Tag: holiday baking

Easter Weekend Things

LaurenLeave a comment

Or, if you ate like a queen this weekend, you call this FEASTER WEEKEND!

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We had my sister over on Friday for pizza and then, because it felt like a special occasion, I also made a “hand salad.”  It was actually pretty good but mostly it was just funny to call it hand salad!  We did our cast-iron method for the pizza and, as always, it was SO DAMN DELICIOUS.

P.S. Joey made us go full out grocery shopping before my sister came over!

P.P.S. My sister and I each had a glass of rosé with dinner and woke up with headaches.  We’re so fun!

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Saturday morning pancakes, followed by a run and reading on the front porch.  I’ve been trying to get Joey to read the Harry Potter books for like 10 years but as soon as Binge Mode announces a HP podcast series, he’s on it.  Going to try not to be offended by that and just be glad that he’ll understand my references to Dobby or the Whomping Willow now.  I just started Pachinko and am really liking it so far!

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After we cooled down from our run and realized it wasn’t all that warm outside, we cleaned up and got lunch sandwiches at Weathervane Café.  I almost decided to be financially responsible and just eat leftovers we had in the fridge but Joey pointed out that I’d been saying I wanted to try Weathervane for lunch and leaving the house did sound way more fun.  That sriracha aoili, pickled onion and smoked ham combo on soft ciabatta did not disappoint!

Back at home, we sort of chilled out for a few hours and I baked a cake for Easter dessert but then we had evening plans.

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Celebrated Joey’s birthday with dinner at Hedge Row and while we’re sort of out on Cherry Creek and this place was nowhere near full so who knows if it will make it, we had a good time and really enjoyed the food.  Mainly, shrimp hushpuppies and sticky toffee pudding!  I wish the lag time between apps and entrées had been shorter and my grits could have gone from good to great with just a bit more seasoning but nothing was a true disappointment and we ended on a good note with that dessert ♥

Went home and started Star Wars: The Last Jedi but we’re old so we only made it through half and uhhh, it’s not the best so far.  Does it get better??

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Easter Sunday started at Stowaway with Adam and Lori.  How had we never taken them to my very favorite place before?!  And then we had a super relaxing day of leisurely making lunch salads, reading, watching Harry Potter (because Joey needs to watch the movies as he finishes the books, obviously) and doing a little bit of yoga before heading over to my parents’ for dinner.  You guys, not only did my mom fill an Easter basket with Heart Coffee, chocolate, all kinds of amazing smelling soaps and the best potato chips but she also knocked it so far out of the park on dinner!  I claimed it one of her best holiday meals EVER.

And not to brag, but I also sort of nailed dessert.  I saw this Orange-Almond Cake in the latest Cooking Light and it was gluten and dairy-free so I thought it’d be perfect for Easter but I also had low expectations because it was gluten and dairy-free AND because it was in Cooking Light.  But then it was INCREDIBLE!  So moist and perfectly sweet!  I was very very impressed.  Also made Cashew Ice Cream for the second year in a row and OHMYGOD it’s so rich and delicious.

I hope your weekend was equally wonderful 🙂

Christmas 2017

Lauren3 Comments

There are no words to describe Christmas 2017.  Except for, you know, all these words 🙂

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I talked to so many people about Christmas falling on a Monday and consensus was that it kind of rocked.  We got to have our normal Friday and Saturday before Christmas activities commenced on Sunday, which meant Friday night fettuccine & The Holiday.  Every year when we watch this movie and it gets to the part where Jack Black and Kate Winslet make “Christmas Eve Fettuccine” I’m struck with a strong feeling of jealousy.  I needa be eating a bowl full of creamy noodles too!  We tried out this Bon Appétit version that claims fettuccine should NEVER EVER be made with cream and it was good but I think I prefer the tried and true recipe of my childhood that absolutely uses heavy cream.

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Saturday started with Whole Grain Gingerbread Waffles, then a manicure for me.  I think this might be my favorite color I’ve ever gotten!  It’s called “Demi” and it’s lovely.  Also thankful for a moment of peaceful self indulgence because the rest of the day was sort of nuts.

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Back at home: Christmas Day prep!  Joey and I tag-teamed a giant bowl of Puppy Chow, I mixed a giant bowl of roll dough, we made a giant trip to the grocery store then broke for lunch of a giant salad for me and giant sandwich for him.  Do I sense a theme?

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With renewed energy, I set out to make Christmas morning cinnamon rolls, which rose like a dream.  I don’t know if you can fully tell from the photo just how tall they were but Joey and I found it really amusing.  We also wrapped all our presents and I wanted them to be all cute and classy looking so I ordered red wrapping paper and Baker’s Twine on Amazon last week.  I loved how they all looked under the tree!  By this point, we had finished watching Love Actually (our very last Christmas movie on the list!) and I felt like this had been a marathon day, so I was ready to pass out but Joey insisted on putting together a gingerbread house.  I saw the finished product the next morning and almost cried over how cute that gumdrop fence and candy snowman were!

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Christmas Go Time means keeping your wits about you by fully taking in the beauty of a quiet snowy morning and a little morning time Child’s Pose.  Please don’t ask how I took that photo though 🙂

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Lori fell sick on Christmas Eve Eve and wasn’t able to join us for our breakfast and movie tradition.  I was seriously so sad that our fearless Christmas Eve leader wasn’t with us 😦  We forged on without her and had breakfast at The Pig & the Sprout — we were seriously the only party there, just like last year! — walked around the Tattered Cover for a bit, then saw Lady Bird at the Sie.  Yes, I saw it again and I had forgotten just how many funny parts there are!  I think I appreciated it even more the second time around.

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We had a few hours between the movie and Christmas Eve dinner so we did a little bit of food prep — including a corn casserole that I seriously scaled back on in the cream cheese/shredded cheese/butter department — and picked up our turkey from a very crowded Union Station Whole Foods and hey, I even gave myself some introvert time, reading in our room before we left for the evening.

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What can I say about Christmas Eve except that the butterball soup was as delicious as ever, the gift exchange was interesting as ever — I brought a Bob Ross mug that paints itself when you add hot liquid — and there was an actual fluffy puppy in our midst.  I think there was a collective moment when we all thought “I want a puppy for Christmas!”  I particularly enjoyed when he walked around on the table between dinner and game time 🙂

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Look, I know I can be sort of a control freak/over-planner sometimes but obsessive plotting and list-making all paid off Christmas Day when our kitchen time felt easy and breezy and fun.  The sky-high cinnamon rolls were a hit and I was honestly so happy with how all the food turned out!  Last year we made way too much but we’re learning year by year and I think we nailed portions/amount of dishes this year.  Joey rocked the turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes and I think the rolls, corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, Brussels sprout salad and cranberry sauce all turned out great.  Spending the day in the kitchen with Joey, watching Steve iron napkins into Christmas trees and listening to Christmas Vacation in the background made my heart so happy ♥

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We all got to hang out and exchange gifts before Joey and I had to head out.  Made it to my parents’ and proceeded to open presents and cheers margaritas before dinner.  Mom made the best spread of beef tenderloin, stuffing (!!!), pureed parsnips and Brussels sprouts.  Felt so nice and cozy and relaxed and it was just the best way to end the best day.  I went to bed feeling positively smitten with life.  P.S. We missed you, Chad and Lori!

Unpictured: Gifts galore — including, but not limited to, a Kate Spade purse, a Vitamix, a “Grow Your Own Therapist” toy that I can’t stop laughing about, a Snitch fidget spinner, tickets to The King and I, beautiful bamboo kitchen utensils, an “I am freaking cold” sweatshirt and many other things that I feel so unworthy of.  All you gift givers are the absolute best.  I cannot thank you enough for spoiling me so!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, remembered to put BOTH your contacts in the morning (I sure didn’t…) and are feeling ready to end this year on a good note 🙂