Schmalentine's

You think I'd learn by now. Yet, this morning - as I have for the past 4 years, I fell into a Valentine's Day trap.

Neil, stereotypical Valentine's curmudgeon, swears up & down how stupid the day is, how he's not getting me anything. So not wanting to be the one fool who buys a card or does anything too special, I stick to simple baking (which I do a lot of anyway, but I just put the word "valentine" in front of whatever it is I'm making - hence, today's valentine brownies). And then he goes & does something really sweet anyway.

This morning, after having a terriblenogoodverybad night spent writhing around on the bathroom floor with stomach pains from the depths of hell, followed in the wee hours by fitful sleep, I had a lovely breakfast in bed. And this:

He knows I love green things. And goofy schmaltzy things. And I'll admit it, cards. Not just a cookie cutter card. But something funny, a little stupid, preferably with a monkey on it. Or in this case, a bear. 

He didn't even realize it I bet, but this card is very similar in, um, tone to the very first card Neil ever gave me. My first birthday card from him. And then, even more girly giggle inducing, this was my first card with the word WIFE on it.

I couldn't help but feel like an ass - AS USUAL - for not having anything on hand. Well, I had made my own low fat dark chocolate brownies from scratch last night before the pains set in, but somehow not having them on a pretty plate for morning presentation left me feeling a little lacking. 

So I used his red envelope & mades a tiny response card.

I don't think it's all about store-bought presents & boxes of chocolate, but just the act of getting a little schmaltzier than usual. Just for an afternoon or morning. Handmade paper sentiments, ladybugs filled with flowers. Anything baked with cocoa. 

Happy Sunday.

My first Valentine confection 4 years ago today. See the encouragement I get??

christmas nibbles

Our first Christmas party was a success! A fun, little, semi-civilized, low key success, which is kinda how I roll these days. I don't think anyone even spilled anything (I did hear someone calling for a cloth at one point, but I never saw spillage so it doesn't count). I got the instant camera out - the one that captured my fave wedding pics - & managed to catch some of the fun for posterity, but I'll have to bribe someone with a scanner at work to make them digitable for me. Until then, let's look at the food.
The baking started days before. As did the laundry, apparently. These were simple sugar cookies in festive shapes. Some stacked as sandwiches with chocolate hazelnut spread in the middle.

I like that some of them are wonky.


Some half dipped in semisweet chocolate with crushed candy canes.


These were absolutely yummilicious! Definitely my favorites. Super intense double chocolate (a delicate & crumbly chocolate dough with giant chunks of very dark chocolate thrown in just to push them over the edge). I sort of ended up adapting both the smitten kitchen recipe & the food network version. To die for, I think.
Chocolate mini cupcakes with my own frosting, chocolate with chilli & cinnamon.
Dessert station.
These were only some of the sweets! (Almost forgot to mention my chocolate dipped pretzels.) Do you like my homemade cupcake tower? A vintage cake tin, a mug & plate. Classy.
These ones didn't fit onto the sweets table. Crispy, totally bad for you almond florentines, with un-artistic chocolate drizzle. I also drizzled the salt & pepper bowls and the counter in the process. I like the composition here, although obviously the best companion for Guinness would be the chocolate cookies.

It wasn't all gluttonous sweets, mind you. We had this unusual thing - carmelized onion & apple tart.
Plus husband's wonderful mediterranean quiche (sundrieds, olives, spinach & feta), his curry paste marinated chicken breast, chicken fingers, cocktail sausages & Quorn spicy "chicken" nuggets, my favorite. Do you like the Santy table cloth & scary clown paper plates? Neil picked those.

Speaking of cocktail sausages...
Please look at what her feet are doing. Too cute.


Pre-party living room, all nice & clean & full of pup. 
Notice our new tree topper? My dream of an all pint-of-Guinness Christmas tree is happening very slowly...
Homemade felt Guinness pint ornaments.
I've made a grand total of three. Merry Christmas!

friday yumminess

Happy Friday, world.

I forgot that when I first started this makeshift-online-journal-project-thing, I had hoped to start some repeating posts, like Friday Loveliness (or Bowie Fridays), Curry Saturdays or Sausage Mondays. Cause it sounded fun. Yet I haven't really. Oh well, I'm not very consistent.
I am however completely consumed by baking at the moment. And here's why: tomorrow, the husband & I are hosting our first ever soiree as a married couple. What fun! Remember our first Christmas tree? Yep, this is the first Christmas PARTY. And as homesick as it makes me to miss the annual Howley Jowley Christmas Bash back home, I was reminded recently about how things don't stay the same & how that's a good thing. I think of that in reference to the new change to my lifelong routine, the infamous Trading of Holidays, which most married couples have to deal with.
As much as I fear change in general & love the fact that I'm nearly thirty & still wear my flannel lollipop pajamas everytime I go home, I'm no longer 100% sad about staying in Dublin for the holidays. New traditions & all that. (Though I still cry when anything vaguely related to "Home" or "Holidays" features in a sitcom - and god help me if that 80s Hallmark ad comes on!)
Hence, I'm going whole-hog for this Crimble gathering. Our house is tiny & basically a cramped dump hole, but we've gone all festive, threw tons of tinsel around the place & I'm going cookie mad - starting tonight! (well, technically yesterday) I shall report back on the success or failure of the following sound-like-they're-to-die-for recipes:
* melt in your mouth chocolate sable cookies from smitten kitchen
* shout out to the old country Italian festive florentines
* various dunked & non-dunked shapes of sugar cookie
* & my own concoction of pretzels, chocolate for dipping, broken candy canes & whatever nuts I have on hand
*oh & probably peanut butter stuck in somewhere for good measure ;)

There will be plenty of non-cookie food too, of course. Namely, Neilo's famous quiches. Delectable (I hope) photos to come.

Season's Eatings!

bachelorette bash part 1

I am so excited for Saturday. I am hosting a little girly shindig at my house, in combined honor of a) my imminent marriage, b) my love of baking, c) my love of champagne & all its lower priced Italian & Spanish cousins, and d) having the house to myself while the H2B is off drinking with the fellas in Brighton.



Part of the pre-party excitement includes giving the homestead a good scrub from top to bottom. I honestly look forward to that. (Honestly.) But the most exciting part is going to be the baking & cooking. So far I have gleaned the following tasty recipes from such drool-worthy blogs as SmittenKitchen & Two Blue Lemons -
Apple Honey Challah Bread (shout out to NYC!)
Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars
Cheesecake Marble Brownies
Israeli Salad
Some bagels & cream cheese & hummus for good measure & perhaps some nice fruit (more for decorating purposes than expecting anyone to eat it).
Oh & I nearly forgot - beverages! In addition to good old fashioned brewed coffee, I'll have espresso, cappuccino, tea & of course BUBBLES! I like the idea of good old fashioned mimosas - brings me back to all those dearly missed brunches with my New York friends, where we'd meet at some respectable afternoon hour, leirsurely sampling yummy eggy dishes or challah french toast, sipping cocktails & dishing about the weekend's colorful goings on. *sigh* I hope to recreate some of that magic, though I doubt my own abilities to successfully replicate the food of those East Village cafes or even the debauched rowdiness of "unlimited cocktails" at that place on Ludlow. I don't think it even exists anymore, but I'm sure TK may or may not remember that place.

Or how about this little tipple?

Champagne Julep

Place one sugar cube and two sprigs of fresh mint into a chilled highball glass. Add two cubes of clear ice and slowly pour in well-chilled champagne or sparkling wine, stirring constantly. A splash of bourbon is optional. Garnish with slices of fresh fruit, if desired.

If I had no need for a job, a rose garden & bottomless pockets, I'd do this -

Ritzy Raspberry Revelry

(Hemingway Bar, Hotel Ritz, Paris)
Pour into a champagne flute 2/3 ounce vodka in which raspberries have macerated for at least 10 days. Finish with champagne.
Garnish with a red rose.

Nice!