Marinated Greek Chicken Kebabs

 
Well I promised something springy, but this recipe, from The Complete Book of Greek Cooking by Rena Salaman and Jan Cutler, is more of a head start on summer barbecueing.  However, even if it's still chilly where you are, if you have access to a grill, you should get these delicious kebabs cooking asap.  You won't be sorry!

A Storm of Feels

Friends, let's talk nerdy.

SPOILERS FORTHCOMING for recent Doctor Who, old Game of Thrones, and mild teasers for A Storm of Swords / upcoming Game of Thrones (assuming they follow the book.)

Irish Raisin Soda Bread

YOU GUYS!  I'm sorry I've abandoned this blog!  I had no intentions of doing so, but I've been extremely busy doing this whole baking thing professionally!  I've been working at an awesome French bakery and learning lots of fancy bread baking skills that I will someday be able to share with you, when I have time to breathe a little bit.  Baking all day is tons of fun, but also tons of hard work!

To match your nature with Nature

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."  - Henry David Thoreau 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

 

This wildly addictive recipe has been made by various members of my family for Christmas for as long as I can remember (and I'm packing some up tonight to ship out as very belated holiday gifts!)  I've always wanted to think of a name for it that wasn't so Schweddy Balls, but nothing else really stuck.  I think there is a similar recipe called buckeyes.  Whatever you want to call them, the point is they are delicious and put Reese's cups to shame.

In the Bleak Midwinter

all pictures taken by my dad at/around our old house in upstate New York

The holidays have passed for me, as they usually do, in a wild blur.  Every year as I think about the Yuletide season approaching, I imagine it being a collage of every perfect moment I experienced in my childhood.  I think there will be snow- I swear there was always snow, at least until I was 9- and I'll get to make snowmen and igloos and go tobogganing (in some imaginary yard, since I don't have one,) and come in and drink hot cocoa in front of the wood stove, while the ice melts from my hair and my cold hands sting from the heat.

Eggnog French Toast

I made some challah earlier this week, so today was perfect timing for a french toast brunch.  I usually make my batter with buttermilk, but since it's December, I decided to make it with eggnog this time.  It was a good choice.

Peppermint Bark

Ah, peppermint bark.  A blessing and a curse.  So beautiful, so delicious, so seemingly simple.  I mean, look at this stuff.  It's no wonder as soon as people know you can make it, they want it every year for Christmas!

thanks to my friend Hana for taking this awesome picture at my holiday party :D

Candied Vanilla-Masala Orange Peels

I've been trying to find more goodies to make this year that are good for packing up in a little cello bag or jar.  Holiday cookies are a great gift, but they don't always arrive in the best (or freshest) shape when your friends and family are scattered across the country (or across the globe!)  So when I saw this beautiful recipe for spiced candied orange peels on Savory Simple, I knew I had to give it a try!

The Winter List of Awesome Things!

Suppi helping me decorate the tree

It's time again for Hippy Elf Chick's seasonal list of awesome things.  In case you were not with us last time for the fall list, this is where I share things that put me in the spirit of the season but are a little untraditional (for example, Rudolph and the Island of Misfit Toys won't be appearing on this list, cause that's too obvious!)  I actually meant to do a part 2 to the Fall list around Halloween, but I swear, it feels like Halloween was yesterday!  So we missed V for Vendetta season, but luckily many of my late fall favorites are just as good in December.

Cinnamon Basil Chicken

I feel like I blinked in October and suddenly December is upon us!  So before I let any more of the holiday season get away from me, I wanted to post the recipe for my favorite December meal.  I make this every year on the winter solstice, but it's so easy to throw together, so fragrant and beautiful, it will make any weeknight festive!  The whole spices and fresh basil make the kitchen smell amazing, and when you taste it you will do a happy dance.  Or at least, I did!

Challah

The light that rises from your feet to your hair,
the strength enfolding your delicate form,
are not mother of pearl, not chilly silver:
you are made of bread, a bread the fire adores.

The grain grew high in its harvest of you,
in good time the flour swelled;
as the dough rose, doubling your breasts,
my love was the coal waiting ready in the earth.

Oh, bread your forehead, your legs, your mouth,
bread I devour, born with the morning light,
my love, beacon-flag of the bakeries:

fire taught you a lesson of the blood;
you learned your holiness from flour,
from bread your language and aroma. 

Pablo Neruda

Kero-chan Interlude

Hi everyone!  I know there's been a long gap without posts and it's almost Thanksgiving!  Clearly recipes are needed!!  I promise I will get a couple up in the next two days.  In the meantime, please enjoy this video of Kero-chan.

Video Games

Happy Halloween! Pumpkin Cake with Chai Glaze

 

Well, the Frankenstorm has passed through and I feel very fortunate to say that after some scary building-shaking winds, we are all in one piece, the car was not flooded and we even still have power!  I spent the storm watching highlights of Doctor Who, starting with series 5, and just finished today (sob!) Nearby NYC is not in such good shape as we are across the river, and I haven't heard how severe the damage is in my hometown of Schoharie, NY, which was devastated by Irene last year.  I hope everyone who's been affected by the storm is staying safe and dry!