Archives for the ‘Pleasures of the Table’ Category

Snapshots of the Winter Solstice

Happy Winter Solstice to you!

It’s Almost Here…

The gingerbread house is done. Cookie production is in full swing. The last candle on our Advent wreath was lit tonight. And the temperature is dropping, finally! A wonderful, beautiful, cozy Sunday spent at home.

Thanksgiving Cooking

Hope you are having a lovely Thanksgiving weekend! Although I’m aware that it’s a bit late to be sharing my recipe for cranberry sauce, you can really make this year-round, if you have cranberries in your freezer.  Now is the time to stock up! This cranberry sauce is absolutely perfect, if I may say so [...]

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been wanting to make Kirsten’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies for ages and what better excuse then Halloween Day?  So, I give you Rose’s version of the Tollipop Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, written Kirsten style: Since it is Halloween Day, Ask The Boy if he wants to make cookies with you while The Girl [...]

Medium Boiled Eggs, and Apologies to Julia Child

After watching Julie & Julia, I think everyone was making poached eggs.  I’ll admit, I even gave it a try, but the results were far too disastrous to share here.  Yes, I stirred my water vigorously. Yes, I used farm fresh local eggs.  But poached eggs and I just aren’t meant to be. So I [...]

Happy Autumnal Equinox

I live in the south and it is hot.  Really hot.  But I really want it to be fall.  This time of year has me making things like pumpkin custard with the optimism that the cooler days will come eventually.  Usually, just when I think I just can’t handle the heat any longer, it gets [...]

Crepes!

Years ago The Daddy Monkey used to make crepes with chocolate sauce for me when I worked nights.  I’ve been thinking of them a lot lately, and I decided to whip some up. I do not own any teflon anymore, so I needed the right pan. I know it’s completely ridiculous to buy a special [...]

Steak au Poivre

Last Saturday, I cooked a steak for the very first time. Romantic Dinner for Two Harthill Farm Cabernet Sauvignon New York Strip Steak au Poivre Organic Green Beans Ina’s Potatoes Organic Spinach and Romaine Salad with Fig Vinaigrette Ghirardelli Twilight Delight Chocolate I was curious to try the method from Julia and Jacques Cooking at [...]

Frittata with Gazpacho

The Monkeys and I were at a playdate late into the afternoon yesterday, and I since I didn’t have much time to make dinner, I made a big stack of buttermilk pancakes for The Monkeys and The Daddy.  I would love to eat pancakes for dinner, but it would leave me with a headache the [...]

Le Creuset I Love You!

I found this incredible Le Creuset pan at the Goodwill for $6!!  I nearly had a heart attack when I found it.  I don’t know how much it cost originally because I’m unable to find it online, but these pans are not cheap.  Who would give this to the Goodwill?! Before I had this pan, [...]