HoLidaY 2010-2011: food +decor

these are just a collection of pictures of projects + food from holidays past.  all were learning experiences and i cannot take credit for all projects (especially the gingerbread house) because M helped with the design and decorating.

GingerBreaD HouSe ProJecT, Christmas 2010

don't worry:  didn't use that tube of glue pictured here

as a newly engaged couple, M + i wanted to impress his family by making a homemade contribution to Christmas dinner.  after reviewing gingerbread house recipes and pictures online, we set out to design our won.  this house was made in our flat in Old TowN AleXandra (Va).  the cookie cutter + most candy were bought from the local candy shop, The Sugar Cube.  we made our own icing that would act as the mortar for the project.  the icing recipe we found online was 'okay' but we realized we needed to add more cream of tartar to make it thicker and less-runny.  it worked!  Note:  make sure to allow all gingerbread pieces to completely cool.  do not allow your icing to get too hard or dry:  place a wet towel over your bowl of icing if not in use.

NOTE: use 'leftover' gingerbread dough to make cutouts

NOTE: decorate roof before putting it on walls

my 1st (ever) gingerbread cutouts

NOTE: to create teardrop 'lights' in windows, put candy immediately after icing placed in windowsill

NOTE: we used pastry bags + decorating pipettes to add icing

our non-kit, homemade, gingerbread house, front view (Christmas, 2010)

rear of gingerbread house

ThanksGivIng -Vegan-style (+ real turkeY), 2011

M + i spent ThanksGivinG this past year with my Dad in northern CaliFornia.  it was only the three of us, since other family members were at an overseas funeral.  Dad became a vegan soon after his diagnosis of colon cancer, so this was my first time doing a completely vegan Thanksgiving, minus the eleven-pound bird that Dad doctored-up for M (my husband is a through-and-through carnivore but loves my vegetarian cooking).  M + i had to do our share of research online for vegan recipes and were able to come up with several we ended-up using for our dinner.  our menu was:

• regular quinoa with kale, red peppers and corn
• potato 'bread' stuffing
• mushroom gravy
• corn 'souffle' pudding
• ToFurky (bought from Trader Joe's)
• steamed asparagus spears
• no-sugar added apple pie (special ordered from Whole Foods bakery)
• Izzy sparkling soda

the turkey is a bit 'toasted' (because i wasn't watching the oven clock to well) 

quinoa dish:  the original recipe did not call for red peppers but we added it for color + flavor

potato 'bread' stuffing

vegan corn pudding: use pureed tofu instead of eggs as binding agent

 ChriStmaS 2011

i went on a baking rampage this past Christmas.  i mean, it was INSANE!  i baked several batches of cookies (sugar and gingerbread), first for our sT. Louis neighbors and then gingerbread cutouts for my in-laws in wesTern MaryLand.  i also tried out my first sponge cake recipe (using a bundt pan, a wedding gift), with dark chocolate icing.  i had forgotten to add the powdered sugar to the dark chocolate morsels that were melted and so it's on pretty thick on the cake rather than it being fluffy.  it still tasted good, so i can't complain too much.

sugar cookies:  pre-decorated (Christmas, 2011)

chocolate sponge cake: red sprinkles + powdered sugar

cookie-decorating station:  our dining room tablewe wanted homemade cheesecake for our pre-Christmas dinner in sT. LouiS before we headed out to my in-laws in Md.  i made 2 kinds:  regular (more like, lemon-flavored) and marble chocolate individual cheesecake.  the marble cheesecakes were given as gifts to friends while we kept the regular ones for our special dinner together.

we madeour dinner pretty 'formal' and decided to consult a party planning book for the appropriate place setting for our dinner.  we chose what the book called 'casual' silverware place setting.  i just added the cinnamon-scented real pine cones, the red chargers and candy canes as personal touches.

our pre-Christmas dinner before our long road trip consisted of the following:

• homemade mashed potatoes with skins (we used yukon because they're quick to cook)
• vegetarian duck (canned, found in most Asian supermarkets; sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with crushed peppercorns + smidgen of soy sauce)
• candied yams (we steamed our sweet 'tots, then baked then with chopped walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon-flavored marshmallows)
• simple fresh salad (romaine lettuce, steamed corn/peas, crushed peppercorns, shredded cheese and sea salt)
• rotisserie chicken (store-bought; we got ours from Sam's Club:  'the tastiest' according to M; and it's cheaper than other grocery/rotisserie places without having to give-up flavor)
• Welch's sparkling white grape juice

the following photos of the 2nd batch of gingerbread cutouts.  these were made after refrigerating our dough for 2 days.  we made these at mom-in-law's home.

gingerbread cutouts, Christmas 2011