Exhibit A: the milk maid braid. Not perfect, mind you, as my hair’s not long enough. But exciting (!), off my face (!), and, dare I say, fancy?

Want the how to? Click here for great instructions.

lv, molly

A friend of mine is hosting a clothing swap today– the perfect time to pawn off some of my embarrassing clothing choices on unsuspecting souls. Let’s hope they have better taste than I.

To soften the blow of my horrible additions to the party (there’s a Jessica Simpson dress involved, yikes), I’ve decided to bring chocolate turnovers. Perfect finger food, delicious, simple. My kind of dessert.

I’ve made these before but decided to post again. Why not?

lv, molly

5 Ingredient Chocolate Turnovers

Makes 18 turnovers

Baker’s semisweet chocolate squares, cut into quarters
1 package puff pastry
1 egg
Dash of water
Flour

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Defrost the puff pastry. Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. Cut each sheet into 9 squares. Place a piece of chocolate in the middle of each.
Beat an egg with 1 tsp water.
Brush perpendicular sides with egg wash. Fold over; pinch the triangles with your fingertips. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Brush tops with more egg wash.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Cool on a rack.

It’s Friday night; the snow hasn’t melted; and I’m under the weather. What to do? Why, bake a cake, of course. Exactly what any civilized lady would do. (I’ve been watching way too much “Downton Abbey” this week, and it’s caused me to say “civilized” more than anyone should, though I suppose in that world [early 20th century Downton] no civilized woman would be caught baking. Good heavens.)

Due to the above factors, I also wanted to make something quick and simple without sacrificing taste. That’s where Deb from Smitten Kitchen came in. I altered her recipe ever so slightly (swapped canola oil for butter- I couldn’t help myself) and added the teensiest bit of whole grain flour to appease my health-conscious self. Which was all probably very silly because I’m baking A CAKE.

What are your simplest indulgences? I can’t wait to cut myself a second slice and watch the next episode of you know what (what will happen to Mr. Bates?!?!)…

lv, molly

Everyday Chocolate Cake

1/2 C canola oil or butter
1 Cfirmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C white whole wheat flour
1 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C Dutch cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and lightly flour a 9×5×3-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a butter-flour spray. In a large bowl or Kitchen Aid (wooo!), cream the butter/oil and the sugars until smooth. Add the egg and beat well, then the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl. Stir together with a spoon until well-blended but do not overmix. Scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on a rack for about 10 to 15 minutes, at which point you can remove it and start eating if you can’t help yourself. If you’re feeling fancy, add some whipped cream.

lv, molly

Do you belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture)?

We’re trying it out through an Amazon deal, and I think I’m sold. This beautiful assortment of local, organic fruits and vegetables was on my doorstep when I got home from work.

And now… what to make! Any ideas based on the photo? I’m thinking a stir-fry one night, then who knows! Your ideas welcome. :)

lv, molly

this pic via Real Simple well-represents how this dish looks (yum!)

I don’t have pictures to show you, so you’ll have to trust me. This is good. Not in a buttery-cheesy-overly-rich way but in a wholesome-warm-cozy way. Plus, casseroles don’t really ever look particularly pretty photographed, do they? So trust me. (This degree of articulation will permeate the whole post; I’m home sick, so I’ll blame my inability to communicate well on that and the dayquil.)

Because I wanted to make a macaroni and cheese dish I’d feel good about eating, I used the typical healthify-ing strategies: lower the fat, include whole grains, and add more nutrients. With that in mind (and with some great recipes online), I created this one. Cauliflower has always struck me as broccoli’s less sexy cousin, but it’s perfectly versatile, which makes it well suited to this dish.

Do you have a favorite healthy comfort food recipe? Share the recipe, please!

lv, molly

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

Serves 6

pinch of salt
3/4 pound whole wheat pasta (macaroni, penne, or rigatoni)
2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1 large head cauliflower
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Tbl flour
2 1/2 C 2% milk
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 Tbl Dijon mustard
2 1/2 C reduced-fat sharp white Cheddar cheese
1/2 C shredded Parmigiano cheese
1/4 C finely chopped Italian parsley
1 handful panko breadcrumbs

Bring water to a boil for pasta. Salt the water. Follow the package directions, but undercook the pasta by about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and garlic. Saute for 5-6, until tender. Add in the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sage. When thickened, stir in the Dijon mustard and 2/3 of the combined cheeses.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Steam the cauliflower. When tender, remove the core, and chop into bite-size florets.

Drain the pasta; add to the cauliflower; stir in the cheese sauce and parsley; transfer to baking dish; top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with panko. Cool completely and cover for a make-ahead meal.

Bake until brown on a baking sheet to catch the bubble-over. The casserole will take about 30 minutes to heat through and brown on top.

One of my favorite breakfasts (or a light dinner).

Take some good bread (I use homemade, but that might just be a tad too Martha Stewart for you, and I can respect that). Brush it with olive oil. Pop it in the oven (400 degrees) for a few minutes, until it’s lightly browned.

Top it with traditional bruschetta topping (tomatoes, garlic, basil). Put back in the oven, and reduce heat to low.

Meanwhile, cook some eggs: over easy, scrambled, however you like ‘em.

Top tomato-y toast with eggs. Eat. Smile.

lv, molly

Someone described Pinterest as fantasy football for girls, and I think that’s spot on (not that all guys like football or all girls like fashion, blah blah blah). It’s like choosing all the best ideas from the internet and categorizing them on a nice-looking cork board. Only it’s fun, not laborious, and you can discover beautiful, whimsical things by seeing other people’s pinboards.

I’ve found so many more recipes that I’d like to try and some cute looks I think I can pull off (green jeans?). My pinboard is here, and I can’t wait to see some of the things you guys are posting too!

lv, molly

via cup of jo

I’m here; it’s me, really.

I haven’t been swallowed up in teacher survivor mode. Rather, I’ve been doing something amazing, necessary, something shouldn’t be considered amazing- but rather merely a part of every day life. But it feels amazing. I’ve been working and then working out, seeing friends, cooking. Leading  a happier life than the workaholic mode I was in before. I still get stressed (I’m an anxious lady, afterall), but I’m doing better.

One thing that’s helped? Only talking about work for fewer than 20 minutes when I get home. No more long rants about education policy or a particularly troubling moment with a student. I am trying more and more to leave that stuff outside my home so I can actually enjoy myself when I am home. It’s hard; all that stuff is on my brain, and I want to blurt it out to a listening ear. There’s some degree of catharsis that results from “getting it out.” But it’s also ultimately selfish to do that, isn’t it? And it really prevents you (me) from leaving work. Boundaries blur if we don’t limit ourselves.

I think we all struggle with this to some degree, particularly those of us in a helping profession. It’s hard to disconnect, to truly be away from work, to be yourself outside of your profession. The 20 minute rule is genius (thanks to my friend Janna who’s a nurse) in that it puts a finite amount of time on our ability to rant. It forces us to engage in conversations about other things– things we know interest us and are important but which are overshadowed by our recent experiences at work.

How do you disconnect from work? Do you find it hard?

lv, molly

Loved this pithy and informative article by Mark Bittman! The interactive feature provides 12 fool-proof and wholesome recipes that I can’t wait to make on a busy weeknight. Enjoy!

lv, molly

How was your new years? We rang it in with a delicious dinner at Dinette, filled with little toasts with delectable toppings (frittata and truffle oil! Christian had prosciutto) and a vegetarian main course that surpassed any I’ve had in years. Potato and parsnip latkes atop french lentils with caramelized onions. Simple and wholesome but insanely and surprisingly delicious.

Image via Matt Bites

The small dining room is decorated with tea trays, and it’s the most charming restaurant; I smiled the whole time. A very romantic new years eve, which was a nice change from my past new years eves, which consisted of going to see an Austrian DJ at a venue that’s too hip for me, eating a veggie dog in the pouring rain, and accidentally going to a bar filled with toasted middle aged women.

Quite a nice change. And I wore sequins! See how dapper we were?

And now for some recipes…

I paged through this past year’s posts in search of my favorite recipes from the past year. The recipes that I’ll continue to make this year– the things that stood out, that other people continue to ask for– and here they are! The top 15 of 2011 (I couldn’t limit it to just 10!).

What were your favorite things to make this past year?

lv, molly

In no particular order… the top 15. :)

1. Vegetarian Spaghetti and Meatballs 

2. Oven Omelet with Fresh Herbs

3. Tofu Piccata with Roasted Cauliflower

4. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Grapes & Walnuts

5. Nutmeg & Cinnamon Spiced Oatmeal Pancakes

6. Pumpkin Olive Oil Bread

7. Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond Flour

8. State Fair Blackberry Pie

9. Poor Man’s Pasta

10. Spinach & Cheese Strata

11. Black Bean & Sweet Potato Tacos with Cilantro Slaw

12. Dill Butter

13. Moroccan Stuffed Tomatoes

14. Cheddar Dill Scones

15. Black Pepper Tofu

Hello, all! I hope this weekend brings you champagne, laughter, and hope.

I’ve got a gold sequin skirt on paired with mile high black heels. I’m excited for a dinner out with Christian at a cute local spot.

This pretty song makes me feel really hopeful for the next year, so I thought I’d share it with you too! Despite my love for the holidays, I’m feeling a little down this time of year. On NYE I like to remind myself of all the hope I harbor for the future.

A very happy, hopeful new year to you. :)

lv, molly

lv, molly

P.S. This recipe is so versatile that you could really top the chocolate with anything you fancy: dried cherries, walnuts, chopped candy canes, etc.

Dark Chocolate Bark with Fleur de Sel & Almonds

8 ounces dark chocolate (70 percent cacao), melted (I used a double boiler)
1/4 cup raw almonds, chopped roughly
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel or other sea salt

Line an 8″ pan with parchment paper, leaving a small overhang. Pour in chocolate and smooth with a spatula into an even layer.

Sprinkle with pistachios and sea salt. Chill in fridge until completely set, about 30 minutes. Peel off parchment, and break into pieces.

Melt the chocolate

Chop the almonds

Top melted chocolate with almonds and salt

After refrigerating, break into pieces; store in a tin; and tie with a ribbon. Voila!

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time. – Laura Ingalls Wilder

I hope happiness, cookies, family, & wine find you this holiday weekend. :)

A short post today because pilates and cooking are calling, but here’s the vegetarian dish I’m bringing to my family’s Christmas dinner. I’m the sole vegetarian (even with my extended family present!), but this dish is so rich and warm and festive that all will love it!

Last year, Beecher’s cheese (a locally-based cheese company), gave me some cheese and their homemade entrees that feature their cheese. The brown rice and kale gratin was by far my favorite, so I scoured the internet for ideas and endeavored to create my own. This is the result, and it’s so delicious that I’m so excited that I get to eat this instead of roast beef!

How are you spending your holiday? And what’s your favorite dish to bring?

lots of love, cheer, and cider, xoxo,

molly

Brown Rice & Kale Gratin

Serves 6 as a main dish, 10 as a side

1 large shallot
6 tbsp butter, divided in two
2 cups short grain brown rice
6 cups of whole milk (to make it a little lighter,  you could use half whole/ half 2%)
1 large bunch lacinato kale, enough to make 2 cups when finely, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon stock concentrate (I use vegetable to keep this dish vegetarian)
6-8 ounces of extremely sharp cheddar-style cheese; I’ve used Beecher’s Flagship, but you could experiment
1/2 cup of bread crumbs

Melt half the butter in a large frying pan or wide saute pan. I suppose you could use a 4.5 quart or larger saucepan too. Dice the shallot finely, and saute in the butter until it is starting to brown. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes over high heat, then add the milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the rice is no longer aggressively chewy. Add the nutmeg, cayenne, mustard, and stock concentrate, and return to a simmer.

Chop the kale extremely finely, almost as though it were an herb rather than a vegetable. Stir the chopped kale into the rice mixture and cook, stirring occasionally for several minutes. At this point, the mixture should have absorbed enough liquid that you could scoop it with a slotted spoon without leaving too much liquid behind. Scrape it into an 11×17″ baking dish.

Grate the cheese and top the gratin with it. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top of the cheese; melt the rest of the butter, and drizzle it on top of the bread crumbs. Bake in a hot oven (350 to 375) until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned, about 40 minutes or so. Serve and eat. Yummmmm!

This is the easiest bread recipe: 4 ingredients and no kneading but a whole lot of waiting. It yields a crunchy loaf and a chewy interior– similar to ciabatta but with a heavier crust.

Despite the fact that I am a veritable adult (as of 8 years ago), I hate planning. And this bread requires some forethought, since you let it rise between 12 and 18 hours and then bake 2 hours after that. So plan, readers, and then bake this. Let me know if you have any snafus, but I copied the directions almost word-for-word, and I found them fairly intuitive.

I’m excited every time I make this bread because it’s fool proof, and it makes you look like a baking genius!

lv, molly

P.S. Happy almost Christmas! I can’t believe it’s almost here.

Rustic Whole Wheat Loaf

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, via The New York Times
Time: About 1½ hours plus 14 to 20 hours’ rising

1 1/2 C all-purpose unbleached flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water (13 oz.), and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Can one wear too many polka dots? I think this shot screams YES! definitively.

There’s something perfectly nostalgic about a cookie with a kiss in the middle. These cookies remind me of being little, and that’s one of the reasons grown-ups love the holidays.

I’m prone to hyperbole, but I think this might be the greatest peanut butter cookie recipe I’ve ever made. The recipe comes from Magnolia Bakery in NYC, and it yields a chewy, soft cookie– exactly the kind of peanut butter cookie you hope for when you set out to make them. One of the recipe’s secrets is that you roll the cookies in sugar right before you pop them in the oven, adding a slight crunch to the outer edges of the cookie, while the inside remains chewy, soft, so good that they’re dangerous.

What are your favorite cookies this time of year? It’s tough to choose, but I think these may be mine.

lv, molly

P.S. Like me, you may wish to give a majority of these cookies away, since they’re easy to keep eating. :)

I love this mixer!

Peanut Butter Cookies with Dark Chocolate Kisses
Adapted from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
Makes about 3 dozen

1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
1 C peanut butter at room temperature (I used smooth, but chunky would be great too)
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbl milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
For sprinkling: 3 Tbl sugar
1 bag dark chocolate hershey’s kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars, and beat until smooth. Add the egg, and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly.

Place 3 Tbl sugar — the remaining tablespoons — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, and roll into a ball. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork or your fingers, lightly press down, but do not overly flatten cookies.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake! Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Place a kiss in the middle of each cookie.

The cookies dusted with raw sugar

Unwrapping the kisses was as oddly enjoyable as popping bubble wrap

Yes, please

Unnecessary but festive shot of our sad (but adorable?) little tree

I don’t “do” my hair.

Rather, I haven’t for years because it’s always been short. Always. I don’t recall ever having hair past my shoulders, but I’ve been inspired as of late to let it grow. A desire to save money (no more expensive haircuts!) and a boyfriend who thinks longer hair would look nice were the sole inspirational factors.

Now that I have “long” hair, I’ve been super excited about doing things with it– twisting it, pinning it, curling it, etc. Doing things that the so-called girly girls do that I’ve never done. That’s where Joanna Goddard’s hair tutorials come in. She posts great, easy to follow directions for various hair styles, and today I tried my first one: three twisted buns. Click the link for directions!

It took a total of 5 minutes, and it’s the fanciest hairdo I’ve worn in years. Exciting! What are your favorite ways to do your hair? I can’t wait ’til mine’s a little longer– so many other things to try!

lv, molly

And one of my favorite holiday songs for good measure… :)

lv, molly

I tend to go a little overboard with the holidays. And other things.

The holidays bring me a lot of joy; I love the the scents, the cookies, the happiness, the cocktails, the traditions. So it’s no surprise that I’ve already wrapped the presents, baked cookies, and cycled through my holiday music collection at least once. Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite holiday related things.

lv, molly

no. 1: mittens (I got these from Madewell for my little brother's girlfriend!)

no. 1: keeping warm (with a fake fur hooded coat)

no. 3: pretty party up-dos (click the photo to get to the tutorial!)

no. 4: sparkling cider- my grandpa used to serve me this in a champagne flute when I was too young to drink

no. 5: obligatory holiday mixtapes (click the photo!)

no. 6: cheese plates at parties (I won't lie-- I skip the fancy cheeses and go straight for the sharp cheddar!)

no. 7: santa gift tags by Rifle Paper Co.

Filed under: art & design., etc. Tagged: christmas, december, holiday spirit ]]> http://mollycorinne.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/holiday-spirit/feed/ 0 Molly Tumblr_lvjzu8ltqs1r7ug2go1_500_large Flurries Fair Isle Mittens Photo on 2011-12-19 at 13.10 2011_12_12-cheesepicks.jpg Santa Gift Tags