On the menu this weekend:

Cheddar shortbread for a British-themed supper club
Smoky lentil soup
Kale salad with peanut dressing
Baked falafel
Curried brussels sprouts
Raw mashed cauliflower
Green smoothies

Definitely going to be having more homemade caramel apple cider since it's so cold and rainy here. I also still have some pasta al forno with eggplant to finish up from earlier this week, and possibly making some baccala alla vicentina <a/> in preparation for christmas. I think it may also be time for some homemade chocolate pudding with sea salt.

Just made some Bangalore Peanut Butter Cookies from "The High Plains Sifter". This weekend, I'll be making the Christmas Yule Log and freezing it.

Latkes, latkes and more latkes!

I'm catering my mother's annual holiday party on Saturday, so I've been prepping for two days now. We're serving:
- savory pastries: spinach and asiago in puff pastry, mushroom in plain pastry, and crab puffs
- a cheese platter with farmhouse cheddar, blue cheese, and St. Andre
- three-onion dip (sour cream and Greek yogurt with caramelized onions, chives, and scallions), crudites, chips, and assorted olives and pickles
- meatballs in sweet chili sauce
- asparagus in prosciutto
- shrimp cocktail, but she had me amp it up with some Creole seasoning --- it's subtle but delicious!
- brie baked with brown sugar, walnuts, and dried cranberries, served with French bread, grapes, and apple slices
- chocolates and decorated cookies (which she's buying at her community holiday fair)

Phew, I think that's everything. It should be a nice spread!

Just finished this for dinner and it was AMAZING:
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2011/06/shredded-beef-soft-tacos.html/comment-page-1#comment-79560

Some sort of sausage and mushroom pasta on Sunday. Not sure what else!

I promised my coworker i'd make some tiramisu cupcakes this weekend because we've both been craving tiramisu this week.

And hoping to try my hand at making challah bread for the first time as well.

I'm tired already!

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Sourdough Waffles (or pancakes, depending on mood!)
Cheddar & Beer Soup

Having family over for a Sunday lunch before everyone scatters for Xmas--
Smoked salmon
Chicken pot pie (home made)
Braised Leeks in tomato sauce
Roasted carrots
Lots of riesling
Chocolate cake with chocolate icing
Port!
I will cook all day tomorrow to get this ready! But I am looking forward to eating it!

Having family over for a Sunday lunch before everyone scatters for Xmas--
Smoked salmon
Chicken pot pie (home made)
Braised Leeks in tomato sauce
Roasted carrots
Lots of riesling
Chocolate cake with chocolate icing
Port!
I will cook all day tomorrow to get this ready! But I am looking forward to eating it!

2 batches of caramel
2 batches of chocolate caramel
2 batches of vanilla marshmallows
2 batches of peanut butter, banana, and parsley dog biscuits

And enough wrapping and packaging to make a person go mad.

If my list sounds a little like the last couple of weeks posts, I think all the recipes came from here. Love it!

Friday night pizza with onions and olives. Wild mushroom ragout for dinner tomorrow. English toffee for gifting. Apple rugelach for a Hannukah party.

It's the day I will make limoncello for gifts! Looking forward to it.

Beef stew, with home made cheddar biscuits. Not sure what I will be making on Sunday, with no Walking Dead, might just have to go out.

I'll be making a batch of vanilla passion caramels (http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2012/12/vanilla-passion-caramels.html) to give as Christmas gifts and a caramelized onion and Swiss chard quiche for me (http://the-cooking-of-joy.blogspot.com/2012/09/caramelized-onion-and-swiss-chard-quiche.html).

Making two kinds of cookies for cookie baking on Sunday with sibs and a few friends.

One is a recipe that Mom got somewhere years ago that is very good, Brown Edged Lemon Wafers, and the old stand by, chocolate chip cookies.

Not sure what else as yet though.

I made a pumpkin pie tonight for funsies, and that's enough dirty dishes so tomorrow i'm going out for sushi lol.

Last night I made thai green curry with chicken for dinner and a batch of preserved lemons to give with cookbooks as Christmas gifts. This morning I've baked up some cookies I had in the freezer (orange and cranberry, double chocolate) to take to our friends' for the weekend for our fakemas celebration. Tomorrow I'll be replenishing the cookie dough stash and making homemade chai to give with tea pots for Christmas.

That caramel apple cider sounds delicious!! I love cooking and I'm jealous you're making all this. I have a newborn at home...won't be cooking up a storm anytime soon! ;-)

Last night's pizza-making brought the fire department...the pizza itself was *perfect*, but our oven was really hot and a little smoke got into the hallway when we opened the door to talk to a neighbor. We then learned that our landlord has to drive in from 20 minutes away to access the panel to turn off the fire alarms!

So today I'm a little nervous about making a mocha rum cake for a birthday party tonight, and dinner will be tomato & red pepper soup. Tomorrow I'll screw up my courage to make pizza again, since we have leftover dough and sauce after yesterday's interruption! And maybe a big kale salad to help keep meals lighter during the week.

I made the artichoke-stuffed shells in lemon-ricotta bechamel from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook last night - deliciously rich and comforting after a long day of editing a report in minute detail! (Though I think the artichoke filling would be equally fabulous with a slightly less decadent tomato sauce.) After I finish editing the edits today, I'm leaning toward salmon with tapenade sauce tonight, and I plan to roast a chicken tomorrow. I just can't decide between roasting it with lemon and garlic and roasting it in beer. I need to get started on some Christmas cookie baking, too, but we'll see how much time I feel like I have: linzer cookies if it seems like there's lots, basic sugar cookies if not.

More savory oatmeal, of course! This time it's savory oatmeal with mushrooms, thyme, and Parmesan cheese. And latkes!

A traditional British Christmas Cake :) I moved to the States 3 years ago but traveled back to England every Christmas. This year is my first Christmas in the USA and I'm determined to preserve some English flair and cheesiness and while starting new traditions this year.

http://britishfood.about.com/od/christmasrecipes/r/xmascake.htm

four recipes happened in the kitchen this weekend: lamb tacos, lamb & potato enchilada casserole, Nutella & PB cookies and Tri Colored Latkes with Horseradish Sour Cream: http://www.mangotomato.com/2012/12/happy-hanukkah-recipe-for-tri-colored.html.

Happy Hanukkah to everyone who is celebrating.

We had a cookie exchange this weekend. I made Dorie Greenspan's World Peace cookies and pecan powder puffs. It was so much fun! We had meatballs leftover from the party, so tonight's supper was meatball subs. We also had these little party ham sandwiches that will make a great lunch tomorrow!!!

I now this late but this weekend I made y'all's spicy black bean enchiladas. I tripled the recipe for potluck/white elephant party. They were a big hit! I also made a quick chicken soup with some leftover chicken thighs.