December 31, 2012 by cindy

12 Recipes from 2012

Tags: 12 of 2012, 2012, best of, favorites, recipes, round up

Happy New Year, guys!

2012 is swiftly coming to it’s close and it was definitely full of good times and lots of cooking. These are just 12 personal favorite recipes from 2012.

Cheers! and wishes for all the best in 2013!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars - just perfect // Chocolate Mendiants – felt like a chocolate tempering boss // Espresso + Toasted Almond Semifreddo - kind of like my childhood fave, but better // Hazelnut Pound Cake - pound cake perfection, realized // Butterscotch Fudge Ripple w. Hazelnuts - one of my favorite ice creams…ever // Corn Dog Pops - an old favorite, easier to eat and cute, too // Rose Lemonade - spiked or not, I’m enamored with the floral sweet-tartness // Raspberry Lemonade Ice Pops - tart, berry lemonade, but frozen and the best pink ever // Chicken Tortilla Soup with Charred Corn and Chiles – so dang good and satisfying // Roasted Pepper Cheese Dip - a velveeta-free revelation // Pint-Size Chicken and Waffles – a mini fave, easier to manage…especially great with tabasco honey // Updated Green Bean Casserole - all the things you’d expect, but better.

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November 30, 2012 by cindy

Thanksgiving 2012

Tags: 2012, holiday, instagrams, life, thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2012 was a totally new experience for Sean and I. We’ve never really spent the holiday separated from friends and fam before. I was a litte sad at first, but then I realized we could pretty much make/do what we wanted ALL DAY LONG. That realization turned things around and we had a pretty amazing 2-person feast with leftovers for days. We didn’t have to worry about anyone elses tastes or preferences, or even worry about having a timely meal.

We began the day with sour-cherry champagne cocktails (sour cherry juice boiled down with a vanilla bean and some sugar, reduced by half to make a syrup, plus champagne) and ended it with too many pieces of pie.

Instead of breakfast I made a cheese and fruit plate–there’s some port cheddar and some super aged (deeelish) gouda. I set the table with our wedding tablecloth–a gift from Sean’s BFF and best man. BFF/Best Man brought us that cloth all the way from Ecuador, PLUS he brought me some palm sugar that he harvested with his own hands. Major. My mom sent me early-Christmas in the form of golden flatware. I am obsessed.

Since we were celebrating couple-style, I wanted to do something festive in regards to being thankful, so we wrote each other cards–that’s what you see on top of our plates. Sean always writes me the sweetest notes, I always write him goofy-crazy ones.

I nuded up part of our turkey by picking it’s skin…it was just so crispy-good! It couldn’t be helped. Those are pumpkin-herb rolls and they made the best leftovers sandwiches. I love pumpkin but I hate pumpkin pie…that last photo is the top of a black-bottomed banana cream pie: shortbread crust, ganache, bananas, brown-butter pudding, and so much whipped cream…SO GOOD.

This year was different, but great. I got to lounge around with my best pal AND eat AND drink, it was totally merry.

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July 22, 2012 by cindy

A Photo A Day: Week 29

Tags: 2012, 366, a photo a day, daily, july, life

1. July 15–Lunch 2. July 16–Megan and I went to an event by Cooking Matters 3. I told my BFF I’d take a photo of my Birch Box. It was a good one!

4. July 18–Sean surprised me with those Hello Kitty napkins. 5. July 19–Coconut Crumble! 6. Outfits for the niece-lettes. 7. New dress, about to go for a stroll.

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July 15, 2012 by cindy

A Photo A Day: Week 28

Tags: 2012, 366, a photo a day, july

1. July 10, Essie Van d’go 2. July 11, Rose syrup 3. Putting washi flags on straws, watching Arrested Development 4. Got a little overzealous with the straining.

You may have notice I’ve been missing days here and there with this whole Photo A Day thing…I am going to continue to make an effort to finish it, but I am going to switch up the format to freshen things up a bit. Thanks!

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July 8, 2012 by cindy

A Photo A Day: Week 27

Tags: 2012, 366, a photo a day, daily, july, life

7/1/2012: Sparklers! I love ‘em.

7/3/2012: Real life is messy.

7/4/2012: Sean was making hearts. For me!

7/5/2012: Taupe, pink, and gold flakies.

7/6/2012: Lotte Mart (Korean Market) Haul. Seasoned nori, Korean pepper flakes, Roasted Barley Tea, Gochujang (Korean Fermented hot pepper paste), noodles, spicy ramen, and a rose face mask.

7/7/2012: Sean took this one of cucumber kimchi that I was making.

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June 25, 2012 by cindy

A Photo A Day: Week 25

Tags: 2012, 366, a photo a day, daily, June, life

I accidentally formatted my memory card (DOH!) and lost my photos from the 17th…they’re off floating in the ether or something. I guess even photos need a vacation? Here’s the rest of the week!

6/18/2012: My giant jalapeño pickling jar. I just have to have a large-marge jar of them on hand at all times. Spice-4-lyfe!

6/19/2012: Our two-year anniversary! It feels like more, but in the very best way. Sean loves foxes and I love hand lettering envelopes and calling him Husband-Guy. I love that dude so much!

6/20/2012: Some wildflowers we planted in our front yard. So pretty and SO delicate!

6/21/2012: These sweet little berries are growing wild in my front yard. DREAM!

6/22/2012: Bag Lady! All packed for a lady-date with my pal Megan.

6/23/2012: Lady-date brunching at Commonweatlh. This fried egg sandwich had a super spicy hot sauce, delish!

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June 18, 2012 by cindy

A Photo A Day: Week 24

Tags: 2012, 366, a photo a day, daily, June, life

6/10/2012: These roses made me smile all week. If summer were a color, this would be it!

6/11/2012: I feel like I am always washing/drying/folding dish towels.

6/12/2012: Cocoa powder dusting.

6/13/2012: I am obsessed with this thing, it’s a Clarisonic Mia. It was a birthday gift from myself/Sean, I’ve only used it less than a week, but I can already tell it’s love. Smooth/even skin, disappearing pores…whoa!