AN EARLY WHITE CHRISTMAS

Maybe it was the October snowstorm or perhaps it was the underwhelming, belated Halloween, but the two best holidays have snuck up on me out of nowhere! To recapture the holiday spirit it is important to keep traditions alive, be it red cabbage at the Thanksgiving table or the annual viewing of White Christmas. Some families swear by a Christmas Story or It's a Wonderful Life, others partake in the hilarity that is Christmas Vacation, but for the Talbot family the holiday requires a little song and dance from the Yuletide crooner himself, Mr. Bing Crosby. As luck would have it, the tradition came early this year, just in time to bump me back into the spirit of the season.

Yesterday, me and the folks spent the evening at the theater (can anyone read "the theater" without a pretentious British accent?).  Although a bit premature, the local playhouse put on a fabulous production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas, including the prerequisite fake snow and group singalong.  A few numbers were missing, others added, but all in all the play was a festive way to spend a Thursday evening (Thanks Dad!).  Of course I will have to watch the cinematic gem in it's original format closer to the big day; nobody can beat out Bing and I was so sad to see both "Mandy" and "Choreography" not make the set list.  Here's to the start of a wonderful holiday season!

NOR'EASTER ATTACKS!

Finally back up and running after a week without power, heat, cable, or internet. Our only saving grace was a gas stove and water-heater! Around 10 pm Saturday, October 29th I watched as a tree took down all lines to our house. It was exciting yet scary as sparks flew from the cables and darkness and silence fell upon us. After taking a closer look we realized we didn't have it as bad as our neighbors. As our tree fell onto our driveway another tree fell on the house next door! Happy to report we made it through the week and we hope it never happens again!

Survival: We stuck to stove-top meals (mac n' cheese), Jenga, candles, DVDs, reading, and coffee/tea on the stove.

HOMEMADE APPLE CIDER

Is it Halloween or a White Christmas?  This weekend's freak storm made for one dark and cold All Hallow's Eve, and left this Autumn-loving girl feeling a bit out of place. With no functioning oven to bake up something pumpkin to put me back into the correct time of year, I've decided to regale you with a more season appropriate endeavor.  After whipping up the requisite apple bars and apple bread this past October (sorry but these recipes are kept under lock and key) I had plenty of excess apples ripe for the juicin'.  Who needs to buy cider when you can buzz up your own batch with a juicer?  About 24 apples, two messy sieves and one huge mess of pulp on the kitchen counter was all it took to make this bottle of deliciousness.  Not quite cider and not far from juice, the resultant liquid tasted as it should, like eating a fresh picked apple.  The flavor was bright and tart, the color a pinkish brown and the result well worth the effort.  If you have a juicer and apples on the cheap, it's a must try.

CAMPAIGN FURNITURE

I learned a new word today ... well two words really.

Campaign Furniture

I've seen it around but never knew that the style had a name or interesting purpose! Thanks to the always handy wikipedia, here's a brief history:

"Campaign furniture is designed to be folded up, packed, and carried on the march. It has been used by traveling armies since at least the time of Julius Caesar. With the rise and expansion of the British Empire in the eighteenth and early 19th centuries British furniture makers produced for both military and business travelers. British officers of high social position in the Georgian and Victorian periods (1714–1901) often carried high quality portable furniture."

Campaign furniture is typically constructed in durable teak or mahogany with brass pulls. When polished the masculine style looks rich and well traveled.  Paint the aged wood in a lacquered, pastel finish and the resultant piece really sings.

{ Image Source: 1.  2.  3.  4.  5.  6.  }

Makes a girl want to take a voyage! 

SUPER SIMPLE SWEEK POTATO SOUP

A Chuck Hughes Recipe... Need I Say More?

If you are not familiar with this French Canadian chef (yes he has a French accent) you are truly missing out. Star of the Cooking Channel show Chuck's Day Off, he is a full time chef whose true passion is cooking for others. The premise of the show is on Chuck's one day off a week he cooks in his small restaurant's kitchen for his family, friends, staff, vendors, or anyone who has truly inspires him. His laid back attitude, passion for food, and quirky sense of humor make it entertaining and informative. Not to mention he's not that bad to look at! Wink!

Enough about Chuck. This post is really about the super simple Sweet Potato Soup. I followed Chuck's recipe almost exactly. I added an extra leek and didn't use fresh ginger but the results were still good. The soup is thick and satisfying. Great for a fall afternoon. I even tackled Chuck's yummy matchstick potatoes and leek garnish. Those are so good and can be made as a garnish for anything. I couldn't stop munching on them! Click Here to check out the recipe and while you are at it, check out a few more recipes!

{Chuck's recipe courtesy of cookingchannel.com and Chuck Hughes image courtesy of recipe4living.com}

AWESOME PEOPLE READING

Found a new tumblr blog the other day that I thought I'd share. Entitled Awesome People Reading, it features photos, both old and new, of famous folks cracking open a good book.  Much cooler than the giant Bill Cosby READING poster in the public library.

Check it out: http://awesomepeoplereading.tumblr.com/

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS ...

with cream cheese filling ... and a stuessel topping ... you can thank me later.

There is no better way to kick of Autumn 2011 than with a little pumpkin spice.  The trees may not be as colorful as by Jess, but I've taken her little pumpkin's older brother and made something delicious. These moist muffins hold a surprise inside, a dollop of sweetened cream cheese.

Words cannot describe, you just need to venture forth and back a couple dozen.  I'm sure your friends and family will happily taste test.

I made this recipe last year and immediately added it to the recipe box, but forgot to note where I grabbed it from online.  I was able to hunt down the original over at annies-eats.net.  Check it out –> here.