Little Spinach Quiche

This is a quick shot I took of tonight's dinner. Lately I've been trying to incorporate more meatless meals into our weekly routine, so I'm constantly on the lookout for filling, vegetarian options.

I found the mini spinach quiche recipe on Rachel's lovely blog over the weekend, and decided to pick up the ingredients on my weekly shop. I followed her advice exactly, making a mini version of this recipe.

Not only are these little quiches adorable, they are filling and extremely tasty. I love how convenient the little size is; I'm just going to grab a few from the fridge for my lunch tomorrow - so simple!

Hideminy Ceramics & Snowed In

I am absolutely loving these beautiful, handmade ceramic pieces by Hideminy. The snow white color, combined with the feminine lace details - gorgeous. I would love a set of bowls, but I don't know if I could bring myself to use them!

Perhaps it's all of the snow we've had that is drawing me to simple, lovely white pieces like these. We had a blizzard in the Northeast last night. I woke up to find a very thick, fresh blanket of snow outside. I just love how clean the landscape looks covered in snow. Snow storms bring with them a quiet stillness that is indescribable if you haven't experienced it yourself. 

I'm just enjoying this lovely Snow Day, bundled inside drinking coffee and doing a bit of painting. What a wonderful way to extend the Christmas holiday a bit longer!

Cranberry Coins and Lattes

Today is our office holiday party, so last night I decided to test out a recipe from the lovely Martha Stewart Holiday Cookies issue. The magazine is really lovely, with so many great recipes. I will definitely be adding it to my cookbook shelf for later cookie inspiration.

These cranberry coins are SO good. They are buttery shortbread cookies flecked dried cranberries. The tartness of the cranberry makes these a bit more interesting than the traditional shortbread, and festive to boot!

Cranberry coins paired with a homemade latte first thing this morning - Perfect.

P.S. This set is perfect if you are looking to make excellent coffee drinks at home, without investing hundreds in an espresso maker. The milk frother is much less scary than the traditional, pressure-powered version. I know from experience.

A Few of My Favorite Things..

Happy Wednesday, my lovely friends! It is December 1 today, can you believe it? The first of the month means the Christmas season is officially here. The boy and I are picking out our tree this evening, and I can't wait! The decorations are piled on the living room floor, just waiting to be used. Truly, this is one of my favorite things to do each year.

No decorating event is complete without holiday music and sweet treats, which is why I will be making a dessert that combines two of my absolute favorite things; bread and ice cream!

I found this recipe for ice cream bread on The Kitchn, a place I visit multiple times daily for delicious foodie inspiration. The directions are super simple and the results look amazing, no? Really, how can you go wrong combining bread and ice cream?

So, while I decorate the tree and listen to some holiday tunes, I plan to eat an entire loaf of this bread. If I'm feeling generous, the boy just might get a piece ;)

Have you put up your holiday decorations yet?

Thanksgiving Is Upon Us

The week of Thanksgiving has arrived! I'm really excited about this for two reasons: 1.) It's a three day work week 2.) Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the holiday season.

I absolutely love this time of year. I love everything from holiday decorating and baking, to Christmas songs and shopping/creating for family and friends.

This year A and I are hosting Thanksgiving for my family. I feel like such an adult! A and I are really proud of the little home we have made in the past two-plus years we have lived together, and we are excited to host our first holiday event.

I never really appreciated the amount of work that goes into Thanksgiving until this year. There is so much preparation involved! I begin a four-day cooking/baking extravaganza tonight, with sweet potato rolls and homemade graham cracker crust on the agenda...

Initially I thought, " This is your first holiday event, just keep it simple". With all of the homemade treats I have planned, it's turning out to be a bit chaotic. I have to admit, though, that I am really enjoying the challenge.

What are your plans for the holiday? Are you a guest or host? Which Thanksgiving treats are you most looking forward to?

{image from here}

Oh, Hello Friday!

I cannot get over this image from honeytree; I'm so drawn to it! Aren't the colors gorgeous? 

Welcome weekend, I am so glad you have arrived! It has been a bit of a challenging week for me, and I'm ready to unwind. On the agenda for the weekend:

- Making baked oatmeal for my "fancy" Saturday morning breakfast (quickly becoming a lovely weekend tradition).

- A cozy movie night with my boy, complete with snacks, pajamas (for me!) and our two kitties.

- Cleaning out the contents of the fridge for a batch warm chicken rice soup.

- Squeezing in some quiet creative time.

- A long walk to relax and enjoy the wonderful Fall weather we are having!

I hope the weekend provides you all with at least a moment to relax and enjoy the changing seasons..

Try It: Barbeque Chicken Pizza

Pizza for dinner is a really common occurrence in our house. I almost always have homemade pizza sauce and fresh mozzarella on hand, and this pizza crust can be mixed up in no time at all. 

One of our new favorite versions doesn't involve regular pizza sauce, but BBQ instead. I bake a few chicken breasts in the oven, cut them up and smother with barbecue sauce. I add a very thin layer of BBQ sauce to the crust, pile on the chicken with a smattering of red onions and top with a bit of gouda cheese. I'm telling you, this is a delicious combination! It's a great way to get the summer flavors of grilling if you are unfortunate enough not to own one (like myself). 

Try this! Better yet, make this for a dinner gathering. Your friends will love you for it!

A ... Spoon?

A few nights ago I asked my boy what he would like me to draw for him. I thought that it would be sweet to create something just for him, without the intention of eventually offering it in the shop. He pondered the question for a few minutes, and his answer really surprised me; "I would like you to draw me a spoon"..

A spoon? Yes, a spoon. To be honest, I wasn't super excited about the idea. But, the other night I did doodle a fancy little spoon for him and I have to say that I kind of like it! We mounted this little guy on red paper and he now hangs proudly in the kitchen.

I'm thinking I will have to ask for his ideas more often! Maybe some of them will end up here, where I made my first sale today!

Happy Monday all!

Porcelain Produce Crates

How adorable are these white china farmers market baskets from Jayson Home and Garden? I would love to store lemons, garlic, berries and other fresh produce in these little guys...

Weekend Baking and Other Fun Things

Happy Monday, Everyone!

How was your weekend? I had an exceptionally good one, aside from the fact that I did homework the entire day on Sunday (8AM - 11PM .. ouch).

Friday was an evening spent with my boy. We bowled a string at the local alley, which is something we really enjoy but just haven't gotten around to in over a year! I bowled a 166, with four strikes in a row! I had to end on a high note, which is the main reason for bowling only one string..

Saturday evening was spent with friends celebrating my good friend Brit's birthday. I mentioned that I would be doing a lot of baking for the occasion, and I actually have a couple of pictures to show for it!

I made these cute little tea cookies and accompanied them with some nice chai. The cookies have the lightest hint of lemon, which really gets me into the spirit of Spring!

lemon cloud cookies

I included a loaf of my favorite, no-knead bread with the gift. Brit and her husband really enjoy having bread with dipping oils and cheese, so I thought this would be perfect for them.

my favorite homemade bread

A. gave me the idea to wrap each box with heavy paper and twine. He wrapped my recent birthday gift this way, and I thought that it was fabulously simple and chic.

the finished product

I attached this cheeky little card just for fun..

My picture-taking abilities are abysmal, I know. But, I really wanted to share my weekend's work with you!

The So-Not-A-Kitchen ... Kitchen

(via Apartment Therapy)

I am mildly obsessed with this unconventional kitchen recently featured by AT. The artwork! The color! The vintage-inspired range! The cute dog! I can't say enough good things to convey my adoration. Who wouldn't want to cook in this lovely space? If I could move in today, I would.

My Kitchen, In a Perfect World

At 23, I have lived on my own for less than two years. As an undergraduate student, I chose dorm-life as a matter of convenience. When I began grad. school, I moved into the apartment my boy and I still share.

We accumulated a lot of furniture pieces and kitchen necessities from family. What we didn't have - but quickly discovered we needed - we purchased as cheaply as possible. The dollar store was our friend when it came to kitchen basics, and sadly, it still shows almost two years later.

I didn't have an interest in cooking at all when I moved off campus. I quickly learned that I needed to make an effort if I wanted us to eat sensibly, and it quickly became a passion of mine. Being in the kitchen is now one of my favorite places to be!

I have slowly begun to replace the horribly cheap cooking utensils, pans, cooling racks etc. that I originally bought with nicer items. It's certainly a work in progress, and I am trying not to be to hasty. I want to wait until I can afford only the things that I really want.

I thought I would throw together a little list of things I hope to accumulate in the coming years (hopefully much sooner than later). I ultimately want a very bright, cheery and efficient kitchen that is great for entertaining and just fun to be in. Right now, we have what my mom fondly refers to as a "kitchenette". Realistically, it is large enough for one person (seriously).

These are a few things I have been eyeing for a while now:

Cake Stand:

(vesselsandwares Etsy shop)

I really love the cheerful color of this simple stand. I bake a lot, and I love making cakes for special occasions (or just because). This would be perfect for displaying my latest confection.

Quality Chef's Knife:

(Victorinox 7-Inch Santoku Knife)

I would be too embarrassed to use my current knife in front of anyone. It is so tiny and dull! Most cooks would probably use this knife only for peeling potatoes - I use it for vegetables, steak, poultry and everything else! This should probably be my first purchase..

Fiestaware:

(Photo from briemarie on Flickr)

I have loved this bright dinnerware since I was a kid and first saw the collection my mother inherited, but sadly sold. I would LOVE to get my hands on those original pieces! I love the way this line is a bit quirky without being over-the-top. These would look fantastic on our vintage 50's kitchen table.

Espresso Maker:

(Breville Die Cast Espresso Machine)

This is the latest addition to my wish list, thanks to Martha. I saw her show this morning, and she was raving about how fantastic it is to be able to make fabulous coffee bar drinks from home. She made one for her guest (the name of the country singer escapes me), and he was beside himself. Not only does Martha love this, but it seems that every chic kitchen tour I see over at The Kitchn includes one of these on the counter top. I am sold - I have to have one.

The One-And-Only ... KitchenAid:

(KitchenAid in Green Apple)

It's true, and very sad, that I do not yet own one of these. I must resort to my little hand mixer whenever I bake (gasp!). It's probably not the worst thing, as our kitchen is so small. I am not sure where I would put it in this apartment. However, this will be my FIRST purchase once we have a larger place. Let's hope they still have this amazing color by the time I can get one!

I would post a picture of my current cooking space, but I am still in the process of installing programs back onto my computer after my computer crashed. I will post some soon!

What kitchen items are on your wish list?