IN MY KITCHEN, SUMMER 2025

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

In My Kitchen posts are hosted by Sherry, from Sherry’s Pickings. Please visit her site to see what everybody 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, consider taking part of this fun event. It is a chance to share those little things you bought or received as gifts and that make your life in the kitchen easier. I open this post with one amazing shot taken by my beloved, when he was at the golf course. The world is a beautiful place and I wish humans would work harder to keep it that way.

In our kitchen…

It is not very easy to find raw pistachios unsalted at the grocery store. This product was recommended by a cookbook author and I decided to give it a try. They are indeed excellent and I think you will be very happy by ordering from this company.

In our kitchen…

This is a very interesting cooking oil that I heard about recently and decided to try (available here). It is very low in saturated fat and has a super high smoking point so it is perfect to sear meat on top of the stove or use it in any kind of recipe that calls for sauteing in high heat. It has absolutely no after taste. Interestingly enough a couple of weeks after I bought them I saw Jeffrey Zakarian recommending it on the Food TV show The Kitchen.

In our kitchen…

This little cupcake stands were a surprise find at our Marshall Store. Of course, I put them to use very quickly once I brought them home.

In our kitchen…

I am totally in love with this one! A product just launched by Evil Cake Genius, it cuts 2” circles that are perfect to use in molds to make Chocolate Covered Oreos. No more cutting the chocolate transfer sheets by hand, a tedious process that is also not easy to turn into a perfect circle. Ordering info here.

In our kitchen…

Another lucky find at Marshalls which I HAD to bring home… It now hosts some of my food safe pens and I always smile when I grab the box to play.

In our kitchen…

We saw this basket for berries and fruits at my brother-in-law’s home. I had to get one for us, as it is perfect for storage in the fridge after washing them. Available at amazon.com.
A note about washing berries: the husband is the official fruit handler in the house. He makes a 3% salt solution (about 1/8 cup salt in a quart of water, if you don’t have a scale), and soaks the fruits for 5 minutes. Then he rinses in cold water to remove the salt. This gets rids of impurities and also deals with any pesticide residue present. Below you see the color of the water after soaking.

In our kitchen…

This is such a cool ingredient! It is great drizzled over cheese, used in salad dressings, not too hot, just deliciously spicy. Available here.

In our kitchen…

What are the odds on that? Should we play the lotto? TWO double-yolk eggs on a single pan! Those were for our lunch on a Saturday, so definitely made the weekend start on a great note…

In our kitchen…

I love scented candles (although I am very picky about their scent) and light them almost every evening. On the other hand, I absolutely despise grocery store matches like the infamous Diamond brand. They come in a box of 300, but after match #20 you can’t make a single one light on your first attempt. These are a pleasure to use, and the boxes are little works of art… (different styles available here).

In our kitchen…

Sometimes, serendipity happens… and the outfit of the baker matches the bake!
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And now, for something completely different….

Apparently some four-legged friends are anxious to bark their piece, so without further ado, let’s welcome them to this edition of In My Kitchen…

Prince Freckles of Tatarrax is the resident countertop surfer. Osky is too short and too feeble, Star does not seem to be interested in standing on her back legs to inspect the surroundings. Prince misses absolutely nothing. On the back you see braided chews that are too big and too hard, so we soak them for a few hours in warm water, untwist them, and cut in small pieces. The three pups get one small piece every evening while we watch TV, but Prince seems to think that he can make them levitate into his mouth if he stares at them long enough. He will stare, turn around and look at us, stare some more. Can you say adorable?

Please, spare me. Nothing adorable about that. He is being silly, immature, and endlessly annoying.

Star, on the other hand, could not care less about Osky’s opinion on the brother. She tends to keep herself busy, by taking power naps around the Kingdom.

and yes, sometimes the power nap will take place in the middle of a ball game…

Oscar is quick to point out that Star’s approach to handling a ball – to put it mildly – SUCKS. That is how it is done! And while you are at it, FIX your ear, it is not a dignified look.

The Black Spotted Heroes in fact know very well how to play…

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And things can get quite intense…. much more intense than Osky could handle!

Obviously, after so much activity, they do need to take it easy, preferably enjoying the scent of one of their favorite humans….

So all was going well with the year 2025,
but dark clouds accumulated on the horizon. Very fast.

DID WE HEAR THE K-WORD??????

Yes, unfortunately they were forced to spend some time in the kennel, It is not fun for anyone, we hate to leave them behind, but sometimes there is no other way…. At least they get to ride in the pickup truck in style!

Before you accuse us of playing favorites, Osky has never enjoyed car rides, he gets the shakes, hates every minute of it. Prince and Star go with us to the grocery store, run a few errands, and we imagine it is pretty cool for anyone driving behind us to see the license plate and two Dalmatian heads sticking out of the window.

True, I could not care less about their fancy rides. “I” am the only one to get professionally groomed, which is the true mark of being special…

BUT BACK TO WHAT MATTERS! The pups have a hard time believing we struggled with being away. Yeah, that’s what they say… But does it look like they are struggling? Zenless even got to cheat on us with other pups! THE NERVE!

Well, what can we say? We enjoyed our time away, but once we were back, we absolutely spoiled them rotten…

Bed privileges were not uncommon….

Osky got as many belly rubs as he could handle….

And life in the Kingdom of Tatarrax, went back to normal…..

That is all for now, folks! We wish you a wonderful Summer, and we’ll be back to bark and play in October…
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ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2024

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2023

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Summer 2022

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2021

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2020

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2019

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen – July 2018

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, July 2017

NINE YEARS AGO: Secret Recipe Club: Falafel and a Bonus Recipe

TEN YEARS AGO: Chocolate Toffee Banana Bread

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, June 2014

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Baked Coconut and “The Brazilian Kitchen”

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Honey-Glazed Chicken Legs

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: French-Style Rolls

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Chicken Breasts, Coffee, and Serendipity

1Apr2025

IN MY KITCHEN, SPRING 2025

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Starting with gifts, I have quite a few to share…

I won’t name names, because I understand some people prefer to remain anonymous, but I got a beautiful Bonsai, a gorgeous baking dish with a colorful lid I love, a wooden board that gave me a huge smile, and a t-shirt that I shall proudly wear while walking the pups around the neighborhood…

But there’s more…

Two beautiful flower arrangements that arrived right on my Birthday and brightened up my day! Finally, this AMAZING chocolate-covered popcorn, which I urge you to try if you have a chance to buy or order some. Just the right amount of chocolate, not excessive, perfect against the salty popcorn. Deliciously addictive!

And, finally…

From my beloved husband, I got a super cool little gadget, an electric turntable which I immediately put to use on these Chocolate-Covered Oreos


Here is a short video of the gadget in action...

In our kitchen…

This set of chopsticks are very beautiful, we eat sushi on a regular basis at home, so it was nice to have them to spice up things. Available here.

In our kitchen…

A set of alabaster spoons, that are perfect to enjoy caviar “comme il faut”. They came with the order Phil placed with the company below.

In our kitchen…

A set of colorful kitchen scrub thingies that are gorgeous and work super well on all surfaces. I love them to clean the countertop by the sink. Read the reviews on amazon and you might do what I did: get a set!

In our kitchen…

This set of tools is designed to work with clay, but they work wonders on Royal icing and I suppose also on buttercream, although I have not yet tried to sculpt buttercream, so I don’t risk what is left of my sanity. I got them at Jo-Ann a while ago but I am sure they are available at The Evil Empire.

In our kitchen…

Available at The Cookie Countess, these little plastic things keep your cookies upright for taking cool pictures and showing them in a blog that does not get a lot of traffic, but I keep going because I am stubborn (wink, wink).

In our kitchen…

My most recent passion, mahlep, or mahaleb, or mahleb, not sure of the correct spelling. It is the ground seed of a type of cherry, and the flavor profile is similar to cinnamon. I love it! Recently used in Cherry Linzers, from this cookbook by Molly Yeh.

In our kitchen….

Our favorite way to consume sourdough: Phil is indulging in his special gifts from December, a great Castelvetrano olive oil and aged balsamic. Whisk, dip bread and dream!

In our kitchen….

I like metal cutters, but I must say the round ones can be tricky because there is always a seam that tends to distort it a bit. I caved and got a set of plastic cutters and I am a real happy baker!

In our kitchen….

A little manual pump normally sold to clean computer keyboards by blowing air into them. It works very well to blow sanding sugar and do some watercolor work on Royal icing, the watercolor trick I learned from Haniela recently. These chocolate-covered Oreos were also made using my little electric turntable.

In our kitchen….

Under the idea of “Cookie What You Love”, some cookies celebrating our beloved fur babies. Speaking of them, I believe it is time to let them bark a little…

This past winter has been really really hard, so we had to deal with it with the stoicism that is required from four-legged heroes.

Of course we also decided to brave the elements and have some fun running like crazy fools around the totally empty Golf Course.

At home, our humans provided us with as much entertainment and comfort as possible, because as you know those are some amazing humans!

For instance, Little Star got a brand new bird to play with…

But it turns out he had a very foul mouth and my little sister had to take matters into her own paws to silence it. And so she did… I am so proud of her! We don’t need that kind of verbal abuse around the Kingdom of Tatarrax.

We also provided moral support while Dad worked hard to exercise in the dead of the winter…

Truth is, no matter how cold outside, I am always happy when I can rule things from the comfort of my throne. I feel very dignified this way.

But I am also magnanimous and will at times allow my sister to occupy my favorite spot and use it as she sees fit… Apparently Zenless was not very happy with Star using her “favorite” coat to dream on, but we all know she can be difficult. Just ask our dad…

Sometimes even Grumpy is allowed near the throne which proves I may be a mighty ruler but I also have a soft heart.

To show gratitude to my Royal Brother I protect him as he sleeps his noble sleep…

No gratitude from Grumpy! He sees himself as The Alpha Male and tries to prove it by claiming ownership of every single bed from My Kingdom.

I am not at all worried about that. I have much more important things to do like helping Zenless celebrate her birthday…

I helped her celebrate also! I gave her extra doses of The Cute!

Clearly, you two whippersnappers know nothing about proper celebrations. I know better and I dress up for the occasion as any sensible canine should do.

Well if you must know, Mr Grumpiest, me and my sister were born with Natural Elegance, so additional items of clothing are totally unnecessary for us to shine.

Oscar fights back using pretty harsh evidence… Is THAT what you call Elegance?

I see more the behavior of two deranged, low-class quadrupeds embarrassing our humans in front of the whole neighborhood. And, barking of it, who sits in such undignified manner and sees nothing wrong with it?

How DARE you talk to us about elegance!!!! Care to explain THIS?

It was simply a moment of weakness and back-scratching abandon…..

I AM normally a Magnificent example of my species!

Well friends, as you can see the fun goes on in the Kingdom of Tatarrax and although we can complain about the harshness of this past winter, although we can complain (a lot) about politics, we can’t say there is ever a dull moment in our home! We bid goodbye for now and the canine crowd will be back for our summer feature of In My Kitchen…

SPRING HAS ARRIVED NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON!

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2024

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Spring 2023

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2022

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2021

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2020

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2019

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2018

EIGHT YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

NINE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

TEN YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

1Jan2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN MY KITCHEN!

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Post quickly edited by members of our household……

Starting with gifts….

From our friend Virginia, who spent a couple of hours decorating cookies with me this month, this super cute set of cookie cutters in the shape of a pig, that are the authentic shape for Biscochitos (need to make them again soon!)

From our friends Keith and Sarah, the most amazing pillow! That we will have to keep away from the pups, for obvious reasons….. Slobber, anyone?

From Courtnie and Alex, a super special olive oil,
made from Castelvestrano olives…. amazing!

One of my gifts for Phil at Christmas, a bottle of aged balsamic vinegar…. goes perfectly well with that olive oil…

From our friends Ines, Ben and Gi, Panforte from Siena, they sent us every year, but this time it was a different type, coated in chocolate. Can you say OH MY GOD, loud and clear?

From The Hayden Family, a tea cup with the photos of their beautiful daughters on it! Will cherish it forever….

Now, moving on to things I got since our last “In My Kitchen” get-together…

In our kitchen….

I will have to start with a bang… Our Blue Star range, after a few problems over the past 5 years, finally bit the dust. We bought a new range, not as fancy but definitely with more features and easier repair in case it needs. Meet Thor, the new addition to The Bewitching Kitchen, installed on Dec 28th…

In our kitchen…

Virginia’s gift made me realize how much I love sets of cookies of varying sizes. I do have a box dedicated just for them… Stars, bells, ovals, flowers, they are so convenient… I also love the set of sticks that cut four at a time.

In our kitchen…

We got rid of all our regular non-stick pans in favor of this ceramic brand called Green Pan. They do not have the nasty chemicals (PFAs) that get into the food and stay in our body forever like regular non-stick pans do. Especially if you cook for kids, consider getting rid of those. You can read more about the issues here.

They are a pleasure to cook with!

In our kitchen…

A little sourdough, super simple, just white bread flour, but I liked the way I planned the design on paper and then transferred to the dough. I am easily amused…

In our kitchen…

Have you noticed I bake a lot of cookies? Did you know I have blog devoted JUST for cookies? I hope you do know… But what you may not know is that I’m pretty partial to perforated mats for baking. And this brand, that makes pink ones, is my favorite. The cookies do not darken excessively, bake just right.

In our kitchen…

I love the quality of spices from this company… One of my favorites to use in gingerbread is Star Anise powder. Highly recommend it.

In our kitchen…

A tofu press! I’ve been flirting with the idea of trying some interesting recipes using tofu, but they all call for pressing it before using. You know me, I like to have the right tools for the job, so I ordered this one. Will report back once I put it to use.

In our kitchen…

I bit the bullet and ordered some colors for cookie decorating that do not have artificial dyes. They are all made from natural ingredients – spinach, beets, raspberries. I tried a few color over the holiday season. I have to say I am very disappointed at the red. It is not really red, and to have enough color you need to use a lot but it always ends up with a more burgundy-mauve tone. Other colors behaved better. It will take a lot of practice but it might work in the end. Fingers crossed. This is a recent example of a red that is not quite the way I hoped.

In our kitchen…

Printed wafer paper that can be used to decorate cookies. I got them at evilcakegenius, all in Christmas motifs (click here). They are easy to glue to iced cookies with a little brushing of corn syrup as glue. Here they are, over chocolate cookies.

In our kitchen… or rather…. in our basement!

My “small collection” of cookie cutters, in an attempt of organization, and guarded by Royalty…

That brings to the spotlight our black spotted heroes and their oldest brother Osky, who’s been having ups and downs lately, due to his advanced canine age…. Let them bark their stories, they’ve been anxious to do so since our last IMK chapter.

Hi, Friends of The Bewitching! Here we are, me and my little sister, who is now slightly heavier (methinks it is all in the butt). She has the appetite of a bear fresh out of hibernation, and usually polishes her food bowl in seconds, then goes in search of leftovers from mine and Grumpy’s bowl. Contrary to the male canines, she does tend to get in trouble on a regular basis, and endure that “did-you-do-that” monologue, which is known to hurt puppy’s ears. She IS just a puppy, after all…

Those were apparently “precioussssss” instructions from some toy our Dad bought for himself. Personally, methinks he should be buying toys to play with us, so can you really blame Little Star? Isn’t she the portrait of an angel 99% of the time? You tell me!

Now me, Prince Freckles of Tatarrax, I work hard. I make sure preparations for our meals run smoothly and that they are delivered on time. Humans can be slow and easily distracted from the task at hand, so I rise to the challenge and take the task at my own paws.

Osky is for the most part being Osky, and lacks the elegance and dignity that is so characteristic of Dalmatians.

Oh, you REALLY want to talk about dignity? Elegance? How about your behavior as you ride in the pickup truck with The Humans? Is that “elegance” in the Dalmatian universe?

Well, we just have excessive enthusiasm at times, and if you want to know, there was
a squirrel teasing us! Unacceptable!

I am obviously the most dignified of the canines in The Kingdom, The Alpha Male, The Ruler,
The One with Paws in Charge…. And the one who gets Human Affection on a regular basis….

Yeah, right… but The Dalmatians are the only ones who get to The Higher Territory and enjoy ELYSIUM!

And we are also the only ones who can play the REAL fun games with Mom!

I simply dance to a different kind of tune, my friends……

Well, it’s been a nice holiday season, no doubt… Pups are enjoying slow times, a lot of snoozing around, getting ready for a full new year in The Kingdom of Tatarrax!

SEE YOU IN THE SPRING,
MY FRIENDS!

ONE YEAR AGO: Happy New Year in My Kitchen, 2024

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, January 2023

THREE YEARS AGO: Happy New Year in My Kitchen!

FOUR YEARS AGO: Happy New Year in My Kitchen!

FIVE YEARS AGO: Happy 2020 In My Kitchen!

SIX YEARS AGO: Happy 2019 In My Kitchen!

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Happy New Year In My Kitchen!

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Happy New Year In My Kitchen!

NINE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen: Happy New Year!

TEN YEARS AGO: And another year starts…

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen: January 2014

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Tacos with Pork in Green Sauce

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Maui New Year!

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Natural Beauty

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Sunflower Seed Rye

3Apr2024

IN MY KITCHEN, SPRING 2024

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

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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….

As you will notice, my friends know very well what moves me…

In our recent trip to Brazil, my sister Norma and my niece Camila offered us these super special gifts, inspired by our beloved pups… Notice the black patch on the eye… Reminds you of someone? And yes, my sister did the embroidery… amazing, right?

From our friends Lorne and Wasu, a super cool Birthday gift for this humble baker! Decorating pens (and also a nice bag of vanilla pods from Madagascar!). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The best Birthday cards ever, from my dear friend Elaine! Look at those cutie pies!

From my friend Caro, a Birthday gift to warm my heart forever… It is already hanging in our kitchen, of course!

Yet another Birthday gift, from The Haydens, this super special (and with the right amount of flexibility) spatula to inspire my bakes! THANK YOU!

In our kitchen…

We have dreamed of a Marzocco espresso maker for what seemed like forever. Finally, the husband took a deep breath and ordered one. It does take a while to arrive, as they build the machine, test it, and then finally ship it from Italy, but wow, we are totally in love with it! Here you see the very first espressos we made…

In our kitchen…

A concha press, which I intend to try very soon… I do have a recipe in mind, so stay tuned for a blog post once I go for it.

In our kitchen…

I finally caved and bought containers to proof bread dough, from King Arthur. They come in sets of two, and are the perfect size for most baking projects. On the left you see dough for kolache after overnight fermentation, and on the right the initial stage of fermentation of pizza dough. I am totally in love with these containers… Link to get them found here.

In our kitchen…

Total impulse buy from yours truly. I could not resist it. Do we entertain a lot? No. I have no explanation for falling into temptation. If you have a good therapist to recommend, contact me ASAP.

In our kitchen…

I do a lot of chicken parmigiana and have always wanted to get a nice set of pans to use as “breading station”. They are perhaps just a tad too big, but the advantage is that things stay contained and by the time I am done, there is no mess on countertops. I found mine on eBay, they don’t seem to be available anymore, but they are also on amazon, although quite a bit more expensive. Check them out here.

In our kitchen…

This was not cheap, but it is a game changer for cookie decorating. It is from The Sweetest Tiers, and available on etsy. I am so glad I bought it, because I can finally use stencils with Royal icing and get perfect results. It also works great for air-brushing. Excellent quality product.

In our kitchen…

A gift I offered my beloved husband. We have oysters often when in they are in season, and he works super hard to get them ready for us, so these gloves make his job a lot safer. You can order them here, several sizes (I have one to use with my mandoline).

In our kitchen…

These are too cool! I saw them online and realized I could not live without them. Ok, at least I could not bake brownies, loaf cakes, sheet cakes without them. You clip them to the edge of the pan to hold the parchment paper folded away from the surface of the cake. Works like a dream! Order them here.

In our kitchen…

This is a simple gadget recommended by America’s Test Kitchen to sharpen knives. We love it so much we bought a few to take as gifts to family and friends in Brazil. All our knives are back into great shape, and it is so simple to use! Ordering info and a video showing how to use it can be found here.

Take a look at this old knife we’ve had for 10 years!

In our kitchen…

These are licky-pads for the pups… You smear peanut butter or cheese (from spray cans) and let them have some fun. Unfortunately, Osky does not care for them, so we got a set of four, but two would have been enough. Many styles, sizes and shapes available online, just google them.

Speaking of pups…

Well, I guess I have no choice but to allow them into my blog.
Reluctantly, I shall do so…

As you may have read in my last post, we had a fun backyard party for our Little Shiny Star, as she turned one year old on March 25th. Check out the festivities and the special cake recipe baked by yours truly with a click here.

During this year of life, and 9 months with us, Star has been one amazing pup! Fun, loving, full of personality and enough energy to power the known universe… Sometimes, just sometimes, she does get in a bit of trouble… Particularly when faced with uncooperative dog beds, mud, and wool gloves left too close to her territory.

But how on Earth could we resist such a face?

Oscar begs to differ…
That face? If you want irresistible, I’ve got irresistible for you!

Oh, THAT is hilarious!!!!

Star does have a point. Clearly, our boy was in desperate need of grooming…

But grooming did happen, and right after that ordeal was over, what can only be explained as The Grooming Miracle! A very rare image of Osky laying next to another, lesser canine. Mind-blowing stuff.

It is far more common for our Dominant Alpha Male to claim all beds for himself…

Yeah, let me bark very clearly now:

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Prince and Star are just inseparable, and bonded in ways that make us so happy! They are great golf companions, both outside and inside!

They hang out together 24/7 and will often fall asleep in the exact same position, after getting exhausted from playing hard…

We could not get a more compatible pair of pups…

Yes, for sure! Clouds only gather on the horizon because Prince is a slow-chewer, and well, his sister does not take well to the fact she is done with hers… So we close this post with one small example of the Opera Singing we go through, pretty much on a daily basis… Wanna move in with us? Never a dull moment, my friends… Never a dull moment…

That’s all for now, folks!

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ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, Spring 2023

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2022

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2021

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2020

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2019

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2018

SEVEN YEARS AGO: First Monday Favorite

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, April 2016

NINE YEARS AGO: Spring has Sprung with Suzanne Goin

TEN YEARS AGO: Chai Brownies

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Pomegranate-Molasses Glazed Carrots

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Braised Brisket with Bourbon-Peach Glaze

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: The Real Vodka Sauce

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Spring Rolls on a Spring Day

1Jan2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR IN MY KITCHEN!

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

This post is dedicated to Kathy McMorrow, who left us on October 19th

Many gifts this time and a few things I bought myself, so let’s start this virtual walk,
shall we?

From our friends Tanya and Jamie…

When they came to visit us, they brought us this amazing honeycomb! It is like honey on steroids, I had never tried it before. Absolutely lovely!

They also gave us a bottle of honey which I used to make London Fog in one of my favorite tea cups… Thank you, TANYA & JAMIE!

From our friends Marijo and Vlad…

They sent us a huge basket of oranges and grapefruit… my beloved husband made this special treat for me every morning until the grapefruits were gone! He is a keeper, but you knew that already…

From my friend Jennifer…

All the way from California, a set of PERFECT kitchen towels, I just adore the border at the bottom, what a cute detail! Thank you, Jennifer!

From our friend Dave…

Most amazingly juicy pears, they were at perfect stage of ripeness when the family visited, and everybody loved them!

From our friends Pat and Bill…

A nice soy candle and a Christmas-y kitchen towel…. We love them!

From our friends Hal and Becky…

A huge box of Leonidas chocolate…. OMG in chocolate form!

From our friends Ines and Ben…

We are addicted to this delicacy from Siena, and they made sure we enjoyed it again this year! THANK YOU! If you’ve never had panforte, you NEED to try some.

From the beautiful Hayden family…

The world’s coolest apron! Thank you so much, the fabric is perfect and wipes clean like a dream (not that I am a messy cook, of course NOT!)

From our friends Keith and Sarah…

The most exquisite Christmas tree ornament… we made sure to place it high, so that the real Dalmatians would not hurt it…

As if all that amazing honey wasn’t enough, Tanya and Jamie sent me a total beauty of a Bundt pan for Christmas!

I intend to put it to use this coming week with a special bake for Friday! Tanya (and Jamie) I don’t even know how to thank you, but Jamie, expect a constant flow of nice puns (wink, wink). It is the MINIMUM I can do!

And now my unexpected special Christmas gift from the best husband in the universe…

MEET HELEN, my new Breville mixer!

I named it Helen, as my friend and virtual mentor Helen Fletcher was the one who got me interested after she wrote this great review about it. I was not sure if I should get it, as I have some KitchenAid attachments that obviously don’t work with that mixer, but Phil splurged and I must say I adore it! Thank you Phil, and thank you Helen!

Moving on… some home improvement stuff

Speaking of a real keeper of a husband! Phil built this set of shelves for the garage and organized all his tools. It is a French cleat system, in which the little things can be moved around freely. Super awesome!

We got a new rug for the kitchen, as a certain puppy damaged the old one pretty badly. Now that she outgrew the chewing phase (fingers crossed), we felt we were ready for the upgrade.

We also got a new rug for the living room, as ours was almost 20 years old and getting really beaten (and chewed by a certain female Dalmatian). Oscar approved the color scheme!

In our kitchen…

Two pretty nice ingredients to play with: Chestnut honey from Italy (I do have a weakness for honey), and Stem ginger from the UK. Stay tuned for adventures with both.

In our kitchen…

A set of bell shaped cookie cutters. I also have a weak spot for shapes in different sizes. I needed a large bell for a recent project (featured here), and this was the best option.

In our kitchen…

A new turkey-size roaster. Ours was super old, and I wanted to make sure we had something nice for this year. Guess what? We ended up roasting NO bird at Thanksgiving and NO bird on Christmas. Oh, well. There is always 2024.

AND NOW, LET’S SEE WHAT OUR FURRY FRIENDS HAVE TO BARK…

We simply cannot get over the funny ways in which Ziggy Star Barker sleeps or gets comfortable…

Funny, who me????

Hey, I can be funny too!

Yeah, let them be funny. I am FIERCE. POWERFUL.
THE ONE AND ONLY ALPHA-DOG!

The dogs were absolutely spoiled this holiday season, as we had two of the stepsons here with the kids (and one bun in the oven, to be born on March).

Here is our crowd at dinner, our house had never been so full!

Did the pups love their visit? Judge for yourself….

Hi, this is my friend Campbell! Guess what? He was a little scared of doggies, but I made sure to be super nice and gentle so that fear is now history! We are buddies for life!

Hi, my name is Sutton, and this is my big furry friend Oscar… he loves to be hugged and even though I am a little too small I do my best!

This is our friend Star, she loves to cuddle on the sofa to watch TV. She had a blast with The Grinch Who Stole Christmas…

Prince is actually partial to 101 Dalmatians…

My name is Greenlee, and Prince is my best buddy, he does tricks for me and I give him treats. Is that going to spoil him? I hope so!

All pups were absolutely gentle with the kids, in this picture Sutton was crying and Star did not know what to do to console her… it was super sweet….

Unfortunately, contrary to our pups’ expectations, their visit had to end…

But what matters is that we had a ton of fun together. Undoubtedly, dogs and kids are a match made in heaven… We wish you a wonderful New Year, and we will see you again in the Spring for another chapter of In My Kitchen, aka Life in the Kingdom of Tatarrax.