Tag Archives: holiday

Spiced Nuts Recipe

Spiced Cashews

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Well, folks, the countdown is really on now!  And I’m not talking about the end of the world tomorrow; no, my friends, this is waaaaaaay bigger than that.  I’m talking Christmas!

With Christmas falling on a Tuesday this year, we end up getting a four-day weekend (word).  But, it also cuts down on that little window of time you get for last minute gifts to coworkers, teachers, and all the other random people who you won’t be spending the holiday with, but who help make your life easier in countless ways, and who you want to acknowledge in some small way.

Today I want to share a quick, easy, recipe that you can make in big batches, bag or jar up into portions, and keep on hand for last minute gifts to all those special people.  It’s about as simple as you can get, and so addictively delicious!

Spiced Nuts Recipe

The spice mixture is totally adaptable, you can use any combo of sugar/salt/spice/herb, in whatever ratio will tickle your tastebuds.  I personally, like a pretty even balance of salty and sweet, with a slight kick of smoke and heat, and a little herbal freshness and/or citrus punch.  This blend has such a great Christmasy flavor!  And cashews are my favorite kind of nut (actually legume, to be exact), but this works for any nut or mixture thereof.  You can print or save my favorite recipe at the bottom of the post, but first, here’s the lowdown on how it goes together.

Begin by mincing two small sprigs-worth of rosemary leaves very finely, and combine them in a small bowl with brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, smoked paprika, ground clove, and the zest of one clementine. Spiced Nuts Recipe Next, give the egg white and water a little whisk, just to break it up a bit. Spiced Nuts Recipe Place the cashews in a large mixing bowl, pour the egg whites and spice mixture over, and toss to coat. Spiced Nuts Recipe Spread the whole business out on baking sheets, and bake for an hour and a half, stirring every 30 minutes, at 250 degrees. Spiced Nuts Recipe It’s that simple, ya’ll!

It makes a beautiful presentation in a little mason jar, tied up with pretty ribbon.  I add a cupcake liner between the top and the ring thingy, to make it extra pretty.  And a gift tag is always a nice touch.

Spiced Nuts Recipe

Or you can just set them out in a dish for your Christmas guests to nibble on…

Spiced Nuts Recipe

…or just shovel them into your own mouth by the fistful…

Spiced Nuts Recipe

…not that I would ever do a thing like that.

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Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • zest of 1 clementine orange
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 6 cups cashew butts

Instructions
  1. Combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl.
  2. Whisk the egg whites and the water together.
  3. Place the cashews in a large bowl, and add in the egg white mixture and the spice mixture.
  4. Toss to coat.
  5. Spread on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 90 minutes at 250 degrees, stirring every 30 minutes.

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Salted Caramel Mocha

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Doesn’t it just make you feel all special and happy when you are out shopping (by yourself!  yay!) and you grab yourself a little treat like that at a cozy little coffee shop?  I love those moments!  Sadly they are few and far between…

The other day was nuts, running around, dropping my kids here and there, stopping at Lowes, Carters, Target, Toys R Us for some birthday presents for upcoming parties, and grocery shopping on top of all that, trying to squeeze all of this in to the two-and-a-half hours I have to myself while my kids are at preschool.  By the time I got home with them, I was wiped!  And I still had yet to get started on cookies for an upcoming order.  I needed a pick-me-up!  The last thing I wanted to do was make another stop to buy my favorite salted caramel mocha treat…

Keep this sauce stashed in your fridge and you can whip up a salted caramel mocha in the time it takes to make your kids their afternoon snack!

Salted Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dissolve the sugar, butter, and salt together in a deep pan.  When they are completely combined, and beginning to brown, whisk in the cream all at once.  It will boil furiously.  Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour into a heat safe container to cool.

On a day when your butt is really dragging, place the following ingredients into the bottom of your favorite mug:

2 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salted caramel sauce
1 shot of espresso

…and fill it the rest of the way up with milk.  Microwave for approximately 90 seconds on full power, or until hot and steamy.

(if you don’t have an espresso machine, just fill your mug 3/4 full with regular drip coffee, and top it off with milk, cream, or half and half)

You could even top it with some softly whipped cream, to make it even more special!

How do you like these Winter Woodland gingerbread cookies?

They were baked with Sweetopia’s Gingerbread Recipe, and inspired by this post.  I just loved her toadstools, acorns, and squirrels, and had to put my own spin on it!

I hope you get a free moment to treat yourself to something special this season.  Curled up under a snuggly throw, on your sofa in front of a toasty fire, with a Salted Caramel Mocha between your palms… it’s a perfect respite at this most busy time of year for us moms.

Enjoy the season and all the happy blessings it brings!  ;)

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Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Dried Cherry Vinaigrette

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Turkey always gets top billing when we’re talking Thanksgiving, but let’s get real for a minute and call the Thanksgiving feast what it really is:  a carb orgy.  Stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rolls, pies… the list goes on.  Nobody’s really looking forward to the vegetables.  If anything, they are kind of a necessary evil.  Often, they are delegated to some kind guest who thoughtfully asks the hostess “what can I bring?”

With so much energy being devoted to those magnificent carbs, veggies are often an afterthought.  “Oh, I guess we should have something green…”  Green beans are usually something that everyone can get on board with, unlike the controversial brussels sprouts or kale.  We’ve all enjoyed the green bean casserole, in all it’s cream-sauce-fried-onion glory, but I argue that it kinda defeats the whole purpose of putting something green on the table:  to provide a lighter contrast to all the richness.

This recipe is perfect for so many reasons.  The vinaigrette is a wonderful surprise.  The flavors are bright and intense, and the dried fruit and toasty walnuts help keep that seasonal vibe.  If you are hosting, it’s great because you can do it ahead.  If you are that thoughtful guest bringing the veggie dish, it’s equally great because you don’t have to burden your host’s already overworked oven or stovetop to reheat it.  It’s perfectly delicious at room temperature!

I’ve prepared this side dish on many occasions, modifying it only slightly from the way it originally appeared in Bon Appetit’s November 2010 issue.  This version will serve 12-15, and the addition of a touch more vinegar gives it a zippier flavor.

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Dried Cherry Vinaigrette

3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/3 sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tart dried cherries
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 pounds trimmed slender green beans

Toast and chop the walnuts.  This can be done several days ahead, and they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Place the sherry wine vinegar, minced shallots, salt, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl.  Slowly drizzle the olive oil in while whisking vigorously.  Add in the dried cherries.  This can be done a day or so ahead, and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Boil the green beans in salted water for three minutes.  While they are doing their thing, fill a big bowl with ice water and set a colander down into it.  Once the beans are tender-crisp, drain them and shock them in the ice water.  This stops the cooking process and locks in the brilliant color.

This can be done a day ahead, just drain them once they are cooled, wrap them in paper towels, and seal them in a baggie until ready to serve.

On the day of, place the green beans in a pretty serving dish and spoon the vinaigrette over.

The shallots have mellowed out, sweetened, and become almost pickled in the dressing.  The tart cherries are plumped and juicy and give a wonderful sweet and chewy contrast.

Sprinkle the toasted walnuts on for crunch.

And top with chopped mint for a fresh, herbal note.

This is a veggie dish that can stand up to all those delicious carbs!  I’m just as excited to eat these green beans at a holiday dinner as all that stuffing, potato, and pie…

What are you doing for Thanksgiving this year?  Are you a host or a guest?  Have you been asked to bring a dish?  Did you get stuck with the green veggie?  Let me know what you think of this recipe!

And have a very happy Thanksgiving holiday from YinMom YangMom!  xoxo

I just realized I am now, a Connecticut folk.

Happy Holidays, I’ll Leave You Alone Now.

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I just realized I am now, a Connecticut folk.

I just got back from Stop and Shop. I’m making this tonight: allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chickpea-Curry/Detail.aspx. I get there, and the Salvation Army dude is out front, loudly singing Christmas carols.  This is new!  I totally get what he’s trying to do, and god bless him, but I think he was just making everyone uncomfortable. Connecticut folks don’t really appreciate a good spectacle.

Nonetheless, as he’s singing and I’m thinking about how awkward it was, I look over and see a tiny old lady slowly trying to open her trunk.  She was a mess, it looked like she hadn’t left the house on her own in a long time.  I got all sappy, and I walked over all proud of myself, and started helping her. I think I scared the shit out of her.  I think I embarrassed her, too. Apparently I’d forgotten that Connecticut folks pretty much want you to stay the hell out of their faces, and don’t look them in the eyes either.

It’s OK Connecticut folks. I kid, because I love.

I want to just thank y’all for reading, we’re a new blog, but we’re having a great response and are really appreciate those who take the time to read and comment!  Happy Holidays!

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Chestnuts Roasting…

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Dorky and loving it!

Huge dork that I am, I love listening to Christmas music at this time of year.  And even more than that, I love preparing and enjoying all those food classics, too.

Want to add a touch of nostalgia to your Christmas celebration this year?  How ‘bout some roasted chestnuts perfuming your whole house with holiday goodness and warming your chilly hands?

I find these at my local supermarket.  They are usually in the produce section, in big barrels.  I buy twice as many as I think I’ll need because there always seem to be a lot of moldy ones for some reason.  Must be some kind of chestnut conspiracy…

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

This is the tricky part: cut an “X” into each chestnut with a sharp paring knife.  The nutshell is smooth but not hard.  It’s almost like a thick, dry membrane, but the geometry of a chestnut makes this a risky business.  It is very easy for your knife to slip and then you have one less finger for the chestnuts to warm.  So watch it!   Put all the scored nuts on a baking sheet.
And put them in the hot oven.  You’ll know when they are ready because: a)They smell awesome, b)The little “X’s” you made look all curled up, or c)They have been in there for about 25 minutes.  Anyone?  Bueller?  The answer is d)All of the above.
Somebody can’t wait to get his hands on some nuts!  Patience, child…
Ok so when they are done, just put them in a big ol’ heat-safe bowl and serve.  Peel and eat!  They have a soft, starchy texture and a sweet, almost woody flavor.  There’s nothing else quite like it, I’m sure.  Besides just eating them hot from the oven, I also like to put them in pasta dishes, or with winter veg (like squash, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, etc.  See also my soapbox post.), or in desserts.
But stay away from these guys:
I’ll get to the bottom of this scheme if it kills me…

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Interfaith Traditions

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This is one cultured shikse!

We are very proud to be an interfaith family.

When Mr. Allie and I were engaged, and just beginning our life together, we heard a lot of negative comments from people, both Christian and Jewish.

“How can this work?” “You have to choose one or the other, you can’t do both.” “Just wait until your kids are born, you are going to have all sorts of problems.”

Well, I can’t say Mr. Allie and I have ever really had a serious disagreement about religion, and I’m pretty glad to be able to show those people, after almost ten years of marriage and five of parenthood. Our kids seem to be equally at ease with the situation.

I’ve always preferred to keep the focus on our similarities rather than our differences, and, eternal optimist that I am, I just love being able to enjoy both cultures and share all the stories, prayers, traditions, decorations, foods, and general celebration that goes along with having twice as many holidays. This year, like every other, we have brightly colored lights on our front porch, a Christmas tree covered in blue, white, and silver decorations (candles and dreidles among them), and a menorah on our sideboard.
One fun challenge we have faced in recent years is how to keep Christmas and Hannukah special, separate, and exciting for our kids.  With these two holidays being so close together on the calendar, sometimes even overlapping, we don’t want any excitement to be taken from one to the other.  So we’ve had to get creative with how we celebrate.
We’ve decided that Christmas, in our house, wants to be about music, extended family coming over to enjoy good food and gift-giving, and Santa bringing lots of presents.  And since Hannukah is spread out over 8 nights, we like to make it focused on immediate family, togetherness, and fun activities and outings.

One cozy afternoon last year, my son and I created this Hannukah board.
On each night of Hannukah, we recite the prayer as a family, (I added it to the board so even the non-Hebrew-schooled can follow along), and light the candles on our actual menorah.  Then, a child pulls the corresponding numbered strip from the board, revealing the “lit” flame behind it.  On the back of the strip is written what our activity will be on that night.  We do all kinds of fun things: go out for pizza, rent a movie, make latkes, play games, and there are a few small gifts sprinkled in there too.  (Tonight my boys will be playing hockey with their dad in the basement with their new hockey goal!)  Everyone seems to really enjoy it.

I hope that you and your family enjoy this holiday season and make lots of your own happy memories and traditions.  Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas!

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