Category Archives: cooking

Aprons and Cookies and Blenders, Oh my!

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This past Sunday, Knight and I headed into the Windy City to hang out with Nilsa, Sweets and Gavin… and to bake a ton of holiday goodies that are still tempting us each time we open the fridge or glance at the counter. (Nilsa posted her recap yesterday which I highly recommend you check out if you haven’t already!)

On the list of things to make:

*Peppermint Fudge (Nilsa is right; super secret recipe but divine, I promise)
* Oatmeal Carmelitas (which I will use only homemade caramel sauce going forward since Nilsa and I accomplished making it from scratch on Sunday. Check out the link for the recipe I posted last year.)
* Chocolate Covered Pretzels (semi-sweet and white) , which are pretty much the easiest thing to make but still taste so decadent
* Salted Caramel Cookies

Sweets and Knight hung out in the kitchen watching football, sipping beer, anxioiusly awaiting tasting or trying any of the goodies once they were done, and occasionally laughing at the way Nilsa and I were reading the recipes. Gavin, who is one of the most adorable and hilarious toddlers ever chilled with us throughout the day, introduced me to his own language (I love it when kids are learning to talk. Just too cute) and melted my heart when he indicated he wanted me to hold him (which I gladly did). We made a mess of dirty dishes, oohed and aahed over the homemade caramel sauce (it was so cool to watch it happen) and discussed future baking plans and events.

We wore aprons (that’s me above, sporting a new one that Knight’s sister gave me. It’s an odd shape and a little big but I love it anyway!). Talked about everything from blogging to baking (duh!), parenting to holidays and everything in between. It was an all around lovely day that had me on a heap on the couch as soon as we got home from sore feet and a full belly. We left with two tupperwares and one tin full of sugar, caramel-y deliciousness and we are trying are hardest to not eat it all so that Belle and Jolie can enjoy some when they are with us.

It was a wonderful way to end the weekend and start the week… with a house full of treats! 

What’s your favorite Christmas cookie to make or enjoy?  Are you an apron wearer?

Tradition: Holiday Bake-A-Thon

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Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.
For the last few years, I have been having holiday bake-a-thons with my friends and this year will be no exception! This Sunday, Nilsa and I will be donning our aprons and making four or five Christmas/holiday cookies, fudge and cookie bars. My inner Martha Stewart loves this time of year: trying new recipes, sharing laughter with friends, hanging out in the kitchen amid the bowls and mixers, ingredients, and if we are being honest, some wine. As Nilsa has already said, she senses a new tradition. She’s probably right (and yes, I promise pictures and a recap next week!) {Photo credit: Me! Gooey Butter Cookies from last year.}

In past years, when I lived in St. Louis, my mom and I would open our house up to our friends and neighborhood buddies for a mini Christmas cookie exchange. Though I’m not there this holiday season, we are hoping to do something similar on Christmas Eve this year.

We like to keep the rules simple:  

Make two desserts to share. Come over in something festive. Hang out around the kitchen and dining room. Sample all the desserts. Take a TON home. Drink some wine (or eggnog). Enjoy holiday merriment. Leave all stressors at the door and kick back with good friends and great desserts. It was a combination girls night in/dessert with friends kind of a night and honestly, it is one of my favorite things to look forward to. In addition to hosting this mini Christmas cookie exchange there is lots of Christmas music, both traditional and the more contemporary remakes, for those who are inclined we have Christmas Karaoke, and of course no shortage of girl talk.

Leading up to the event my mom and I would spend a few hours in the kitchen baking together. Gooey butter cookies. Peppermint fudge. Oatmeal carmelitas. Chocolate covered pretzels. Holiday cupcakes. We would spend time wrapping up our dessert pairings in cellophane bags and ribbon because as we all know appearance is just as important as how the desserts taste. I’m looking forward to the bake-a-thons I have coming up in the next few weeks and sharing the baking with good friends and family.

Do you participate in any holiday baking events/exchanges? What is one holiday tradition you keep that you’re looking forward to this holiday season?

Remember to check out Duncan Hines’ website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Peanut Butter and Rap

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Monday was one of those days. Full of stress, work chaos, hearing news that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear (more on that later, but all turned out ok in the end) and it left me feeling angsty, emotional and couped up.

I’ve been working on coping mechanisms to deal with some of the stress in my life lately and as simple as it is, it’s also difficult. The advice that I’ve received is this: Acknowledge the stress. Say to yourself “did I expect anything less?” or “it sounds about right,” and then focus your energy on whatever makes you happy. Running. Baking. Reading. Cleaning. Whatever you define as your happy place, go there. Let the stress go.

So Monday night, with Knight at a work happy hour, I had the house to myself which is just what I needed. I cranked up the very inappropriate rap music playlist that I have, like so loud I could feel the windows shaking from the bass and Jack jumped on the couch and put his head *under* pillows and I set about to baking. I have had Halloween candy that I wanted to use creatively and so, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with Reese’s Peanut Butter cup pieces was born.

I danced around the kitchen to Pit Bull, 50 Cent, Nelly, Eminem, Jay-Z and more while I mixed together these ingredients (recipe found here, my edits/suggestions are listed as well):

Over the Top Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (Personally I prefer semisweet/bittersweet instead. I had some Ghirardelli bittersweet chips on hand and oh my, they are delicious in this recipe!)
32 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, each cut into 4 pieces (I had the regular size cups, I just chopped them into various sized pieces)
Mix the ingredients down to the vanilla.  Add soda, salt, and flour.  Fold in chocolate chips.
(This part of the recipe is my edit; the recipe lady suggests making these as huge cookies, 18 to be exact, but I wanted more than that!)
Drop round balls of dough onto ungreased cookies sheets; flatten a bit. Bake at 350 for about 6 to 7 minutes; remove from oven and press Reese’s Peanut Butter cup bits into the tops of the cookies. Bake for an additional one to two minutes or to your personal chewiness preference.

They taste amazing warm. They taste amazing with milk. They taste amazing the next day. They also taste amazing to men; Knight gobbled some up when he got home and his office did the next day.

 

I felt so much better after baking. After dancing around the kitchen. After singing at the top of my lungs. And then? I exercised. I pounded out the remaining angst on the treadmill and with weights (special thanks to Nilsa for inspiring me to end my workout rut) and I felt even better.

Note to self: next time your angry and frustrated, bake up a storm to rap music and then workout. It will do you wonders.

How do you deal with your stressful days? What activities work for you? Anyone else a closet rap lover?

Recipe: BLT Mac n’ Cheese

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I’ve mentioned before that since I moved (it’s been a month already) I’ve been an aggressive meal planner. It’s working out really well: we don’t waste food, I don’t buy unnecessary things at the grocery store for the most part and we all know what to expect during the week making meal time much less stressful.

I have a pile of recipe magazines, books and my recipe binder that I pour over every week to find something new, delicious and easy to make. Yesterday’s dinner? BLT Mac n’ Cheese, courtesy of Rachel Ray.

Mac n’ Cheese ingredients:

* 4 slices bacon, cut into one inch pieces (I’d recommend 5-7 slices, especially if you have men who will be eating it)
* 12 ounces fusilli or rotini pasta
* 2 1/4 cups milk ( 2% recommended)
* 6 ounces softened cream cheese
* 2 cups finely shredded orange cheddar cheese
* 6 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes quartered
* Salt and pepper to taste

Mac n’ Cheese instuctions:

* Preheat the oven to 375°F.
* In large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain.
* Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until *almost al dente* and drain.
* In the same pot, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the cream cheese until blended.
* Stir in the cheddar cheese until melted (confession: I added about another half cup of cheddar cheese and I would recommend doing that; makes the sauce a bit creamier/thicker)
* Now add the pasta, bacon and tomatoes; stir until blended.
* Taste! Add salt and pepper as needed
* Transfer to a 9×13 inch casserole dish and back until heated through about 20 minutes
* Nora’s Addition: Take out about 5 minutes before done and sprinkle some salt/pepper and a small handful of cheese on the top. Continue to bake for remaining five minutes

Now for the “L” part of the BLT Mac n’ cheese, a mini homemade salad:

* 1/4 cup plain yogurt
* 1 tbsp apple cidar vinegar
* 1 small head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced

The “L” Instructions:

* In a large bowl, combine the yogurt & vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce and toss to coat. Serve the salad with the pasta.

(I didn’t make the salad because Knight hates salad and all things lettuce, so I made myself some veggies instead since I can’t eat an entire head of romaine lettuce before it goes bad.)

Here’s the final mac n’ cheese product (no other pictures to share cause Knight and I were too busy chowing down to take photos of our plates):

Verdict: Five Stars. Seriously. Perfectly filling, awesome blend of flavors in one dish and really easy to make. Definitely going into the recipe bank and will be reprised in the coming weeks/months! Highly Recommend.

Any recipes you’ve tried lately that I must try?

Idle Hands

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So there’s the old saying that Idle Hands are the devil’s playground. (Also, Idle Hands is the name of a super ridiculous movie from 1999 which I wound up working into a paper in undergrad for my English Essay writing class because the professor was a total scifi freak. That has nothing to do with this post at all actually…) When my hands/social calendar/personal calendar are idle and empty I just get really bored.

Over the course of the last few weeks several of my friends and family members have asked me just what I intend to do come October 15th (well likely October 12th if I have my way) when school is officially over.

My first reaction? A big, fat nothing. As in come home after work, get in a workout and then literally laze about from couch to bed back to couch with books in hands and DVDs by my side. I will be taking book + movie recommendations when the time comes.

However, that will only fly for the first week or two after school is done. Then I’ll want to be busy again with something. I’m rarely sitting still. I thrive on a busy schedule both socially, professionally, personally. So on the short list (I know, I know, I should give myself some time to relax but I’m a list girl. It’s part of who I am), in no particular order:

* Take tennis lessons again.
* Get involved with the local USO if they’ll have me, or another equally awesome charity.
* Find another 10k to train for preferably in December.
* Organize my recipe magazines + recipe binder and then bake/cook up a storm.
* Send more snail mail!
* Spend one entire Saturday in bed reading a book (I think this will be repeated often throughout the winter months).
* Tackle a few of those 30 before 30 items (which reminds me I have an update to share on that list soon!)

But first I must endure less than 25 days of books, notes, case studies, group work, discussion questions. I can’t quite fathom that I’ll have my M.B.A.  (with honors most likely). When I can fathom it I realize that it’s kind of freakin’ awesome.

(Also for all of my lovely readers and friends who have been here thoughout my life journey so far something for you: There will be a giveaway when school is all said and done (likely the week of October 10th) as a thank you for all your support, encouragement and believing in me when I thought I couldn’t do it. )

What about you friends: after you accomplish a big goal of any kind do you enjoy it for awhile or get on to the next thing?

Tidbit Thursday: The Nora Edition

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I don’t often do these kinds of posts, but the fabulous Jen tagged me because I “make her laugh,”  and I think I have some new readers (*hi new readers!*) so here we go:

 1. If you could spend the rest of your life doing only one thing, what would it be?

Only *one* thing? That’s not a tough question or anything. My first instinct is to say be a beach bum who does nothing but read, relax and swim but between oil spills, hurricanes and skin cancer, I suppose that’s a bad idea. I guess I’d have to say travel (with unlimited funds, a fantastic camera, and a great travel buddy). There are so many places I’m just dying to vist:  Prince Edward Island, Alaska, Italy, France, Greece, The Netherlands, Ireland, Hawaii, Mexico, and that’s just on the short list.

2. What’s the best thing you can bake/cook?

Based upon the reviews that I receive, I make a mean homemade brownie, amazing oatmeal carmelitas, and marble cake (with chocolate icing, of course). I’m always up for a challenge in the kitchen, but my top three favorites are chipotle chicken with risotto, lasagna roll-ups, and my baked mostaccioli.

 3.What household chore is your least favorite?

Well, I’m a little bit different in that I really love to clean, but my least favorite chore as silly as it is: taking out the trash. I think it’s the smell (especially in the summer) of the outdoor trash cans. Nothing grosses me out more.

 4.If you could bring three things to a deserted island, what would they be?

Jack. My book collection. Sunscreen!

5.What’s the next big thing that you are thinking about splurging on?

Short-term: iPhone or week-long trip to someplace warm and pretty as a graduation present to myself. Long-term: my own townhome/condo!

6.What would you do if you won the lottery and you only had one day to spend your winnings?

See question number one: buy as many plane tickets as possible, donate money to charity, buy a house, and adopt a whole bunch of dogs from a rescue shelter.

7.Post a current photo. If you wish to remain elusive, an abstract or close up will do just fine.

This is me modeling my new hat, which I love, my new dress (which you can’t see!) and my wavy hair which comes out to play in the crazy STL humidity. It was late at night, I’d had a few drinks so the photo is self-explanatory.

8.If you could have any pet ever, what/who would it be?

Jack. Duh.

Holidays

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Holiday weekends are for…

… going to a midnight showing of Sex and the City 2, ignoring the bad reviews because we all know sequels aren’t as good as the first, loving the fashion, the underlying tones in the movie, giggling with the girls, and indulging in a $10 cosmopolitan. Don’t forget the fact that we dressed up and shamelessly took photos while we waited in line for the movie.

… sleeping until noon as much as possible, even if your body only allows you to do it once.

… disconnecting from all things technology including blogs, gmail, work email (well, ok, I checked it once), twitter, phone calls, online classes.  

… finding new tv shows to be addicted to, even if  only for the weekend but realizing you kind of want to watch the entire season. (I’m looking at you, Drop Dead Diva.)

… treating yourself to late snacks just like you were in high school. On the menu: Doritos, an ice cold Coca-Cola, cookies.

… taking advantage of the sales at the mall to buy a few new fabulous pieces of everyday jewelry, possibly including a faux black diamond ring a la John James Preston III.

… meditating on the big life questions, maybe getting nowhere, maybe getting somewhere.  

… finishing a book that you really, really wanted to read (Kingdom Keepers III) and being ok with putting down a book that’s not grabbing you, at least for now (Swimming).

… giving yourself a pep talk: only eight more weeks of finance and you’re done with the subject forever. Only 16 weeks before you’re 100% done with school. FOREVER.

… wrapping up loose ends around the house: cleaning, filing, organizing, trashing.

… baking the classics: chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal carmelitas.

… wishing that it wasn’t necessary work everyday, 8 to 5 (and then some) because the feeling of freedom, being able to do whatever you want whenever you want is just so amazing.

… hugging your family members, catching up with neighbors and friends, penning notes to others.

… remembering those who have sacrificed their lives, families, loves and so much more for our country and freedoms.

… going on long walks with the dog and your sibling, talking about everything and nothing at the same time.

… making some mid-year resolutions with yourself regarding personal health, wealth, and overall goals.

How do you spend your holiday weekends?

Fever, Telephone, More Books, Seeds & Fur

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I’m in the throes of finals. We’re talking research papers and quizzes, complicated finance questions and other general ickiness. Fortunately it all ends on May 14th for a whole two weeks. Times like these I tend to think scattered, random thoughts, much like this post will illustrate.

* You already know I’m obsessed with Parenthood. So much so that I tracked down this video from last week’s episode which had me laughing hysterically and decided I had to share, because we all need a little mid-week laughter:  

* And if that doesn’t make you smile then check out this creative, hilarious video from some of our brave soldiers covering Lady Gaga’s Telephone:

* In other news, Darling (aka my fabulous mom) has a book giveaway for you to enter as well. Check it out and enter for a chance to win more summer reading books! Her contest ends this Sunday, is open to US & Canadian residents and you have two ways to enter! So go check it out. You won’t regret it.

* Looking for creative gift ideas? Kyla launched an awesome new project today. Like seriously amazing. We’re talking about an ebook and seeds delivered to your door for a DIY herb garden. Pretty sure this will be something I need to buy for my dad since he’s a cooking fiend who loves to garden and grow a variety of plants and herbs.

* Have unwanted hair? Consider donating it to Matter of Trust, an ecological charity, to help clean up the oil spill. (I read quite about this; it’s not a hoax and really does help.) View details and donation procedures here.

The (Three Day) Weekend

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This past weekend I…

… enjoyed a leisurely Friday with the family full of Italian food and gelato, laughs and good debates.

… daydreamed about buying my own townhome with a backyard for Jack and a porch on the second floor overlooking a garden.

 

… ran 8.75 miles, without stopping, as part of my training for the upcoming Soldiers Field 10  miler in about seven weeks.

… felt surprisingly awesome after running the aforementioned miles.

… rummaged around my closet for clothes that aren’t too big for me, found nothing so went for a “bohemian” look on Easter Sunday in a flowy dress and curly hair.

… decided that it’s time to go shopping due to the fact I look like a bag lady in my clothes these days. (Thank you running.)

… baked a smore brownie pie and spinach lasagna roll-ups as part of Easter Brunch.

… listened to the laughs and giggles of the neighbors who were in hot pursuit of plastic Easter eggs filled with money.

… ignored school work for 36 hours without feeling the least bit guilty.

… reconnected with an old friend with a few glasses of wine, a whole lot of laughs and promises to meet again soon.

… lazed around with Jack, listening to the wind roll through my windows, the birds fluttering about as they make their nests and having a moment of zen.

photo sources:
garden, eggs, wine

Tidbit Tuesday

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* I spent the weekend visiting my brother at school, traipsing around campus, stocking up on college gear, finding new restaurants and cafes that I wish I had existed when I was there, having drinks with my brothers friends (a few whom I used to baby sit!), laughing, talking, sharing, confiding, bonding. My brother is an excellent host: he made me brunch after my long run on Saturday, bought me a few rounds of drinks on Saturday night, and always introduced me by saying “this is my sister, she used to go here.” For some reason that just made me super happy. When it was time to leave on Sunday I held in the tears until I was 30 miles away. I’m fortunate that we’ve grown so close over the last few years but it makes it *that* much harder to leave him each time.  I’m turning into quite the softy in my rip old age of 26.

* Last week was the first “official,” training week for the 10 mile race I’ve got coming up in May. I logged 17 miles for the week in just four runs; I have to say that I’m glad I started increasing my base miles in January and February because the 5 miler (first long run) on Saturday really wasn’t so bad and I really think I could have kept going. The idea of  a fresh made brunch courtesy of my brother was reason enough to stop. I’m thrilled with my running shoes (Ariel from Brooks), love my various running playlists, and the high I get from running makes me feel invincible. I know I have a long way to go but I feel good about it so far.

* School. As I mentioned last week I have only four little classes left to finish my MBA. Two of them start this Friday. They are both (thankfully) online classes so I don’t have to endure four hour classes after a nine hour work day but that does also mean they are a bit more intense. I’m up for the challenge, have the books ready to go and only need to purchase my favorite notebooks because, well, I’m that girl who takes notes even if she’s not going to a lecture. I’m so ready for school to be done and a thing of the past because as much as I like learning, I like my freedom a little bit more.

*  Lately I feel like something is missing, like a piece of me perhaps, which is odd because everything is on the up & up. I’m doing things I want to do. I’m reconnecting with old friends and trying to make new ones. I’m running, reading, baking, socializing, writing. But every other week or so I feel lonely and a little bit lost. I know I don’t need a man to make me whole and yet I miss having a special someone in my life. Someone to rely on. Someone to hug me after a rough day. Someone who will be coming home to me (and I to him) every day, day after day, after day. Someone who is always on Team Nora. Someone to share this amazing journey with. I know I’m young and have plenty of time but that doesn’t change what the heart wants and the soul craves. All I can do is keep on this path I’ve created for myself and hope that someday my path will intersect with someone else who’s ready for the journey of a lifetime.

* I seem to have lost my reading mojo the last few weeks. I’m reading two books that I really enjoy but by the time I have a chance to read them (the whole reading during lunch thing I mentioned a week or two ago hasn’t been happening thanks to a crazy work schedule) I’m usually asleep after a few paragraphs. This weekend is so far relatively low-key so I hope the weather continues to be gorgeous so I can take Jack for a walk, sit outside and read the fabulousness that is “The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rockband… Motley Crue.” I think I just need a few hours to really get involved in a book again and I’ll be back.

 Lastly, I confess I marked “all as read,” in my reader the other day. I tried to read at least one post from each of the blogs I subscribe to so that I’d feel a bit caught up so if I missed anything big, no matter what it is, let me know. Now, fill me in on a few of your tidbits from the last few days!