at home with ann

I gave these cookie mixes in a jar for Christmas presents this year along with some homemade bourbon vanilla extract.  Vanilla extract is the easiest thing in the world to make, aside from my having to explain to Jon how I used up an entire bottle of Makers Mark in one day.  Anyway, layering things in mason jars looks adorable, and everyone likes an excuse to bake cookies.  Somehow I managed to miscount the number I needed, because it's hard to count to...5, so I had an extra jar.  Oh well, cookie baking is a good snow day activity. While it's easiest and certainly works to add the mix all at once, I roughly separated the ingredients for mixing.  I emptied the white chocolate, cranberries, oats and flour mixture into a bowl before pouring the sugars into the butter and egg mixture.  Once the sugar and butter was mixed, I added the remaining ingredients. Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies in a Jar Ingredients: 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 3...

You know how when you get so far behind on something you can't even think about it because it's just too daunting to start?  That's part of how I was feeling for the past six weeks.  I have pictures and recipes and stories to share, but I felt like I needed hours to get back on track.  Of course starting and doing anything is always the best way to get back in the swing of things, so we'll ease in nicely with one of my absolutely favorite sandwiches. I'm hoping I can keep the momentum going since Jon is busy renovating our half bath and we have finally caught up on Game of Thrones.  Wow, we are old and boring. I served this on Christmas Day, which is why you see my festive decor and bloody marys in the background.  It takes a bit of prep work, but once everything is ready to go, they are easy to assemble for a crowd. Fancy Roasted Butternut Sandwich Crusty Sourdough or French Bread 1 Butternut Squash, sliced and roasted (directions below) 1 Granny Smi...

Colin had his first play date yesterday, so I made some cookies to bring along.  He's lucky enough to have two cousins within 5 months of his age (he's the youngest), and I'm lucky to have two other girls in our family to have mom chats with. This is one of my fail safe cookie recipes. I almost always have all the ingredients on hand, it only takes about 20 minutes start to finish, and is always delicious.  Borrowed from the lid of the Quaker Oats canister, it's also available online . Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies recipe from Quaker Oats 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2  cup granulated sugar 2  eggs 1  teaspoon vanilla 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour 1  teaspoon baking soda 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2  teaspoon salt (optional) 3  cups Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked) 1  cup dried cra...

We had a very quiet Christmas around here this year.  I was due on December 24th, which meant that it was likely we would be spending Christmas in the hospital.  December 24th came and went, as did the 25th, 26th and 27th (I'm writing this on the 28th and holding out hope!).  In any case, major travel or hosting plans were not in the cards for me this year, so we had Christmas dinner for two.  This also meant I got to spend six hours sitting in front of the fire and wore yoga pants all day.  Given my current mood, this was ideal.  Fish is incredibly easy to cook.  This particular salmon was individually portioned filets separately vacuum packed and frozen.  I would highly recommend checking out the frozen fish section at your market, I find that it's easier to find fish that has been wild caught, and the prices are better.  Most of the fish at the counter has been previously frozen, anyway, and this way you don't have as much pr...

Let's say you have leftover cranberry sauce from some holiday meal.  Or, like me, you randomly decided to make cranberry sauce on a whim and now need to use it up in some way other than eating it straight from the bowl. In any case, you are in luck, because I've been eating cranberry sauce in one form or another all week. Source Cranberry Vinaigrette 1/2 cup cranberry sauce 1 clementine, juiced (1/4-1/2 cup orange juice) 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sugar, or agave) Balsamic Vinegar Olive Oil Quantities are estimated here, you can just eyeball, and taste along the way to adjust to your preferences. I used a couple tablespoons each of vinegar and olive oil. In a food processor or blender, combine cranberry sauce, orange juice, and maple syrup. Add in balsamic vinegar and mix well. Slowly add olive oil with motor running. This was perfect over greens with pears and goat cheese.  I also have plans to try it as a glaze for baked salmon.  If that isn't a disa...

Baked brie is one of my favorite cocktail party treats.  It's simple to make, and always makes a big impact.  Puff pastry is fun for all. I had a bag of whole cranberries in the freezer since last year.  I got sucked into the advertising campaign of buy one to use now, buy one for later.  I get sucked into most advertising campaigns, so this is no surprise.  Some combination of very late pregnancy nesting and my usual cleaning neuroses led me to empty out everything in the freezer, so the cranberries needed to be cooked.  I normally top baked brie with jam, so cranberry sauce seemed like a good festive alternative. Simple Cranberry Sauce 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 1 bag whole cranberries, fresh or frozen In a saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil. Add in cranberries, return to boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook for at least 10 minutes, until berries have burst and cooked down to desired consistency. So easy!  No need for can shaped cranberry...

This is just a variation on the quinoa recipes I've shared before, but it's so good.  Plus, the addition of the roasted butternut squash is great and fall-ish.  I'll give rough estimates for the quanities of the ingredients, but really I just added until the ratios looked good.  I have a whole bunch of leftover butternut squash, which I've been eating on salads with apples all week.  Of course, you could always make the best risotto with it, too.  Fall Quinoa Olive oil 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 2 cups vegetable broth or water 2 cups (or one can) chickpeas 2 cups roasted butternut squash 1 apple, chopped 1/2 cup dried cranberries goat cheese In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion for about 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic, cook for one minute more. Stir in quinoa, cook for one minute, stirring. Pour in broth or water, reduce to simmer and cover for 20-25 minutes, or until liquid is ab...

If you've been reading for a few months, a form of this quinoa may look familiar to you from back in February .  For that meal, we had it as a side dish, but today I changed it up a bit, and added some protein in the form of chickpeas to make it a light meal.   Apple and Cranberry Quinoa with Chickpeas adapted from Oh She Glows Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked quinoa, washed well 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup diced carrot 2 cups vegetable broth or water 1/4-1/2 tsp kosher salt, to taste 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple, not peeled (one large apple) 1/2 cup dried cranberries black pepper, to taste Directions : Rinse your quinoa.  Don't skip this step!  For reasons I can't recall right now, it's very important. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and carrots and sauté until the onion is translucent.  Add broth, quinoa, chickpeas, salt, pe...

I think all wonderful salads have a combination of vegetables, fruit, cheese, and a little protein.  This salad starts with a bed of greens, then topped with sliced apple, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, and sliced almonds.  Dressed simply with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  Perfection. For more beautiful salad ideas, check out Salad Pride .  I bookmark a post from them at least once a week.