poached pear + ginger parfaits

I have to say, there is something so utterly wonderful about petite dessert cups. I’m not sure if it’s their charming appearance or the fact that they are the perfect little ending to weeknight dinners. Whatever the reason, I have been using them non-stop to serve up sundaes, puddings and parfaits. They capture the essence without being overwhelming and I love that in one or two bites, I feel completely satisfied. And I’m not the only one. It seems my children have also taken a keen liking to these ‘cute’ little cups and want to eat almost everything in them- especially cheese cubes and fruit salad.

Recently, I have become fixated with all sorts of miniature dessert glasses and amuse - bouche spoons. I’ve started a small collection of these marvelous little dishes and find every excuse possible to use them as often as I can. They make appetizers and desserts look so elegant and tantalizing and let’s face it, everything in pretty packaging looks more appealing. 

Since my little boy eats copious amounts of pears, I decided to use some of these small glass dishes to create decadent little parfaits. When I was little, I distinctly remember pears being my favorite fruit. I would eat one after the other and in no time, I had a pile of fruity cores on the table next to me. When I saw my little boy doing the same thing one day, I smiled. I love the way he holds the fruit with his little hands and plows through it like corn on the cob. 

I think pears often take a backseat to other fruit like apples and berries so I was excited to use them in this dessert. I poached them lightly in a little water and filled the pan with whole cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks. The liquid thickened and created a light, spicy syrup. The combination of the peppery ginger cookies, the whipped cheese and cream and the syrupy pears was just right. And of course, we enjoyed them in little glass cups with mini spoons, which made them even better.

turkey pie with bacon, leeks + thyme

In my defense, I had every intention of making turkey pot pie. Luscious, creamy turkey pot pie with a buttery short crust. I'm positive my children were dreaming about it all day. But here's the thing: As I started sautéing my veggies and gathering the ingredients to make the dough, I realized I was out of flour. Out of flour? I don't even know how that could have happened as we are bread-loving feens and I always make sure we have a healthy stock in the pantry. 

I didn't have time to dash to the market and so I improvised. Normally it's my favorite part of cooking but that day, I was a tad frantic. I had set my children up for the ultimate comfort food and now I had to find a way to transform this uninspired dish into something pretty spectacular. 

I added bacon, leeks and thyme to the traditional pot pie vegetables and used mashed potatoes with fresh parmesan to form a crusty topping. My attempts seemed feeble and I wasn’t feeling particularly confident in my new creation but to my surprise, it was met with smiles. 

Autumn emerged with warm temperatures and sunny blue skies. On Thanksgiving weekend, we spent a day at the beach. It was unseasonably mild and people were swimming in the ocean. What a magnificent extension of summer. We didn’t want the day to end but we were looking forward to a hearty meal and so we left the beach early.

The part I love best about Thanksgiving dinner, are the leftovers. Turkey soup with a tantalizing broth full of herbs and vegetables, crusty sandwiches with brie and cranberry, my dad’s turkey tetrazzini. My absolute favorite however is traditional turkey pot pie, but I suppose even the most amazing things can use a little tweaking from time to time.

 

carrot, apple + flax muffins with streusel topping

In a moment of desperation this week, I grabbed the last of the orchard apples and set out to create a healthy breakfast dish for my children. Weekday mornings have been especially hurried lately. Even the tried and true favorites weren’t cutting it as it seems they’ve had enough of banana-berry smoothies and toast with peanut butter. I felt completely defeated as I let my children leave the house with little more than a handful of cheerios and a drink of milk. 

I love the feeling of knowing they are starting their day with a proper breakfast and since they keep reminding me “it’s the most important meal of the day” I had some major regrouping to do. I made a mental record of the things I wanted them to have: protein, fiber and fruit topped the list. In addition, I wanted something that would taste good and would be relatively fast and easy to prepare. I scoured my recipe books and online resources for nourishing morning fare but my attempts at healthy breakfast alternatives failed. Pretty miserably. Some of the homemade cereal bars I attempted tasted grainy and bland and were met with snubs and frowns- understandably. I needed something really delicious. And healthy. And easy. Sounds like a lot for a weekday breakfast doesn’t it?

I came across an amazing muffin recipe that tastes like carrot cake. It’s moist and filling and full of deliciously healthy things like flax, oat bran, apples and carrots. I omitted the nuts and raisins and added a streusel topping instead. The muffins are lovely on their own but the streusel adds a touch of sweetness that I think makes them just perfect. For now, it’s the new breakfast favorite but I know it won’t be long before they’re asking for something new. Variety really must be the spice of life. In our household anyway.

chocolate birthday cake + candy apple gift favors

I love birthdays. Preparing a favorite meal, making birthday cake, planning a party, finding the perfect gift: it’s one of life’s simple pleasures for me. In fact, it might be one of my favorite things in the world. Birthdays are such a wonderful way to celebrate life and honor the people you love. Doesn’t everyone deserve one day to be doted on and spoiled? 

It’s hard to believe that our darling girl is 8 years old now. Eight. I’m so proud that she’s growing into an amazing little person. Someone who cares about animals and the environment, who loves piano and music and playing dress up and having tea parties. “Am I too old for that stuff now?” she asked me the other day. Too old to play and imagine and discover? Never too old for that. She sings and dances around the house- sometimes endlessly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stopped to listen to her sweet voice, and smiled. She spends hours immersed in art projects and leaves notes for us scattered around the house. It’s so amazing to find these little gems tucked under my pillow or in my jewelry box. It makes me sad to think there will be a day when I won’t find these notes anymore. 

As proud and happy as I am to see her grow and develop her own opinions and hobbies and personality, I find myself also feeling a tinge of sadness. I still yearn for that tiny baby girl, bundled in my arms. Safe and sound. I want to stop time-just for a short while so I can soak it all in. I don’t want to forget a single song, or silly face, or funny made-up game. 

This past weekend we celebrated her birthday with homemade mac and cheese, chocolate birthday cake and a swimming party with 8 of her little friends. As take away gifts, we made homemade candy apple kits. I first thought of the idea late this summer and then found a post by one of my favorite bloggers about this very thing! It was exactly what she wanted and it was the perfect way to celebrate eight glorious years with the little girl that brings sunshine into our lives every single day.

the inspiration: Last years' homemade caramel apples

apple tarts with ricotta, honey and pecans

There’s a slight obsession going on in my home lately over sweets. We just can’t seem to get enough of them. Everywhere I turn, girl guides are selling their famous chocolate-mint cookies, magazine covers are brazen with bold cakes and sweet cookies, and I find myself buying buckets of Halloween candy just a tad too early.

The emergence of autumn makes us want to leave behind summery sorbets and yearn for decadent desserts and homemade pies. These cooler temperatures are making me feel completely domesticated, as all I want to do is stay home and make delicious home-baked goods for my little family. Most recently, I’ve been fixated on homemade pies and tarts. 

I’m so glad apple season is upon us as nothing goes together like sweet pastry dough and stewed cinnamon apples. I’m almost positive a blitz of apple recipes is coming your way. My children had a school outing to a local apple orchard, and most recently, it was a family venture. What does one do with barrels upon barrels of apples? Make pies of course.

Of all the recipes I’ve tried, my absolute favorite is my mom’s pastry dough recipe. It’s not dry or crumbly, but rather flakey and buttery and it forms the perfect base for homemade treats. It’s also very easy to handle because it doesn’t break apart like some of the other dough recipes I’ve tried. Since we love pies, tarts and strudels,  I know I’m going to be using this recipe a lot this season.