A Christmas Cookie Miracle

So, as I mentioned previously, I had gotten into the Christmas spirit in full swing. And, I harnessed that spirit in the form of baking...a LOT. I wanted to make Christmas cookies like I did when I was younger with my mom. So I looked up the recipe for the plain flour-based cookies that you can decorate, as well as the peanut butter kiss cookies that no holiday is complete without, and went to town.

I started with just a batch of the peanut butter cookies, which didn't last long in our house at all (I shudder to think back on how many cookies I actually ate, how much batter I tasted and how much butter was in all of it!) so I made another set (batch #2) to get us at least TO Christmas. :)

Then, the hubs asked if he could take cookies into the hospital with him one night - one think I've learned from him is that doctors and nurses LOVE treats, especially if they're working the overnight shift. So, rather than just packing up a few of the cookies that we had remaining, I made a whole new batch of the peanut butter cookies (batch #3.) They were a huge hit, so it was totally worth it.

Then, Christmas eve came around and I realized I had never made the flour cookies to decorate. The dough had been made for a week and was sitting in the fridge, and the doc was working all day Xmas Eve, overnight to Xmas morning. Cue genius idea - I'd make the flour cookies, and another batch of peanut butter cookies (batch #4) since they were such a hit the previous shift.

I certainly did not set out to spend my entire Christmas Eve in the kitchen, meticulously decorating cookies with a sense of creativity that I didn't know I possessed. However...the pictures below will show what happened much better than I could ever describe:

I'm a bit cookied-out after all that, but I ended up really enjoying myself, listening to Christmas music while I baked and decorated, baked and decorated, baked and decorated some more. And the docs and nurses were so appreciative of a sweet treat on a holiday that I'd do it again in a heartbeat...just not until next year.

Hope your holidays were wonderful and you all have a safe and happy New Year as well.
Cheers!
Maureen

The Three C's of Comfort Food

What is it about comfort food that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Is it because it reminds us of the meals mom used to make when we were little? Is it because we're TOLD it's meant to be comforting to us and, therefore, we feel that way? I don't know what the reason is, or if there's a specific set of criteria a food must meet in order for it to gain "comfort food" status, but I've got my own reasons and qualities about comfort food.

Sometimes, you just have a bad day. And, at least for me, when those days hit, I want to eat something that is going to make me feel better (as well as have a glass of wine, lay on the couch, watch bad TV and snuggle in a blanket with my dog.) So I turn to comfort food - which I define as possessing the "Three Cs" qualities:

• Caloric - must be high in calories and likely bad for me, which is why it tastes so good


• Cholesterol - must contains large amounts of butter and fat, ideally in the form of breadings and baked goods


• Comatose - must make me enter a food coma and want to doze as I lay on the couch with my wine, blanket, bad TV and dog

Occasionally, I turn to the Fourth C of comfort food...the almighty CHOCOLATE. Now, if you can combine the Almighty Chocolate with any of the above C qualities, we should be friends and you should bring over your Super Comfort Food immediately.

The other night was somewhat one of these nights. I wasn't having a particularly bad day - it was just blah. You've probably heard of the massive amounts of rain Southern California got for the past three days. After day three of swimming the dog (rather than walking him) I was done. I was in a weather funk and just wanted to feel better. Cue comfort food!

I made Chicken Kiev (read: breaded chicken stuffed with butter, cheese and herbs, oh my), Creamy (read: butter) Chicken Rice and Big & Buttery (read: big and buttery) Crescent Rolls. Not only did this meal conform to my Three Cs rule, but each of the dishes also begins with a C. Coincidence? I think not!

The comfort food did the trick and I was feeling full and happy. And, now that we're in the countdown to Christmas, I've been baking cookies like my life depends on it. Here is the ultimate test of how many Cs one can combine into holiday baking:

• Chocolate


• Christmas


• Cookies (that are high in)


• Calories (and)


• Cholesterol (and make me want to enter a)


• Coma

It's almost too much to handle! Now, combine your ultimate cookies with a Cocktail and you're set. Tis the season for comfort food!

Cheers!

Maureen

Vacation Revelation: Trying New Things Can Be Fun!

I, and the husband, were on vacation this past week, the WHOLE week. And it was glorious! We each were able to schedule the week off from our respective jobs to spend some time together, around the holidays, and explore this great city that we've lived in for six months and never really "seen." We did a nice mix of activities and bumming around, enough to see, do and eat some fun things, as well as be well-rested for the return to work tomorrow.

For me, the vacation really can be summed up into one theme: trying new things. I learned how to play XBox 360, which the man loves, and it turns out it can be pretty fun. We also got the new Kinect (thanks Mom and Dad!) for XBox, which is an absolute blast to play as well. I also touched, held and fired a gun for the first time. We paid a visit to a shooting range, as my guy has always been interested in and around guns and wanted to go. Again, tried something new (and terrifying at first!) and found out I really like it. Talk about the ultimate stress busting activity! :)

And, finally, I discovered the ultimate discovery: there are certain seafood dishes that I will eat. I've spent all of my 27 years of life avoiding seafood in all its forms- raw, cooked, seared, wet, dry, fried, boiled and so on. NEVER have I found something I liked, so I figured my life would go on as usual, sans seafood. However, we went to dinner this week and, living in San Diego, the majority of items on most menus contain seafood of some kind. So, naturally, I chose my go-to dish of steak. It was delicious, as steaks usually are. The hubs got an ahi tuna dish, which sounded not-so-great on the menu to me. However, in the spirit of the vacation, I decided to try a bite.

LO AND BEHOLD, I loved it. I actually liked it more than he did, so we switched plates and I ate the tuna and he, the steak. It may seem like a small thing to some of you, but truly, there are two dishes I've tried in my entire life that I've been able to eat - certain calamari dishes (if it's REALLY breaded and comes with lots of dipping sauce) and this tuna dish. I have new-found faith that there are other dishes out there that will continue to delight me, if only I find and try them.

So, vacation has come to an end, which I am ever-so sad about, but it was a great time, filled with fun and new experiences and some serious quality time with my guy. I'm excited for Christmas to come this weekend to continue our streak of new and exciting experiences (first Xmas as a married couple- woohoo!) and entertaining a few family members and friends.

Happy holidays to you all and I hope you find something new and exciting to enjoy in the coming weeks as well.

Cheers!
Maureen

As Visions of Turkeys Danced In My Head

I am in the holiday spirit. I fought it, I really did. But as soon as Thanksgiving came and went, on came the Christmas music, out came the decorations and up went the lights. And thus, Christmas season has begun in the Henry household. And, as I started thinking toward the Christmas holiday, I realized that I still hadn't shared how our Thanksgiving went.

It went GREAT! We had a ten-person potluck OUTSIDE on our apartment community patio, complete with food, drinks, three kinds of pie, football and hot tubbing to end it all.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so rather than type all of it out, I'll share some photos with brief descriptions to share our Thanksgiving with you.

The delicious key lime pie I made - and subsequently enjoyed almost all the leftovers of the few days following Thanksgiving...

My nemesis, Jerry (yes, I named my turkey. It made it easier to violate it as I stuffed my hand where no hand should go...) before he popped into the oven. I rubbed him with veggie oil and seasoned him with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning blend, green onions (inside) and lemon chunks (again, inside).

Jerry, looking all tasty, post-roasting.

My guy, concentrating VERY hard while carving Jerry :)

The spread, complete with turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, cranberry-goat cheese brushetta, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, turkey, and our three kinds of pie (I'm full just thinking about it again!)

Some of the crew, some resting after eating, some still digging in :)

Our pup, Elvis, getting his first (and only!) taste of turkey.

It truly was a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday with all our friends who also couldn't go home to be with their families. We made our own family that night and it is a Thanksgiving that I will always remember. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well, and hope you're all looking forward to Christmas as much as I am.

Cheers!

Maureen