From the Oven

Using a slightly-tweaked recipe I found here (more puree, less sugar, added ground cloves), I made pumpkin pies for Christmas, and another two today:

Last night I baked a longtime favourite (previously blogged here) and was rather pleased with how it turned out. I added a few walnuts on top before baking, which made this banana bread look even tastier.

My little camera is missing so unfortunately the above are just phone pics.

Also from my kitchen this week:

An easy simmer sauce curry with beef, bell peppers, carrots & onion with couscous as an accompaniment to Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Banana, mango & orange smoothies

M&M cookies

Meat loaf

BBQ'd Chicken Kebabs with bell peppers & mushrooms, marinated in teriyaki, lime, and ginger

A reprise of fish tacos will be tonight's dinner. Friday night we ordered my favourite pizza from Pizza Capers, New Orleans - cajun-spiced chicken with mushrooms and thin slices of potato, drizzled with sweet chili sauce and sour cream. Yummm. A girl can't cook all the time! :)

What have you been cooking lately? Is there anything you're dying to make? On my list are:

John Willoughby's Tagine-Style Lamb Stew
Lentil Soup with Caraway and Minted Yogurt
Honey Thyme Pork Roast
White Chocolate & Passionfruit Layer Cake

A Christmas Sendoff for Elena & Clay

Hidden by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This novella was a welcome "tie-up-loose-ends" sort of story for Armstrong's fans of Clay and Elena. I've read most of Armstrong's novels but her werewolf ones have been my favourite. After the prologue, the story picks up in Elena's voice, pitch-perfect. Yes, she's older now (41) and has four year old twins with Clay, but she's still Elena, and now that she's Alpha-elect, the political stakes are higher.

Armstrong could have just made a warm, fuzzy, feel-good story about the holidays, but it wouldn't have felt right. Fans will be pleased to see Clay and Elena doing what they do best - researching, tracking, and keeping the Pack safe - while spending Christmas with their kids, who haven't been told Mommy and Daddy are wolves. Elena and Clay's past issues and the challenges of parenthood are deftly worked into the story, resulting in a satisfying and fun read.

View all my reviews

Christmas treats

Peanut Butter Balls
Yield: 14-16

1 tsp butter
1/3 C smooth peanut butter
1 C icing sugar
6 maraschino cherries, chopped smaller than 1/4's
4 squares of semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 C chocolate sprinkles or ground nuts

Butter must be soft - not melted. Mix the butter, peanut butter, and icing sugar. Make into a paste and roll into small balls. Cherry pieces (optional) can be rolled into the centre of the ball, or incorporated into the paste.
Tip: If dry, add cherry juice.
Melt chocolate and dip or roll balls to coat, then immediately roll in sprinkles or nuts and allow to set on a plate. Tip: A skewer can be used to aid in dipping.
Store peanut butter balls in a sealed container in the fridge.

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

from Stolen Bonbons

yield 2 dozen

ingredients

1-½ cup Butter

2 cups Sugar

4 whole Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

5 cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

FOR COOKIE ICING:

Confectioner's Sugar

Vanilla

Milk

Food Coloring

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

In large bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt.

Pour cream mixture into flour mixture and mix well.

Chill for at least 2 hours.

Roll out at least 1/4 inch thick and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 until golden brown.

Ice, decorate and enjoy.

For sugar cookie icing:

(Sorry, I don’t measure the icing ingredients out. I just make it.)

1. Pour powdered sugar into a bowl.

2. Add milk, pouring small amounts in at a time, stirring after each addition.

Recipe can be halved.

He tries, dear Reader

Text from Jody, the morning following my flight:
I got you a Doctor Who magazine for the plane. It is good.

Conversation with Jody, the evening following my flight:
Jody - Sorry I forgot to give you the magazine. But you should have two Cherry Ripes in your bag.
Me - Not unless they're in a hidden pocket.
Jody - Oh. Then I have Cherry Ripes. Here they are! Dark and milk.
Me - I haven't had the dark cherry one yet.
Jody - I'll let you know if it's good!

He tries.

There were a lot of readers on my flight. I counted three iPads, four Kindles, and several paperbacks (not to mention numerous gossip magazines). Most of the passengers, including myself, ate large sandwiches that claim to be created by a renowned Australian chef. It was tasty and filling, so I had no complaints. I also ate a snack mix. For those readers who are not Australian, there's a saying here that something  yummy is "moreish" - meaning, it leaves you wanting to eat more. A local company has taken its name from the idiom.

The plane was some derivative of a Boeing 747, and fancier than the Boeings of my childhood. There were leather chairs, softly glowing blue cabin lights above the large overhead bins, and an upturned wing design. The view of the clouds was particularly beautiful. Late afternoon sun glazed them in warm, golden light, and some were large and fluffy, others mere wisps.

I did meet up with my ride and hosts for my stay in Perth, despite the hour-long delay at the airport, and I have a room and a bathroom all to myself, a half-hour's train ride from the city. Lovely! The family keeps hens, so we have fresh eggs for breakfast.

The only unfortunate thing is that I seem to have caught a cold. Whether some generous person on the flight passed it on to me, or whether my body has just had enough of the strange sleeping schedules and shifting temperatures, I don't know. In any case, I visited the chemist today and got some tablets and an herbal mixture that's supposed to help, since I'm treating it so early.

So! Tomorrow. Practicum! Watch this space.

Jody would like me to note that his forgetfulness isn't entirely his fault. He was helping me hustle into a taxi. So you see? He tries to take care of me, and I love him very much.