Vintage Mixer

Moroccan Tagine Recipe with Chickpeas and Dried Apricots

2012-01-26T07:02:00.000-08:00

This recipe takes me straight back to a time and place - 2003 Granada, Spain. A group of us hiked up to a restaurant overlooking the ancient Alambra fortress to eat the best Moroccan food I've ever tasted. We sat outside in the warm summer air under a colorful tarp and many of us ordered a dish very similar to this: Moroccan Tagine over spiced couscous with golden grapes and caramelized onions. I can almost smell in now...

We were in Granada for a summer during college, studying Spanish and spending time with local college students. It was definitely a summer I'll always remember and Granada was a city I'll always want to return to. Cobblestone lined the streets of this old Spanish city, plazas filled with flowers and fresh pasta, grand historic cathedrals with ornate architecture and stain glass, and the impressive palace, the Alhambra.

If you ever find yourself in Spain, you must wander this magical city. The city of Granada is divided into two parts, a Spanish part and a Moorish (Muslim/Arab) part because Granada was the last Moorish stronghold before the Spanish took over the area. Today, you can still see much of the remnants of the Moorish community there, especially in Albayzin, the hill where we ate that night.

At that point in my life I'm not even sure I knew what a tagine was but all of the ingredients sounded so marvelous that I knew I had to try it. A tagine is slow cooked North African Stew with a combination of several spices made in a earthenware pot. Ever since that magical evening on the hill, many of us have tried to remake that meal, and after several tries, I think I've found a really great match.

Moroccan Tagine with Chickpeas and Apricots
serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs chicken or lamb shoulder (I used 4 chicken thighs)
1 large sweet onion, (half diced and half thinly sliced)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 teaspoons Moroccan Spice Blend spice blend (Ras-el-Hanout)
1 teaspoon chopped peeled ginger
1 can diced tomatoes with juices
1 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
1 can of chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro

Couscous:

1 1/2 cups couscous

1 cups water*

1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons of golden raisins
honey to drizzle
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken or lamb with salt and pepper. Brown meat on all sides (med high heat), about 4 minutes, then simmer (medium low) until meat is cooked. Transfer meat to a medium bowl. Add half of the onion (diced) to pot; reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, Moroccan Spice Blend (Ras-el-Hanout), and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and the meat with any accumulated juices. Add 1 1/2 cups stock and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the other half of the onion (thinly sliced) and caramelize the onion, (brown over medium heat) about 5 minutes. Place onion in a bowl. Drizzle the golden raisins with honey and set aside. Using the same pot you used to cook the onion, bring 1 cup of water, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/4 tsp salt and to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cups couscous. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Mix in caramelized onions and raisins, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Stir in chickpeas and apricots to meat mixture; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon couscous onto a large, shallow platter, forming a large well in center. Spoon tagine into center. Sprinkle cilantro over.

*For the couscous you can use any amount of water/broth/juice ratio, just make sure you have 1.25 cups of liquid for 1 cup of couscous.

a taste

2012-01-24T06:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend I had a little taste of family. It was more satisfying than a generous slice of birthday cake, or a glass of my favorite red wine. It was the kind of lasting satisfaction that only comes from deep relationship. I traveled to St. Louis Missouri to visit my sister and brother in law and their little girl, Sarah. It's been around 10 years since we've had any sort of normalcy in our relationship, as they lived in a whole other continent, so I'm savoring every chance I get to be with my sister and to get to be an aunt.

Over the weekend we feasted on Italian food, toured around a city so new to me, and best of all, we just got to be together. We laughed a lot, especially at my creative little niece, who always seemed to be doing something hilarious... dipping her dinosaurs in her cereal or building a pyramid of furniture on her bed when we weren't looking.

I wasn't in a hurry this trip. I loved exploring St. Louis but I look forward to more visits to uncover more. To describe the city simply, the word unpretentious comes to mind. We visited the local farmer's market which sold 'coon' (as in raccoon) right next to choice steaks and also advertised biscuits and gravy and jello shots on the same sign. The market was filled with bright and fresh fruits and vegetables all sold at very reasonably prices.

We also visited 'The Hill,' which is what locals call the Italian district of town. We grabbed a delicious Italian deli sandwich and cannoli from a little cafe that couldn't be more unassuming. Both the sandwich and the cannoli were the best of their kind, that I have ever tasted. Yes, I will be back! And before we left The Hill (by the way... there is no actual hill, St. Louis is mostly flat) we visited an Italian market and picked up all of the perfect ingredients to whip up a simply scrumptious Italian meal at home.

The city charmed me with its tall red brick homes, diverse crowds, and rich meats, but most of all I think enjoying a place has much to do with who you are with. St. Louis is now a second home to me, because this is where my family lives.

*For the birthday or celebration cake recipe from the top photo see this post :) It's one of my favorite cakes to make for a special occasion!

Local's Guide to the Sundance Film Festival

2012-01-17T07:29:00.000-08:00

It's one of my favorite times of the year to live in Salt Lake City. The Sundance Film Festival kicks off this weekend and swarms of film enthusiasts as well as brilliant producers and actors come to our city to be a part of this incredible showcase. Over the last few years I've picked up on how to best enjoy Sundance as a local which I want to share with you today. I put together some Q & As with my good friend Jackie that we hope you find helpful. Please feel free to leave a comment with other questions or if you have more tips on the film festival we would love to hear them as well!

If you didn't get a ticket package what is the best way to get tickets as a local?
Open ticket sales are the 17th and 18th at the Park City and Salt Lake box offices. Hours are 10-6. On the website, Sundance now has a pretty neat feature "Real Time Availability" that shows what tickets are available. You can also purchase day of show tickets during the festival, box office hours change from 8-7. I believe that they release so many tickets each day. The best thing would be to get to the box office early. Otherwise, waitlisting is the other option. Most festival goers say they love waitlisting! It's a fun way to experience the festival by meeting other festival goers, and get to see movies that are sold out.

Where and Where to get tickets as a local in Salt Lake City?

Trolley Square Mall starting Jan 17th through 29th 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m

What are wait-list tickets and how do locals get them?

Go directly to the theatre of the screening you wish to attend. Arrive two hours before the scheduled screening time to pick up your waitlist number (one per person). For each theatre's first screening of the day, waitlist numbers will be distributed one hour before the scheduled screening time. Once you have your number, you can go grab coffee or a sandwich, but you must return no later than 30 minutes before the screening time. You'll then line up according to number, and tickets will be sold in sequential order and based on availability. The tickets are $15. Only cash is accepted.

What's the best way to see the stars?
If you go to the first screening of a film, the actors are generally there. So, the easiest way to see the stars is to go to the first screening of a film with the star you want to see! Otherwise, Main Street is the place to go. The first weekend of the festival is definitely the most popular. Your chance to see the stars are the best then. In terms of getting tickets though, it is easier the second five days of the festival over the first five days.

If we do go into Park City, what is the best way to find parking?
In terms of Park City, parking can be difficult, therefore give yourself plenty of time! Avoid Main Street at all costs! After 3pm, the parking lot at the high school is a first come first serve basis. This is a good lot to park in and then catch the shuttle. The same is true for the lot on Monitor Drive. If you are willing to pay, you can park at the Yard on Kearns blvd but it costs $15. There is street parking around Headquarters (on Sidewinder Drive) but this will fill up fast. Again, the key is to give yourself plenty of time to find parking so you don't stress!

Where are some good places to eat if I see a show in Salt Lake?

There are some fabulous restaurants right by the Salt Lake theaters. Here are a few of my favorites:

Pago, right by the Tower Theater in Salt Lake

Copper Onion, right by the Broadway Theater in Salt Lake (pictured below)

Plum Alley, right by the Broadway Theater in Salt Lake

Other Tips...

You must be at the screening 15 minutes before the show starts. If you are not, Sundance can sell your seat to someone in the wait list. It does not work like normal theaters do so don't be late!

Many of the Sundance venues are open to the general public if space is available. It depends on the venue. Some you do need a festival credential. It is worth trying to go to the ones open to the public, just another way to enjoy the festival.
http://www.sundance.org/festival/film-events/theatres-venues/

Lastly, if you need any information during the festival, the reception hours are 8-6. The phone number is 435-658-FILM(3456).

Sundance Film Festival Website- film listings and ticket availability

follow the Sundance Film Festival on twitter

Hope you will take advantage of this fun time to be in Utah! Catch a World Documentary for me, those are usually my favorites! If you have any more tips or questions please feel free to leave a comment.

Coconut Granola Recipe

2012-01-16T07:15:00.000-08:00

Who would have thought that you could make granola purely out of coconut without oats of any kind making it a completely gluten free and sugar-free granola?!! Brilliant right? I found this recipe on Scandi Foodie, a sugar-free blogger out of Australia. Although, I don't think I would (or could) ever go sugar-free in my diet I do appreciate the occasional tasty sugar-free recipe. And this Coconut Granola recipe is just that!

Usually on Mondays I post something extra sugary but today I'm leaving you with something completely sugar-free. Almonds, coconut, chia seeds, cinnamon and coconut oil make for a scrumptious combo in this granola recipe, perfect on top of some Applesauce or Greek yogurt. It's a filling and a feel-good snack or breakfast that both Josh and I enjoy. Josh actually mentioned he liked it better than my normal Maple, Hazelnut and Cherry Granola, which is a staple at our house.

Aside from the granola, how was your weekend? What yummy breakfasts have you been enjoying lately?

We had a weekend full of celebrating! It was Josh's birthday, and we celebrated with his favorite pizza and our favorite birthday cake (classic yellow cake and chocolate icing). We slept late, went to the gym together, and enjoyed being back in our home with our furry friend. It's nice to get back into the rhythm of normal life after the holidays and our trip to Texas last week. And my travels aren't over yet!! I'll be taking a little trip this weekend to visit my sister in St. Louis and then in a few more weeks I'll be heading to Haiti with a group of friends. I can't just slip that in here without a little explanation...

A group of seven folks from our community here in Salt Lake will be traveling to Haiti to form relationships and investigate two communities there that we hope to partner with in the future. This is the first trip of many, we hope, and I'm sure we'll all return with new perspectives on life and God's love for the world. I feel extremely lucky to go and be a part of the beginnings of something so exciting. I can't wait to tell you all about it.

For now, I'll leave you with this tasty, savory granola recipe.

Coconut Almond Granola
adapted from Scandie Foodie

INGREDIENTS
3.5 cups coconut flakes (*unsweetened)
1/2 cup oats (*substitute more coconut for the oats if you're gluten-free)
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup coconut oil
dash of salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and spread the mixture evenly onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn everything around with a spatula. Continue to bake for a further 10 minutes or until just golden. Cool then store in an air-tight jar in the fridge for 3-5 days. Serve over apple sauce, over Greek yogurt, or mixed with your favorite milk.

*If you want a sweet granola, use sweetened coconut flakes. And if you're not gluten free you can substitute any amount of the coconut for oats.

We miss Henry!!

2012-01-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

Pathetic. I know it is ridiculous but when we go out of town we are so sullen being away from this little (or not so little 60 lb.) guy. We miss him snuggling up with us while we watch a movie, wagging his little bum when we come home from work, watching him run around in circles in our small home, and even his mischievous side, grazing the countertops and nibbling on the back of our shoes.

As we walked in the door late last night, the one thing that we were most excited to come home to was Henry. Oh it's so good to be home.

(picture is of Henry at Josh's studio) Henry loves a good tune!

Maple Brûléed Grapefruit Recipe

2012-01-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

Brûléed Grapefruit is a perfect, quick, seasonal breakfast for this time of year.

This past week I've been in Texas visiting our family. We've had a lot of delicious meals and continued to feast well beyond the usual holiday season splurge. As things get back to normal after the holidays and after all of the feasting, I tend to cut back a little bit on rich foods. One thing I don't ever cut out is breakfast. I love getting creative with making morning meals that are both satisfying and cleansing for my favorite meal of the day. This is a recipe for Maple Grapefruit Brûlée.

Brûléeing a grapefruit is quite easy. You can do it one of two ways: with a kitchen torch or under your oven broiler. I don't have a kitchen torch so I choose the latter. You simply cut the grapefruit in half, smear a bit of honey or maple syrup on top and a bit of brown sugar then place under the broiler for 3 minutes, making for a perfectly sweet topping for such a tart fruit.

Maple Brûléed Grapefruit

serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 grapefruit

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp brown sugar

two sharp edged grapefruit spoons

DIRECTIONS

Move your oven rack to the top level and set your oven to broil. Slice grapefruit in half, smear with maple syrup and sprinkle with brown sugar. Place grapefruit halves on a baking sheet and broil for 3 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve with a piping hot cup of coffee for a light and tasty post holiday breakfast.

Plum Alley in Salt Lake City

2012-01-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

We celebrated New Years Eve this year by going to a new restaurant in town, Plum Alley. We gathered around their communal style table with some of our dearest friends and toasted 2012 with Prosecco, Asian food, and lots of laughs.

At Plum Alley, its suggested that you dine family style, so we did and we tried much of their mouth-watering menu. There wasn't an item that we had that we didn't enjoy, however, there were definitely some dishes that stood out among the rest!

The Julienned Green Papaya Salad was lightly dressed but had a great kick of spice and flavor. It was a great compliment to the soups and curries that we also had.

Kimchi is one of those ingredients that most people either love or hate. I really enjoy it so I was glad we tried Plum Alley's Kimchi Soup. Although the soup wasn't the most beautiful to photograph, it was my favorite dish of the evening, full of flavor, texture and delicioius ingredients. I especially liked the crispy rice inside the soup.

Ramen is making a strong comeback in many Asian restaurants and households these days so it wasn't a surprise to me that they had a house Ramen on their menu.

Their chicken curry was mild and easy to like. This would be a dish that I would recommend to even the farest of Asian food enthusiasts.

Dramatic colors jump out the the bowl of this Dirty Chicken Rice dish. I loved trying all of the unknown pickled vegetables on top of this dish.

Now, here is a dish that really made a stand on our table, Duck Steamed Buns. We ordered both the pork belly and the duck steamed buns inspired, I'm sure, by David Chang's Momofuku restaurant in New York. I figured I would like the pork belly more, because I love the full flavor of pork belly but the dusk surprised me as I savored every bite of this little asian taco. The meat was perfectly paired with citrus and mint leaves for a juicy and crunchy bite.

Another unsuspecting dish, the Bok-Choy, which was perfectly soft and crunchy with tons of juicy flavor.

We had a fabulous evening at Plum Alley and can't wait to go back. It's so great to have a posh little Asian Restaurant in downtown Salt Lake City. Not that I'm at all against your whole-in-the-wall Asian restaurants but its also nice to have such a modern twist on Asian Food. This would also be a fabulous place to dine after or before a movie at the Broadway Theater! You must go, and when you do, please report back with your favorite dishes!

Plum Alley
111 East 300 South

Seasonal Produce for January in Utah

2012-01-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

Well, as you might expect, there is not much in season during the cold month of Janurary in Utah. Technically it is a dormant month but there is a variety of produce that is available from resources near to Utah. What we do have in Utah right now is a season of enjoying good movies... Sundance is almost here and I'll be posting soon about how to best enjoy the film festival as a local! But while you're not watching movies this month here are a few ingredients that are in season as well as some recipes to make with them. Enjoy!

Go to the first seasonal wallpaper post for directions on how to set the image as your desktop wallpaper or see the directions below the recipes.

Here are a few recipes from my community of food bloggers in Utah that include ingredients from the list above:

Roasted Turnips with Balsamic Vinegar, by Kalyn's Kitchen

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos, by Mountain Mama Cooks

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal, by me

Grapefruit, Orange and Avocado Salad, by Two Peas and Their Pod

Creamy Orange Fruit Dip by Barbara Bakes

Roasted Dill Chicken with Leek and Potatoes, by Taste and Tell

Lemon Rice and Asparagus Soup, by me

Winter Squash and Turkey Chili, by Foodie Crush

Pink Grapefruit Cupcakes, by Completely Delicious

Braised Leeks with Red Pepper Cream Sauce and How to cook a Leek, by Cookin' Canuck

Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake, by Project Domestication

Step 1 Click on Wallpaper Image on right side bar, this will open the image in a new window on your screen

Step 2 Once image loads on a new page, right click (or ctrl-click) image and select 'use image as desktop picture'

Step 3 If the image does not fit your desktop background neatly, you may have to go to your preference screen and choose "Fit to screen" as the display mode of your background image.

Best Blog Posts of 2011

2012-01-03T07:20:00.000-08:00

To help ring in the new year, I thought I would take some time to reflect back on the past year and share with you some of my favorite blog posts and memories of 2011. I would love to hear the highlights of your year as well so please leave comment and share them with me!

December calls for decadence, so I created a new version of an online favorite: the Pioneer Woman's Maple Cinnamon Rolls with Bacon. Ooey gooey deliciousness with crispy bacon... there's no better way to bring on the holidays really!

In November, although I consumed an embarrassing amount of delicious pies, I must say my favorite post was for a healthy side dish, Roasted Grape and Walnut Rice Pilaf. If you haven't tried roasted grapes yet, you must, and this recipe is a great match for them.

October also held many decadent recipes like these pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and a pumpkin spice cake (that was almost a complete disaster), but my very favorite post was about a local Indian Food Restaurant called, Ali Baba. Perhaps I was taken by the sweet owner and his hospitality but I can't get this little restaurant and it's flavors out of my mind.

In September, I made the most delicious Chicken and Peach Curry dish, that was a copy-cat recipe from a restaurant in Vail Colorado. The dish now reminds me of our trip to Vail and my cousin's beautiful wedding that we attended there.

August brings back memories of learning more about coffee and raw foods. I also can't forget my friend Maria's baby shower and the Mint Chocolate Pudding Dessert Shots that we all enjoyed at the celebration.

July, my birthday month, brings back images of farmers market salads and fresh potato soup. During that month we did a lot of celebrating including having a food blogger party at Vinto and a online celebration for my 500th blog post. But my best post of the month was a recap of our river rafting trip on the Rogue River in Oregon. It brings back some wild memories as well as some delicious ones. Not only did we overcome a near-death experience, we also learned how to make eggs benedict at a camp site.

In June we held our first tasting and started the tradition of bringing the online community offline to enjoy being around a table together.

May consistently provides rainy weather and an excuse to stay inside for a warm bowl of soup. We had the pleasure of making a full Sicilian meal with our friend visiting from Italy, and we made the most delicious Fisherman Stew that I could ever imagine.

April was filled with journals from our adventure traveling in China to visit my sister. I love recalling the unfamiliar smells, the new and unusual foods like lotus root, and the crazy journey traveling by bus to Dali.

In March, I took a magical snow cat skiing trip at Powder Mountain, and whisked along fairy-tale like woods in the purest snow you've ever seen. I also made these magical cookies, a copy-cat recipe of Ruby Snap Bakery, the Frida Cookie, a rich Mexican chocolate cookie with a chocolate mole center, sinfully delicious!

February will be remembered by chocolate. Lots of chocolate. Flourless Gingersnap Chocolate Cake, Raw Chocolate Truffles, and my favorite chocolates around Salt Lake. I guess February is the month of love so chocolate was fitting.

And if February was the month for Chocolate, January was the month for blondies. Not the cute gals with lightly colored hair but the chocolate-less brownies that I adore so much. I made several types including my favorite Ginger White Chocolate Blondies, and Cranberry White Chocolate Blondies. In addition to eating of lots rich blondies, we took a lovely day trip to the dreamy little town of Midway, a Swiss community just outside of Park City.

When I think of 2011 I'll remember traveling to a very foreign land, enjoying our lively puppy, and digging in deeper into our community here in Salt Lake. I'm grateful for every moment.

SLC Foodie tasting open to the public for a limited time

2011-12-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

Our next SLC Foodie tasting is open to the public for a limited time! We would love to see and meet some of you who are a part of our online community. We'll be tasting red wine and chatting about all of the health benefits of wine; plus, we will be sampling cheese from the best cheese makers around, Beehive Cheese. The evening will be filled with luscious flavors and lighthearted conversation. Join us!

Wine & Cheese Tasting, by Fox School of Wine

Open to the public for a limited time

Come try five different wines with us and learn about all of the health benefits of red wine. Cheese pairings will be provided by local Beehive Cheese.

Hosted by SLC Foodie

January 19th | 7-9pm | $35

170 East First Avenue

A portion of all proceeds will go to 3for5

RSVP HERE

Gingerbread Latte Recipe and my Christmas update

2011-12-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas began for me with a homemade gingerbread latte and a skype date with my family. We then proceeded onto brunch with friends, which included my friend Joy's famous Ebelskivers (small danish pancakes), and then we took a little road trip to visit some friends in Provo for dinner and a sleep over. We played cards and sipped cocktails, just like my grandparents used to, until we couldn't stay awake any longer. And when we woke in the morning is was brunch again, and my favorite Blueberry Muffins, then a stroll in the park with our pups.

The best part of the holidays to me is old-fashioned fun... making meals together, dusting off the board games, and going for long walks in the park. Every year we take a trip to the library before Christmas to rent a bundle of old movies to consume throughout the holiday. Some of our favorites of this weekend included I Love Lucy reruns, The Sting with Robert Redford (a personal favorite that we watch every year), and a new favorite, Boom Town (with Spencer Tracy and Clark Gable). After the holiday leftovers are all eaten, we often pick up Chinese takeout and camp out in our living room watching old movies by the fire.

This holiday season I have especially enjoyed all of the homemade and gifts delivered to our doorstep: hot cocoa mix, wine and candies almonds, and the best ginger bread I've ever sunk my teeth into. The unconventional idea of embracing simpler times by baking a loaf of bread for your neighbor or having a group of friends over for drinks and games is, to me, much better than the extravagances that can sometimes overwhelm Christmas.

Another highlight of our Christmas weekend was getting to spend a morning learning how to make tamales. One of my ESL students is from Mexico and she patiently taught me and Joy how to make tamales. I now have a deep respect for anyone who has ever taken on the challenge of making homemade tamales. We hand kneaded the maize which took so much strength that I'm pretty sure my feet left the ground with a few moments of passion. But that wasn't even the hardest part... we then had to spread the cornmeal mixture onto each individual husk (50 total), which was much harder that it sounds. But it was all worth it when we were able to share all of our handmade tamales with a house full of friends at our annual Christmas Eve Mexican Fiesta.

Spending afternoons making food with friends and then making memories enjoying the food you've made... these are the types of things I love about the holidays. I hope you continue to enjoy your holiday season!

Blessings to you,

Becky

Easy Gingerbread Latte

serves 1

INGREDIENTS

french pressed coffee

1 tsp of gingerbread creamer

1/4 cup of skim milk

DIRECTIONS

In a microwave safe mug, stir together creamer and milk. Microwave the milk mixture for 45 seconds then use a milk frother to whip your milk into a perfectly creamy and light foam. If you hold the frother at the top layer of milk it will froth up real nice:) Then slowly pour your coffee over the foam until your mug is filled.

This is one of my favorite morning treats during the holidays!

Christmas Time Recipes

2011-12-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a rich and meaningful Christmas with the ones you love and the foods you enjoy the most. I'm leaving you with some of my favorite holiday recipes along with some of my thoughts on food. Merry Christmas!

Breakfast
Best Blueberry Muffins
Baked French Toast with Praline Topping
Baked Eggs in Puff Pastry Cups

Feed upon the loftiest ideals. Nourish yourselves upon aspirations undefiled. Do not let your wine be mingled with water. Do not permit any dilution from the suggestions of the world. -Alexander McConnell

Dinner

Butternut Squash Enchiladas

White Bean Chicken Chili

Wild Mushroom Lasagna

The social interaction that surrounds a meal feeds the soul; we tell tales and seek advice, we laugh and cry, we learn and teach, and sometimes we even fall in love around chopping blocks and dinner tables. - Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan

Snacks
Bacon Cashew Caramel Corn
Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
Baked Stuffed Lemons

"Entertaining" sounds intimidating, a major household event to get prepared for. But for me, gathering people to eat is not just something I do on weekends with matching cloth napkins — it's what I do every single day when I cook for myself and my family. In most cases, it's a deep offering to nurture people's bodies and souls. -Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan

Dessert
Ginger White Chocolate Blondies
Homemade Marshmallows
Mint Chocolate Pudding Dessert Shots

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. - Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright

The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls' missing ingredient... Bacon

2011-12-20T06:52:00.000-08:00

Ree Drummond, from The Pioneer Woman, is known for many of her recipes, but I think one of her most beloved recipes are her Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing. Cinnamon rolls are a staple to many special Christmas morning breakfasts but with cinnamon rolls you must also have a side of something savory. This is just what the Pioneer Woman is missing... bacon. So, I decided to make a new version of these famous cinnamon rolls, Bacon Maple Cinnamon Rolls.

If you look at the ingredients, all of the essential elements for a tasty breakfast are included...maple, coffee, a perfectly sweet pastry and now, bacon. For those of you who have already been embracing the savory and salty combo in your sweets and baked goods, this is somehow normal. To others, this may seem strange. Let me explain...

For quite some time now, crazy people (like myself) have been sprinkling salt on their brownies, mixing salt in their caramels, and even molding bacon into fine chocolate bars. So, this isn't too far of a stretch. The Cinnamon Rolls are still perfectly sweet with just a touch of crispy, salty bacon in each bite. I know I've asked you to trust me on many of my recipes so I hope I've saved up some currency in our relationship. Now I'm spending it. These must jump to the top of your list to try for this Christmas morning! Thank you to the Pioneer Woman for her inspiration.

Bacon Maple Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from Pioneer Woman, using half of her recipe
makes about 25 rolls or 4 round aluminum pans of about 7 rolls each

INGREDIENTS
6 strips of bacon, cooked to crisp and crumbled
2 cups Whole Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Sugar
1 package Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
4 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1/2 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter ( I used 1/2 cup)
1 cup Sugar
1/8 cup of Cinnamon

maple frosting:
1/2 bag Powdered Sugar
1 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
1/4 cup Milk
1/8 cup Melted Butter
1/8 cup Brewed Coffee
dash of Salt

4 aluminum disposable pie pans

DIRECTIONS
For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute. Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1-2 hours (depending on your altitude).

While the dough is rising cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside.

After 1 hour, add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour to the dough. Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the rolls, remove the dough from the bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, pour 1/2 cup of melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use a pastry brush or your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle the ground cinnamon and sugar over the butter. Then sprinkle generous crumbles of BACON over the dough. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal. (Yes it is Ree!!!)

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

With a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil pie pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 30 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. Sprinkle with more bacon crumbles. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds.

Freezing directions: freeze rolls after their iced and cooled then reheat in the oven at 250 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cookie Swap for Kids with Cancer and A Giveaway from Creminelli and Beehive Cheese

2011-12-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

Bloggers all around the country, New York to Salt Lake City, are gathering together this holiday season to exchange their favorite cookies and raise money for kids with cancer. Bloggers without Borders initiated and organized this fun event form a national level then local bloggers took the lead to host cookies swaps in their perspective cities. Cookies for Kids with Cancer is the non-profit that we all partnered with. Glad and OXO sponsored the event as well as Beehive Cheese, The Canyons, Visit Salt Lake and Creminelli Salami at our local event.

In Salt Lake City, a long table filled with local food bloggers gathered for a special holiday brunch and cookie exchange. We feasted on some of the best brunch foods that the city has to offer, from our own kitchens to the finest salami by Creminelli. But the food was overshadowed by our enjoyment of just being together. It's is always so refreshing to sit face to face with those we chat with daily online. We caught up on families, blogging, and the holidays.

and... we exchanged lots of cookies!!

Each of us brought a couple dozen cookies to swap. I brought a new favorite of mine, Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Lace Cookies. You absolutely must try these delicate cookies; they boast of browned butter, toasted nuts, and rich dark chocolate.

Some of the other cookies that made an appearance at the event were Sugar Cookie Bars by Annalise at Completely Delicious, Snickerdoodle Sandwich Cookies by Maria at Two Peas and their Pod, Mom's Fudge by Heidi at Foodie Crush and Lemon Cookie Cups by Barbara at Barbara Bakes.

GIVEAWAY INFO...
I want to extend a special thanks to Creminelli, Visit Salt Lake, The Canyons and Beehive Cheese for helping us make this fundraiser possible! Creminelli and Beehive Cheese have also offered to give two readers a special Christmas gift. Please leave a comment with your favorite holiday cookie to be eligible to win either a a grand selection of Beehive Cheese or a variety of Creminelli salami. Winner will be chosen at random and announced at the top of this post on Tuesday the 20th of December.

Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Lace Cookies
makes 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup whole natural unsalted hazelnuts with skins
2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS
Arrange racks in lower and upper thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse hazelnuts and oats in a food processor until coarase meal forms. Set aside.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add both sugars and honey; whisk until blended and sugar dissolves, 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add nut mixture, flour, and salt; stir until well blended.

Spoon batter by 1.5-teaspoon portions onto baking sheets, spacing 2 1/2" apart. Using your fingertips, pat cookies down to 1/4"-high rounds; push in any jagged edges to form smooth circles. Each cookie sheet should only have about 8-10 cookies on it (these cookies spread out a lot while baking!!) Bake, rotating sheets after 6 minutes, until dark golden brown and cookies spread out into a thin layer, 10-–12 minutes. Slide cookies on parchment onto a wire rack and let cool.

Using a pastry brush, brush half of each cookie with melted chocolate. Let stand until the chocolate is set, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight in between sheets of parchment or waxed paper.

For more photos of the event go to FoodieCrush.com.

Baked Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sausage and Kale

2011-12-14T07:07:00.000-08:00

In keeping in step with our seasonally fresh posts on Wednesdays, I found the most delicious pasta recipe on on of my favorite blogs, 101 Cookbooks. Butternut squash, kale, and sausage together make for a seasonally fresh and full-flavored dish! I added sausage to the original recipe to kick it up a bit.

As the holidays get nearer our schedule is filled with lots of fun things but also shortens the time I have to cook. This is a pretty quick and simple one-dish meal that I fell in love with. These types of meals are perfect during the holidays when the focus is really getting to spend time with those around you! I've come up with a 12 days of Christmas countdown of ideas to enjoy the holidays. Check out the side bar of the blog for the latest idea or get the countdown on your twitter or facebook feed by following us on twitter & facebook. Each day will have an idea of how to share the holidays with your family. Also, a local tip will be given to each day- like today's to stop by Cummings Chocolates after a bundled walk around Liberty Park. Check out today's 12 days of Christmas idea.

And if that's not enough... I also have a pinterest board that includes all kinds of ideas to make this holiday more meaningful. To look at our pinboard go to Unconventional Christmas on Pinterest.

The original recipe from 101 Cookbooks was vegetarian. I made a few minor adjustments. I added sausage but only used two links to keep the dish healthy. I also used an orecchiette pasta (pictured above) mainly because I like the look of it and it kind of reminded me of the shells and cheese I grew up on so I wanted to experiment with it. Also, I used olive tapenade instead of olives and just dotted the top of the dish with the spread. The tapenade is a unique addition to any pasta and adds a great salty finish.

Butternut Squash, Kale and Sausage Baked Pasta

adapted from 101 Cookbooks, serves 4

INGREDIENTS
zest of one large lemon
8 ounces dried orecchiette pasta (or penne or something comparable in size)
1 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and sliced into quarter sized pieces
3 handfuls kale, chard, and/or spinach, loosely chopped

2 casings of hot Italian Sausage
1 cups plain Greek yogurt

1 cup whole milk
2 egg yolks
3 cloves garlic, chopped
dash of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and torn into pieces (or or olive tapenade) *optional
scant 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400F degrees, with a rack in the middle. Butter or oil an 8x12-inch baking dish, or two smaller gratin dishes. Sprinkle with lemon zest and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta until al dente. 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, stir in the butternut squash and cook until pasta is done. Quickly drain. Now run cold water over the pasta and squash (just enough to stop it from cooking). Shake off any extra water and set aside.

While you are waiting for the pasta water to boil, whisk together the yogurt, milk, eggs, garlic, nutmeg and salt in a large mixing bowl - set aside until the pasta is boiled.

In a frying pan, cook the sausage adding the kale about half way through. Saute the kale with the sausage until its slightly wilted. Remove from heat and mix in with the pasta and squash.

Then. when ready, add the pasta-squash-kale-sausage mixture to the yogurt mixture and stir in half of the almonds. Scoop everything into the prepared baking dish(es), sprinkle with olives and feta, and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve sprinkled with remaining almonds.

How to make cream puffs

2011-12-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Ever since I tasted a profiterol while sitting at a cosy little cafe in Spain I've been wanting to learn how to make these tasty little cream puffs! My friend Haley and I took on the challenge together, and with her expertise along with a trusty copy of Mastering the Art of French cooking, we made the most beautiful cream puffs you've ever laid eyes on. I can't hardly wait to package some of these up for the most delicious edible Christmas gift!

Making cream puffs is actually much easier than it seems, although I will say that it is best to have two sets of hands for this baking project. We made two types of pastry cream, a traditional vanilla and a ginger spice cream. The ginger spice cream was especially festive for a holiday treat! They also freeze well, making the perfect 'make-ahead' holiday dessert for a party.

After we were done I couldn't help but remember some of the comments you made on the Mist Project post about edible landscapes. I imagine cream puffs as puffy clouds, heavy with snow over the mountain tops of Utah. Maybe the chef at Mist will serve up a cloudy day as one of his courses.

Now, lets get to the details of how to make a Cream Puff...

First, start by making the pastry cream. Bring half and half, to a boil in a small pan. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks and sugar together until light and creamy, then whisk in flour. Temper the egg mixture b adding the half and half slowly to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Wash out pan and return mixture to pan. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Transfer to a bowl and stir in vanilla and butter. Once you're done cover the cream with plastic wrap, letting the plastic touch the cream to prevent it from getting a skin on the top layer. Then refrigerate while making the pâte à choux (the pastry dough).

For the pâte à choux recipe, you can visit Haley's blog. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients together then spoon into a pastry bag with a large opening at the end. Swirl the dough into 1.5 inch rounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or greased. Brush with egg wash then bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and hollow, or a little over (depending on the size of the puffs). **Turn oven off and prop door open for 10 minutes before removing from the oven (to let the pastries dry out and prevent them from falling).

Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until peaks start to form then add 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir in vanilla. Folk this into the pastry cream.

Once the pastry puffs are cool, fill another pastry bag with pastry cream/whipped cream mixture with a smaller tip. Insert the tip into the bottom flax side of the puff and squeeze the cream into the puffs carefully.

Cream Puff Recipe

by Haley Burke

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups half and half

4 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

* for ginger spice pastry cream

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

DIRECTIONS

Make pâte à choux recipe. While the pastry dough is baking, start the pastry cream recipe below.

Bring half and half to a boil in a small pan. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks and sugar together until light and creamy, then whisk in flour. Temper the egg mixture by adding the half and half slowly to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Wash out pan then return mixture to pan. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Transfer to a bowl and stir in vanilla and butter. Once you're done cover the cream with plastic wrap, letting the plastic touch the cream to prevent it from getting a skin on the top layer. Then refrigerate until the pâte à choux (the pastry dough) is finished baking.

Whip 1 cup of heavy cream until peaks start to form then add 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir in vanilla. Fold this into the pastry cream. Carefully stir in the ginger and cinnamon for the Ginger Spice version.

Fill a pastry bag (with a smaller circle tip) with pastry cream/whipped cream mixture. Insert the tip into the bottom flat side of the puff and squeeze the cream into the puffs carefully. You can also use a small tip of a cake ball stick (lollypop stick or skewer) to make the hole in the bottom of the puff.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve OR freeze until you're ready to serve.

The Mist Project in Salt Lake and a Giveaway for Dinner for Two

2011-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

In a month or so Salt Lake City will become the destination for a pop up restaurant offering Michelin-caliber cuisine, The Mist Project. This guerilla restaurant comes on the scene here just in time for The 2012 Sundance Film Festival. I had the extreme pleasure of sitting down with the guy who dreamed up this whole concept, Chef Gavin Baker, which I'm delighted to share with you today.

First of all, a guerilla restaurant, or pop-up restaurant is simply a restaurant that is on the move. The Mist Project is a multi-course, multi-sensory experience that will travel around the globe, and it all starts Salt Lake City! They are setting up temporary residence in the tropical plant store, Paradise Palm, on 3rd and 3rd from January 19th to February 19th. Their make-shift kitchen will be producing 15 courses per diner, each of which they've spent the last few months perfecting even down to hiring artists to design plates for each course.

The type of food served intends to connect the diner with their local surroundings. While guests enjoy the flavors of indigenous cuisine, they will also be visually inspired by the food. Baker's specialty is developing edible landscapes. Never heard of those? Well neither had I. The chef will be taking you on a journey of story through the evening, through plates that resemble a view you might see from a plane window to a native landscape.

Baker's past experience includes The Fat Duck (London, England), La CoteBasque and Oceana (New York, New York), Justin Timberlake's Chi (Los Angeles, California), the 2002 Winter Olympics (Park City, Utah), the 2006 World Cup (Frankfurt, Germany), as well as some local favorites of mine: Wahso and Talisker (Park City, Utah). Though his experience is wide, his vision and talent far exceeds it all. I believe this project will be his best venture yet - something you should not miss. When I asked Chef Baker why Salt Lake City, his response was simple; he wanted to give back to to the community where he now lives. Personally, I feel very proud that such a precarious and adventurous experience is being offering right here in Salt Lake!

Now, for the big GIVEAWAY... In order to be eligible to win the dinner for two at Mist you must simply leave a comment below with your idea of an edible landscape. For an extra entry, leave a second comment letting us know you are following The Mist Project on facebook and twitter. Winner will be chosen at random and announced on December 19th, just 1 month prior to The Mist opening!

Tickets for Mist will sell out quickly so I highly recommend that you check your calendars now and making reservations in advance! Dinner includes 15 courses for $150. For your convenience, an 18% gratuity will be added on at purchase, as well as tax. Diners are welcome to bring their own wine without any corkage fee.

The Mist Project

January 19th - February 19th

location- Paradise Palm
307 East 300 South

twitter | facebook | tickets

*all photos in this post were taken by AGFPhoto.com

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal Recipe and the new Foodie Crush Magazine

2011-12-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

Every holiday I scour the internet and cookbooks for a tasty breakfast dish to share with friends and family - sometimes something indulgent and other times just something seasonal and fresh. For Thanksgiving morning, I found this recipe called Sweet Potato and Banana-Baked Oatmeal with Pecan Streusel Topping and Pomegranates (speaking of pomegranates, check out this beautiful spread in the new online magazine, Foodie Crush).

There is a growing number of beautifully designed food magazines online now. I take full advantage of the ease and accessibility of them. Foodie Crush came out just a couple of days ago. A local gal from Salt Lake City, Heidi Larsen, put her heart and soul into designing and developing it. Several local bloggers are featured including Dara from Cookin' Canuck, Kelley from Mountain Mama Cooks (featured below). This edition is primarily about Christmas foods and is packed full of deliciousness including Christmas cookies and holiday party ideas. I can't wait to try out some of the recipes! And the best part? The magazine is free! You can view it here : Foodie Crush Magazine.

As for the Sweet Potato Oats, Josh had made a request for something not so heavy for Thanksgiving breakfast since we'd be eating so much for dinner, so I thought this recipe would be perfect. The ingredients reminded me of this sweet potato muffin that I love from The Rose Establishment. Their muffin is perfectly moist from the sweet potatoes, with a golden brown pecan and coconut streusel topping. The sweet potatoes and the pomegranates in the oats are perfectly seasonal making for a fresh and colorful dish. It turned out to be a fabulous breakfast that my non-oat-loving husband actually enjoyed.

Sweet Potato Baked Oatmeal
serves 4, adapted from Oh She Glows

INGREDIENTS
1 cup regular oats
2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 ripe large banana
1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt, or to taste
3 tbsp pure maple syrup

Crunchy Pecan Coconut Streusel:
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp butter (or Coconut Oil for Vegan)
2 tbsp flour (I used wheat pastry flour)
1/4 cup brown sugar

pomegranate seeds (for serving)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in the peeled and chopped sweet potato. Cook over medium heat, for about 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and set aside.

Give the pot a quick rinse and then add in the oats, milk, and chia seeds. Whisk well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. With a potato masher, mash in the cooked sweet potato and the banana into the pot, leaving some chunks for texture. Now stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg, and salt to taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Cook on low for another few minutes.

Make the crunchy pecan topping by mixing together the pecans, flour, butter, and brown sugar with a fork, until very clumpy. Pour the oatmeal into a baking dish and spread out evenly. Now sprinkle on the pecan topping.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes at 350F. Serve with pomegranate seeds and warm almond milk.

Vegan Sugar-free Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies

2011-12-05T07:06:00.000-08:00

A plate full of these vegan carrot cake cookies filled our house with a sweet and spicy aroma that can't be rivaled with any candle. The smell of cookies is coming out of many ovens this time of year. As many varieties of cookies that are out there, there are also that many flavor preferences among our friends and family. This weekend I wanted to make a cookie that was tasty and healthy. There are a few more weeks until feasting begins so I figure I may as well try and keep my sweets to a minimum until then. But don't you worry, when the time comes we celebrate with all the fullness of butter, sugar, and all other baking pleasures.

Our weekend was filled with our favorite friends and our favorite wines. We celebrated a friends' 30th birthday with a cheese and wine party. The next evening we sipped on a very special California pinot noir while staying up late chatting by the fire with some of our dearest friends.

Now back to these cookies... I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet these cookies turned out without even a spoonful of sugar in them. The natural sugars of the apple, carrot, and raisins sweetened them up just perfectly. The cinnamon and ginger and a perfect amount of spice for a little kick as you bite into them. I think they would make a great breakfast cookie as well. They're so healthy, they should be eaten anytime of day, or all day :) When they came out of the oven, I wasted no time at all to pop a few into my mouth, with no guilt at all, pure satisfaction!

What is your favorite non-guilty dessert?

Vegan Spiced Carrot Cake Cookies

adapted from Whole Foods

INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw unsalted walnuts
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries (use whatever combo of raisins and cranberries to equal 1 cup of dried-fruit))
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 carrots, grated
1 apple, grated
1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup almond milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.

Combine walnuts, oats, raisins and cranberries in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Add carrots, apple, banana and almond milk and stir until combined. Drop by rounded tablespoons an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, making about 24 cookies. Press down on each cookie with the back of a fork to flatten slightly. Bake until tops and bottoms are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Highlights of the top Deer Valley Restaurants for 2011-2012 Season

2011-12-02T07:47:00.000-08:00

Deer Valley Resort opens on December 3rd. Yep, that's tomorrow!! So, in just a few hours not only do some of the most appetizing ski runs open to the public, but so do some of the best restaurants in the industry. Deer Valley chefs are trained from all over the world and are the best chefs of any ski resort. Each ski lodge miraculously transforms into exquisite fine dining establishments during the evenings. I have some of the highlights of each Deer Valley Restaurant for the 2011-2012 Season.

Our evening began as a group of food writers chose their seats along a white draped table in the kitchen. That's right, the kitchen. I sat shoulder to shoulder with the chefs that I so highly respect and other food writers whom I aspire to be like some day. We feasted on the highlights of each Deer Valley Restaurant's best fare of the season, savoring each distinct flavor.

The meal started with a bang, Lobster Pozole with made-in-house hominy. This soup is served at the famous Seafood Buffet in Deer Valley.

We then moved on to the Jerk Marinated Grey Snapper, also served at Seafood Buffet. This dish had a tasty Jamaican coconut sauce and chili oil that would knock your socks off its so good.

Our third course was a Tomatillo and Cornmeal Crusted Sturgeon Fillet, served over brilliant colors of roasted red pepper and black bean, found at the Mariposa. The Mariposa is highly acclaimed for its excellent wine list along with some of the most spectacular foods you'll find in Deer Valley. The corn as well as the Honey Wine Vinegar of this dish were both sourced locally. You don't even want to know how long they shucked corn to pre-pare for the season.

Our mouths watered as we spotted the next dish, Roasted Chicken Breast Picatta served on beautiful house-made spinach pappardelle pasta with bright butternut squash. You'll find this dish on the menu at Royal Street Cafe.

At this point I couldn't even remember what course we were on or how much I had eaten but I knew I had to try the next dish... Seared Venison with a Bear Lake lamb bacon pancake (yes, I said bacon pancake!), elderberry jam, and a pan-fried tiny quail egg. This was the most creative dish of the night and possibly my favorite (although it's hard to pick a favorite with this line up). I especially loved to hear that the elderberries for the jam were picked straight off the trees on the Deer Valley mountain. Fireside Dining serves this dish and if you haven't been to fireside you must put it on your to do list for this year!

Now on to dessert. The faint of heart might be too full at this point to even think about dessert, but not me. I miraculously found room to enjoy every bite. Our first dessert was a Pomegranate Napoleon made with local Slide Ridge Honey and a mascarpone mousse. This dessert is served at Seafood Buffet.

This dish is when I really had to toughen up, because I knew I couldn't miss out on any taste of it. A Milk Chocolate Cremeux Tart with salted caramel, yuzu jam, and a sesame cracker on top. A winning combination of exotic citrus, rich chocolate and my favorite, salted caramel. This dessert is another reason you must visit Mariposa and a grand finale to our flawless meal.

If you're looking for an epic long distance dinner, I highly recommend you trying any of the restaurants at Deer Valley. They each have their own personality and flavors yet they all will make you feel like royalty. And with Deer Valley only being 40 minutes away from Salt Lake, its not even that far of a trek to check them out.

For more information on the restaurants at Deer Valley, please visit their websites below. Reservations are required.

This post was a pleasure to write and even more so, tasting all of the best foods at Deer Valley, was an extreme delight for me. I feel a sweet connection to Deer Valley in that my time working there helped shape me into who I today. I worked for Deer Valley in guest services at a lodge for a while a also in the lodging marketing department, all the while learning about the culinary world of such a high class ski resort.

Utah's Seasonal Produce in December

2011-11-30T21:48:00.000-08:00

When I think of foods during the month of December I'm mainly thinking of sweets... christmas cookies, hot cocoa with homemade marshmallows and gingerbread. But as I researched what is actually in season right now and available to us as far as fresh produce is concerned, I was actually surprised that our list is not that limited. We still have some great citrus fruits right now as well as the beloved pomegranates, and a plethora of root vegetables including the rutabaga pictured below. One item on the list that I'm especially excited to try more of this year is chestnuts. Have you cooked with chestnuts before? If so I'd love to hear what you have made with the mysteriously glossy and crunchy nut.

Go to the first seasonal wallpaper post for directions on how to set the image as your desktop wallpaper or see the directions below the recipes.

Here are a few recipes from my community of food bloggers in Utah that include ingredients from the list above:

Roasted Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili, by Foodie Crush
Jicama, Radish and Carrot Slaw, by Kalyn's Kitchen
Kale and Sausage Stuffed Delicata Squash, by Mountain Mama Cooks
Baked Stuffed Lemons, by me
Pomegranate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies, by Two Peas and Their Pod
Creamy Orange Fruit Dip by Barbara Bakes
Roasted Dill Chicken with Leek and Potatoes, by Taste and Tell
Cranberry Orange Muffins, by Completely Delicious
Lemon Bread, by me
Chocolate Caramel Chestnut Cake, by Project Domestication

Step 1 Click on the Wallpaper Image on right side bar, this will open the image in a new window on your screen

Step 2 Once image loads on a new page, right click (or ctrl-click) image and select 'use image as desktop picture'

Step 3 If the image does not fit your desktop background neatly, you may have to go to your preference screen and choose "Fit to screen" as the display mode of your background image.

Steel Cut Oats in a Jar with Berries and Flax Seeds

2011-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

Tis the season for oatmeal. Around this time every year I start craving a bowl of steaming oats topped with fresh berries, nuts, and a splash of milk. Preferably, I like the oats in a mug or something I can get my hands around to keep my palms warm, while I'm enjoying breakfast. I was inspired recently to pre-make several mornings worth of oats and place them in my favorite glass jars for a quick reheat and tasty meal to go.

When life gets crazy, and is always is around this time of year, I don't have much time to sit and enjoy breakfast, so taking a jar full of hot steel cut oats on my way out the door is the perfect solution. This is a simple recipe for steel cut oats with flax seeds, chia seeds and berries that you can make on a Sunday before your work week, then enjoy all week long. This recipe brightens my mornings every time and make life just that much easier.

The idea of oats in a jar is quite simple and you could use almost any oatmeal recipe. Ingredients to avoid would be any that you think would get soggy or not stay fresh for a week in the fridge (like bananas). Some of my favorites include Pumpkin Pie Oats and Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Oats - both of which are great recipes for 'Oats in a Jar.'

Steel Cut Oats in a Jar with Berries
4 days of delicious breakfast to go

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of steel cut oats
3 cups of water
4 tablespoons of maple syrup
2 tablespoons of flax seeds (optional)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional)
1/2 cup of frozen berries
4 jars

DIRECTIONS
Bring the water to a boil then add the steel cut oats along with the seeds. Let oats come to a boil, then turn to a medium low simmer for 25 minutes until the water is almost all absorbed. Stir in the maple syrup. Divide this mixture into 4 jars then top each jar with a generous amount of frozen berries. Screw on the lids then refrigerate until your busy morning begins.

Remove the jar lid, then microwave for 1.5 minutes covered with a paper towel (to prevent the berries from splattering all over your microwave). Stir and enjoy with a splash of warmed milk!

Christmas Cookies: Oatmeal with Dried Cherries and Pistachios

2011-11-28T06:42:00.000-08:00

Since our tree is up, and we've already busted out a Christmas movie to watch, I figure its okay to start posting Christmas Cookies right? These cookies are chunky and chewy, full of tart dried cherries and salty pistachios. Basically, they are the perfect oatmeal cookie all dressed up for Christmas in red and green.

Over the weekend we did a lot of relaxing at its finest, with cocktails, feasting on leftovers, and good hang out time with friends. We made another batch of Moroccan Stew, this time using a homemade turkey broth, and the leftover turkey from our fried turkey. Frying the turkey was super easy and only took 35 minutes. I honestly felt like we cheated a bit. But then I tasted it and quickly forgot. It was perfectly juicy and crisp all at the same time; definitely a highlight of our Thanksgiving meal. Besides eating (which we did do a lot of) we also took several walks with Henry, played some games, and watched movies.

A picture of the dough for you. Why? Because sometimes the dough is so good it doesn't make it to the cookie stage.

I'm a sucker for traditions so every year we try and keep up a few traditions over the holidays. The day after Thanksgiving we go and pick out a tree, then during the weekend we usually watch Elf (my favorite Christmas movie) while decorating the tree. It's not unusual for us to camp out in the living room watching movies on a holiday evening (usually I love Lucy episodes or Robert Redford classics). Also, we must drop by Trolley Square mall during this season to pick up some of our favorite candied nuts from a little kiosk at the mall. You will easily find them, because the aroma of roasted nuts fills the whole mall. We also picked out some Christmas cards while we were there (Tabularasa is our favorite card and stationary store).

How was your Thanksgiving Weekend? What traditions did you make this year? Also, I must remind you to leave a comment on the post of Moroccan Soup and Thanksgiving Leftovers for a chance to win Three Many Cooks', Pam Anderson's, latest cookbook. It would make a wonderful Christmas present for the cook in your family!

I'm looking forward to hearing about all of your Thanksgiving stories!

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries and Pistachios
makes 18 large cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flax seeds (optional... it adds a rustic feel to the cookie)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/3 cup dried cherries (2 ounces)
1/3 cup shelled pistachios (1 1/2 ounces; not dyed red), coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat until combined well. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, flax seeds and cinnamon in a small bowl, then add to dough and mix at low speed until just combined. Fold in oats, cherries and pistachios.

Spoon rounded tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden brown, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies with a spatula to racks. (Cookies will crisp as they cool.)

Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe for Moroccan Stew

2011-11-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is just days away so I'm guessing many of you already have your big meal planned out. So, today I hoped I could be of help to those figuring out what to do with all of your leftover turkey. This Moroccan Stew is the perfect match for leftover Thanksgiving turkey and its matched with some of my favorite ingredients. And it's Thanksgiving so we should be having all of our favorite things to eat, right?! Moroccan food often has a mixture of sweet and savory spices like cinnamon with coriander, and lemon with honey, and you must have couscous with every Moroccan meal! For this recipe, if you don't have rutabagas, butternut squash or turnips, feel free to use whatever vegetables you have around the house and if you have a Moroccan spice blend you can use that instead of the spices I recommend. This stew is super easy and rewarding after a few days of intense cooking. Read on for a chance to win a cookbook from Pam Anderson at Three Many Cooks.

Before I get too far ahead of myself I want to absorb the fact that my favorite holiday is just a day away!! I can't wait to cook and feast with some of our best friends. Also, Josh and I will be going on our annual Thanksgiving 10k run (just something we do every year to get ready for all of the eating). We're also planning some good relaxing time, movies, games, and long walks with Henry. We might even bust out the boxed set of I Love Lucy episodes, which we do every holiday. For me, Thanksgiving is a time be restored by close friends and family and to celebrate the good relationships I have around me.

Speaking of celebrating, last night I had the pleasure of meeting Pam Anderson and her daughter Maggy, from Three Many Cooks (a mother-daughter trio blog), as she unveiled her latest cookbook (see Instagram below). It's always a pleasure to meet people who share my love of food, but these gals were especially amazing. Pam told us her journey into authoring a cookbook and how much she connects with the home cooks around America. Her books strive to teach the busy folks around America how to make simple and flavorful meals. Pam and Maggy were both salt-of-the-earth ladies, and I could imagine that having dinner at their house would make someone feel right at home. And I'm positive Thanksgiving for Pam and her two daughters will be quite a delicious celebration!

Pam graciously offered a signed copy of her new cookbook to a reader of my blog. Leave a comment with your favorite meal using Thanksgiving leftovers for a chance to win a 'Cook Without a Book, Meatless Meals' by Pam Anderson. Winner will be announced in a week on Wednesday, November 30th.

Turkey and Vegetable Moroccan Stew
6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cleaned and trimmed leek, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

1 cayenne pepper, diced
4 2/3 cups vegetable stock

2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup carrot, cut into long strips
3/4 cup Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1-2 rutabaga or turnip, peeled and each cut into 8 wedges

3-4 baby bella mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

2 cups of leftover turkey
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1 1/3 cups uncooked couscous

Greek Yogurt and lemon wedges for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and leek; sauté 5 minutes. Add coriander and next 7 ingredients (through cayenne pepper); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3 cups vegetable stock and the next 9 ingredients (through turkey); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in honey.

Remove 2/3 cup hot cooking liquid from squash mixture. Place cooking liquid and remaining 2/3 cup stock in a medium bowl. Stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place a generous spoonful of couscous in each bowl then ladle the soup over the couscous and top withe Greek Yogurt and lemon wedges.

Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes

2011-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Even more important than a big spread of delicious food, Thanksgiving is all about the people sitting around the table together. That said, Thanksgiving without decadent desserts would be a bit grim. Thanksgiving desserts are some of my favorite desserts all year and I anticipate them leading up to the holidays. My Grandmother's simple Chess Pie steals my heart every year.

This year I'm also making this Chocolate Pumpkin Pie, which I've already tested and highly approve of (even if you don't like pumpkin pie). It's made with very high quality Valrhona Chocolate which practically melts in your mouth with every bite.

Maple Buttermilk Pie is also a new favorite. I tried a few different recipes (and almost burnt my kitchen down) before coming up with a perfect combination. This recipe is a rich and creamy maple custard with a light cloud-like meringue. The pie was well worth the disaster I made in my kitchen and it would make a beautiful addition to any Thanksgiving spread.

Last but certainly not least, this Pumpkin Apple Streusel Cake is definitely a winner. It's a perfectly moist cake with delicate slices of apple and a generous cinnamon sugar topping. I might add, that this cake is made with whole wheat pastry flour and has a lower sugar content that most other Thanksgiving Desserts, just a bonus that I thought I would add.

Since most people are spend Thanksgiving day with their family, we make sure to capitalize on the leftover pie and much needed friend time during the holiday break by having a Pie Breakfast party with friends. I've mentioned this fun gathering before and the idea is quite simple- pie for breakfast. Now, I just need to decide which pie to make! What desserts are gracing your Thanksgiving table this year? Will you admit to eating leftover pie for breakfast, if so what's your favorite??!

Here are more Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes from my blogging community in Salt Lake:
Pumpkin Creme Brulee by Barbara Bakes
Low Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie by Kalyn's Kitchen
Apple Upside-Down Biscuits by Cookin' Canuck
Apple Toffee Galette by Two Peas and Their Pod
Sweet Potato Spice Cake by Completely Delicious
Brown Sugar Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce by Mountain Mama Cooks
Classic Pecan Pie by Project Domestication
Sweet Potato Coconut Pie with Marshmallow Meringue by Taste and Tell