Monday, December 15, 2014

I blinked and it's now the middle of December...

Is anyone else baffled by the fact that Christmas is next week?
This month has flown by, I know it's not entirely over yet, but 
I really can't believe Christmas is next week!
I don't know if it's the fact that Utah hardly feels like Christmas because
it's been in the high 50's and 60's, a record that hasn't been seen in 75 years. 
So it just hasn't felt like the Holidays. This week I'm determined to get in the spirit of 
it all. Going to tackle my Christmas list, put on some Christmas music, movies
and just soak it all up before I blink again and am waking up to 2015!

Hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful time of year
and focusing on the true meaning of Christmas which is our Savior.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

My Stuffing Recipe

As mentioned previously, every year I'm in charge of making stuffing for our
family Thanksgiving feast. I've tweaked it over the years and feel like I've now got it
down to an almost perfect dish. I love this recipe because it has all of my favorite components:
sweet, salty, crunchy and most importantly, it's a comfort food.  Below is the recipe, enjoy!

Sausage Apple Cranberry Stuffing:
Serves 8-10 people
16 cups 1-inch bread cubes, white or sourdough (1 1/2 pound loaf)*
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups medium-diced yellow onion (2 onions)
1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
2 Granny Smith apples, unpeeled, cored and large-diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.

In the same saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.

Add the chicken stock, walnuts  and cranberries to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.


*When I am short on time I substitute cubing and toasting my own bread with Mrs. Cubbison's Stuffing, I only use the dried bread and follow my own recipe.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Thanksgiving Tablescape Ideas

 Every year at Thanksgiving I have two assignments, make stuffing {I'll post that recipe soon}, 
and setting the table. I love doing both of these things so it doesn't feel torturous to me.
I am no Martha Stewart nor do I aspire to be so, but it's fun to get creative with 
setting the table each year and making it a special and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone. 
This year I've been wanting to do something different, so of course I turned to Pinterest which always
has loads of ideas. Here are some I've been liking. We'll see what I actually end up doing.
All images via Pinterest

Monday, November 17, 2014

As of late...

 photo peaches.png photo bluesky.png
 photo caiasouschef.png photo firstleaves.png
 photo fallbaking.png photo tacos.png
 photo mason.jpg photo mampl.jpg
 photo nieces.jpg photo emilia.jpg
Just a few snaps of the past little while that sum up life lately.
The weather has turned colder, which means I go into hibernation mode.
I've been baking more, enjoying reading some good books,
and listening to the podcast Serial which I'm totally hooked on! I'm getting ready for Thanksgiving and
Christmas. I can't believe this year is almost over, time seems to fly by the older you get.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Annapolis

 Annapolis should be renamed Charming because it's ooozing in charm. Cobblestone streets, 
old historical buildings, the harbor, men walking around in uniforms (the U.S. Naval Academy), 
darling specialty shops...you get the picture.

I only wished we'd had more time to spend there instead of an evening, but
glad we got to take it all in. We got into town just in time for an early dinner.
We feasted on seafood and then walked around town snapping photo's while looking for a place
to warm our bodies with some hot cocoa. It was frigid and windy, but we made the best of it.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Washington D.C.

Last weekend a friend and I went to D.C. for a quick weekend trip. She had never
been to D.C. so it was fun to show her around since I've been numerous times
and felt comfortable showing her around. D.C. is such an awesome city so rich in 
history around what seems every corner. The weather was a bit chillier than we
expected, but nonetheless it was beautiful with all of the foliage.
  
 
 
 
Next up Annapolis...