IN MY KITCHEN, FALL 2025

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Starting with a gift from my beloved husband…

Phil surprised me with this beautiful cup, from our favorite artist, Mary Rose Young. He is always searching for her pieces, that can be quite expensive, but every once in a while he lucks out and finds a reasonable deal on eBay. I might have to make a cookie inspired by this beautiful design, like I did in the past (see my cookie post here).

In our kitchen…

This is my favorite acquisition of the season! I used to have to find boxes to put my bakes to take to the homeless meals on Fridays, always a bit of a hassle. Now I simply use this multi-layer system. I can fit all the cookies, brownies, it is fantastic. You can find it here.

In our kitchen…

My second set of bread stencils! I shared my first adventure with this type of stencil in a recent post, you can get these stencils here. I just love using them…

In our kitchen…

This is my improvised enclosure for air-brushing. It does not have high sides, which is great for maneuvering the gun, but it is big enough to enclose the spray. When the paper inside gets too full with paint, I toss it and put a new one. I cannot tell you how much I love this! You can find special air-spraying boxes and they are expensive and hard to clean. This is just perfect for me…

In our kitchen…

This was a huge task but I am so glad I finally did it! Organized all my cookie stencils in binders. There is a method to the madness, so they are organized according to patterns, styles, in a way that I can find them without too much hyperventilation.

In our kitchen…

I love this powder, which is available here. I’ve been using it often in sugar cookies, usually with a little orange zest. Smells amazing as it bakes!

In our kitchen…

I’ve had these rolling pins for a while, cannot remember where exactly I got them, but they make the most adorable cookies… Speaking about rolling pins, my favorite source by far is Pastrymade, and they do need all the help we can give them. A fantastic Ukrainian company that makes the very highest quality products. Most of mine come from Pastrymade, so I highly recommend them!
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In our kitchen…

Every year I like to get a new Springerle mold for the season, and this was my choice for 2025. I intend to put it to use very soon… Ordering information here (don’t forget to add the specific cutters, made exactly for that shape).

In our kitchen…

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We love this one! An extra-wide spatula, that works wonderfully for things like salmon on the grill. You can order it here.

In our kitchen…

This is called a Gyro-Cut tool and I am quite happy with it. Sometimes getting the Cricut out just to cut a simple shape seems like too much effort. For a template that can be used and discarded, a simple piece of paper works, and the Gyro-Cut does a great job to make it happen. Available here. I just blogged about the cookies made with those templates, and you can see them in my cookie blog (click here).

In our kitchen…

A Nordic Ware Pirouette Bundt pan… Available here. You simply cannot go wrong with Nordic Ware. The cakes un-mold like a dream. Here is my first adventure with this pan, a little Apple Cider Bundt Cake.

In our kitchen…

Another great little gadget to hold your phone to make photos or videos. I highly recommend it, simple to assemble and works like a charm! Available here.

And now it’s time to let our furry friends bark their piece,
as they’ve been patiently waiting…

Mr. Osky wants to bark first…

OF COURSE I DO! I am the Oldest, Wisest, THE UNCHALLENGED ALPHA DOG, the one who rules all dogs of All Known Kingdoms in the Known Universe!

I patrol our domain with a slow but determined walk. And I bark the bark
that pierces ears without mercy.

Star would like to point out that she patrols it all much much better, navigating edges of precipices without hesitation. Pack rats know no peace in the Kingdom of Tatarrax! Frogs, squirrels, birds, the eventual careless grasshopper, nothing is off-limits to this incredible huntress…

It is hard to believe so much power and might lies behind those sweet dark eyes…

I am a great patroller myself, particularly of the Higher Territory of our Palace!

But to be honest, I prefer to play ball with Mom and Dad. I play until I am spent, and then I play some more…

Every evening after my humans are done with some silly dishwashing and kitchen tidying up, I make sure to ring the patio door bell over and over until they realize it is time to go out and play with the Prince!

I find it all profoundly silly. I prefer to just be my Badass Self… The ball can chase itself, for all I care.

Well, we all know he likes to play Bad Ass but he can also be pretty mellow and cute, even at his advanced age (he will be with us 15 years next month, so we believe he is close to 16 years old now).

Cute? Do you really think he is cute? Cuter than me? Cuter than my cute little sister?

Well, well, well… We don’t play favorites in the Kingdom, you are all adorable and well-behaved…..

EXCEPT… when you steal food from the countertop!

Or when you come back from the backyard covered in burrs, and we all know how much “fun” it will be to get them off your delicate fur…

But, all things considered,
Summer has been pretty nice for the pups…

They watched a lot of TV…

Ziggy Star Barker took extended naps in her favorite spot…

And Prince Freckles of Tatarrax did the exact same thing…

At times, when the stars were correctly aligned, The Alpha Dog allowed himself to relax next to a lesser Whippersnapper…

That’s all for now, folks! We will see you again when the New Year of 2026 starts… Until then, have a wonderful time!

ONE YEAR AGO: In My Kitchen, Fall 2024

TWO YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Fall 2023

THREE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, Fall 2022

FOUR YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2021

FIVE YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2020

SIX YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen (and Beyond), October 2019

SEVEN YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2018

EIGHT YEARS AGO: In My Kitchen, October 2017

NINE YEARS AGO: Little Bites of Paradise

TEN YEARS AGO: Coxinha de Galinha: A Brazilian Delicacy

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp Skewers

TWELVE YEARS AGO: A Simple Dinner

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Brown Butter Tomato Salad

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Spelt and Cornmeal Rolls

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Roasted Potato and Olive Focaccia

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Multigrain Bread Extraordinaire

1Jul2025

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

1Oct2024

IN MY KITCHEN, FALL 2024

Posted in In My Kitchen by sallybr

Starting with gifts…

From my dear friend, and tent-baker Tanya, this gorgeous cup for my evening tea in the shape of my favorite animal! As I always say, I have great friends and they know me well…

From a very dear friend from California this cookie cutter that she sent me when I needed ideas to bake cookies for a special donation box and it really made everything perfect for me…

Here’s what I made with it…

In our kitchen…

Very small wooden boards that are perfect for entertaining! In the picture I give you an idea of their size. They are perfect to offer a small sampling of cheese, crackers, Cristini or dumplings, offering one to each of your guests. Available here.

In our kitchen…

These are silicone trivets that you can use to roast things and avoid making them soggy during baking. In this case, I am showing boneless pork chops, breaded and fried and later finished in a slow oven. I got it at Marshalls in town.

In our kitchen…

One of my favorite vanilla bean pastes. This one comes from Mexico and it is not too expensive. I love the flavor! Available here.

In my kitchen…

A special large Banetton that I bought with a special bread project in mind which in fact I shared with you very recently (click here for post). Banetton available here.

In our kitchen…

A few large stances that I also bought with the same bread project in mind, but that can come in handy for many other uses. I just love their design! Available at etsy.

In our kitchen…

This I offer as a gift to my dear husband. He often makes tacos for dinner and now he has a way to serve them nicely instead of trying to balance them inside some awkward serving dish. We are using them very often. Available here.

In our kitchen…

A small serving tray that I fell in love with when I saw it by accident in a shop at Etsy. I predict it will be used for many cookie pictures in the future!

In our kitchen..

If you decorate cookies, you absolutely totally completely NEED these! A bought a set of three, small, medium and large. Perfect to fill piping bags with Royal icing, they thought about EVERYTHING when designing these containers. Get them here.

In our kitchen…

When it comes to black cocoa, this one is quite a bit more mellow than others I’ve tried. It will be my brand of choice, although I tend to continue exploring possibilities as they show up in my horizon. It is intense and perfect to make Oreos and other cookies with similar “personality”. Available here.

AND NOW IT IS TIME TO HEAR WHAT
OUR BELOVED FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS HAVE TO BARK

Life has been quite awesome, according to the pups. Our humans did not take any trips, so we enjoyed all the amenities of The Kingdom of Tatarrax without nasty interruptions… For us youngsters, it involved daily trips in our favorite vehicle!

Osky, the Grumpy does not dig rides in trucks. He prefers to stay behind and exercise his pseudo-alpha-dominance in the backyard…

We love our backyard also, but for us Royals and Superstars it is more about playing…

Either with a ball, or even better, K9 X-Games, as narrated by The Queen Mother, check it out:

So much playing sometimes gets my sister in trouble, she is known to dig in mud, preferably after getting a bath…

I don’t normally get in trouble. But, if I am to bark honestly, I do have daily requests that need to be fulfilled. Early, very early in the morning, as The Dad is preparing coffee for the Zenless, I stare at the box of puppy goodies they keep in that area and won’t move until I get my morning treat. And due to The Canine Equality Act, my siblings get one also. After that, we proceed to take our extended version of the morning nap.

Obviously… Sleeping is better with a toy!

Some beg to differ, though….

Who is he trying to fool?

Wee see you, Grumpiest!.

This year has also been super special because my little huge sister is getting trained into the complicated game of golf. She has caused a few issues because she insists on running to greet every single group of players in the field, but that’s what superstars do…

At home, we play pretty much non-stop, except when we do stop. It is called The Toy Impasse, and we might stay like that, evaluating each other’s jaw power until one of us gives up. As I am Royal and therefore magnanimous by definition, I often allow my little huge sister to run away with it.