Posy of Mums

Ice Box Bakery

Last night I baked these Cherry Pie cookies, made from slice and bake dough by Ice Box Bakery. They only took about 10 minutes to make and the dough is free of artificial colors, flavors, & preservatives. I'm looking forward to trying their other flavors.... Yum!

Super Bowl Chili

I've been on a mission to find a chili recipe over the last few years. To date, this has been my favorite. I think its the beer that gives it a tangy flavor, which I love. It's perfect to serve if you're having friends over to watch the Super Bowl since it requires very little preparation.

Ingredients

olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

salt

3 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 chile, chopped

1 pound ground turkey

1 12 ounce bottle of beer

1 14 ounce can tomatoes, in their juice

1 15 ounce can kidney beans, drained

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, and spices and cook about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chili, cook another minute. Add the turkey and stir constantly for about 3 minutes. Add the beer and simmer until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes. Serves four hungry men or six regular people.

Sweets For My Sweets

Yesterday I made Valentine's Day care packages for my nieces and nephews.

Classic Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, baking powder & salt. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat the egg and vanilla together, then mix into sugar mixture. Add the dry ingredients. Divide dough into quarters, shape into disks, sprinkle with flour and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 350. On a lightly floured board roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Bake for 12 minutes.

Grandma's Pinwheels

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

3 tbspn milk

1 oz melted chocolate

Cream butter and sugar, and then add egg yolk & vanilla. Mix flour, baking powder, & salt together. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, then add milk. Divide dough in half and add melted chocolate to one half. Form white dough into a disk, sprinkle with flour. Cover both mixtures with saran wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll white dough on a lightly floured board about 1/8 inch thick, adding flour to the dough if necessary. Form the chocolate mixture into a disk with your hands, then gently press it out flat on top of the white dough. Roll the dough up like a jellyroll. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Slice dough into thin slices, place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. ♥

A Posy of Orchids

From my sweet husband. ♥

White Bathrooms

To know me is to understand my love for white bathrooms! There is something so serene about them. So you can imagine my delight when I came across this post on Living Etc which featured 83 different white bathrooms. Here are a few of my favorites....

I love the combination of textures in this room.

Imagine getting to soak in this tub every day.

Fantasizing of my upcoming trip to Japan...

G.L.A.M.O.R.O.U.S

So girly and old-fashioned.

And here's a shot of my very own white bathroom. ♥

Minestrone

Minestrone is one of my favorite comfort foods, probably because my Mom often made it growing up. I love it's earthy flavors. This recipe can be prepared two ways; regular or pureed. I like to puree the leftovers and eat them for lunch for a few days.

Ingredients:

olive oil

3 leeks

4 carrots

4 zucchini

3 white rose potatoes (about 1 pound)

italian seasoning

3 tomatoes

5 cups broth

15 oz can garbanzo beans

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons basil

freshly grated parmesan cheese

Start by preparing all of your vegetables. Clean the leeks and finely chop the light green and white parts (discard the dark green leaves). Peel and slice carrots. Dice zucchini. Peel and chop carrots. Dice tomatoes in a food processor. Drain and rinse your garbanzo beans. Chop basil into fine pieces. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Saute the leeks for about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and Italian seasoning. Saute for 3 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth. Partially cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the garbanzo beans and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and basil. To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly shaved parmesan cheese. Serve crusty bread on the side.