Sparkling Wine Cocktails

Sparkling Wine Cocktails | MyGourmetConnection.

Happy New Year’s Eve! Can you believe another year has nearly come and gone? Looking back, this hasn’t been the easiest year for me, but I have been blessed in so many ways. I am thankful for my family and a few select friends – they have helped me endure the tough times and celebrated with me during the good times. I have really enjoyed writing this blog for the past few months. Hobbies can be so beneficial for our minds and spirits, and this blog has been just that. It has given me a much needed outlet for my thoughts and a means to express myself.

I wanted to share this link with several fab bubbly recipes. If you are keeping away from alcoholic beverages (for whatever reason), I am sure you could substitute sparkling water or a clear soda. This link also gives instructions on how to prepare any basic sparkling wine cocktail.

I hope you have a grand last day of the year, and I wish you all the best in the year to come. I will be back blogging sometime after New Year’s Day.

Take care and be safe!

Kathy

My Way, No. 9

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Made any New Year’s resolutions? Gonna get fit, stop smoking, treat your spouse better, cut down on coffee, etc? I must admit I do not make them, but I think it’s a good idea. It’s always a good idea to set goals (IMO), but I tend to set them at random times throughout the year. My mini-goal for this week is to eat plenty of salads (in addition to the juices I posted) to help cleanse from Holiday foods. As salads are one of my fave things to eat, I don’t see it as some sort of post-Holiday self-torture. Here’s a list of 10 Homemade Salad Dressings (nothing exotic or fancy, just everyday dressings).

— So sorry, I found a lot of typos in the last ‘My Way’ post. I usually find something after I post, but there were quite a few. My eyes can get tired after staring at text for so long. It doesn’t help when the writer is also the editor, lol. I’m sure you will be patient with my mistakes in the future (pretty please?). Thanks for understanding.

— Are you a DIY cook? Take the quiz. It’s from a British site, so some of the questions may be geared a little more towards British culture. I am more of a DIY cook if I have decent space to work in, proper equipment, and accessibility to certain foods (and am not pressed/stressed for time). I am good with space, equipment, and food accessibility (for the most part) right now, but I have had limited resources in the past. In those instances, I tend to rely more on pre-packaged or store-bought items. And, sometimes I buy items that are perhaps better homemade, but they are ‘familiar’ or convenient (items I grew up with a lot of the time). I think many people do that…familiarity can bring comfort sometimes.

— Speaking of familiarity, I was telling my mom I find it odd that companies that sell a lot of processed food (many times not very wholesome) also sell medicine. So, it’s like…after you become sick from eating their unhealthy foods, you can purchase their medicine. And, stores that market a lot of processed and junk foods also have pharmacies. Once you become ill from what you’ve eaten, you can get prescriptions to help you feel better. That’s really one-stop shopping!

— I am not the best at gardening, etc., as I grew up with other folks taking care of things like that. My weeds were getting out of control, so someone gave me a recipe for homemade weed killer: 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of vinegar, and 2 TBSP dish soap. I used this for a while, and it works well. I saw a gentleman just sprinkling salt on his weeds, so I just recently tried that. It rained right afterwards, so I thought all my work had gone to pot. It worked beautifully, though! A great alternative to traditional methods.

— My Holidays were filled with lots of cooking, baking, jam making, and pickling. I made the potatoes recipe I posted for Christmas and absolutely loved it. It was super simple. It had a mixture of tomatoes and olives (which are, of course, faves of mine), but I would have never thought to add raisins. Really different and tasty! I also made a few loaves of the bagel/baguettes as gifts and decided at the last minute to make biscotti. As I’ve said, I don’t bake a lot of confections, but biscotti is fairly easy. I usually just make almond biscotti dipped in chocolate, but I added dried cranberries and orange zest this time (sans chocolate). I took a pic on my kitschy vintage Christmas platter (I inherited it from my step-family, lol). Isn’t Santa cute?

And, I let myself have a small portion of those scrumptious Cranberry-Sage Goat Cheese Crostini and Panettone.

I made individual panettone to help with portion control. I baked some in ‘soup cans’ lined with parchment paper. I used homemade candied citrus peel (with citrus from my grandmother’s tree), dark and golden raisins, and dried cranberries. I was a little heavy-handed with the dried fruit. I used a bagel/baguette for the crostini, so it saved a lot of time. I think I will have to make poviticas another time. I’ve had my fill of heavy foods for now, haha.

— I love to work with wood and collect pieces as I find them. A pallet is ideal for a lot projects, and this link gives a few pointers on disassembling one without injuring yourself.

— Someone gave me a pair of jeans that do not fit, so I’m trying to come up with a way to up-cycle them. I found this link, so I thought I would share it. I particularly like the flip flops, iPad cover, and crop top ideas.

— A few recipes: Roasted Cauliflower Street Tacos, Sugar Snap Pea and Carrot Soba Noodles, Vegan Coconut Butter check out her links for soy-based butters from another site as well, Salmon Noodle Soup, Beer Cheddar Waffles, Chinese Duck Tarts w/ Plum Sauce, Pear-Vanilla Upside-Down Cakes.

‘Til next time!

32 Detox Drinks

32 Detox Drinks & Recipes for Cleansing & Weight Loss.

It’s post-Holiday healthy eating (and drinking) time! I have a lot of greens, green foods, cranberries, poms, beets, citrus, ginger, etc. leftover, so I am going to be preparing a lot of liquid power boosts. I thought I would share this link with a few recipes. Lots to choose from, including juices, teas, and smoothies. I’m sure some of you are still enjoying leftover Holiday food, but you may want to take a peek for after the New Year.

Christmas Luncheon Pics

I hope you all are having a fabulous Holiday season! I had an absolutely wonderful day serving at the Salvation Army’s public Christmas meal. So, I wanted to share a few pics with you all. This was the first time I have participated on Christmas Day. I usually just help carve the turkeys a few days before the Holiday (a joint venture of the Jewish Federation and SA). I had no idea the extent of what goes into this day. There must have been at least 100 volunteers cooking, dishing out food, cutting pies, pouring beverages, serving the plates, etc. It was amazing to witness the love, time, and preparation involved. The church had seating inside and out, so thankfully it was a warm day. I was blessed to see several younger children volunteering. It’s great to have kids start helping others when they are young — it can help set a pattern for the rest of their lives.

When I arrived, I saw quite a few people standing in line with coolers and boxes. I thought perhaps they were waiting for food to go. The organizers told me they were waiting to deliver food to people in the community. I didn’t even realize that was a service they offered. What a blessing! It was also cool to see our newly-elected Congresswoman out serving meals with us. It’s nice when those in public offices put action to their words! I had such an amazing experience, and those served were so appreciative and kind. I hope I will be able to participate in the coming years.

Soup’s on! Stock for the gravy and dressing:

Turkey time!

Flowers going out to the community along with a hot meal:

Precious! Placemats by young artists:

Church hall before the crowd arrives:

And after:

Serving up the food:

Santa & Friends:

Santa’s Helper:

The entertainment! Love the ‘Rockette-type’ outfits:

Digging in!

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you next week!

My Way, No. 8

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Why do people have to tempt you??? I was all set to keep my cheese fast going through Christmas, until I saw these Cranberry-Sage Goat Cheese Crostini. Now, I’m like…um, excuse me, I’m making these! I have been reading this PNW farmer’s blog for a while and really like it. Even though I am a suburbia girl through and through, I have a bit of farm-envy. It’s nice to be able to go the farmer’s markets, get CSA’s, etc., but how awesome must it be if you are the producer and CSA?!

— So, I said in a recent ‘My Way’ post that I was disappointed about not being involved in the joint Jewish Federation-Salvation Army Thanksgiving turkey carving this year. I really missed seeing my cohorts from the past few years. Well, thankfully I was blessed to catch up for the Christmas carving. Many new faces this year including this fab restaurant staff who worked with lightning speed:

This year will be the first year the public meal will be served at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, instead of the Tucson Convention Center. Usually only the Thanksgiving meal is held there, as the church holds a Christmas service. The Convention Center is remodeling their kitchen this year, though.

— I have been really enjoying the bagel recipe I recently posted! I have made a few batches now. I like to get 6 smaller bagels each batch, and I usually add just a touch more honey/palm sugar. I wanted to make sandwich petite baguettes this past week, and then an idea struck me: how about using the bagel recipe and shaping it like baguette? My reasoning for this cheat came because of my love for the brevity of this recipe: you let the yeast activate for a few minutes, give it a good whirl/knead in the food processor, let it rest for 3 minutes, cut your portions, shape it, allow 10 minutes for it to rise, boil 30 seconds on each side, bake 20 minutes, and you’re done. So, in an hour or so (maybe less), you can have fresh bread. Much shorter than my baguette or Italian bread recipes. Well, I tried it and loved it. I cut the dough into 4 portions, shaped it like a log (kind of tapered at the ends), and made a few slits across the top. I boiled them just like a bagel, too. I thought they might take longer, but they were done in the same amount of time. Again, I baked them in a cast iron pan on the top rack. The first one I used right away for a dairy & fried Hanukkah meal of cream of roasted garlic and crimini mushroom soup and fried eggplant sandwich. I had an artichoke heart that needed to be used (I had only eaten the leaves), so I made a spread with it and some light mayo, and added just tomato, lettuce, and red onion. I didn’t toast the bread, just left it as is, and it was fab. SO good! I used skim milk for the soup, but didn’t know if I would like it. It was fine, though, and I couldn’t tell the difference from a higher fat milk. I have thought about making the bagel/baguettes as gifts now, as they’re so easy:

— Animals are so fascinating, aren’t they? Check out this story about birds that ‘Heard Tornadoes Coming and Fled One Day Ahead.’ Amazing. And…take a look at these totally cute cheetah cubs. They are SO precious!

— Are you having any cocktails this Holiday season? If so, check out a few of these simple DIY recipes: Homemade Grenadine, Homemade Tonic Water, 10 Homemade Liqueurs. Also, here’s a few festive drinks that look like they would hit the spot: Blackberry & Sage Champagne Cocktail, Pomegranate Christmas Cocktail, Christmas Grasshopper with Candy Canes, 25 Holiday Cocktails.

— If you are going to be baking up a storm or using your oven much for the Holidays, I thought I would link you to some recipes for Homemade Oven Cleaners.

— Lastly, New Year’s Eve is just around the corner, so here are a couple of Trending Dress ideas. I saw on another site that black and gold is in. Black is a no-go for me, so I guess it’ll have to be gold, lol. Not including the pic at the top, the 6th one down is my fave (even though it’s black 😉 ).

I will probably not post anything else until after Christmas, so I hope you have a lovely Holiday and will see you next time!

Edible Holiday Gifts

Snowy owl Christmas tree biscuits | BBC Good Food.

Biscuits means ‘cookies’ (or crackers) if you’re in America, haha. It took me the longest time to figure that out. A 2-for-1 edible ornament. Adorable! *Sidenote: In case you saw my ‘Test Post,’ I figured out the problem. This post was too long, as I suspected. I removed a few unneeded spaces.*

I’ve been thinking about edible Holiday gifts for a bit, so I thought I would share a few I’ve come across. As I mentioned in my post about that decadent Cheesecake Martini, food can be a fab gift option for a variety of reasons. I know there are a ton of ideas out there, but I tend to try to find recipes that are fairly simple or have few ingredients. Elaborate cakes and cookies are not really my gifting (literally), but I can handle quick breads, log/freezer cookies, and fudge pretty well. I have a collection of ‘soup cans’ that I will be using to bake a few yeast breads and/or quick breads in. My food processor is a blessing these days and really speeds up mixing and kneading time. I rarely knead anything by hand unless it’s a very small quantity. I would like to finally get over my aversion to fruitcake, so perhaps I will scout a decent recipe soon. My memories are still so scarred and haunted with neon-colored glacéed fruit-filled “cake” resembling a brick (in taste and texture, lol).

If I had time, I would list even more ideas. I am running a little late with my Christmas preparations, though. So, I need to get a move on! As always, please check out some of the wonderful recipes from food blogs on my blogroll for more inspiration. I also have a category for ‘Recipes, Food, and Drink’ on my blog menu, so you might glance at that or my ‘My Way’ posts, as well. I think most of these recipes could translate to just about any holiday or celebratory occasion.

Homemade Extracts
Homemade Chili Oil
Coconut Bauble Truffles
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Quinoa Crispies Treats
87 Calorie Brownies
Just Beet It 5-Ingredient Red Velvet Fudge
Homemade Chocolate
Soft Pretzels
Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins with Rosemary
Cake Batter Popcorn
Raw Chocolate Pomegranate Bark
Pumpkin Cheesecake Snickerdoodles
Spicy Blue Cheese Shortbread Cookies
Gemma’s Homemade Chocolate Fudge (watch the vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB9j8e8KWJo) I have made fudge before, but I have never thought to cut it into anything but squares. Cute!
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread
Eggnog Truffles
Vegan Seeded Banana Bread w/ Dried Figs and Turkish Apricots
Salted Caramel Bars
Homemade Orange Liqueur
Mini Cream Scones (a jar of homemade jam and/or cream would be a nice addition!
10 Mason Jar Gift Ideas (several edible gifts, plus a few extras)

I hope you are having a marvelous Holiday season, and I wish you and yours the best!

Kathy

Christmas Memories & 10 Vegetarian Christmas Recipes

10 Vegetarian Christmas Recipes | Gluten-Free Goddess Recipes.

Christmas is almost here! As I said in the last ‘My Way‘ post, I have been a bit slow getting into the groove this year. It’s OK, though, as I think it’s given me time to really reflect on the true nature of the holiday (instead of just getting busied and swept away with presents, decorating, etc.). It isn’t ‘Tree and Presents Day’ or ‘Commercialism and Materialism Day’ after all, haha. It’s Christmas Day, and that (for me) involves a Spirit of giving and love that hopefully lingers long after the mistletoe has been taken down and the last gift is opened.

I have also been taking time to think about Christmas Past (no ghosts involved, fortunately 😉  ), and the memories that mean the most to me. I don’t recall tons of early childhood memories, but I do remember things like a neighbor buying me all sorts of (not cheap!!!) toys on my “wish list” one year. She was a single mother with two children of her own, so looking back…I find that exceptional. What a blessing! I loved the snow in New York — putting on hefty snow suits with mittens tied to a string (so you wouldn’t lose them), making snow people & snow angels (with your body, lying down in the snow), toboggan races…and as I got older, cross-country skiing. I also recall that at some point, my mother strictly informed me there was no real such person as this ‘Santa Claus’ character I had heard so much about. So, I went around telling all of my friends that “it’s just your parents buying you these toys,” to the dismay of several fable-wielding adults, lol. Ah, I was awful! There are some wonderful church services (experienced later in my life) that come to mind, as well — with captivating dramas and modern music, or more traditional candlelight and orchestras.

Many of my fondest Christmas memories involve food (as do many of my memories in general, lol). My mom loves to have ham for Christmas, but my dearest carni attachment is to duck. I cannot remember us ever having turkey (or goose). Also, lobster and shrimp seems to be a popular choice for both of us. And, it may be one of the few times of the year that I prepare a steak. In New York, my relative’s co-worker (originally from Poland) used to always make nut and apricot poviticas. So, every year, they would share the spoils with us. I think of it every Christmas, but I’ve yet to attempt making my own. Maybe this year will be the year, or maybe I’ll wait until New Year’s. I’ve already had so many fried treats for Hanukkah. My body needs a rest, I think, haha. I have managed to pass on one party already (filled with yummy lard-laden tamales, cupcakes, and sugar galore). I’m not sure when I first had panettone, but it’s also one of my favorites this time of year. I have always purchased them in the store…never thinking to make my own, until I saw this recipe: Panettone. So, that might be on my list soon. I do not have a proper pan, though, so I’ll have to go about it another way.

I shared many recipe links for Thanksgiving, and I think you could easily use most of them for Christmas. Please check them out when you get a moment (if you haven’t already), if you are so inclined. I wanted to share this additional link with the 10 veggie dishes, as I think that’s the route I’m going be taking this year. I was totally tempted by the roasted potatoes dish, for sure! I will probably wait until the last moment to decide on anything else. These recipes come from a gluten-free site, so it’s also great for those with wheat allergies.

Hope you enjoy these, and I will post any other goodies as I find them!

My Way, No. 7

*If you’re new to my blog, you may want to read this for info on what ‘My Way’ posts are all about. 🙂 *

— Have you ever felt like you were going to scream if you had to make one more decision? Like you would explode if one more set of choices came before you…your mind overwhelmed by life’s questions? I got to that point this past week. Now, if I were being unselfish, I would have thought about the fact that it’s a blessing to be able to even make decisions. Some people are not that fortunate. I was having a self-absorbed moment (or two), though. Then, it seemed as if the heavens opened up and shone upon me…someone else coming along to give me peace and direction. Like God was saying, even though you’re being selfish and a bit ungrateful, I’m still going to help you out, haha. Thank goodness for mercy and folks who come to your rescue!

— Thank goodness for a couple of recipes that eased my decision-making about what to prepare for Hanukkah! Normally, it wouldn’t have been that big of a deal, but my mind was overloaded at the time, lol. I wanted to make jelly doughnuts and made blackberry jam in anticipation. As with the bagel recipe I recently posted about, though, I wasn’t really in love with the recipe I had. So, I kept going back and forth about it. Then, lo and behold, I saw this recipe and thought, “Why not give it a try?” So glad I did! Now, I must confess (probably to the cringing of pro bakers everywhere) that I changed a few things. I usually try to avoid altering baking and pastry recipes too significantly, as it’s a scientific process. And, as pastries are not my strong point, I feel I should leave it to the pros to deal with the whole science of it. I decided to risk it this time, though. I was hoping the changes wouldn’t make that much of a difference: I subbed oil for butter (as I am still fasting from it), used egg yolks instead of a whole egg, my homemade non-fat yogurt instead of milk (the only milk I had was frozen, and I didn’t want to wait until it thawed), and added a little more sugar to the dough (my sweet tooth). I know if you are a baker, you are probably frowning, lol. I thought a Star of David shape would be cute, so I cut a few like that and the rest into squares. They were awesome! So good fresh and warm:

Fasting from butter, cheese, etc., is difficult, but my body feels so much better when I do. Eggs are fine for me, though (in moderation), so that’s why I used the yolks. I thought it might make up for the lack of butter (richness). Good source of protein and iron for me. I used the whites in another recipe I made to celebrate (instead of the whole egg it called for): Cauliflower Fritters with Roasted Garlic and Paprika Aioli. I desperately wanted to make this recipe as soon as I saw it. I have never thought to prepare fritters with cauliflower. It called for parm, though, so that presented a dilemma. I decided to punch up the flavor from the missing parm with nutritional yeast, scallions, cilantro, and eggplant. I used whole wheat flour for the batter base. I tried to make up for the calories of frying by using a lower fat dip. I swapped a mixture of light mayo and non-fat yogurt for the freshly made aioli. I know a homemade aioli would have been great, but I had to try to cut a few cals somewhere! They were actually fab with or without the dip. I could have eaten quite a few more, so I had to limit my portion by putting the extras in the freezer, haha:

— I guess I’m a bit late getting into the Christmas spirit this year. It seems to have snuck up on me just these past couple of days. I know it has finally hit when I start playing the Bing Crosby Christmas tunes. He performs my some of favorite tracks and it just sets me in the mood. I’m just now starting to think about what I’ll prepare and any decorations, so I thought I would share this link on 10 Christmas Buffet Table Ideas. I like plated Holiday dinners, but they give a few ideas on setting up stations to keep everything flowing smoothly.

— OK, so I might be a few years behind the trend, but I think this is a cute Christmas outfit. And, check out these cute Christmas nails, leggings, and purse.

— A great article on using ‘people first’ language regarding mental health. (http://www.providencejournal.com/news/health/mental-health/20141122-in-talking-about-mental-illness-people-first-terminology-eases-stigma.ece) I believe I first heard of this when I was interning at Camp Wellness. I really think the explanation he gives about using certain terminology is informative — it’s not about political correctness, but about how the impact of words is important. I also wanted to share a Dallas news reporter’s story that touched me: Erasing the Stigma of Mental Illness the Best Way I Know How. (http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/sunday-commentary/20140425-fighting-the-stigma-of-mental-illness-the-best-way-i-know-how.ece)

— I have been reading about the recent Civil Rights protests in different places across the country and the march in Washington. It’s a subject that is sensitive for many Americans (no matter your cultural background, in many instances). You try to not let anger get the best of you, but these things must be voiced. If you are a minority in America, you know racism and discrimination. If you are a Black male in America, you most assuredly know racism, discrimination, and most likely a host of other deplorable things. I would say in Arizona, unfortunately, there is nearly as much (if not completely equal) hostility towards those with a Hispanic background. Our country has come far, but there is still so far to go. I continue to pray for everyone concerned. I hope that you will as well.

— I want to leave you with a few other recipes I think look grand, & hopefully I’ll be back with more soon. Bake-frying for Hanukkah: Sweet Potato Falafels with Coleslaw. Christmas means (for me) an abundance of eggnog and eggnog-flavored sweets and treats: Eggnog Cheesecake Bars. Also, I tend to indulge in more peppermint this time of year: White Chocolate Peppermint Mousse. How about some veg soup for these chilly days: Kale and Cauliflower Soup. Quick, Easy, Hearty, and Thrifty: Bombay Lamb Wraps. It’s so nice to get cozy by the fireplace (or the electric heater 😉 ) with a warm mug of mulled wine: Glühwein.

Take care! ‘Til next time!