From Our House to Yours

Wishing you the sweetest Christmas!

Love, Anna + Frances

Cookies for Santa (and other special people)

Christmas in my household is a fairly simple affair: minimal decorating, gift giving, party going, shopping and traveling. Not because I don't love the holiday. I just choose to focus on a few things rather than all of those things. It makes life so much easier this time of year, and I certainly do not miss the 'hustle and bustle' of the Christmas season.

So, while I avoided the mall and forewent the tree, I spent time in the kitchen baking cookies. The same cookies I baked last year. And the year before. Not because they are traditional Christmas cookies, but because they are pretty to look at and lovely to taste (in my opinion!). And make beautiful, homemade gifts for some very special people.

I started with these cookies, then moved onto these. I ordered peanut butter balls from here. I adapted a recipe and coined the cookies 'Chocolate-Mint Snowcaps' (see below for the recipe). And lastly tried a new recipe this year after some inspiration from a friend.

After only a couple headaches, the cookies came out great.

And some people are going to be very happy.

Chocolate-Mint Snowcaps

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup chocolate mint chips

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, for coating

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate. With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients. Mix chips in by hand. Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar twice.

Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12-14 minutes; cookies will be soft to the touch.

Visions of Sugar Plums

What's a trio of girls to do on an especially cold winter's night two weeks before Christmas? Eat candy, drink wine... and make gingerbread houses! Or, in our case, one gingerbread barn, one gingerbread house and one gingerbread church.

My friend, Amanda, gets all the credit for coming up with the idea and executing it perfectly. My skills, however, left a little to be desired -- who knew squeezing frosting out of a piping bag could take such skill? I was the first to give up finish, and was satisfied to nibble on some of the decorations.

Not quite a Martha, I still had a great time making my little creation. Oh, and any guess which was mine?

Winter is Here

You probably wouldn't want to come out from your favorite hiding spot either, if it meant going out in snow up to your belly.

Market Saturday

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday is visit the local public market -- a true gem in the city of Rochester. Even now, with winter approaching, there is plenty to see, smell and taste. Sticking with our regular routine, I met up with a couple of friends this past Saturday seeking warm coffee and Christmas greens. We woke up with the sun -- not even the cookie lady was at her shop yet.

But the display and cookies looked fabulous!

The market is always changing from one week to the next, and is so reflective of the time of year. I love how the market ushers in each season.

Nothing reminds me more of Christmas than the scent from pines. This, more than anything, gets me in the mood for the holidays. Just a whiff, and I'm remembering treks through the forest, looking for the perfect tree with my family. Bringing it home, setting it up, judging which is the best side for showing. Pulling out ornaments and sharing stories of where they came from. Sitting in front of the lit tree, squinting so hard that the lights all glow together in starry clusters. Thinking that nothing is better than Christmastime.

It's going to be rush rush rush for the next couple of weeks. I am certainly glad to have moments, like Saturday morning, when I can slow down and take it all in. Revisit old memories. Make new ones. Share in the joy of the season.

Giving Thanks, Quietly

Thanksgiving was a quiet affair for my family this year. With both brothers and extended family spending the holiday in their own hometowns, the grand affair was comprised only of three: my parents and me. I have to give my mom a lot of credit, though. She still pulled off an amazing dinner with all the trimmings.

Her table is always set so beautifully. This Thanksgiving was no exception.

It was so nice to linger over this delicious meal. As day turned to dusk, the warmth of being with family, (albeit, small) seemed to take over. Or maybe that was just the wine??!

I love lingering over a meal, whether it's at home or at a restaurant. It is something I do so rarely. Slowing down over a meal always takes a little bit of effort for me, but makes the preparation and work so much more worthwhile. And gives me a chance to really enjoy the food and company. This was certainly the case on Thanksgiving. Thank you, mom and dad.

Butternut Squash Frenzy

I love the taste of butternut squash, but am admittedly so lazy when it comes to the actual peeling and cutting. The skin is so tough, and I get this grainy film on my hands while I'm working with it. Why is that? Does it happen to anyone else? I'm the reason Wegmans sells peeled and chopped squash all ready to go.

Anyway, a few weeks back I bought three lovely butternut squashes at the public market, with the best of intentions to make tasty dishes incorporating this seasonal treat.

And just this weekend I finally got around to slicing and dicing one of these lovelies. It felt like a huge accomplishment! Really. I couldn't let that one squash go to waste, so I made two delicious meals.

Last night's dinner was a recipe I've been wanting to try since I started seeing butternut squash for sale at the market, and it did not disappoint. I love love love gnocchi and am always looking for a new way to prepare it. I changed the original recipe a bit: substituted rosemary for the thyme, left out the chives, and used plain gnocchi instead of herb gnocchi. The house filled with savory aromas as the sage and squash sauteed, and the end product had a buttery, nutty flavor with hints of rosemary and sage.

Tonight's meal was an easy choice: I already had all the ingredients on hand. I've never had authentic risotto made by an Italian, so I'm not entirely sure I make mine with the right consistency. But it works for me, so I guess that's what matters. Without the blue cheese, this risotto would have been lacking some flavor, so the blue cheese at the end is a great addition

In light of Thanksgiving this week, I'm going to stop the squash frenzy and get ready for turkey with all the trimmings. One more day of work, then a 5-day cooking / baking / eating / shopping / seeing friends / spending time with family holiday. I could get used to this!

Progress

Early morning jog? Check. Lawn all raked and flower beds cleaned out? Check.

Long walk with Frances? Check. Delicious dinner prepared with ingredients from here? Check.

Thank you, Sunday. You were much better to me this week.

Sunday at the Rents'

Today started out promising: a warmer-than-average forecast for November in Western New York, the Buffalo Bills fresh off a bye week, and plans to make an extravagant lasagna dinner for my dad's belated 65th birthday present. Yep. I planned to make a lasagna for the big 6-5. This, because my dad is next to impossible to shop for.

Anyways, the day had this grey, overcast sky hanging around, so it didn't matter that it was in the fifties. It was still ugly. The Buffalo Bills couldn't hold onto their initial lead in their game against Tennessee. Ughhh. And the lasagna never actually materialized. Some poor planning, coupled with a very persuasive mother, convinced me that it would be better to hold off on the lasagna until my brother and sister-in-law visit for Thanksgiving. So dad is going to have to wait a while longer for that special birthday dinner!

The day, however, was not a complete bust. Using this recipe, my mom fixed me a scrumptious breakfast. At least someone was able to pull something off today!

Thanks mom! It was the perfect combination of light (around the edges) and dense (in the middle). It was the highlight of my Sunday.

Sick List

I read a lot. Probably more than most people. So it's really exciting for me when I read a book that I love more than most. It doesn't happen often, but I was lucky enough to be home sick with the flu for a few days, and reading a really wonderful book. I don't mean lucky to have had the flu, but lucky to have an excuse to sit on the couch and do nothing other than read! The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton, was just the sort of book I've been looking for ever since finishing The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield two summers ago. It is equal parts British mystery, romance, fairy tale, and historical fiction, and feels like a grown-up version of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

In the book, a story is woven between three different time periods, in two different countries, and with various different characters. The central plot is a mystery, with the answers being offered up at the very end of the story. I was hesitant to finish the book -- because I liked it so much -- but wanting to know how everything fit together.

Eventually I did finish the book. And got better. Just in time for the weekend. And now I'm searching for my next new favorite book.

Treats for Tricks

Halloween is not my favorite holiday -- particularly not this year, as I sit nursing a cold and look out the window at the blustery, grey day -- but I figure somebody around here should enjoy it. So rather than carve a pumpkin and don a costume, I mustered up all the energy I had to bake Frances some treats of her very own. Modified from a recipe found on allrecipes.com, these biscuits are a hit with my little pumpkin.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets.
2. Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
4. Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.


These bats are the perfect size for Frances.


Equal parts spooky and fun.


Almost too cute to eat.



Happy Halloween! Hope you enjoy your treats as much as Frances enjoys hers!

Home Sweet Home

Home evokes a feeling of comfort, with rich smells coming from the kitchen, a little dog at the ready with kisses, and cozy spaces made for curling up. Home is a place that welcomes friends, protects its inhabitants and is filled with pretty things. Home is a snug retreat. Home is Western New York. Thank you for reading along while I write about my home, my hometown, and my adventures away from home.