01 | January | 2023 | Bewitching Kitchen

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hard to believe another year is gone, I blinked twice and here we are… In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see whateverybody else is sharing this month. I join four times each year, on the first day of January, April, July and October. If you are a food blogger, considering taking part of this fun event. It is chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier.

Starting with gifts…

From my friend Caro, all the way from the UK this rolling pin to make phyllo dough from scratch arrived at my doorstep… Can you imagine my excitement? I have not been able to indulge in the adventure yet, but will do so very very soon. Stay tuned.

From our friend Dave, all the way from Oklahoma, very delicious pears, bursting with flavor and oh so juicy!

From my beloved husband, a coffee mug from our favorite artist (Mary Rose Young). He’s found this cup on eBay, as usual. It is my favorite now, she painted this one in 1995 if you can believe it. No idea how she paints the inside… it is just absolutely beautiful!

From our friend Ines and her family all the way from New York, a double pleasure: Panforte from Siena, and a wonderful book!

From our friends Pat and Bill, all the way from Michigan, a beautiful platter that shall be part of many cookie and dessert productions for years to come!

AND NOW, LET ME SHOW YOU THE RECENT ACQUISITIONS IN THE BEWITCHING KITCHEN

In our kitchen…

I got the heads up about this product from my dear friend Elaine, her husband loves it. I decided to get some and wow, it is very very good! If you love chipotle flavor, go search for it and bring a bottle home.

In our kitchen…

I rarely buy prepared food in the supermarket but something about this product caught my attention. Maybe because it is cooked sous-vide. They have many different kinds, and this one really hit the jackpot with me. The sauce is hot but not overly so. The texture of the meat quite pleasant, so if you need a quick lunch, ready in less than 10 minutes, this line of product is a good option. No, we don’t use it for dinners, Phil is not fond of it, so it is my little dirty secret…

In our kitchen…

For those who live in our town, Manhattan, KS – this place is amazing. Right near Wal-Mart, they sell high-quality beef farmed from a place in Northern Kansas. We were super impressed by their store, it had the feel of the fancy butcher places from Paris. Everything beautifully packed, the store is clean, neat. And the meat absolutely wonderful. Click here for their website, or stop by for a visit.

In our kitchen…

A very special kind of brown sugar from Belgium, the one used to make authentic speculoos cookies. I had one experience with it using a recipe for springerle-type cookies but was not happy with it, so it is back to the drawing board on that. It is not always easy to find, even online, but you can take a look at amazon with a click here.

In our kitchen…

Speaking of springerle cookies, I got two new molds this year, but this one I have not yet used. Isn’t that gorgeous? My favorite animal shall be turned soon into a cookie entity… The mold was from Gingerhaus but is currently unavailable.

And the second new kid on the block? Cheeky Santa, available here….

In our kitchen…

These are great for cookies! I used to get exclusively PME spray but it is quite a bit more expensive. Thanks to Marlyn’s advice, I tried them. Excellent coverage, no after taste, although PME smells a little more like vanilla once it dries. I used these three in many different cookies over the holidays. They are usually available at stores such as Jo-Ann and sometimes even in grocery stores.

In our kitchen…

Hazelnut Bakery Emulsion from LorAnn. It has a strong smell that I did not care for, but it was recommended by a very reputable cookie baker, so I decided to go for it and use it in my sugar cookies. It is actually super nice, I love to pair it with I am pairing it with orange zest and orange extract, and find that combination particularly lovely. I have also used it to make buttercream for macaron fillings.

and now…
it is time for the Dynamic Trio to bark their piece…

Prince, the Puppy, turned 6 months old and we cannot quite believe
how big that little puppy got, in such a short period of time!

It seems like just the other day he was barely able to peek over the countertop…

Whereas now……….

Our home had turned into a very quiet, silent spot since BogeyQT left us,
but Prince brought new energy to the whole pack…

He loves to play with Buck, all mornings start with several rounds of play. Of course, Oscar takes no part of it… (sigh)

Here you have a short video of the Two Stooges in action… I absolutely love the way he always ends up rolling on the floor at some point….

Oscar all of a sudden shows a lot more interest in playing with whatever toy Prince fancies….

Prince has a lot of respect for Oscar and will never challenge him.

Prince just observes from a safe distance when Grumpy gets his Christmas gift….

and all of a sudden two pups enjoy a game of tug of war, although NOT with each other!

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Prince adjusted to our routine as if he was born here… he is a fun pup to have around, super loyal, super affectionate and superbly naughty….
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He is the Destroyer of Earrings…

The Armageddon of Furniture

The Chewer of Scrunchies

The Stealer of Shoes

But no one can resist his eyes inviting you to play….

Or begging for a little sample from your plate….

Or his incredibly cute head tilts…

The video below on the day he turned 5 months (November 12th)

We feel so lucky to have him as part of our pack! And we hope we can help him explore the world and grow up to be the happiest pup in the known universe!