When in Southern California in the winter, it is best to spend as much time outside as possible. We went for a hike at Torrey Pines State Park, a beautiful park that starts in the hills with trails leading down to the beach. The views were incredible, to say the least. We even saw some…
a california christmas (part 2).
For our second day of fun in California, Eric’s parents took us to our favorite lunch spot, Cordiano Winery. I did a lot of raving about this place when we visited back in March, so I’ll only repeat myself a little bit. The view is spectacular. The brick oven pizzas are delicious. And the breadsticks…
a california christmas (part 1).
We’re spending Christmas in San Diego this year with Eric’s parents. We were happy to leave the rain behind in exchange for some sunshine and fun with family. Rich and Betsy have gone out of their way to plan all sorts of fun stuff for us to see and do, starting with a trip to…
no-bake stuffed cookie dough bites.
I remember doing a project on Australia when I was in middle school. I think middle school might be the time when you start realizing that there’s a world outside of your own little bubble, and that maybe people do different things outside of your tri-county area. And while I’m pretty sure that I always…
salted dark chocolate and peanut butter cookies.
It’s that time of year again, folks! Each year, my dear friend, Becca, and I tackle the Food Network’s 12 Days of Christmas Cookies, baking at least 6 varieties each. Sometimes this turned out awesome (thanks to any recipe from Paula Deen), and sometimes it was a huge disaster (I’m looking at you, Alton Brown)….
food. wreaths. shenanigans.
Thanksgiving turned out to be rain-free and beautiful here in Eugene, so we started our day with a hike up to Skinner’s Butte, where clear skies showed off the snow-capped mountains in the distance. I can’t wait to visit those mountains this winter! We took a stroll along the very full Willamette River in hopes…
the rest of the holiday.
Aside from our themed Christmas extravaganza, we had a few more celebrations in store for the holiday season. We celebrated Christmas with my parents and sister on Christmas Eve morning, the first Christmas in my parents’ new house in Tennessee. Luckily, Matt Wertz released a Christmas album this year with a song titled, “Tennessee Christmas,”…
i’ll be gnome for christmas.
As you know, the Smith family celebrates Christmas a little differently. A few years ago, we decided to have themed Christmas parties (you can read about past Christmas celebrations here). This year had the exciting theme of I’ll Be Gnome For Christmas, which means that, yes, we all dressed as gnomes. This was particularly funny…
christmas morning breakfast casserole.
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. We had a very exciting Christmas-filled weekend, starting on Friday in Nashville. Dave Barnes, one of my absolute favorite artists of all time, performed his “Very Merry Christmas” show at the James K. Polk Theatre. If you aren’t already a fan of Dave (do people like that…
blondie with dark roots.
We’re finished! We have officially baked our way through the 12 days of Christmas cookies! Today’s cookie (baked while I ate breakfast this morning) was Guy Fieri’s Blondie with Dark Roots. I don’t know what it is about Guy (his insane hair, perhaps?) that makes him want to throw all kinds of crazy things into…
macadamia-coconut cookies.
We have another success story from the kitchen! Although these 12 days of cookies started off a little rocky, Sandra Lee really brought it home with these Macadamia-Coconut Cookies. And the best part? Sandra Lee is the queen of semi-homemade, which means there is very little work involved in these cookies. Just a packaged sugar…
meringue cookies.
So we’re a few days behind on our Christmas cookie blogging. My apologies to anyone who has been waiting on pins and needles to see what day 8 brought to the kitchen! On the eighth day of Christmas cookies, Food Network sent to me…Anne Burrell’s recipe for meringue cookies. I don’t know that I’ve ever…
holiday biscotti.
It’s only 9 a.m., and I’ve already helped save Christmas for all the Whos in Whoville. I got to work at 8 this morning and was informed that I would be playing the role of Santa Claus today, and we would need to capture the Grinch. The 5-year-old handed me a Santa hat and beard,…
a Christmas tradition.
This is our second Christmas as a married couple, which means we should have some Christmas traditions to carry over from last year, right? Well, I think our only tradition is a kind of strange one. Last year, we lived in a teeny-tiny apartment (400-square-feet), so we didn’t have room for a Christmas tree. Instead,…
mint sandwich holiday cookies.
I am one of those people who doesn’t believe mint should exist outside the realm of breath fresheners. I love some mint in my toothpaste and gum (and oddly enough, I love York peppermint patties), but I really can’t handle mint in anything else. So, of course, I married a man who loves minty desserts….