A Watched Pot

Dear readers, you've probably noticed a dearth of recipes on this blog lately, and I apologize.  Between last weekend's ER adventures and the upcoming holiday and our severe lack of preparation for it, the husband and I once again find ourselves with a very limited amount of time to spend in the kitchen.  I know we'll more than make up for it cheffing up Christmas dinner and other treats next week, but in the meantime, we've got to eat, and we're avoiding take-out (and dining out?  What is that? So not a part of our current reality); so, we've resorted to our old speedy supper stand-bys like Beans and Greens, Quickie Indian, and Homemade Pizza.  Not too shabby.

Then, of course, there are the quick dinners that don't even merit a recipe.  They're more ideas than recipes anyway, and they are what carry us through these busy times without spending a ton of money or empty calories on Thai take-out.  I thought they'd be worth sharing in this busy time of year when we're all hustling from work to stores to home to late night-bleary-eyed internet shopping sessions with wine in hand (or is that just me?).   Some of our faves:

 Annie's Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Quorn Patties (these are AWESOME and will get their own post one day, but until then, trust me and go buy a box.  You can thank me later.) and Baked Beans
Quorn Patty Parmesan (melt mozzarella cheese on a QP, top with marinara, serve on pasta)

 Rising Moon Raviolis are a fantastic organic product.  They are affordable and come in so many varieties, and even some dairy-free options.  Our favorites are the Feta-Hazelnut with Butternut Squash and Wild Chanterelle Mushroom.  Serve these tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan, with your favorite marinara, or sauteed quickly with some veggies for a complete meal.

Applegate Farms Organic Frozen Turkey Burgers with Alexia Sweet Potato Fries take pub grub home in a quick, easy, and quasi-healthy way.


Make extra rice on a Sunday, and you can put together a quick homemade fried rice dish with an egg, a few veggies, and a simple protein like tofu or chicken sausage.  Take it up a notch with a yummy sauce like Soy Vay Island Teriyaki or Stonewall Kitchens Pomegranate Grille Sauce.
 
Since half of these "recipes" start with a pot of boiling water, I had to share this recent "Cooking with Dexter" piece from the New York Times Magazine.  Pete Wells writes about cooking with and for his 5 and 2 -year-old sons, and I can totally relate to the voice of the harried parent who still wants to adhere to his foodie ways.  In this essay, he writes about the simple act of putting on a pot of water to boil as the start of any number of simple, home-cooked dinners.  You must, he says, walk straight in the door, and before you even take off your coat, go to the kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove. With that, you've committed to time in your kitchen and creating some element of home-cooking for your family, and what better way is there to prepare for the holidays than that?

Happy Friday!

What about the giveaway, you ask?  Stay tuned this weekend!  

Clue: it involves wheatgrass.  Start getting stoked for some green love.

Things to be Happy about Today

Sun on Snow

Beautiful Hanukkah Candles

(Handmade if you are feeling hardcore: Martha can tell you how to make these yourself!)

Sweet Potato Latkes

Photo and recipe from Gluten Free Goddess Karina

Holiday-themed espresso beverages

Eggnog and gingerbread lattes?  Yes, please.

My lunchtime run with my work chicks

No, this isn't us, although we are this focused and awesome!  

 These are Nike models, helping the Nike Webmistress share some tips for running outside throughout the winter...  

check it out!

What made you happy today?

Cookie Love

I have a big old holiday cookie swap tomorrow, and normally would be all about cranking up the holiday tunes and busting out several homemade batches this evening, but since my weekend involved a trip to the emergency room and subsequent patient care and incapacitation (we are all fine, but word to the wise, be very careful when walking the dog on the ice!),  I am not so much in a leisurely baking place this particular work week. Vermont Cookie Love frozen dough to the rescue (tell me you aren't stoked, cookie swapping friends)!  However, for those of you with time to bake for your holiday party or cookie exchange this week, this recipe (adapted from the Smitten Kitchen) is a great one for my all time favorite cookie, the Black and White.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
3 ounces very unsweetened chocolate
1 teaspoon light corn syrup.
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine sugar and butter. Mix by machine or hand until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla and lemon extracts, and mix until smooth.
3. In medium bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Add dry mixture to the wet in batches, stirring well after each addition. Using a soup spoon, place heaping spoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Boil a cup or so of water in a small pot. Place confectioners’ sugar in large, heat-safe mixing bowl. Gradually stir in enough boiling water to the sugar to make a thick, spreadable mixture. Err on the side of caution because a too-thin frosting is hard to undo. Leave remaing boiling water on the stove.
5. Spread frosting on half of the flat side of each cookie. Once all cookie halves have been frosted, place the bowl of the remaining frosting over the hot water and bring it back to a simmer (creating a double-boiler). Stir in the bitter or unsweetened chocolate until melted, as well as the light corn syrup.
6. Ice the other half of the cookies with the chocolate frosting.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

PS - Remember Damestar Baby, the fun children's clothing line that I mentioned in last Friday's post?  They are having a Holiday Sale!  Woo hoo!  Go check it out for the wee ones on your list, and they can be just as stylin' as this little gal.

Gift Guide: Recession Edition

Decadence week was fun and all, but let's come back down to earth now, shall we?  Fact is, most of us will not be swaddling our loved ones in cashmere this holiday, as much as we might like to; so today I offer you 10 lovely gift ideas, and none of them costs more than $40. Call this a recessionary gift from me to you...
Williams-Sonoma 10-piece Glass Bowl Set $38

One of the best kitchen purchases of all time, everyone needs this bowl set in their culinary arsenal.  They are utilitarian enough to use with electric beaters as mixing bowls, but pretty enough to be a salad bowl for company.  The smaller sizes are ideal as dishes for dips and dipping sauces for parties, as well as prep bowls.  And because they all stack neatly like Russian dolls, they take up a minimum of space.  Brilliant. 

Oster Immersion Blender from Target $39.99
You've heard me sing the praises of the immersion blender, and this has to be the most affordable one I've come across.  I always say you get what you pay for, and our great one from Williams-Sonoma has really stood the test of time, but I think this could be a good runner-up for the soup maker on your list.  I promise, if you like things blended, owning one of these babies is game-changer.  Oh, Target, is there any way in which you aren't awesome?

 Fat Toad Farm Goat's Milk Caramel Gift Box $22
From one of my favorite local farmers here in Vermont, this caramel is criminally good.  Use it drizzled over ice cream or frozen yogurt, or to decorate a pie plate for restaurant level fancy-shmancy-ness.  Stir it into a cup of coffee to take your morning to 11, or dip apples in it and call it health food.  I am not going to tell you how quickly the husband and I recently made one of these jars disappear.  And I love the wooden box, which could be re-used as a tea box, or thing for babies to put things in and out of or open and close again and again and again... 

Anthropologie Slate Coaster and Chalk Set $14.95
Who doesn't need coasters?  And I love this cool set from "the mothership", Anthropologie.  Slate has such a clean, modern, natural look to it, and with the chalk, this set would be very versatile.  You could use the coasters to label dishes on a buffet or cheeses for a cheese tasting.  You could write peoples' names or initials on them to keep bevvies straight at a party, or deliver your honey his game-time beer with a message ("Go Pats!" or  "I love you!" or "When is football season over again?").  The price cannot be beat!

Anthropologie Earrings
More from the mothership.  Anthro has the best selection of affordable earrings anywhere.  I impulse bought a great pair at checkout for $20 about 10 years ago and they are still my go-to daily earrings.  I am constantly complimented on them and asked if they are vintage and/or real diamonds.  HA!  They no longer make that particular pair, but they have literally dozens of other beautiful ones, many for under $25.  Why not order up a mess of these for your sisters and girlfriends?  Here are two of my faves:

Pave Posts $24 (left)

For the office or a dinner out, these are classy, fun and sparkly.

Fiery Fuchsia Chandeliers $32 (right)

For a night on the town, these would add a pop of color and a bit of interest to your favorite little black dress.

A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart $21.95
I love this book, the product of one of my favorite blogs. The concept?  Two friends, living in Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine (3191 miles apart from one another, and two of my favorite cities in the whole country, I might add), take photos first thing in the morning, and post them on the same blog without comparing notes.  The similarities and differences, the change of the seasons, and the amazing shots of each separate, gorgeous city are all striking.  This would be a great coffee table book for your favorite morning person.

Patagonia Micro D-Luxe Scarf $30

I love this scarf from Patagonia.  It is SO incredibly soft, and it is over-sized, so that you can really wrap your neck and head and protect them from the elements.  Best of all, it is machine washable, so you can wear it hiking or running, get all sweaty, and have it fresh and new again the next day (if, like me, you do at least one and usually two loads of laundry per day - such is life with a baby).

Personalized Stationery $11.50
What is classier and more fun to have on hand than your own monogrammed stationery?  Make your own at the fun website Zazzle: they have great designs to choose from, and this one is on recycled paper to boot!  A fun stocking stuffer for anyone!

The original Barefoot Contessa Cookbook $20.47 on Amazon

Yes, I realize I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with Ina Garten.  I am okay with that.  Every home cook, beginner to advanced, needs a copy of this cookbook in their kitchen.  Ina likes to make everyday comfort food "with the volume turned up" and this book delivers recipe after recipe of just that.  If I was only allowed to own one cookbook, this would be it.  Amazing recipes include her incredible guacamole, signature coconut cake, and "Perfect Roast Chicken" which caused the husband to claim one evening, "I would have married you just for this chicken."  Enough said.

What is your favorite affordable gift this season?

Friday Fun

To cap off a deliciously decadent week in the world of Sweet Mama Jane, I have many fun and random things to share with you this fabulous Friday.  The first is another gift suggestion, for those of you with small children on your list.  I love the line of clothes made by hand from Damestar Baby in Calistoga, CA.  This is the small business of two crafty stay-at-home moms (gotta love that), and each piece if unique and has a vintage-y handmade feel.  Check out their blog for tales of their friendship and life as wine country mamas, and their Etsy shop to purchase one of their creations.
Also on the gift-guide front, here's a brilliant find: convertible fingerless cashmere mittens.  These are perfect for those of us who live in chilly climates, but need use of all of our digits when out in the snow: for putting on little mittens and hats, clipping and unclipping dog leashes, or compulsively texting, depending on your personal situation.  I got a pair as a shower gift (thanks, Mom!) and they have already made my winter.  I feel elegant with the softness of the cashmere, but can still tie down the ear flaps on Baby J's hat without having to take off and drop a mitten in the snow.  Good stuff.  Any mama or texter would adore.
On the food front, here's a fun and affordable appetizer idea for your upcoming holiday party or potluck from a great food blog called What's for Lunch Dot?: Colorful Potato Cups.  They look simple to make and absolutely delectable.  We have no upcoming party to speak of, but I may have to make a tray of these just for the husband and me to sit and polish off over his next Patriots game.  And I love her idea to embellish them with caviar ($$$) or bacon ($) if you are feeling fancy.  Brilliant.

Finally, what's more fun than pizza night?  We're currently way into the homemade stuff, which is much cheaper and more fun than dialing up our favorite place downtown.  Don't be afraid of making your own dough!  Kneading and punching is a fabulous way to let out the pent up aggressions of your work week, and the result is so satisfying.  My favorite dough recipe is from the Joy of Cooking.  I use 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1.5 cups of whole wheat, and it yields a chewy, wholesome crust we love. Get creative with your toppings!  Veggies galore, a white pizza with fresh basil and multiple amazing cheeses, a barbequed chicken pizza with shredded rotiserrie chicken and bbq sauce instead of marinara, and just a classic pepperoni are each household favorites.  We'll be celebrating a Friday night in with one of these babies and a roaring fire this evening.

Finally, I used this nifty online Random Integer Generator to determine the winner of the
Lunaroma giveaway.

The lucky and soon to be deeply moisturized winner is Moss Acupuncture!!

Thanks to everyone for playing.  Stay tuned for another fun giveaway next week.

Happy Friday!

First Blog Giveaway!

Happy Thursday, everybody!  I am so excited!  Thanks to my lovely friends at Lunaroma, today I offer you my very first blog giveaway, just in time for the holiday season!  I've written about Lunaroma before (here, here and here), and I know I will again and again; this is one of my favorite stores in the world.  Lunaroma is an "aromatic apothecary" based in Burlington, Vermont (they also just opened a store on Maui, where I would very, very much like to work).  They make handcrafted beauty products from pure essential oils, as well as perfumes and products for the home.  This beautiful, purple store is so special; anyone I have ever brought there, a) accidentally spends way more money than they had planned to, so irresistable is just about everything on the shelves, and b) comments on the quality of the things they buy, the uniqueness of the products, and how soon they want to go back.  A box of Lunaroma products would be an amazing gift for anyone on your list.  Order online, and they ship their products beautifully wrapped and ready to be opened and adored. 

Today is your chance to try my all time favorite Lunaroma product yourself! 

Lunaroma is giving one lucky Sweet Mama Jane reader a jar of their

Cucumber Rosewater Facial Cream!

This cream is deeply moisturizing, hydrating and soothing for delicate sensitive skin. It smells amazing and smoothes on lightly, absorbing quickly to leave your face feeling you just got a very fancy facial.  A jar of this cream would be a special treat for your winter-ravaged skin, or a great gift for someone on your list!

To enter to win, visit Lunaroma's website and then leave a comment below and tell me why you'd like to try this product this holiday season.  You have until 5pm EST tomorrow to leave your comment.  I'll pick a winner at random after work during happy hour!

Good luck!

Baby J says, "I love the Cucumber Rosewater Facial Cream. It's the next best thing to a sweet potato facial!"

SMJ's Decadent Holiday Gift Guide

It is snowing, I am cozy inside with a fire, a hot chocolate, holiday music on Pandora and one cuddly babe, and it seems like a just about perfect time, this being our week of decadence, to do a little shopping across the interwebs for my most favorite frivolous, delicious, delectable and ridiculous products.  Please keep in mind that this is decadent, fantasy shopping, which is not unlike fantasy football, in that it is highly unrealistic, but fun to think about and pretend. Do go get yourself a hot chocolate or a glass of red, sit back, and enjoy! 

Lunaroma True Love Facial Cream with Rose Otto  Lunaroma strikes again. Have you ever put a product on your face that actually makes people stop in their tracks and say, "WOW!  What an incredible smell!  What is that?"  That would be this very special cream.  Hand-crafted of organic, steam-distilled essential oil of Bulgarian Rosa Damascena, this thick, rich, healing cream is about the best thing you have ever smelled in your life.  Rose is fantastic for all skin types, and I highly recommend this product for anyone on your list.  It is a fave of anyone I know who as ever smelled or used it.

Trentadue Chocolate Amore Port My parents, the husband and I tried this incredible after-dinner drink while visiting Napa for a wedding.  We were out to dinner at The Rutherford Grill (amazing) and couldn't resist ordering a glass to share when we read the description: a merlot-based, chocolate-flavored dessert wine.  I hate super-sweet drinks, and this was anything but.  We passed the glass around and marveled at the flavor; it was A.MAZING.  Years later I ordered bottles for Christmas gifts, and it was just as incredible as we remembered; delicious to sip, or served over vanilla ice cream.  For your favorite vino-loving chocoholic, done and done.

Patagonia Cashmere Tunic What's more decadent than cashmere?  Nothing.  Patagonia is the best of the best, and with their lifetime guarantee, environmental mission and amazing quality, I feel like even their big ticket items are as much investments as they are splurges.  This sweater looks like one of those uniform pieces that most mamas I know would wear to shreds: with great black pants to the office, with favorite jeans and a pretty necklace on a date night, or after a day on the mountain with yoga pants in front of the fire.  It comes in four gorgeous colors to boot. 

Manduka Yoga Mat  Do you "need" a $70 yoga mat?  Certainly not.  Is a thick, cushy mat that is sticky, easy on your joints, and sustainably made the kind of decadence any yogini could get down with?  Why, yes.

Truffle Salt  I've mentioned it before, I'll mention it again.  Truffle salt is a gift from the gods; it makes everything from macaroni and cheese to scrambled eggs taste like it was cooked for you by Tom Colicchio himself in a 5-star restaurant somewhere.  For salt, it is pricey, but as a gift, it is fabulous, and a little goes a long, long way.  This is a very special find indeed.

Gorgeous scented candles are one of my favorite gifts for the home.  Fresh makes the most intoxicatingly pure scents, and their candles are a splurge but beautiful and fragrant in a non-cloying way.  At a more reasonable price-point, Mrs. Meyers candles are incredible as well; they come in a charming little mason jar, are soy-based, last forever, also have a non-cloying scent, and at the price ($10) absolutely cannot be beat.

For the new mama (or papa), visual artist or hobby photographer on your list, why not help them take it to the next level with an awesome new camera (I said, decadent, did I not?)?  I fully realize that this is not likely a realistic gift to give or request this recessionary holiday season, but I've been doing my homework on digital SLR cameras and had to share.  This baby seems to have it all, just in case you or a loved one happens to be in the market for a new toy.  This Canon reviews as exceptionally user-friendly, yielding crisp images for those of us who are snapping photos all day long.

There you have it! Happy internet-equivalent of window shopping!

What special and not altogether practical item are you craving this season?

Coming later this week: my very first blog giveaway!  I am so excited!  Stay tuned!