First food pics with the new camera!

Big Truck

Second Christmas dinner

Pork stuffed with cranberries and apples, along with Trader Joe's stuffing. The basic pork recipe is from the Whole Foods website, although I used the Cook's Illustrated instructions for roasting. Real Simple Magazine picked TJ's as the best store-bought stuffing.

Christmas in Cave Creek

While in Arizona for Christmas, we went to Tonto Bar and Grill in Cave Creek.

Local sweet desert shrimp:

Buffalo top sirloin with bacon quinoa:

Braised lamb shank with brie polenta:

The remains of buttermilk chocolate cake with candied pecan ice cream:

First Christmas dinner

Bleu cheese au gratin potatoes and pumpkin whoopie pies from the new Henrietta's Table cookbook:

Not beautiful, but delicious!

Getting ready for Christmas

Featuring Margie's world-famous peppermint cookies!

Thanksgiving treats

Cranberry bog turkey burgers:

Risotto with roasted sweet potato and brussel sprouts:

Putney Pasta butternut squash ravioli with brown butter, sage, and walnuts:

Classic Libby's pumpkin pie on Whole Foods crust:

Pumpkin bread:

A taste of Spain

Paella, with roast chicken and sausage

Date with Zoe

Zoe the Butterfly came over for Mexican pizza and fizzy water out of her Zoe cup. Then she checked out pictures of herself on my cell phone.

Feeding the masses

While Brent was out of town(!), I hosted my students for dinner. We had a delicious spinach and pesto lasagna, brownies, and pumpkin cake.

Pictures from Lauren & Dave's wedding in October

Diaper cake

For Cora, Jim, and Itsy's shower

Star turn

Did you know that I guest hosted "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"? Me neither, but apparently I did!

Fall flavors

From NPR: Chicken sauteed with cider and almonds, with farmers' market broccoli (above) and pasta with roasted butternut squash and greens (below):

Comfort food

Chicken roasted on the grill:


With cornbread and brussel sprouts:


Then tossed with pasta and broccoli rabe:


Followed by my should-be-award-winning chili:

Happy Birthday Brent!

Dinners with friends

Well, I am officially a terrible blogger. How do you mommies with kids and jobs do it? But we've had lots of good fun and good food this month. Our neighbor-friends Tim, Michelle, and Zoe came over for pizza night. Zoe perched on our kitchen stool and "helped" (stole some cheese!) her mom:


The Albert-Jones pizza was cheesy deliciousness!And I made a Blangsdau fave: sweet potato pizza (this one with rosemary and bleu cheese).

Later that weekend, we had some friends over for a feast that included butternut squash and goat cheese gratin and cake!