With a trip to Orlando on the calendar, that means a couple extra days visiting old friends and, of course, a dinner soiree at SL’s house. So, marinating on that, I figured I’d center this week’s Fab Friday around the Orlando trip.

1. No matter where I go, I always hear “You’re Cooking in Stilettos – Where are your stilettos?” Granted this is at either a food festival where there is major walking to be had (I learned my lesson after I severely twisted my ankle in 4″ boots) or at a book signing where the lines are 2–3 hours long (if you think I’m going to stand for 2+ hours in 5″ stilettos, let me hand you a pair and you try that). I have, however, mastered the art of the wedge for these events. As I have some running around town to do, I probably will pack some favorite flats (my Tory Burch Teal Revas and the lighter than air Cole Haans – perfect for Disney), a pair or two of rockin’ stilettos for the soirees and, of course, my much beloved Mark + James Magnolia Wedge Sandals that I have yet to wear but just HAD to have. (Side note – I got them for a steal on HauteLook ages ago. You can always catch Mark + James on the sample sale sites lately.)

2. As some serious cooking is to be done at SL’s house (and I’m still hammering out the menu), I will need my trusty knives. I have never traveled with them before so I need to get this lovely Global Knife Case and pack it with my checked baggage.

3.  I’m debating on a signature cocktail or two for SL’s soiree and, as I am very fond of my Cruzan, I might have to play around a bit in the test kitchen. One thing that I know will be flowing will be the wine and I might have to swing by Crate and Barrel at the Millenia Mall to pick up some extra stemless wineglasses – just in case I drop a glass or two

4. Speaking of bottles, everyone needs a good bottle opener. This Castle Key Bottle Opener would be perfect for SL as this would fit into his home décor perfectly. I swear – how he designs a room would make even Nate Berkus stand at attention.

5. One of the dishes I’m flirting with needs a dutch oven. This 5qt. Le Creuset Oval Dutch Oven in Ocean would be perfect. Could a gal pack her Le Creuset, I wonder (or should I just ship before I head down…hmmmm)

6. Whenever I entertain, some of most raved about recipes come from my collection of Nigella Lawson cookbooks. As it’s not on the kindle yet, I know I will be packing one of my first cookbooks from her, Nigella Bites: From Family Meals to Elegant Dinners — Easy, Delectable Recipes For Any Occasion. I think SL has a couple other Nigella books in his cookbook arsenal, if I remember correctly.

What are your “must haves” when you travel to a blog conference or just to visit with friends?

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When I made the slow cooked carnitas, I remembered that I had no tortillas. Rather than rush out to the local grocery store and take a chance on mystery dust tortillas, I and remembered something that Rick Bayless had said – that it was so simple to make your own as the ingredients are already in the pantry. I found a recipe on Cooks.com that spells it out perfectly.

Also, I recently bought a tortilla press that has been been sitting in my “gadget cabinet” just waiting for a little love. However, you don’t need a fancy schmancy press to make a decent tortilla – just a flat surface and a rolling pin. If you do use the press, make sure to use two Ziploc bags or cling wrap to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Great thing about this recipe – you will never find “mystery dust” in place of your tortillas when you are craving a seriously good quesadilla.

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Read the rest of Easiest Ever Homemade Tortillas (151 words)

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The easiest thing about this slow cooked carnitas recipe   is that most of the work was done in one of my favorite kitchen aides – the Slow Cooker. A few minutes under the broiler was all it took to crisp up the succulent pork.  With a few whirls of the immersion blender, the fire roasted tomatoes turned into a flavor packed sauce.  As I didn’t have any tortillas on hand, I decided to attempt to make my own homemade tortillas and it was so simple that I won’t be buying them again if I can help it.  Serve these carnitas with a side of Spanish rice and you have a perfect meal that will have everyone marveling at how you managed to do it all and not break a sweat.

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Read the rest of Tried and True — Slow Cooked Carnitas (267 words)

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One of my new favorites for winter is this comforting Winter Minestrone Soup from Giada de Laurentiis. It was lightening quick to make and perfect to take off that icy chill. The one step you can’t skip is the parmesan rind – it’s definitely one of those secret weapons. I buy them from Whole Foods and keep them in the freezer for soups like this.  Grab a bowl of this soul soothing soup and curl up on the couch.  It’s a recipe that you will find yourself making again and again.

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Read the rest of Cozy Up With A Bowl of Winter Minestrone (340 words)

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For the holidays, one of the desserts that is often requested is Giada’s Panettone Bread Pudding with Warm Cinnamon Syrup. I originally wrote about it in 2008 and decided to document it again but add my own little twist to it.

At the beginning of the holidays, I often head to Philly’s Italian Market and pick up a box or two of some amazing Panettone Bread.  This year, I decided to add to my tried and true recipe with the addition of some rum soaked cherries. In my humble opinion – this was my best panettone bread pudding that I have ever made!  Friends were asking for the recipe, family headed back for seconds and thirds and, well, that bad boy didn’t last too long.  A word of caution is necessary however – this dessert is rich so consider yourself advised before you dive into its puffy gloriousness with a spoon.

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Read the rest of Recipe Redo — Panettone Bread Pudding With A Dash Of Cherries and Rum (359 words)

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I have to say, 2011 was quite the year and, while I did accomplish some of my 2011 culinary goals, many had to be put on the back burner due to the Sous Pug‘s illness, surgeries and subsequent care that pretty much were the focus for the last 8 months. Thankfully, he’s on the mend and has many happy years ahead of him but I decided to be a bit more cautious when planning for 2012.

I’m a firm believer in “putting it out there” and I have to be more aware of how my attitude affects the outcome of what I’m doing. 2011 has had quite a few ups and downs but I’m choosing to focus on the positive and, for the negative issues that keep cropping up, well – I’ll just let the powers that be deal with them because, quite frankly, this gal is T.I.R.E.D. A friend told me that I have “champagne problems” meaning that when I’m doing something right – certain people will try to hamper what I’m doing because they either are a) unoriginal; b) want what I’ve worked hard to do or c) because they have nothing more constructive to do with their days and that’s THEIR issue. This goes not only for things that I have done here on Cooking in Stilettos but also in the day to day. I refuse to let that sully 2012. There are WAY more important things to focus on.

So, to recap the positive in 2011, I got to meet some fabulous bloggers that I’d be lost without, connect with new people via The SITS Girls aka The Secret Is In The Sauce, get to know some fabulous Philly bloggers through the great meetups that La Phemme Phoodie organizes and I’m looking forward to meeting more bloggers near and far. Also, in 2011, Cooking in Stilettos grew in leaps and bounds and also moved from a .org to a .com – not too shabby, right? Also, while I didn’t talk about it much (and I really need to recap), I got to visit Food Network with Jen of One Curly Fry to watch Sunny Anderson tape an ep of “Cooking For Real”, I taped an episode of Emeril’s Table and got to learn from the best about all things tamales, tres leche and tequila and, finally, had a brief excursion to NYC to watch Nate Berkus tape an episode of The Nate Show where the chef was one of my faves, Aida Mollenkamp. Pretty decent year, no?

So, with that, let’s look forward shall we? For 2012 some of the goals are:

I have said this for both 2010 and 2011: take a culinary class. Well – in 2012, I would like to take a few cooking classes including that elusive pasta class, perhaps a refresher knife skills class, a canning/preservation class and one more. I would love to check out either the Restaurant School or Audrey Claire Cook and, of course, Sur La Table’s cooking classes.

While I would love to travel, I think this will be the year of the conference instead of traveling for food festivals. Don’t get me wrong, I adore both the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and the New York City Wine and Food Festival, but I’d love to attend a blog conference or two this year. I know I’m definitely planning on attending SITS Bloggy Boot Camp in Philly in May but also would love to check out a food blogger conference as well such as IFBC, BlogHer Food, Food Blog Forum (if they EVER come up north), etc.

While we’re on the subject of blogging, I plan on growing both Cooking In Stilettos and my other blog, Fashionista+. With the issues of the “champagne problems”, I tended to let that get to me and, frankly, I need to just learn to roll my eyes and let that mess be. That’s what lawyers are for, right?

Cooking is one of my major stress relievers.  With the Sous Pug issues, I found myself cooking more for him and less for myself and that needs to change.  I have a host of new recipes in store and can’t wait to share them all with you.  There are tried and trues, epic fails and I’m going to document it here.  Expect 2 to 3 recipes a week, more fab interviews and features and great spotlights for your reading pleasure.

Also, with writing, I have a couple projects that are in the works and I really am looking forward to expanding on that more. Writing is one of the things that makes me happy and I need to let my inspiration guide me over that writer’s block that has plagued me through 2011.  I also have a few other web projects that I’m working on and hopefully I’ll be able to disclose more as they move forward.

As y’all know, I love working with the Dancin’ on Air and Dance Party USA Alumni and I’m looking forward to see what 2012 holds. As evidenced from our first major event, our “party with a purpose” has been excellent and there are some great things on tap for the coming year. For the naysayers that tend to bring us down, well – karma will deal with them and I refuse to let those gnats get in the way.  Also, in Philly, Channel 17 has been re-airing some classic episodes that have not only taken us down memory lane, but have received such a warm welcome from the city.

On a personal note, I am not one to hold my tongue and I have found myself censoring myself throughout 2011. Why, I don’t know but I am cutting the negative people and situations in my life loose and, with that, I’m speaking my mind. So, for those that have decided to take advantage are going to get a rude awakening – their loss, not mine.

So, while 2011 has been quite the adventure, I am thankful that 2012 brings plenty of new opportunities for all of us and I’m excited to kick the door shut on 2011 and put my best stiletto forward in 2012.

What are some of your goals for 2012?

[Featured Photo courtesy of Positive Psychology News Daily]

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Read the rest of 12 Days of Giftmas – Blogger Edition – Part II (400 words)

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