It’s not too late to order these adorable chocolates from John & Kira’s for the lovebug in your life.
bee my valentine
It’s not too late to order these adorable chocolates from John & Kira’s for the lovebug in your life.
sunday night suppers
There aren’t many green veggies our boys will eat besides spinach and green beans. But when Mike discovered bok choy and all the beautiful vegetables he could buy at his favorite shopping spot, the Buford Highway Farmers Market, well, we’ve been eating this Chinese cabbage ever since. Here’s our easiest way to prepare it.
Braised Bok Choy
1 can chicken or vegetable broth
4 tbsp butter
1 lb bok choy, trimmed
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 clove minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Trim just the very ends off the stems, leaving bulbs intact. Bring broth, butter, oil and soy sauce to simmer in large, deep skillet. Arrange bok choy evenly in skillet and simmer, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer with tongs to serving dish. Boil broth mixture and reduce to about 1/4 cup. Pour mixture over bok choy and serve.
let us eat cake
For some reason, I’ve had cakes on the brain lately. Big, rich, three-layer, frosted cakes like this one — which, by the way, we seldom, if ever, make. But when we do, we are in much need of a fabulous cake stand…to display such desserts in all their gooey, sweet glory. Here are a few we’ve got our eye on at the moment. Do you have a favorite cake plate? Please send pics!
Black Bird Silhouette from Burlap + Blue
Vintage glass at Pretty Pedestals
Hammered metal glamour from the folks at West Elm
A classic contemporary, Emma by Pottery Barn
Red transferware English antique, bid at eBay
Black cake stand, Farmhouse Wares
Classic glass stand with dome from Fishs Eddy
Jadeite, so very lovely, also from Fishs Eddy
Wire with glass dome, courtesy of Kirkland’s
Vintage milk glass (a personal favorite), eBay
And finally, for a more earthy look, these are pretty cool (thank you, Pinterest)
easy app
Saw this dish on the Today Show this week and thought it looked super easy and healthy. We improvised a little bit by adding some onion and spices to boost the flavor.
If you’re looking for a great New Year’s Day appetizer, this might do the trick!
Black Bean Hummus
1 15 oz. can black beans
1/4 white or yellow onion, minced
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (adjust amount if necessary)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (also can adjust)
Dash of cayenne pepper and paprika
Juice of 1 lemon (could also add just a squirt of fresh lime juice)
Mince onions by hand or in food processor. Add onion, black beans, olive oil, cumin and lemon juice to food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. Place in serving dish and top with chopped onion or fresh cilantro. Serve with raw veggies and crackers.
mom’s russian tea
Our mom used to make “Russian Tea” every December and I came across the recipe the other day — all crinkled, smeared and stained from years of use. It’s kind of old-fashioned and probably too sweet (though we did reduce the sugar from 2 cups to 1), but we still make it every Christmas. Finding Tang could prove a bit challenging; we’ve been lucky at Kroger and Publix.
Mom’s Russian Tea
1/2 cup instant tea (unsweet)
1 cup sugar
2 cups Tang
2 small Kool-Aid lemonade packs (unsweet)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
Stir ingredients together well and store in an airtight container. Mix tea to your taste in a cup of hot water and enjoy on blustery days.
