*sigh* I wish I could say that this wasn't the warmest it's been all day, but so far, yeah, 0 degrees Fahrenheit.  When I got up this morning it was -14.  How horrid!

So, I got my hands on some new books the other day:

Double Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, The Foodie Handbook by Pim Techamuanvivit, and Nirmala's Edible Diary.  I didn't exactly go out to find them, I just saw them and decided to pick them up. 

So far, Ive read through most of Double Delicious and a good bit of The Foodie Handbook.  I haven't really even opened Nirmala's Edible Diary.  (I've never even heard of her)

I've liked what I've read in the two books that I've looked through.  They both give me a few emotions I never thought I'd get out of a food book.  Jessica's book inspires, as well as frustrates me.  She reminds me of the kind of mom who's kids I wouldn't hang out with after school when I was a kid.  Over-protective as well as over-concerned with nutrition.  Don't get me wrong, I think good nutrition is important, but I also think there is a limit to exactly how paranoid you should be.  As a kid, I drank a lot of fruit juice (something, apparently,  the American Academy of Pediatrics says your kids shouldn't do) I never ate whole grain pasta, and a 'special treat' didn't consist of a 4 oz juice box.  I had oreos! Gasp! I ate cereals like fruity pebbles and Frankenberry. 

Ok, now that the rant is out of the way, I can also see Jerry's wife's point of view as well.  (BTW, big fan of Seinfeld.) We all want our kids to grow up healthy and diet and exercise is the key.  I may claim to have eaten junk food as a kid, but even though my treats consisted of trans-fat filled oreos and occasionally had a breakfast consisting of a packet of pop-tarts and a glass of milk, my mother did monitor my habits and made sure I wasn't overdoing it.  I turned out fine.  I'm 26, a size 6, and so far age hasn't killed my metabolism.  Nor has my eating habits.

There are good tips in the book though, and some I'm already taking to heart.  Things like incorporating purees into everyday foods and stuff about storage.  I'm even going to give some of her "What I Buy" tips a try.  Also, I'll try out the recipes without modifying them to make them 'bad for me.' 

As for the recipes, I haven't tried any yet.  I'm waiting for my food budget to refill before I go out with a shopping list.  They look good, though, and the ingredients lists don't horrify me like I thought they would.  The pages are cute (hell, the whole book is cute) and it's fun to look through.  It's well organized, and one thing I always love about other people's recipes is they showcase the 'quick' recipes.  (Why don't I do that?  I should really start timing myself).  I can't wait to try out the Balsamic Chicken Sandwich.  The picture (all the pictures) looks absolutely delicious.  I gotta put it away before I get too hungry. 

So, despite the slight frustrations I felt while reading her introductions, I have to give Jessica Seinfeld's newest book a big (maybe premature) thumbs up.  It's easy, it's fun, and it looks delicious. 

As for the other two books, it's still a bit early to say (obviously).  From what I've read of The Foodie Handbook, it's quite an interesting read.  I think some of the things Pim talks about are a bit out of my league (like how to dine at a high class sushi bar, or the recommendation to live in a small cottage in another country for a few months, dining on nothing but food you've prepared by using recipes only bought at local markets.) but it's really fun to read none the less.  Like most food books, the pictures in it are pretty, and all the food sounds decadent.  What really grabs me is her particular attitude and opinions on things.  The first paragraph in the introduction had me nodding my head, grinning, and quickly grabbing my carnivorous partner to share in the amusement.  It would seem she shares a similar distaste for Vegans with me.  She says:

These liaisons can be fraught with love, hate, joy, fewr, trust, suspicion, and a whole host of other emotions.  Sometimes it is nearly enough to make us wish we were orphans, turn us celibate or, worse yet, vegan.  --Pim Techamuanvivit in The Foodie Handbook

There are several other anecdotes that have had me laughing throughout the 53 pages I've read so far and I can't wait to read the rest.  Just reading this book makes me feel like I can conquer any food challenge so long as I can manage to hold on to my sanity and bite my tongue.  

While it's not a cookbook, The Foodie Handbook has several recipes in it from very famous (I think?) chefs from around the world.  They're even things I can make in my own kitchen without having to wave the white flag and order Chinese at the last minute(that never happens).

I think I would recommend Pim's book too.  I'll let you know when I'm done with it.

Ok, my biggest goal right now is to finish up with my recipe cards.  I've done another one, but no section for it yet.  I'll get to it.  I promise:

Ok, so... I have to admit that until last night, I had never made checkerboard cookies.  It really wasn't all that hard.  I wouldn't put it in a list of easy recipes.  Martha Stewart says they're easy, but then again, you can't always trust what that woman says.  Her police record is proof to that!  The dough was very crumbly and hard to knead and maneuver and stacking the strips to make the  bricks was difficult as well. 

But they were fun to make!  You get all messy with the egg wash and kneading the chocolate into the dough was all too pleasing.  It reminded me of the Mythbuster's episode where they polished poop balls because by the time I was done, I had a shiny brown ball that looked dangerously like something I saw on the TV!

I'm not too pleased with the way Martha's recipe tasted, though, so now that I know the technique, I intend to tweak the recipe a bit to my liking before putting a card up for it. Sorry... if you want Martha's recipe, it's here.

Cookies aside, I feel the urge to express my jealousy of a co-worker of mine.  For her birthday on December 31'st, her boyfriend bought her a diamond Hello Kitty watch.   Freakin diamonds and Hello Kitty together on her wrist.  How freakin' awesome is that?  I knew they were out there and have seen some in some jewelry stores, but never that close! 
I tried to take a picture, but it came out really blurry so..blah.  I tried looking around online to try and find it to see how much it cost, but no luck there.  Hell, Amazon.com has hello kitty diamond watches ranging anywhere from $30.00-$1,300.00!  Unbelievable!  I'd ask for one, but I can't really wear watches too well.  I have a bad habit of chewing on watches.  So, I just put them on my purse strap instead.

My purse got quite the makeover when McDonald's came out with these watches.  The second these came in the store, I had my wallet ready!  They go well with my Hello Kitty super ultra fluffy pink bathrobe and marker-customizable Hello Kitty messenger bag and all that other stuff I have. 

Ok, since I don't have a recipe card for the Checkerboard cookies, I'll supply the one for the Roast I made for Yule.  Yes...I did cheat on the marinade.  What can I say?  The pre-made stuff is good!

Enjoy

Well, I hate to say it, but this Yule time could have gone better! I suppose a good deal of bitterness has developed after two years of missing my mother. This is also almost the time of year that I found myself homeless a year ago.

However, this is also the time that I turned my life around and, in five more days, I will be celebrating the one year anniversary of when my partner and I made our commitment. Naturally, I will be working, but it's still exciting to think that so much time has gone by so quickly and with little incident. I also reconnected to an uncle of mine that I had no idea had so much in common with me. So, I still write this year up as a win for me.

I have to say that the best gift this year is the wii that Santa brought to our family, but the more useful of gifts(I still haven't gotten some from other family members) so far was a brand new Kitchen Aid mixer!



Before, I was mixing everything with a whisk, fork, and hand. Then, I had bought a six dollar had mixer at Wal Mart. That was a waste of money. The first batch of chocolate chip cookies I made nearly burned the motor out and it's not like the dough was over-thick or anything either. But this sweet momma has turned my cooking around entirely! Sure, I have to pull a TV tray out and hold it steady while I'm mixing (I have no counter space), but it's so much faster and efficient! I can't wait to see how it will be able to help me with pizza dough!

Of course, my favorite present came from my son.




Those are my partner's lovely hands by the way.

One more good thing about this Yule Time has been a great improvement in my cooking and baking skills and reputation. Having my own kitchen to work in has been a big factor in this- not to mention a growing family. It's not just me and my son anymore. My partner is a part of the household and I LOVE to cook for her as well as my son. (My son just happens to be too picky to be able to properly appreciate and critique what I do.)

Kana, my partner, just so happens to be a major carnivore and has been longing for a steak or a roast, or SOMETHING that is thick, meaty, and rare. I've never been too big on overly-meaty dishes, and red meat isn't all that appealing too me, so cooking it has been somewhat foreign to me. So, one of the presents for my hubby this year was to learn the special art of cooking a roast!




My first ever roast came out great! Even I liked it a little bit. The potatoes and the gravy were especially good. I'll have to share the recipe I used later. I do want to share one recipe with everyone though.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

This isn't an original or new concept, especially to experienced bakers or cookie eaters, but to a lot of people, it's a favorite! My family love these and so do some of my co-workers. In fact, I was asked to make these as a Christmas present for some. So, I may as well share, just because I'm proud to say I can make these- and well at that.

You can use any peanut butter cookie recipe, but if you don't know any, you can use the one I use. This recipe is a hand-me-down recipe from my partner's side of the family.

What you will need
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C brown, packed sugar
1/2 C softened shortening
1/2 C peanut butter
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 3/4 C white flour
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
20 oz bag of Reesee's mini peanut butter cups (how many depends on how many cookies you make. I recommend estimating high and having leftovers)

How to do it
Preheat oven to 375f.
Cream shortening and sugars together, then add the peanut butter, milk, vanilla and egg. Mix until smooth.
Sift together all the dry ingredients and then gradually add to the liquid mixture.
Once all ingredients have been nicely blended, spoon balls slightly smaller than a ping-pong ball onto a greased cookie sheet. Flatten the balls in a criss-cross pattern with a fork.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
While cookies are baking, begin unwrapping your peanut butter cups.
When cookies begin to brown, remove from oven and immediately push the peanut butter cups into the center.
Allow to cool, then enjoy.


Enjoy the cookies, everyone, and I'll be back later!