I must be obsessed with cauliflower this winter because when doing some research for new recipes, I picked 4 separate recipes that all included cauliflower and chickpeas. I’ve only made one of them so far, but it was delicious, so I think I’ll be making the others soon.
Category Archives: Winter
Welcome back!
I hope your 2015 is off to a good start! The last two months have been pretty eventful in my household. Dave and I got engaged at the end of November and then flew to California to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. The engagement buzz was short lived because upon returning to DC, I spent the next two weeks studying nonstop. However, eventually finals ended, and I can now say I am officially halfway through law school. Plus, I got to celebrate the end of finals by throwing our third annual holiday party (photos below).
I planned to resume posting to the blog in mid-December, but after the engagement and finals, I crashed, got the flu, and then proceeded to spend the rest of my holiday vacation taking a true break from all responsibilities (except wedding planning, obviously). I spent the majority of my time in sweats or pajamas, saw 6 new release movies (favorites: Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game), and listened to Serial (if you haven’t participated in this craze yet, do it immediately).
But now I’m back in DC, and classes begin tomorrow, so I figured it’s time to get back to the blog! Plus we just got a puppy named Wally (the most adorable goldendoodle ever, see below), so I’m spending a lot of time with him at home and am able to do some writing. So here’s to lots of fun and exciting times in 2015! First recipe post will be up on Sunday (hint: it will involve lots of sugar).
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
The next post in my series of healthy but hearty dinners is loaded sweet potatoes. These are very easy to make and work as a great leftover lunch the next day as well. You could also alter the toppings if you don’t like some of the ones I used, or if you just want to clean out your cupboard/fridge.
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Spicy Lentil Chickpea Soup
So I wanted to start the New Year off with a nice and healthy recipe for all of those people out there who have put getting healthy on their New Year’s Resolution List (or for those of us just needing to make up for all the eating done in the last 10 days). This soup has just the perfect amount of kick to keep you interested, but is full of healthy nutrients to keep you on track!
Baked Apples
So this post goes really well with my post from earlier this week – the roast chicken. Both these dishes are so easy and are perfect for late fall/early winter. They’re warm and make your kitchen smell delicious. We also used to have these all the time as kids so they remind me of fun filled childhood days spent playing games in front of a fire (not sure how often that happened, but I seem to remember it).
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Roast Chicken
This is one of those dishes that I just always assumed was super hard. So let me be the first to say, I was totally wrong. It’s so easy to make. And it’s great to have in the winter, when you could use a little warming up and the smell of rosemary filling the kitchen.
Bourbon and Orange Pecan Pie
So in honor of Thanksgiving, which is right around the corner, I wanted to share a pecan pie recipe with you. But not just your average pecan pie. I chose to make one with a few extra special flavors – orange and bourbon. This pie will make a great addition to the dessert course on Thanksgiving! So if you feel like impressing your family, volunteer to bring a dessert. No really, I know what you’re thinking, ugh the last thing I want to do on Thanksgiving is bake. I just want to watch my parents do all the hard work, and sit around working up my appetite. But this is really REALLY easy. Yes, even for you novice bakers. I PROMISE!
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Chicken Farro Soup
In the winter, you really can’t have enough recipes for hearty soups. Hearty soups and warm breads are about all I want to eat when the temperature drops. This soup takes a bit to cook (probably 1.5 hours on the stove), but it involves very little involvement. So if you have time this weekend, cook up a big batch to get you through next week!
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Curried Butternut Squash Soup
There’s something so satisfying about hearty, flavorful soups in the winter. Butternut squash is a classic, but sometimes it can lack enough flavor for me. I recently tried a curried butternut squash soup that had more than enough flavor. It was delicious and pretty easy!
My Favorite Meal of the Week – Crock Pot Chili
So here’s the deal. I am really trying to be better about cooking new things for dinner, but sometimes you have to just fall back on your easy standbys when things are busy. One of my favorites is chili. And when it’s made in the crock pot, it’s even better! So here’s one of the best and easiest crock pot chili recipes.
I used this recipe. My only recommended changes are:
- Use frozen chicken, otherwise it’s a little too mushy at the end. Also, wait to shred the chicken until you’re ready to serve. And I shred mine in my mixer with the paddle attachment (much easier than forks).
The best part about this recipe is it lasts well. So I tend to make a big batch on Sundays and then enjoy it all week!
the petite croissant 