Tag: Joy the baker

Orange Pomanders, a NEW Holiday Tradition!

I will be the first person to tell you that in my family we really only had two Christmas Traditions; having a pizza party at my Grandma B’s to decorate the tree and on Christmas Eve after all the dishes were done and presents open playing a mean board game, it changed every year. Once my Grandma B. pasted all that was gone, so my last real Christmas happened in 1998 which was a while back. My Mom started the tradition of making me a hat and matching blanket each christmas a couple of years back, and I look forward to it all year! I am currently sitting here wrapped up in Blanket 2011 right now.

My 2011 Blanket, I have been awake for about 15 mins now so don't judge.

My goal for once I have children is to have many fun traditions that they will pass along to their children, have no doubt that board game Christmas Eve will be back! While surfing my favorite blogs most are posting about different recipes that they are making this holiday season, but one of my favorites; Joy the Baker always has something good for me. I made these on Sunday when I was finally starting to feel human again and going out of my mind. I needed something to do but still tried very easily, which in my mind means Arts & Crafts time!! Joy posted on her blog about Orange Pomanders, which I have NEVER heard of but I have been sheltered for a long time.

I always like to read the comments about a new project to see if I can get any hints from people, and on this one it seems that it was about 50/50, either people already had this as a tradition or were like me and just starting. I am so happy to say that it is SO easy, fast, and really fun. I find those are the best kinds of crafts. My friend Torie made this AMAZING wreath last week out of peppermints, no clue even where to start with that one or how she had the patience to glue each on. She is one of my craft hero’s who I so want to be like when I have a little more time ie: get a non 50-80 week job. Now on to the craft!!

You need four, yes FOUR whole items to do this craft:
Yarn
Whole Cloves
A fun bowl or vase
and lastly
Oranges!

You can tie the yarn away way you would like on the oranges and make the cloves in what ever pattern you would like too! It is also not as messy as one would like poking holes into oranges. Here are some examples:

This is one of mine

This is from Joy the Baker

Finished products looked like:

Joy's

I also had a helper during my craft time:

Chi is just too cute!!

Cooking Adventures December 21st!

Starting the day off right!

Sorry that I have been gone for a bit, I got super sick last weekend with a fever/cold that took me out. I even called into work which happens about once a year. I am not a good sick person, I still feel like I need to clean and do the normal chores. I stopped when on Friday I vacuumed than had to take a nap. I am very happy to say that I am fully recovered and been busy catching up.

First let me tell you about this amazing soup I tried from Joy the Baker; can’t tell you how excited I am for her cookbook. It is Spicy Lentil Soup, I have never had or made lentil’s before and it is so easy just remember to soak your grains they are easier to digest then. I didn’t add the buttered bread like Joy, but it is still hits the spot on a cold night.

From Joy the Baker

My soup!

Spicy Chicken Sausage and Lentil Soup

makes a big pot of soup. serves 8

Print this Recipe!

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound spicy chicken sausage, uncased

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 cups uncooked French lentils, rinsed

8 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese, olive oil, and bread to serve

in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add the uncased chicken sausage and cook, breaking up with a spatula as it cooks. Sausage should finish cooking in small chunks. Remove from the pan.

Add a touch more olive oil if necessary. Add onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions are transluscent, about 5 to seven minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili flakes, and cook for one minute more.

Add the sausage back to the pan. Stir to incorporate. Add the lentils and chicken stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

Serve soup with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and good crusty bread. Soup will last, in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 5 days. Soup also freezes well.

Now while the soup was going I also made Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt that I found on The Tasty Kitchen main page a few days ago. This recipe is by the Cookin Canuck, whose blog I have sad to say I have never been to before but now LOVE!! I am also sad to say that until making this fudge I had never had Nutella, which I am finding out is like a crime to my staff. Who knew 🙂 This day was a many of first, lastly I have never done the double boiler to melt chocolate. It was SO easy I haven’t a clue of why I was always worried about it and need to go back and find all the recipes I have skipped making because of my worry. I actually have done it twice now this week alone! The second recipe will be up later.

From the Cookin Canuck

Soup and Fudge making go perfect together

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt
Basic fudge recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Butter, for greasing pan
1 (14 oz. ) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz. high-quality bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips
1 cup Nutella, room temperature
3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Sea salt, approximately 1/2 tsp

Grease the bottom and sides of an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides.

In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter.

Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be low enough that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spread the top smooth with a spatula, and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours.

Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil.

Makes approximately 50 3/4-inch squares.

Now that the holidays are in full swing what is on your baking and cooking list? I still have one HUGE project up my sleeve that I will be making this afternoon. I have been wanting to make this recipe for almost 2 YEARS now! I can’t wait!!

A new favorite thing!

If you have been following me for a while you know that I LOVE Joy the Baker’s site. I wish that I could make at least half of her recipes that she post and love her podcast Homefries.

She has just posted a new link where you can sign up to get curated gifts every 3 months of something cute and fun!! Hello I jumped on that band wagon!! I can’t wait to see what we get sent first, no worries I will completely keep you in the loop.

P.S. My goal next month is to make this recipe from her….Cinnamon Sugar Pull Apart Bread, now I just need a reason.

Have you ever signed up for a surprise in the mail?