Winter Herb Garden

My kitchen window herb kit has started to grow. I love tending to it everyday and watching the progress. I love these kits from The Simple Garden. I got mine at Crate & Barrel Outlet store. I love little things like this that add some simple cheery color.

On a side note, I am flattered that Maria, who writes Dreamy Whites, asked if I'd like to contribute a guest post on her blog. Thanks Maria! You can see what I shared here.

At Room Temperture

Busy in the kitchen today. Baking, whipping eggs, boiling sugar.

I'll be back with more sweets next week. Then it's detox time girls.

What to do with Candy Canes

I was sitting down at Panera bread on Friday night, having some soup, when I found a discarded current issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

I like a lot of BH&G's food images - lots of pretty, natural light in them, which I adore.

In the magazine is the most beautiful candy cane trifle.

I had bought a few boxes of candy canes earlier. It was meant to be. I used a box mix for the brownies, but I made fresh whipped cream. I will admit, I only made two. And I only had one bite. I can't have any ice cream due to diet restrictions. I was more interested really in photographing these beauties. I love the pop of holiday red with the white background and natural window light.

 

I am currently experimenting with using different types of scrims to diffuse bright sunlight. I taped some plain, white tissue paper to my windows for some of these photos. Inexpensive and it does the job. I think having white backdrop makes the color pop, and a little over-exposure gives them an airy look.

 



Gingerbread Cupcakes & Mini Gingerbread Cookies

They are decadent and naughty, but so good. Ridiculously delicious.

I used the gingerbread cupcake recipe, along with the fluffy vanilla frosting recipe from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book.  The recipe makes enough to feed the freezer for a sweet treat at a later date.

The mini gingerbread men cookie cutouts need a lot of flour to cut out nicely - they are pretty delicate little babies.

Flour and powdered sugar has been flying through the air in the kitchen for the past couple days. I have made big gingerbread men, mini gingerbread men, and cupcakes. My kids had fun decorating and making them. Olivia always pulling up a chair to help and  saying "me! me! me!" when I added measured spices to the mixing bowl.

We are having a beautiful sunny day today. It gets dark by 4:00 in the afternoon now, so I base my photography on a small early afternoon window now - and when the light is nice. I am getting to the point where I really am longing for a macro lens now - I want to improve my photography; it's the next step... time will tell on that.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Have you started your Christmas shopping or baking yet?

Potato and Leek Soup

I walked into the front door after a moments run outdoors to the bare vegetable patch in my backyard. I was out there tossing the scraps from my veggie chopping - potato skins, carrot peels, onion skins, leek bottoms. I love feeding my soil - knowing that I am enriching it for planting in the spring.

The smell of fresh, simmering soup filled the kitchen.

I had been busy making a potato and leek soup that I read about in a Jamie Oliver cookbook.

I am in love with pureed soups. And leeks. And potatoes.

This one was a have-to-make. No question about it.

I love making a big pot of homemade soup. And knowing that I will get several days meals out of it. A little comfort for the weekend. Something fresh and natural. And something I know I can heat up in an instant and serve with some whole grain bread.

The potatoes make this soup very creamy, despite the fact it has no dairy in it. A stick to your ribs kind of soup. I am going to make this again and again. Here's hoping Santa brings me an immersion blender this X-mas.

I can't believe it is December now!

It's official - let the holiday baking begin!

P.S. You can find the recipe for this soup here.