stir every 10-15 minutes. (I'm planning to cook mine a bit longer next time and allow the potatoes to begin to crisp a bit. These were delicious as they were, but I think they will be even better a bit more browned.)

Click here for printable recipe

Soft Eggs Over Thyme Marinara Sauce

Inspired by all of the baked egg recipes I've seen recently, this is my simplified version. I do realize that baked eggs are neither complicated or all that time consuming. However, in the mornings, I typically want to spend less than 10 minutes pulling our early morning meals together.

I had half a quart of Thyme Marinara Sauce left over from lunch the day before, so this was the perfect opportunity to try this combination for breakfast. This was an enormous hit with every single member of the family. We've actually had this for breakfast three times now since I first made it. I keep a jar of this sauce ready to use in the refrigerator now, so that we can have our eggs over it whenever we like.

Soft Eggs Over Thyme Marinara Sauce

Butter
Eggs
Thyme Marinara Sauce - separate link to the recipe is below
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

In a medium skillet, melt a pat of butter over medium low heat. Crack an egg or two into the skillet and cover with lid. Let it cook until just barely set and then add about a tablespoon of water. Cover with lid again to allow to top of the egg to finish cooking, the steam helps accomplish this nicely.

While the egg is cooking, warm 2-3 heaping tablespoons of the marinara sauce on a plate in the microwave. If you are going to feed several people, it is simplest to just warm the sauce in a pan on the stove. When the eggs are done, place them on top of the warm marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe
Click here for printable marinara sauce recipe

Pasta Soup with White Beans and Sausage

I realized this past week that my family has been on a huge sausage kick lately. I glanced through several recipes I've posted over the past month and there is sausage in almost everything. My cousin, Helene, gave me this recipe a year or two ago and that was the first time I can remember buying hot Italian sausage. I loved it from the very first taste. This soup is loaded with Italian flavor and full of beans, pasta and sausage. Helene's family calls this Pizza Soup, because the house smells fantastic while it is simmering.

This is the easiest soup in the world. The sausage and tomatoes provide most of the flavor and you need to add no spices at all. This is my go-to, "I'm in the mood for soup, but have nothing planned ahead of time" meal. It could also be called, "I need to have dinner on the table in half an hour." We all enjoy this and it is often on our menu. 

Pasta Soup with White Beans and Sausage - aka Pizza Soup 

1 lb hot Italian sausage

1 stalk celery, sliced thinly

14 oz can garlic stewed tomatoes

2 quarts or 8 cups beef broth

2 cups cooked white beans, or 1 can small white beans, drained

2/3 cup small shell pasta, I buy the tiny shells, they swell to at least triple their size when cooked

In a large pot, cook and crumble the sausage over medium heat. Drain completely and then add all remaining ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil and then add the pasta shells. Once it is boiling again, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Cabbage Ribbons with Sausage and Thyme Marinara Sauce

My husband was home for lunch the other day; so I decided to try a very simple cabbage and sausage combination that I had been thinking about for a while. I still had cabbage left from the soup last week and this was the perfect use for the rest of it.

This meal turned out so well; my kids even gave it a thumbs up, cabbage and all. My oldest son has already requested it again too!

Cabbage Ribbons with Sausage and Thyme Marinara Sauce

1/2 lb hot Italian sausage
1/2 head of cabbage, sliced into thin ribbons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 tablespoon of fresh thyme
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, no additional seasonings added

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble the sausage. Add the cabbage to the skillet, toss to combine and splash just a bit of water onto it, maybe 1-2 tablespoons. Cover with lid and let cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, until it is just barely wilted.

While the sausage and cabbage are cooking, start the sauce. This recipe will make TWICE the amount of sauce you will need. Save the extra sauce to use later. In a cold saucepan, combine the oil, garlic, salt, pepper flakes and thyme. Turn on the heat to medium and saute just until fragrant. This should take less than a minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the cabbage is warm and barely softened, top individual servings with the marinara sauce and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites - Grain Free

It is the first Sunday of the month and that means it is time for the Vintage Recipe Swap. I am beyond excited to be included in this fabulous swap for the very first time! Once a month, Christianna from Burwell General Store, shares a recipe from a vintage cookbook and then lets us loose to interpret the recipe in our own way. The challenge is to change at least three things (ingredients or methods) in the original recipe and make it our own.

As a girl who simply adores vintage cookbooks, everything about this swap makes me happy. The recipes this year are being taken from The Second Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes from Famous Eating Places. I can hardly wait to see what is in store for us as Christianna chooses recipes for each month's swap.

The assignment this month was to remake the very epitome of a classic cookie, the Toll House Cookie. When I received this assignment, I actually laughed. She could not have picked a recipe that would make me happier. The Toll  House Chocolate Chip Cookie (straight off the Nestle bag) was the very first cookie I made. I've made countless variations of chocolate chip cookies through the years and no matter what changes, they are now and always have been my favorite cookie.

This particular recipe, as pictured below was somewhat new to me though. I love the little story attached to the recipe and I'm looking forward to seeing stories like this with the future recipes. As I read through it initially, wondering what twists I might give it, what I noticed was that the directions stated to scoop the cookies by 1/2 teaspoonfulls. Now, it's entirely possible that the author was referring to a table size teaspoon for eating and not necessarily a measuring teaspoon. However, I had been wanting to make teeny bite-size cookies for a while now and this was the perfect opportunity.

As I thought about this recipe, I remembered making chocolate chip cookies for the first time. Then, I remembered making my other favorite cookie recipe from childhood: Simple Peanut Butter Cookies. Just three equal ingredients, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 egg, even a child is able to memorize the recipe. Despite the simplicity of them, they are still the best peanut butter cookies I've tried.

This is my twist on an old favorite. I absolutely loved the teeny tiny cookies. They were barely an inch across when baked.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites - Grain Free
recipe makes approximately 100 tiny bites

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl, combine the peanut butter, sugars and egg. Stir to combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir again. Using a tiny 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, drop the batter onto a large baking sheet. 36 cookies fit onto each of my cookie sheets. Bake the bite-size cookies for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. If you prefer crunchy cookies, bake an additional minute or two. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks immediately. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Visit the links HERE for more awesome recipes from the Vintage Recipe Swap!

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Without any added sugars at all, this is one of the best sweet potato dishes I have ever tasted. I've made a pecan crusted brown sugar sweet potato dish for the past few Thanksgivings. That one is always popular, but this one is actually even better. My husband absolutely loved this and has already stated that he would happily eat this for a dessert.

The sweet potatoes are roasted until they are bursting with rich flavor. The color is intense and the flavor is almost indescribable. The vanilla provides a delicious undertone to the dish and the butter and cream take this to a level I can only compare with a warm mousse. I served this on Thanksgiving and every single person who tasted it loved it. Two recipe requests and my husband's rave reviews to everyone who would listen, proved that it wasn't my imagination. This is an incredible sweet potato dish. We are all looking forward to having it again.

For a girl who didn't think she liked sweet potatoes very much, I am now a solid convert. I've made sweet potatoes in three more recipes over the past week and I LOVE them.

Vanilla Bean Mashed Sweet Potatoes
recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

3 lbs sweet potatoes, cleaned and left damp
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
2/3 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, adjust to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle with care. Peel and discard the skin. I cut mine in half and the skin basically fell right off of them with barely any effort. Place the potatoes in the bowl of a food processor*.

While the potatoes are cooling from the oven, pour the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the scrapings from the vanilla bean, as well as the vanilla bean pod itself. Bring to a simmer and heat for 5 minutes, scraping the sides and stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Use tongs to remove the vanilla bean or simply pour through a strainer onto the potatoes in the food processor. Add the softened butter.

Puree the mixture until completely smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered and warm until serving**.  

* The original directions are for a food processor, however I do not have one right now. I made this using a hand potato masher and the blender, pureeing the potatoes in two separate batches. It worked great, but it definitely would have been simpler with the food processor.

** I made these the day before. I cooled them completely and them covered them and placed them in the refrigerator. A couple hours before serving them, I set them on the counter to come closer to room temperature. Then, I warmed them in the oven at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Stir before serving.

Click here for printable recipe

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Yes, you read that right, Mom. I made brussels sprouts and I LIKED them. I actually liked them so much; I found myself eating a crazy amount of these just as soon as I finished taking a picture of them. They tasted incredible. Lightly sweetened with brown sugar and still crisply warm from the stove, these are addictive. (They really must be, because I'm still shocked that I enjoyed them!)

I have been on a mission to like brussels sprouts for a while now. I've made them a couple times recently and been unimpressed. The turning point for me, was the shredding. In this recipe, the brussels sprouts are finely sliced and basically shredded into ribbons. This eliminated any of the bitterness that I usually associate with brussels sprouts. I can hardly wait to make these again.

Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
recipe adapted from Eat Live Run

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
20 small brussels sprouts, sliced as thinly as possible
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar, I used dark brown, but light or dark should work

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add the garlic and saute just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the brussels sprouts and stir gently to coat with oil. Continue sauteing until the brussels sprouts are bright green and tender, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt and brown sugar and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Cranberry Christmas Cake

A few weeks ago, my friend Valerie made this to share with friends. The moment I tasted it, I asked for the recipe. Tart cranberries, sweet buttery cake and a fantastic texture all combined to basically beg me to eat another piece. This is an absolutely perfect cake that takes very little effort to make. No icing, no topping, nothing else is necessary at all. It was reminiscent to me of a coffeecake in texture, but much lighter than the typical heavy version.

This might be the only cake I've ever tasted that basically screams holidays to me. It is pure heaven to eat. I made nine different desserts for a Thanksgiving event and this was my absolute favorite, by far.  While I sent almost all the other leftover sweets home with friends and family, I saved two small pieces of this just for myself. I also picked up two more bags of cranberries, so that I will be able to enjoy this cake throughout the coming year!

Cranberry Christmas Cake

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups AP flour
12 oz fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.

Spread in a buttered 9x13 pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (I baked mine for 43 minutes.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1"x2", so that they could be easily eaten at a party. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe

Ginger and Honey Roasted Almonds

Ginger and honey give an awesome twist to the classic burnt sugar almonds that I usually make this time of year. These are so much healthier with loads less sugar and they turned out even more delicious than the sugared ones everyone loves. These disappeared ridiculously fast!

Ginger and Honey Roasted Almonds
recipe adapted from Purple Foodie

2 cups raw almonds
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon coconut oil (or another flavorless and odorless oil)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the nuts on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until nuts are fragrant, approximately 15 minutes. While the nuts are roasting, combine the sugar, salt and ginger in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the honey, water and oil and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the almonds when they are done in the oven. Cook, stirring every so often, until all the liquid has evaporated and the honey has thoroughly coated the almonds. This should take less than 5 minutes. The almonds should be shiny at this point.

Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the coated almonds, about a tablespoon at a time. Stir well between each addition. Once all of the sugar is combined with the nuts, toss to combine thoroughly. Spread the warm almonds in a single layer on top of parchment paper or a silpat mat to cool. Use a couple of forks or your fingers to separate the still warm almonds if they clump together while they are cooling.

Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe