It's spring and that means I am getting back into the kitchen and baking.
I have been trying some breads but still am unsuccessful at getting a
great french bread.  the kids will eat the bread and think it is great but
they only are comparing it to store bought which is like eating cardboard.

A list of things I have baked recently:
Coconut Cream Pie
Cheesecake
Lemon Meringue Pie
Spinach Spanakopita

Thanksgiving 2011

So this year I am hosting my first Thanksgiving meal.  My parents and brothers are coming to my house for dinner on Saturday.  Looking forward to cooking a meal for my parents, being able to choose what I want to serve and staying home.

Here is what I am cooking:

Herb Butter Turkey
Traditional Stuffing and Gravy
Cranberries
Skillet Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic
Mashed Potatoes

Knotted Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Blue Ribbon Apple Pie
Pecan Pie

Cooking November 2011

So I fell off the Blog updating wagon.  Life is busy and I feel exhausted by the end of the day. 

As for cooking, I have had many successful dishes made.  This month I am trying to master
bread baking.  Not just sandwich bread but french bread, ciabaitta and rustic italian. 
The French bread was loved by everyone in my family.  The Ciabatta was a utter failure and
the Rustic Italian was edible but not what I was hoping for.  The bread baking process
takes up to 2 days.  I have to really decide whether the house is going to be cleaned or whether
we are going to eat fresh bread.  There is no time for both.

Successful and delicious recipes loved by my family (not necessarily myself)

Pork and Sausage Ragu 
Fine Cooking magazine Nov 2011

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Fine Cooking Magazine Oct 2011
Absolutely delicious!  Very time consuming.
Made my first homemade Chicken Broth

Potato and Leek Soup
ATK

Molasses and Chocolate Chip Cookies
Real Food
(Priya's favorite)

Pecan Pie
(have not mastered the pie crust) 

Rustic Italian Dinner Rolls
Ok, Jack thought they were great

Chocolate Chip Cookies
ATK  Jack made them for his teacher, bus driver and Auntie Martha

Spiced Pumpkin Bread
Jack's favorite.  ATK

Blueberry Buckle
ATK
Made for a baby shower that I hosted.

Quiche Lorainne
Quiche Broccolli and Cheddar
Quiche Asparagus and Grueye
Spinach Feta Frittata



Not great:
Chicken Burgers with Red Cabbage and Apple Slaw
Sour Cream and Leek Mashed Potatoes
Oatmeal Muffins

Amelia Faith Smith

Stacee Smith had her 3rd child Amelia Faith Smith.  Here are a few photos of her adorable girl in the hat I knit for her.  Then another photo of the sweater and booties.

Moonen Dinner

Mike celebrating his 36th Birthday.  We had the Moonen Family over for a BBQ.  For dinner we had

Hamburgers stuffed with Blue Cheese
 Grilled Corn on the Cob with a Lime-Chive Butter
 Smashed Red Potatoes with EVOO.
Dessert was Chocolate Cupcakes and Cheesecake

Reggae Festival in Duluth, MN

A super fun weekend with Andrea Moonen, Aleeyah Sheenan and myself.  We left on Friday afternoon for a road trip to Duluth, stayed at the Holiday Inn that overlooked the Canal.  It was beautiful with exceptional weather. 

Festival Food
Turkey Leg for $7
Plantains for $4
Jeremieah Sweet Tea for $6

Sushi at a sushi joint.  I had an avocado roll and sweet potato tempura roll.  Both decent.  I like Crave better.

Angie's Cantina for drinks were soo sweet that I got horrible gut rot.  It was not fun.

People watching was not as great as the State Fair but pretty close.  It is amazing what alcohol, sunshine and reggae will do to some.  Puking in the pretend "forest" , dancing in a bikini/wrap with a muffin top jiggiling and a man laying down in the middle of the park.  The best was an 80 + guy wearing a pot leaf shirt (about 4 sizes too big) carrying a Jamaican flag around for 11 hours. 

Great food, great friends and great weather.