Christmas Attack Zone

Well, the world didn't end so it looks like I still have to do final grades. As usual, the last couple weeks have been crazy busy for me. The semester is at a close and I managed to survive, even with lingering bronchitis. Of course, there's still Christmas to get through. Sadly, I didn't have time to make christmas cookies this year. Looks like I'll have to make New Year's Eve cookies instead.  It's ok. That's a thing. I also tried wrapping a couple presents using some of the millions of paper bags I've accumulated (Go Green!) I think they came out pretty good 

I've just finished shopping, but I have some more wrapping to do before heading down to NYC tomorrow. Like last year, I'll be helping out my aunt and uncle with their kids while they sing at various church services throughout the city. This time though James will be joining me for a night. We booked a hotel room for Sunday night and have most of the day Monday to spend wandering around. The next couple of days are going to be a whirlwind of activity, but I should have some good stuff to post when I get back!

Holiday Activities In Connecticut

You know what puts a damper on your holiday plans? Bronchitis. Do these (vaguely Victorian) activities because I can't:

                                         Credit: Mark Twain House & Museum

Attend Stowe & Twain’s Olde-Fashioned Christmas at the Mark Twain House

Check out the Wadsworth Atheneum's annual Festival of Trees (quick, It ends on Sunday! But also, Jazz Brunch!)

See the Nutmeg Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker at The Bushnell

Take a spin on The Bushnell Park Carousel during Winterfest

Go on Mystic Seaport's Lantern Light Tour 

Check out the New Britain Museum of American Art's Community Holiday on Dec. 9th. Free admission! 

Got any ideas?

Post-Christmas Rundown

How was your holiday? Mine was exhausting. But fun! But exhausting. By the time my holiday party rolled around on Monday, I was a baking zombie. Luckily, the cookies were a hit, so it was allll worth it. Also worth it? This yummy cocktail recipe called Rudolph's Tipsy Spritzer. Ok, the name is stupid, but it's delish, I swear. My cousin Katie recommends adding a cherry as a garnish to simulate Rudolph's nose.  Like the picture at the link, I served it in an old glass bottle. One could also make this sans vodka, if you're into that sort of thing....

As for Christmas loot, 2011 was the year of tea and tea-related accessories. I was gifted with the lovely Le Creuset tea kettle mentioned in my earlier post as well as a lifetime supply of tea from various friends.

I also received a loose-leaf teapot from Teavana along with a tin of Youthberry Wild Orange Blossom tea that is nearly impossible to open. 

However, it's well worth the effort as it both tastes and smells delicious.

Now I'm back to the grind, albeit with a freezer full of desserts and a kitchen's worth of new gadgets to test. This afternoon I'm making white bean and green chard soup using my new immersion blender (thanks Mom) and my new dutch oven (thanks Dad). 

That's Not A Tea Kettle...

Now this, this is a kettle!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Attack Zone

T-minus two days til Christmas.

Presents: Bought and wrapped. 

Tree: Decorated.

Baking: Almost done. 

Since I'll be spending Christmas Eve and day helping out my aunt and uncle with their kiddies in NYC, James and I are celebrating the holiday on the 26th. We're having some friends over as well, so I've commenced holiday baking ahead of time.

I'd just like to take a moment to extol the virtues of Kerrygold butter. If you're a baker and have never used this stuff, remedy that immediately. The Irish are good at a number of things: whiskey, fiddling, being overly dramatic. I can now add butter to that list.

For my cookie-baking this year I tried out a couple of new recipes I found on Pinterest:

 Peppermint Pinwheels

A word to the wise: the recipe at the link failed to mention that one must chill the dough before rolling it out, hence my oval-shaped cookies (tsk tsk). They still taste good though!

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

As is typical while baking/cooking in my kitchen, I failed to notice beforehand that I needed a pastry cutter so I had to Macguyver it. Not bad. I like that these can also double for Valentine's Day.

Now into the freezer they go until Monday's festivities!

Also on the menu: Red Velvet Cream Cheese cookies (It's a red and white theme this year apparently).

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Spirit and Chocolate Chess Pie

It's officially December, our tiny tree is up, my Christmas mix is playing, and it's pouring rain out. Way to totally ruin the mood, Mother Nature...

                                                Charlie Brown's got nothing on our tree

I'm still waiting for those darn persimmons to ripen. Based on what I've been reading, the biggest mistake one can make in life is to eat an unripened hachiya persimmon, so I'm trying to be patient and wait just a little bit longer. 

                                                   Hurry up and mottle!

In the meantime, I made this chocolate chess pie via Jennifer Perillo's lovely blog In Jennie's Kitchen. 

I've always been intrigued by the more traditional lemon chess pie, mostly because of the name. A quick internet search suggests that this has nothing to do with the board game, but may have been a shortening of 'chest' pie because it held up so well. Considering that it's mainly sugar, I can see why. The top of the pie forms a sugary crust, while the middle stays nice and gooey, which unfortunately doesn't make for a very photogenic pie:

It's quite easy to put together though and James liked it since it's so darn sweet.