New Teapot!!

Yay! So I finally have a teapot. After searching Crate and Barrel, Macy's, Wal-Mart, and Target, I finally decided on this cool Michael Graves one from Target. The shape kind of reminds me of a pot from the 1700s but with a modern twist. Also, it has this slide across opening on the top instead of  a pop off small, annoying lid. Here it is...I'm pretty excited.

NYC trip, pre-Christmas (yes...I know I'm behind)

     The Christmas holidays are finally over, so I feel like now I can relax and blog a bit. Before we went to Minnesota for a couple weeks of Christmas celebration, Karl and I  spent a couple days in NYC since our flight was out of laGuardia. One of the things we like to do is eat at places that we have seen on tv shows like "The best thing I ever ate" and "Throwdown" with Bobby Flay. This time we made it to 2 places- Levain's bakery for their dark chocolate chocolate chip cookies and J.G. Melon's for their hamburgers. Both places were featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the food network. The first place we went was to Levain's. This little bakery is easy to pass by if you're not looking for it (which we did) (and we were looking for it). It basically consists of a small small kitchen filled with industrial sized appliances. There is a counter with a cash register, but that's about it. Oh there's also two stools and a counter facing the street.

When we spotted Levain's there was a line out the door. We peeked in any spied a sheet of the famous cookies being put in the oven. Each plop of cookie dough was the size of a baseball. I kid you not.

But it's not only because they're large that they're popular. Levain imports their chocolate for both their dough and their chips. Each cookie is moist, chewy, and of course decadently chocolately. Karl said it was "the most intense cookie experience I have ever had."
 In fact, he had to take breaks eating it! Despite it's $4.00 price tag the cookie was worth every penny, he says. Also their coffee is good and it's only $1.25! They different varieties of cookies that can be found on their website:http://www.levainbakery.com/. Oh and they also ship so you don't have to make a long or expensive trip to New York.
 Our second and final food place was to J.G. Melons, famous for their  handmade burgers. Situated on a busy corner, this restaurant reminds me of a little town bar in England. Not that I've ever been in one, but I have seen "The Holiday" a dozen times and this is quintessential of what it looked like in the movie. The quarters are cozy and the lighting is romantical. When we went around dinner time, it was pretty crowded both at the bar and in the restaurant portion. The waiter told me it would be at least 40 minutes. Right then a couple got up to leave and I asked if we could sit there. Ha, you're so lucky, he told me. Apparently, if you have a large party ( meaning 3 or more) it's pretty difficult to get a table without waiting for a substantial amount of time.

Ok, so back to the food. Burgers (plain, no cheese or bacon) are $8.95 and their cottage fries are $4.75. They have a limited but interesting menu, mostly burgers/sandwhiches, salads, entrees, and desserts. The back side of the menu card is drinks- wine, champagne ( including Dom Perignon for $175), beers, and soda for $2.75 a glass, no refills. I'll cut to the chase.

 I was a little disappointed  with both the burger and the fries. The burger was a little too dense, thick, and had a lack of flavor. Besides the cool shape of the fries, they were fine. Potatoes can taste better. In my opinion, if you want a good burger and fries, go to Shake Shack. And get a Concrete Mixer.

From Christmas

Today is our first Christmas as a married couple. We've just opened gifts and I am having great fun with mine. Before I tell you what it is let me give you some background information. I've wanted an iPad for a long time but always thought of it as an extravagance rather than a necessity. However, the more I fiddled around with them at the store, the more I realized how practical they were and how much you could do with them. There's no way you'll ever get one in a million years, I thought (well, it just might take a million years). So as a half-jest I mentioned how I would just love an iPad for Christmas and how I could do this and that with it and use it for so many things. Karl scoffed and laughed since anything from the apple store is so expensive (and we are poor). Ok, well I tried. As Christmas approached, I kept looking for signs of an iPad around the house. Zero luck. Christmas morning came and the gifts were handed out. The first gift  I opened was a small square box which contained a pad of post-its with "i" written on the top. Haha, how clever. (and disappointing. and budget friendly).
The next gift was a box shaped just like an iPad- right size and everything! I got my hopes up and found a book wrapped in paper with an iPad drawn on it. On the screen was written "redeemable for 1 iPad at the time of your choosing."

 I was a little shocked and confused at this and looked breathlessly at Karl. He prompted me; "so what time do you choose?" (my mouth drops open at this point.
 "I choose now!!! I choose now!!!" then comes a gift bag from behind the Christmas tree. (drumroll please) It's an IPAD!!! At this point my mouth drops open and stays that way. Karl captures the moment.

     So far, I'd have to say it's been pretty sweet. I'm enjoying learning all the features. So far I've uploaded some cooking and recipe apps as well as the new food and wine magazine. (did you know you can get a free subscription for your iPad?) Karl made sure I uploaded some games like checkers and such for our trip home.
     Well, I guess I've taken a long enough break from practicing for now, but stay tuned for some great pictures, food, and recipes!

These are a Few of My Favorite Things....or...Websites

Since the holidays are coming up, I thought I would do a short post on some of my favorite websites. If you are stumped on what to get a friend or relative, visit some of these sites for some  amazing, one of a kind gifts.

Also, at the end of the post are some really great resources I use for ideas on cooking, organizing, decorating and cleaning impossible things (there, now I made those links irresistible!)

Here's one of my all time favorites. It's always on the top of my list of places to visit when we head into NYC for a weekend. This little place downtown is the quintessential old time tea and coffee shop where there are literally hundreds of loose teas to choose from. You buy tea leaves by the whole/half/quarter pound. They have all different kinds and flavors of black, white, green, and flavored teas. It was rated number one for coffee and number two for tea in Zagat reviews. You can also order online from them. Either way, you don't have to miss out on the perfect flavor for your holiday season.

 Here's the link: http://www.mcnultys.com/

Everyone who knows me well, knows I'm a huge fan of pottery. Katie Coston, headquartered in South Carolina has many beautiful pieces, both functional as well as decorative. The colors she glazes with enhance the shapes she forms. I love her mugs- you will find no vessel more perfect to hold your coffee or tea ( or cider or eggnog). Her bowls are also fantastic. Check it out!

Here's the website: http://illyriapottery.com/home/

Etsy is home to some of the coolest handmade goods. Here are a few favorites:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62790994/holiday-sale-lovely-silver-bird-and?ref=cat2_gallery_25

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/63411028/plummery-hair-clip?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_query=hair&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62250786/bird-headband-swallow-silver?ref=sr_gallery_23&ga_search_query=hair&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=7&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62250786/bird-headband-swallow-silver?ref=sr_gallery_23&ga_search_query=hair&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=7&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade

Now for the awesome web resources.....(drumroll) (or scroll...)


This website is indispensable...they so much information on sooooo many topics. I also subscribe to their magazine. It's worth it.
http://www.realsimple.com/


Self explanatory.
http://allrecipes.com/

Ok, so I admit it. Everything I've made of hers is probably the best I've ever eaten. Yeah, it's that good. (prerequisite- must be able to part with 1/2 pound of butter for 1 recipe. I think butter is her magic ingredient)
http://www.marthastewart.com/food

A New Home for an Old Holiday

November 25th was my first Thanksgiving ever. Well, not ever, but never before have I been in charge of planning the menu (however predictable that may be) and making all the food look and taste good. My mother always directed the flow of ingredients and often offered her subtle advice: “No!!! What are you doing?! Do you want to RUIN the turkey??!” Needless to say, I was a little nervous about making everything without constant supervision from someone with years of Thanksgiving cooking under their apron. But I was also kind of excited and even made a timeline for food preparation. I made the cranberry sauce on Tuesday and the stuffing on Wednesday; Thursday morning I made the rest. 

For my first Thanksgiving, I wanted to make mostly traditional dishes, but have an unexpected dish or two. I browsed through the November issue of Real Simple Magazine and decided on a couple of dishes from their 10 page special, “Show Stealing Side Dishes.” Everything looked so delicious and even the print was in a fancy script. So at the risk of stealing my own show, I decided to mix things up with the Mushroom Rosemary Stuffing and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes. They also had an article on how to make the perfect turkey. “You’ll never use another recipe” it promised. Perfect. 

I bought a fresh, brined turkey from Trader Joe’s and promptly named him Joe. I thought that was quite appropriate. We have a tradition in my family of naming any whole poultry that comes to visit our kitchen. Usually it’s a chicken or turkey or occasionally a cornish hen. I believe my first bird was a little organic chicken named Harry... Anyway, this year I decided to try cooking the turkey in an oven bag. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical about the process. First of all, making your turkey in a bag is like going to the deli counter for your mashed potatoes and gravy. You’re cheating. You put the turkey in a bag and then just let in cook for a couple hours?? What?? No basting? No obsessing that it will dry out or get too browned? However, there’s nothing I dislike more than a dry turkey and these bags claim to make your bird moist. To my surprise, after 3 hours at 375, Joe came out with a nice, even dark tan. Magic. (I was worried he would look boiled and translucent.) The meat was moist and clean up was a cinch, thanks to the bag. 

Other menu items included mashed potatoes with a white wine sage gravy, cranberry sauce and popovers. I think my gravy could have used a pinch more salt, but other than that, everything was delicious. Mushroom fans, I highly recommend the Mushroom Rosemary Stuffing. You could even make it vegetarian if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken. Another variation could be with whole wheat bread. That would add a really great texture and flavor.  If you decide to make the Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes recipe, I recommend cooking them for 15 minutes. I roasted them for 20 and found them just a tad bit too done (their flavor can quickly get sour). Here are some of the delicious recipes from my first Thanksgiving. They might just visit again next year.

Velez Family Cranberry Sauce 

(it’s also the recipe off the back of the Ocean Spray Cranberries bag)

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 12-ounce package fresh cranberries

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently for 10 min., stirring occasionally. Place a wire mesh strainer over a mixing bowl (or a bowl that your will store/serve in). Pour contents of saucepan into strainer. Mash cranberries with the back of a spoon, frequently scraping the outside of the strainer, until no pulp is left. Stir contents of bowl. Pour into a serving container. Cool until completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes 1 cup. 

*The more times you put the cranberries through the mesh, the more pulp you can get from them. I usually can get about 1 1/2 cups. If you choose to do this, have a small bowl nearby to put the pulp from the mesh in. Once you have mashed all the cranberries through the mesh, take the pulp and put it through the strainer/mesh again.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Grapes

Hands-on time: 10 min.

Total time: 35 minutes (or 25 if you don’t over cook them!)

Serves 8 (or 16 people who dislike vegetables)

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 pound red seedless grapes

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (dried is fine too)

(Kosher) salt and black pepper

Heat oven to 375F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the Brussels sprouts and grapes with the oil, garlic, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Turn Brussels sprouts cut-side down and roast until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. 

*15 minutes roasting time is a better choice.

Popovers

yield 12 (if you do it in a muffin/cupcake tin)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine eggs, milk, flour, butter, and salt in mixer bowl. 

Beat until smooth. 

Fill greased and floured tin 1/2 full of batter.

Place in cold oven and set heat to 450F.

Bake 15 min. Reduce heat to 350F and bake 20-25 min. longer.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Mushroom and Rosemary Stuffing

Hands-on time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hours

2 pounds quartered Cremini or Baby Bella mushrooms

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup sherry

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large loaf Italian bread (about 1 pound, cut into 3/4 inch pieces) 

2 medium onions, chopped

4 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable)

2 large eggs

Heat oven to 375F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Divide bread between 2 cookie sheets and bake until dry and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes.

Add the sherry and cook until evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.

In batches brown the mushrooms in the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the broth, bread, eggs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the vegetables (mushrooms, onions and celery) and toss to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned, 20-30 minutes more.

*I substituted the sherry for dry white wine, and it tasted quite good; I used a combination of Cremini and Shiitake mushrooms. Also, mine could have used an extra 10 minutes in the oven.