Category: Holiday

Buttery Snowflake Cookies

Dear Santa, I’ve tried really hard to be a good person this year, but I’m human and I’m not totally confident I made it onto the Nice List. May I bribe you with some brown butter snowflake cookies to get back into your good graces?

As I’m looking back at this year, I realize I have not completed my 2015 to-do list, but I am going to cross the “new tattoo” off my list this weekend. I am a little anxious but even more excited to get something new at the end of the year. I fell short of my expectations for this year in many ways, but I have also made a lot of strides. (more…)

December 11, 2015
15 Thanksgiving Dishes We Love

(Photo by Lady and Pups)

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

If you’re anything like us, you’re far from perfect. Even when it comes to today’s Super Bowl of food holidays, not every dish is impeccably planned, and not every place is meticulously set. We’re no strangers to last minute scrambling for Thanksgiving recipes that are both classic enough to appease your traditional relatives, and novel enough to excite and entice you. (Why make pie when you can make gooey chocolatey cakes? Exactly.)

So, for all you last-minute-cooks out there hectically searching for that perfect vegetable side dish that will complete your dinner, or those homemade dinner rolls that will make your mama proud, we’ve compiled a list of the Thanksgiving recipes we’re crazy about. Many are from blogs we love, and some are our own, but they’re all sure to whet your appetites and hopefully give you a leg up for this marathon of cooking we’re all about to jump in to.

Good luck. (more…)

November 26, 2015
Fluffy Pumpkin Soufflés

Let’s talk about the magic of desserts. Desserts are the mistresses to any meal – you try to deny yourself this tasty treat, but you know you still have room for something sweet and the seductive word itself entices you to give the menu a glance before you surrender to the sweet rush of sugar and satisfaction.

We all know that feeling – you’re anxiously waiting for one of your friends at the dinner table to take up the offer on dessert. Ten minutes after you order, you’re all sharing this precious small plate, and another five minutes later, it’s all gone and all tummies are happy. Dessert is the lasting key to friendship.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and particularly Friendsgiving, I’m going to share this light and fluffy pumpkin soufflé recipe with you sweet folks. (more…)

November 21, 2015
Apple Cider & Sage Dinner Rolls

You may not know this about us (or maybe you do, because I won’t shut up about it), but we love to see the worlds of sweet and savory collide.

Some people are opposed to this. They don’t want salt on their chocolate, and they don’t want chocolate on their bacon. I’m guessing that those same people would be opposed to switching up their favorite Thanksgiving staples. But you know what? This recipe isn’t for those people.

When I got the idea for these rolls, I was imagining a plain, fluffy dinner roll with hints of apple cider and soft, subtle sage. The sweet and savory flavors, my god! In my imagination, it was heaven. (more…)

November 16, 2015
Roasted Vegetable Medley with Cranberries

Hello darling friends, I must apologize for the laziness that is lying ahead in this post.

In the midst of planning my family’s Thanksgiving dinner, I got a bit carried away into marshmallow heaven and realized I’d forgotten to add some fiber to the dinner. Perhaps you guys are having this issue as well. This recipe is a quick but delicious attempt to fix that problem.

Honestly, I admire the simplicity of this recipe – everything from the turkey and gravy to the mashed potatoes to the buttery desserts can be overwhelming. I lied, they’re all delicious and dreamy but sometimes I just want a balance on my favorite holiday so I can feel less ashamed about inhaling everything else on the dinner table. (more…)

November 11, 2015
Artichoke and Asparagus Risotto & Chocolate Hazelnut Roulade…and a giveaway!

Hello friends! We’re doing something a little different today, and sharing two recipes: a main dish and dessert. Because if a little is good, more is better.

The holiday season in Boston is always pretty magical – crunchy leaves on Thanksgiving to accompany the pumpkin pie, and plenty of snow on the ground to welcome Christmas and the New Year. No matter how cold it gets outside, though, sharing warm, home-cooked meals with family is always the highlight of the holidays. As cheesy as it sounds, we love feeling the love.

So we made these recipes with love, for you. Whether you have 78249395 crazy relatives or your family consists of just you and your cat, these are dishes made to share with those you’re closest to.

For these recipes, we’ve partnered up* with Colavita and Perugina, makers of some of the world’s finest olive oils and chocolates, respectively. Olive oil and chocolate are two of our most-used (and most-loved) ingredients, and we love all things Italian, so this partnership was really a no-brainer. And because we love you too, we’re giving you the chance to enter Colavita’s “Join Our Italian Holiday Table” sweepstakes to win a basket full of olive oil and chocolate goodies. Just click on the link at the bottom of this page to enter to win, and thank us later. (more…)

November 6, 2015
Chocolate Orange Challah Bread

I apologize, friends.

Because I know you. I know that the knowledge that this challah bread exists will now eat away at you until you get the chance to make it for yourself. (Or at least until you can bribe your roommate/spouse/pet to make it for you so you can shove some in your face.) I know that one look at it already has you itching to get into your kitchen, and scanning the ingredients to see if you could get started on it right away, before any of the day’s other demands can be faced.

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September 27, 2015
Watermelon Blueberry Gin Slushie

When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade. But what about when life hands you watermelons? Is watermelonade a thing?

Summertime is made for juicy watermelon slices and sticky fingers. But let’s be real: there is nothing better than sipping on a cool drink and breathing in a warm summer breeze. So instead of watermelonade, I blended fresh watermelon chunks with ice and alcohol. It was a great life choice. (more…)

July 2, 2015
Flourless Chocolate Cake

Mother’s Day is just around the bend, so I’m thinking it’s time to start getting my act together. My mother literally birthed me, and aside from being kind of horrifying to think about, that’s a totally incredible thing. So while I may not be the perfect child, I know that I owe my mama something – not only for the whole birthing thing, but for all the years that I’ve managed to stay alive. So here’s to you, mothers: an honest-to-goodness thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do. You’re all basically superwomen. The least I could do was make you a cake.

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May 4, 2015
Smoked Salty Almond Chocolate Cookies

If you’ve read our About page, you would know that Leili and I met while working at a bakery in Boston. Allow me to garnish with extra information on our delicious friendship. Leili worked back of house as a baker while I worked front of house – we quickly became friends by talking about boys and her occasionally sneaking me sweets.

Between the two of us, Leili is the sweets and I am the salty. I have always been intimidated by baking but slowly unlearning that fear. This all changed very recently when Leili got me the Not Without Salt Cookie Mix by the great Ashley Rodriguez for Christmas.

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February 13, 2015