Ringing in 2013

Well Happy New Year, y'all! I'm a little late on this, aren't I? Like everyone else, I'm winding down the craziest time of year for me. Let's have a look at how it all went.

I rang in the New Year in Alabama with the Moon Pie Drop.

Christmas brunch had two kinds of Eggs Benedict-- the traditional and a crab version. And probably the best hollandaise I've ever had, courtesy of my cousin Casey.

I finished off my birthday night with a shot of peppermint schnapps in a little chocolate cup. It was rough...and delicious.

My cousin Erin totally surprised us all by decorating the table at my birthday lunch. It was so sweet and so wonderful. She's an event planner. You should totally hire her.

Erin had also set up a little bottle of champagne and chocolates. Oh and Bistro 217 also surprised me with tiramisu. Honestly, I'm not even a big tiramisu fan, but it was beyond lovely. Seriously, a great birthday lunch.

My sister and I made a tacky Christmas sweatshirt for an oyster roast. It turned out awesomely bad, including an actual bow pinned to it and jingle bells sewn on.

I've only recently moved back to Columbia full-time, but I tell you the cover bands at Tin Roof never disappoint. This here is the Twang Bangers from Johnson City, Tennessee.

Roast beast! No really, it was a massive prime rib that Roddy cooked beautifully. 

I was SO ready for our bowl game. I had my cup, scarf, sweatshirt, t-shirt, and bracelet. A win made it all worth it. 

Naked buns. These Gingery Cinnamon Rolls were a decadent birthday morning treat.

I still am craving orange & cinnamon together. Look for that combination to make an appearance soon.

A New Year means new goals. So far I've got:

• Run a 10k. I accomplished my goal of running a 5k last year, so this year I'm aiming for a 10k. I'm pretty sure I'm doing the Charleston Bridge Run in April, which will make sure I train and get it done.
• Make my own butter. Mostly because Emily got me a little DIY kit. C'mon, if anyone's going to make butter it's gonna be me.
• Make good bread to go with that butter. It was on my list last year but got lost in the shuffle.
• Visit a city I've never explored. Now that I work in the travel industry, I feel like this is important and quite likely.
• Find a place to live and make it my own. It'll be my first grown-up apartment, and I want to start collecting pieces that mean something to me. I've got a few things already, so I'm not starting from scratch. It's more about the atmosphere I create for myself moving forward. Maybe I'll even give y'all a tour.

Cinnamon-Orange Shortbread Cookies

I think there's nothing my family loves more than a shortbread cookie. We've always had pecan sandies laying around like other families might keep Lay's potato chips or Oreos. But you know me, why buy what you can make?

These shortbread cookies are gussied up with cinnamon sugar and orange zest. Which happens to go perfectly with Russian tea. Please tell me you know what Russian tea is. It's really not tea or Russian, but it's so perfectly my childhood.

A few simple ingredients make these cookies. Powdered sugar, flour, cinnamon sugar, butter, more cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and orange zest.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, spices, and orange zest in a medium bowl.

A little whisking does the trick.

Now what you should probably do here is cream the butter first and gradually add the sugar. Or you can be like me and forget what the instructions actually say and do it all at once.

Life goes on and it all gets creamy.

Gradually add in your flour mixture.

Stop mixing just when a dough forms.

Divide the dough into two 1/4" disks on a sheet of wax paper. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and chill 30 minutes to an hour. Or y'know 10 minutes in the freezer because I can't read instructions and I'm occasionally impatient.

Make your life easy and roll out the dough between the two sheets of wax paper.

Your life will not be as easy if you use this snowflake cookie cutter. A tree is wayyy easier to use. Less tight spaces.

Lay the cut-out cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle the cookies with cinnamon sugar before baking.

You end up with seasonally-appropriate, fragrant cookies.

It's like my childhood Christmas met my adult Christmas and they're way cool with each other.

Cinnamon-Orange Shortbread Cookies (makes about 1 1/2 dozen cookies, depending on size)

Adapted slightly from Southern Living

1 c + 2 tbs all-purpose flour

1 tbs orange zest

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 c unsalted butter

1/4 c + 2 tbs powdered sugar

Cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling (1/2 tbs sugar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon)

• In a medium bowl, combine flour, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to distribute evenly.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until a dough forms. 
• Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper. Divide in half and form two 1/4-inch disks. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and chill 30 minutes to an hour.
• Preheat your oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out disks between the two sheets of wax paper. Cut out shapes with 3-inch cookie cutters or simply cut into rounds. Set each cookie about 1.5 inches apart on the baking sheet. 
• Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake 11-13 minutes or until just golden brown around the edges. Cool fully on a wire rack.

Christmas in Carolina

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Lovely Kwanzaa/generally good weekend!  We survived our first Christmas and my first birthday without my grand-daddy and only had one sentimental spell.

This was also Grady's first Christmas.

He gave us lots of smiles this weekend.  He loved when Aunt Mandy talked to him.  He'd just start grinning and getting close to a little baby giggle.

At one point I had both Grady and Puddin hangin' out on me.  Forgive my hair.  It's also worth noting Puddin sat on my lap the entire time we opened presents.  He ended up with glitter all over him.

Our Christmas morning breakfast was the usual mountain of food.  Egg casserole, sausage balls, sticky buns, fruit salad, country ham and biscuits, and the best cheese ball I've ever had.  And let me tell you something, I would sell my soul for sausage balls.  It's just sausage, cheese, and Bisquick, but we'd rather eat sawdust than not have sausage balls Christmas morning.

After all the presents were opened, Daisy decided she'd finally sit down.

Rich liked reading to Grady.  I gave him his first Christmas book with his Christmas jammies.

James was really proud of his sausage and cheese tray.  I told him I'd blog about it.  The sausage was a venison summer sausage.  Sooo yummy.

Grady got a giraffe pillow that's supposed to be good for tummy time because it's really soft.  Puddin figured that since there was a pillow in the middle of the floor, it must be for him.  I think this is after he fell in the pool.  Poor guy, he just walked right in.  Usually he's good about walking around it, but he just walked right in.  He's still a good swimmer though.

We had a good Christmas.  It had the usual wackiness that comes along with any of our family gatherings, and of course the food was good.  Now it's time to get ready for the New Year!

Swedish Wedding Cookies

I don't like to brag or toot my own horn.  I like to be self-deprecating because...well it's funnier.  But, y'all, I got all my Christmas shopping done in about an hour yesterday.  We're not talking online either.  To be fair, I stayed at one shopping center.  But really, I kicked ass.  'Scuse my language.  I didn't get random crapola either.  Each gift was exactly what I wanted to give each person.  I even got myself a birthday outfit.  Boom.

What do you call these cookies?  We call them wedding cookies or Russian tea cakes depending on our moods.  Some of my friends call them pecan sands.  I've been making them my whole life practically, and they're one of those cookies that instantly brings up holiday memories.  Speaking of holidays, my birthday is tomorrow, so this will be the last post until after Christmas.  I hope y'all all have happy holidays, no matter what you celebrate.  This is a beautiful time of year.

Apple Bourbon Balls

Bourbon balls: The classy way to get schnockered around the holidays.  I kid of course.  There's no way to be classy and get schnockered.  There are sneaky ways to get schnockered, and bourbon balls might be at the top of the list.  Let's be honest.  You're probably not going to eat bourbon balls and sip on seltzer.  You're probably going to have a glass of whatever floats your boat and toss a couple of bourbon balls in your mouth.  And the alcohol doesn't get a chance to cook out because this is a raw cookie.  So.  There you go.

Peppermint Mocha Krinkles

Y'all.  It's crunch time.  Gifts need to be wrapped.  Actually, gifts need to be bought.  Whomp whomp.  I'm going to get to it, promise!  Speaking of gifts, have y'all seen the trend of people making payments on other people's layaways?  I think that's pretty awesome.  It's one of the things I love about this season.  People doing good things for other people.  No recognition needed.  Doing it just because it'll make someone's life a little easier.   I'm a big believer in karma.  That's why I let cars in ahead of me in traffic (safely of course).

These cookies will totally get you some good karma if you make them for other people.  They'll also just make you happy if you eat them yourself.  So it's a win-win.  I got the idea for this cookie when I had a similar cookie from Panera.  My sister and I like to split a chocolate chip cookie now and then, and one time they were out of our usual; so I picked out a peppermint chocolate cookie for us instead.  I also wanted it to have a bit of a coffee flavor, like a peppermint mocha from Starbucks.  P.S.  I have no idea why I'm spelling krinkles with a "k" when I know good and well the word is crinkles.  It's a mystery.

Gooey Overnight Sticky Buns

I'm happy to report the tree is still standing.  It's even straight I think.  Of course, I didn't realize it was leaning before, so maybe I'm not the best judge.

So...I ran 30 minutes today.  For most of you, that's probably not a huge deal.  But for me, it's a mega-huge deal.  I'm not sure I've ever run 30 minutes in my life.  That's not to say I've never exercised more than 30 minutes in my life.  I used to do Zumba for an hour on the reg.  But running and enjoying it always eluded me.  I've been following the Couch to 5k plan loosely, and today I finally did 30 minutes!

In honor of that achievement, I give you these sticky buns.

A Funny Thing Happened Last Night

Ohh mah goodness, y'all.  Our tree completely toppled over at 3am last night.  I was dead asleep until I heard a thud and the sound of glass breaking.  It scared the bejesus out of me.  At first I'd thought my mom had fallen in her bathroom, so when I saw the tree lying prostrate I was a little relieved.  We lost a few ornaments in the fall but we've seen worse damage.  I think this little ornament sums everything up perfectly:

Hah!  Do you know the Maxine cartoons?  It's the dog from those.  I made a joke that he didn't look like that until the "incident."  And then I proceeded to laugh hysterically because I had not enough sleep and thought I was waaaay hilarious.

On a completely unrelated note, check this business out:

"What is that freaky looking object in the produce section?" you ask.  It's a Buddha's hand.  I Googled it after I saw what it was called.  It's in the citron family, and we Westerners commonly use the zest.  There's really not much to the flesh or pulp, but the pith is far less bitter than other citrus fruits; so you can use more of it.  Other peoples use it to perfume things.  I did smell it, and it had a lovely fragrance. You can also candy it.  Cray-cray.