Food - Winter

One of the things I love about winter is the food! Making a hot, steaming bowl of beef stew or chicken noodle soup feeds the soul in the colder months. Homemade cinnamon rolls have become a Christmas morning tradition in our home. The holidays give a perfectly good excuse to indulge in sweet treats and hearty meals.

Cinnamon Rolls

before

after

Our daughter, Lizzy, began making these mouth-watering cinnamon rolls a few years ago. She preps them on Christmas Eve and pops them in the oven on Christmas morning, much to our delight! The smell coming from the oven while they bake is amazing.

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Chicken Noodle Soup

After a fun, snow day, a hot bowl of this goodness hits the spot!

recipe:

• one store-bought rotisserie chicken

• one carton of chicken stock

• any kind of pasta you like

• carrots, celery, garlic & onion

• olive oil

• salt & pepper

remove chicken and shred into bowl

cook pasta in separate pot & drain

saute’ sliced carrots, celery & onion in about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pot until slightly tender, then add fresh grated garlic (you can use any amount of veg)

add the chicken, stock (as much as you need to cover the ingredients), pasta, salt & pepper ( you could add some fresh rosemary if you wish)

let it simmer for a few minutes, then serve!

Happy New Year!

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

This is an old tradition in our home for New Year’s Day. We wouldn’t dream of not having these “good luck” peas for the new year! It’s so simple yet delicious, served with Fritos scoops.

recipe:

• 2 cans black-eyed peas (drained)

• 1 can white shoe peg corn (drained)

• 1 can Rotel original

• 4-6 green onions

• 1 green bell pepper (diced)

• 1 tomato (diced)

• 1 small bottle Italian dressing

• salt & pepper to taste

  mix all ingredients together in a large bowl

  let marinate in refrigerator for a few hours or over night

Let it Snow!

Gingerbread Cookies

I didn’t have time to make these over the Christmas season so I made them in January when life slowed down a bit. And you know what? It snowed a few days later. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

I made homemade buttercream frosting to decorate them (see recipe below for sugar cookies). I ordered a piping bag set from Amazon which really made piping so much easier than using a baggie.

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Winter Grilling

Red Snapper, Roasted Veg & Mashed Potatoes

We love grilled fish, even in the winter. I found this delicious red snapper at Whole Foods. I only needed one fillet since it was just the two of us for dinner. David is the best griller, so he cooked the fish. I seasoned it with salt & pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, coriander, fresh thyme, olive oil, lemon juice & maple syrup.

For the mashed potatoes, I chopped, peeled and boiled one white potato, drained and mashed them then added butter, sour cream, fresh garlic, salt & pepper and little pecorino cheese.

For the veg, I chopped and roasted carrots, shallots and green peppers in olive oil, salt & pepper, and garlic in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. You can as much veg as you like and use any kind of veg you have on hand.

We like a good bowl meal and this was scrumptious!

It’s a Date!

Chocolate-Covered Dates with Pistachios

Oh. My. Goodness. It seems dates are all the rage lately and I can see why! These are a quick and yummy treat that happens to be somewhat healthy. I’ve found pitted mejool dates at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. Just melt some chocolate chips (I used dark but you can use milk) in a double boiler or microwave, dip the dates in the melted chocolate and top with crushed pistachios, then let cool on parchment paper. Heavenly. I’ve also topped them with sliced almonds or cashews. You can also slightly split them down the middle and tuck in some peanut or almond butter and drizzle melted chocolate over them. They will keep in a closed container in the refrigerator for a few days (if they last that long). They are such a yummy snack or sweet treat after a meal. They’re rich so you really only need one or two at a time! But no judgement here.

Love is in the air!

Sugar Cookies

I’ve been making these sugar cookies for decades. The recipe is from a Southern Living Cookie cookbook and it never fails. The frosting is buttercream and, like the gingerbread cookies, I used a piping bag to decorate these little loves for Valentine’s Day.

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

  beat butter at medium speed with electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy

  gradually add sugar, beating well

  add egg & vanilla or almond, beating well

  gradually add flour and salt, beating until blended

  divide dough in half, cover and chill for one hour

  roll each portion to 1/4” thickness on lightly floured surface

  cut with desired cookie cutters and place on lightly greased (or parchment paper) baking sheets

  bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned

  cool on wire racks until completely cooled

  Buttercream Frosting

• about 3 cups of powdered sugar (sifted)

• 1 stick of softened butter (at room temp)

• about 3 tbsp of milk

• about a tsp of vanilla or almond extract

• a drop of food coloring of your choice

  mix ingredients in stand mixer or with a handheld mixer until well-blended and smooth

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

These are a sentimental favorite for my valentine and I! David made these for us on our first date on his sailboat back in 1987. I made them for him this year for Valentine’s Day.

Simply wash and dry your berries, melt chocolate chips (either dark or milk) in a double boiler or microwave until fully melted, dip them and let them cool on parchment paper.