Okay, maybe these aren't the best.
I'd like to fancy all my original concoctions here are pretty worthwhile.
But this was a year that pushed me to stretch myself a little more in the kitchen. To churn my own ice cream. To master effortlessly poaching an egg or frying a rice ball. To start using only natural light in photos. To develop a potato salad habit. To get a god damn fucking notebook and stop writing recipes in an email to myself on my phone.
Basically, I'd like to think I got my shit together this year.
Here's my five favorite foodthings I made.


What was your favorite bite from oh-thirteen?

This was an epic year.
One that saw me compose seventy blog posts (70!) about everything from food, to travel, to love. (The dogs wrote a few, too, I suppose. So let's give credit where it's due.)

I started the year off by promising to blog better-- aiming to share more moments, better photos, good recipes. I think, as I close this year out-- I am finally getting there. With a massive rebrand  of this here space in progress, and better food posts than I've ever had-- I think it's safe to say I am holding up my end of the "blog better" bargain.

I hereby promise, so it's in writing, to do even more this coming year. But for now--

Here's ten moments that will forever leave me nostalgic for 2013.


February
Day after winter storm Nemo pounded Boston with over two feet of snow. We ventured out to see how our neighborhood had weathered the storm. The local dive let everyone know their status via snow message.



March
Ozzie turned two, and not that I am one to make a big deal out of my dog's birthday, but I'd be remiss to recap this year without a nod to my first-born-puppy-child. Words cannot describe the love and happiness this little white guy has brought us. He's also an excellent blogger.



April
We went to Chicago for Matt's 30th birthday. His twin brother's wife threw them a hell of a party at a dive bar. Matt and I danced like fools and drank like drunks. It was the weekend before Marathon Monday...and it puts a pang in my heart thinking about that trip. 



May
Found myself on a business trip to Los Angeles, and suddenly weighing the pros and cons of residing there permanently. I was reminded just how much I love California. More importantly--I started to picture myself living there. And I liked it.

I hope everyone had a really lovely Christmas yesterday. I know I did.
This year, and this holiday season in particular, is kind of bittersweet.
You see, while I've alluded to it quite a bit on here-- I have yet to officially state that this is my last year in Massachusetts.
At some point, early next year, Matty and I are moving to California.
And while it positively kills me to leave my family and dearest friends, I know I have to do it. I know I want to do it. I've been within this all-too-comfortable Boston box for so long, it almost slipped my mind that I could go somewhere else.
But the opportunity has presented itself, and I know it's a decision that would haunt me later on, had I let it float on by. So, there's a lot of planning to be done. But in the meantime--it's Christmas. And it's nice to be present.
This year was pretty tough on my family. I lost an uncle, and a grandmother, in a few short months, and I didn't really address it.

But a week before Christmas, like a little holiday miracle, my cousin gave birth to a baby. A beautiful baby that arrived so perfectly and looked so content that you had to just know my uncle had a part in this whole thing. He would have been so happy to hold his first grandchild. We all took turns for him on Christmas Eve.

We wish you a merry Christmas!
We wish you a merry Christmas!

This is, like, my favorite weekend of the year. Always. I've been in my kitchen and surrounded by friends all weekend, and I'm so excited for Christmas this week. Hoping you're warm and snuggly and feeling the holiday love, wherever you are!

Here's a few things that made me smile this week!




1. Chocolate covered, candied orange peels featured on Cupcakes and Cashmere. Emily is one of my favorite "big time" bloggers, and this photo lured me in. I spent this past weekend making so many batches of these (even after burning my hand pretty bad during the first go-around. Lucky me) and they are every bit as delightful as they look. My twenty-year-old self, who always ordered a Mocha Valencia at Starbucks when that was a thing, fell in love. My chef friend recommended blanching the peels twice, using fresh, cold water each time. For every person who exclaimed "you can eat orange peels?!" there was an equally amusing "mmmmmm!? These are so good!" immediately following. Make these. Stuff stockings. Make friends. The end. NEXT!

2. I've already shared around here that I still love the occasional SNL episode. Last night's with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake was just the holiday silliness I was hoping for. My favorite skits were the hilarious musical short "Do it on My Twin Bed" and Celebrity Family Feud, which found Justin Timberlake trying on his best Jimmy Fallon impression. And Jimmy absolutely losing it barely off camera. So good.

3. I was stocking up on holiday booze and was asked if I'd like to sample Ron Burgundy scotch!
I said yes! I don't even like scotch! I'm just excited about Anchorman! It was decent and made my ears warm! Some liquor stores have cardboard cutouts of Ron Burgundy for this promotion! I'm having trouble controlling the tone of my sentences! NEXT!

4. I cannot carry a tune in a fucking baby bjorn, but I love me some synchronized singing. I had missed the Sing Off in the past year, but was so glad to see NBC bring it back just before the holidays. Jewel makes a great addition as a judge, but mostly I was just missing sir Ben Folds from my TV. Watch this and stop hating fun already!

As per usual, I'm here today to bitch about the weather.

While I am somewhat excited by the concept of a white Christmas, it's still a touch too early into "winter" for this much snow to be dropping from the sky. This form of precipitation-- while lovely as it's happening-- requires shoveling, and fucks up my shoes and commute. After a few days, it's dirty and melted and my neighborhood looks bleak and sad.
I kind of hate snow.

But, at the same time, I must acknowledge there's something magical about snow illuminated by Christmas lights. And using a snowy evening as an excuse to eat a bowl of something hearty and hot is so enjoyable. This is what I'll be feasting on tonight-- apparently I had some brilliant foresight the other day that I wouldn't want to cook much this week. And that I'd be cold.

Which, right now-- I don't. And I am.
Way to go, me.

...she took us outside and made us pose for pictures like she's actually going to get around to edit and make into Christmas cards and send in the oh...week between now and Christmas. Let me know how that works out for you. 

Hello!
Of course, this time of year, this list is composed of a lot of holiday fare. Here's what's making me happy this week!



1. G-Thing, one of Magic Hat's holiday brews, is a gingerbread ale (!!!) that may or may not be available outside of their holiday sampler pack. Either way, there are worse reasons to pick up a twelve pack of winter brews, but I'd hoard all these guys for yourself.
2. Amy Pohler and Billy Eichner took to the streets of New York to absolutely harass pedestrians into singing Christmas carols with them. It is epic. Watch for the moment they encounter a baby with a hipster name.
3. The annual Hater's Guide to the William's Sonoma Catalog via Deadspin is almost as great as last year's (but not quite) -- and makes me hate myself for wanting some WS goods.
4. Also via Deadspin (can you tell we're a little big on Gawker Media around here?), this dad shared his daughter's hilarious and extensive Christmas list, with his own annotations, and it's glorious. I, too, would like a thousand bucks this holiday, little girl. I feel you.

I'll be back next week with more holiday happy as we get down to the Christmas wire. Perhaps I'll have even done some shopping by then!

Peanut butter and banana is one of my most favorite flavor combinations. There's just something so comforting about it--one bite and I'm immediately a little warmer, a little happier, and a little closer to home.

These blondies can somewhat easily charade as a breakfast item, especially if it happens to be, say, Christmas morning. They're also gluten free, because you can't make baked goods that your significant other is allergic to. That's just mean. It's the holidays, for fucks sake. Bake something nice!

I have really come to love the NPR app on my iPhone. My weekend usually consists of a lot of kitchen time, and I don't think I would nearly enjoy it as much without a playlist of NPR programs and my trusty Jambox (both featured below, naturally). One of my most-played programs, after Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! of course, is Pop Culture Happy Hour -- a weekly podcast that dives into various topics round-table style. I love Linda Holmes, the host, and the cameos from a myriad of other NPR personalities. What I love the most, however, is that they close this show with each host declaring what has made them happy that week. It's a small moment, one that reminds me that there are endless sources of joy out there. So, as I update my blog and prioritize the type of content I'll be sharing here, I decided what is better than my own weekly happiness.

I'm somewhat of an internet addict, so there will be plenty of links here-- maybe viral videos or articles I loved-- but also some other sources of happiness. I can't wait to share the recipes we try, the wine I just finished, the shirt I keep wearing or the show I can't stop watching. I'll try to come up with three or four things a week; but this being the first post of this nature, I have quite a few, off the top of my head, that I must share. I hope this inspires you to take stock of the moments each week where you find yourself smiling. I can't wait to hear what's making you happy, as well.

Hello!
Hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving yesterday!

I had intended to post this as a side option for old turkey day, but obviously didn't get around to it. However, as I type there are about three pounds of leftover produce in my fridge just begging to be cooked. So, if you have leftover Brussels sprouts like me, this is a great variation that you probably didn't have yesterday.

I wanted to call these "Italian" Brussels sprouts because of the ricotta and prosciutto, but I am quite obviously a ginger, and have no idea if that would necessarily constitute these being "italian". They most certainly are cheesy, though, so we went with that.

Without further ado! Whip up some of these guys when you get home from shopping today. If you have simple leftover Brussels sprouts from yesterday in your leftover pile, those would work just fine, too. The biggest takeaway here is-- just because yesterday is over, doesn't mean the good eats have to be, too. Enjoy.

Let's cut to the chase, here.
If you show up at a relative's tomorrow, immediately immersed in the smell of a glorious turkey over which they've been slaving all day, and you are toting something that involved opening a can of soup in the "recipe," you're an asshole.
I'm sorry.
It's 2013. We're past this. Make something with fresh produce (I grabbed these at the last farmer's market of the year at Dewey Square yesterday. Le sadz) and interesting ingredients and not the same casserole nonsense people have had in their arms while ringing doorbells since 1971.
If your family is adventurous with their food and not too terrified of spice, this is a great call. If not, the forthcoming "Italian" Brussels sprouts, baked with prosciutto, parmesan and ricotta, are a delicious call, too.
Just, whatever you do, don't show up empty handed, or with something that sucks.
Your family will thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Apparently, I've brought up my friend Court a few times around here.

I guess after ten-plus years of friendship, it's pretty difficult to maintain a quasi-online-diary without mentioning her a couple hundred times. And since I feel like this is always a good place to store some photos and memories of mine, maybe even more so than whatever food I just shoved down my gullet, here are a few of my favorite shots from my best friend's recent baby shower.

I can't believe it's the week of Thanksgiving!
The holidays are officially here, and since I spent the better part of the beginning of the month in sunny California, I am still doing my damndest to get caught up here, and in the kitchen, and at the office, and with life in general.

One of the things on my almighty to-do list this week is make a few sides to bring along to my aunt's on Thanksgiving. I have big dreams for a pumpkin-arancini type situation, but we'll see how that pans out the day of. In the meantime, I wanted to do a test-run of the stuffing I am going to make, mostly for Matt to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

For the most part, my gluten-free buddy can partake in a lot of Thanksgiving fare. The turkey, obviously, is fair game. As are many of the veggie sides and maybe an app or two if they're of the meat-and-cheese persuasion. But, I figured, one of the best parts of the meal, the stuffing, is off limits. So while I will gladly stuff my face with "real" stuffing come Thursday, I wanted to give him the option for something, too.

I also wanted to make it delicious for everyone else, so I added some spicy Italian sausage. I made this last year with bacon, which was also very good, but I think the crumbled sausage is even better. It lends just the right amount of heat and a great chewiness to this.

Also-- definitely add celery. I just didn't have any on hand! Won't make that mistake later this week. This requires a bit of planning as you have to first make the gluten free cornbread (I followed this recipe, sans the jalapeño and bacon, of course), and then bake it for a bit to get it to a crispier texture less likely to turn super-soggy when combined with everything else. But it's well worth it, I swear.
 

It's pretty obvious that I love cooking on Sundays-- I can take my sweet time, listen to the latest Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me! on NPR, and spend the whole morning/early afternoon in the kitchen. This is usually the only time I enjoy baking.
And I may be using the term "enjoy" a little loosely.
But a Sunday afternoon with no time constraints is the only time you'll find me measuring out baking soda.
On that note, it's worth mentioning I had to measure the dry ingredients for these bad boys twice.
The first time I accidentally added cumin instead of cinnamon.
Which...sick.
I debated if they could become some sort of savory snack, but alas, there was already a ton of brown sugar in there. So I scooped out as much flour as possible (gluten free flour is expensive, homie!) and went from there.
Anyway. I am glad I pressed on in the face of such culinary adversity.
The result was totally delicious.

Happy Friday, my dear people.
What're you doing when you wake up tomorrow?
Cooking your sig' o a delicious and unexpected feast with things you didn't even realize you had on hand?
Yup.

Whenever I have potatoes in the pantry, which is quite often in the fall and winter, my weekend morning go-to is hash. It's a fantastic way to clean out your fridge and fill your belly for a day of drinking proactive activities! This time I happened to have broccoli rabe and some endive in my crisper, along with (of course) some bacon kicking around.

This came together quick, was mostly hands-off, and filled us up for a day of drinking quality time!

I've mentioned a few times, round these parts, that my best friend's husband owns a food truck. Mei Mei Street Kitchen is, of course, my favorite roving eatery in Boston these days. After a bang up first year and tons of press coming their way; Andy, Mei and Irene have decided to move on to bigger, brick and mortar things. Their first restaurant is in the works as I type, and I couldn't be happier.

In the meantime, I get my Mei Mei fix once a week when their truck is at Dewey Square. One of their biggest sellers, the "magical kale salad" is my absolute favorite thing. They combine local kale and sea salt feta with crunchy panko breadcrumbs, then toss a poached-then-fried egg on top. It's glorious, and the most satisfying lunch ever.

Desperate to duplicate the magic, and armed with farmer's market smoked salmon from a local dude, I put my own spin on this hearty salad. This was delectable. The trick is quality fish, super-fresh greens, and a perfectly poached egg. The only real work is cooking the egg, making this a perfect weeknight meal or quick lunch.

Yesterday, I shared some of my favorite photos from the past few months in our backyard. Today, I wanted to put out some more glorious shots of summer. These are from all over the place-- SOWA open market, some gigs of Matty's, dinner parties at friends.

It was a hell of a final summer in Boston.