Shortbread

My Christmas baking has begun!  Beginning with last weekend, I plan to bake at least one batch of Christmas cookies per week until Christmas arrives.

And, first on display is . . . Martha Stewart's Basic Shortbread!  This seems a dull name for such a tasty cookie, but it is true that it is very simple.

Martha suggests dipping the cooled cookies in chocolate but, instead, I finished them off with a toss in vanilla bean scented sugar while they were still warm.  These cookies are so delicious, I've had to use a significant amount of willpower in order to avoid eating the whole batch.

Nothing says Christmas like shortbread!

I Couldn't Help It

I know, I know, it's only mid-November.  But, I do love my Christmas decorations so.  And, I just pulled a few out, the tree will wait until December (I think).

Cookie baking begins on Saturday!

The Weekend Homemaker

I didn't cook much this weekend.  It was a three day weekend for me and I was trying to keep things as low-key and relaxing as possible.  I did do a lot of Christmas window shopping and also discovered the TV show, True Blood.  I had been avoiding it despite the rave reviews.  It just didn't sound like my kind of show.

It is.

I can't wait to watch more.

I also didn't do a lot of cooking because my budget has come it it's end and I will have to wait a week before I can go grocery shopping, leaving me in a bit of a pinch.  I had to do a bit of scavenging in my own cupboard and, along with a loaf of bread and some fruit, all will be A-OK.

I did a little harvest from my winter garden, which is growing away very slowly.

And I made one of my favourite ginger salad dressings, which requires very few ingredients.  Along with some smoked salmon and cucumber, several delicious salads were had.

I also made pumpkin muffins with some frozen pumpkin I had stashed in my freezer.  I forgot to take pictures, but they are bound to be yummy.  I don't care for squash in it's natural state, but in bread, muffins or waffles?  Take me there.

Today, I tried a new recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup, which required little more than carrots, ginger and onion.  It turned out very well.

At the moment, my yogurt maker is humming away.  It will provide me with breakfast for 7-days.  Along with some leftover casserole in my freezer and some dinners of toast and eggs, my grocery-less week won't be too challenging at all.

The Weekend Homemaker

The chilly, wet days and long, dark nights are calling me back into the kitchen.  Although I have a small winter garden, my desire for crisp salads has been replaced by a hankering for all things warm and savoury.

Last Saturday was the last full-day farmer's market of the season and next Saturday will be the final market of the year.  With my looming lack of access to local veggies, I am debating on reinstating my weekly, mostly-local, food box delivery.  I have a love-hate relationship with the lack of choice involved with food box programs.  I'm forced to try new things, which is good, but I also have a low turnip tolerance.  

In any case, my last trip to the market resulted in a batch of goodies:

Apples, more apples, carrots, almond brioche,
 Red Pepper Jelly and Zucchini Pickles.  

Which resulted in a chicken casserole:

And a huge amount of applesauce:

I also made parmesan coated yam fries, which had no relationship to my market buys, but were delicious nonetheless!