Ninja Training….
Our dog has an amazing ability to sneak up on you. One minute she is not there and the next her hot breath is on your neck and you never even heard her. Knowing this I decided to help earn her keep in the family I would try and train her to become a ninja(though I’m not sure how marketable that would be). We have the sneaking thing down pat. It’s all the other stuff she is lacking. Let me just say I am thankful that we are using paper Chinese throwing stars otherwise I would be out a few eyeballs and there would be many a hole in the wall(of course I kid, we only let her play with nunchucks 
).
I had to come to the sad conclusion that my dog was not cut out to be a ninja and so I had to come up with another career for her. I chose President of the United States.
This is after all a historic year in Presidential history. We are either getting a black president or a female vice-president. So I say why not a canine for 2012? At first she was reluctant because she does not like the idea of having to move, cockers are not one for change, but I assured her that everything would be alright. My Crazy Cocker Spaniel(CCS) already has a VP chosen, our Little Fuzzy Bunny(LFB), running together on the Fluff Ticket.
So no doubt you are asking yourself what does the Fluff Ticket Stand for?
Good question.
Pro:
*Bacon, Chicken, Sugar Cookies and Snow Peas (Carrot Tops for the VP)
*Naps, several times a day to keep your mind truly rested and refreshed and ready to handle anything life can throw at you.
*Spay and Neutering. With LFB kindly reminding rabbit owners that 80% of all female bunnies will die of cancer if not spayed(not a scare tactic…just a fact).
*Frugal spending by pet owners, unless spending is on treats or toys for pets.
*Public Transportation. Supports carpools, park and rides, biking or walking to work. Though does admit that a ride in a car with your head out the window is always nice.
*Walks when not raining.
*Belly scratching.
*Sniffing things.
Anti:
*Wet grass. Nuff said.
*War. Anything that keeps soldiers away from their pets makes this ticket sad.
*Baths. We are animals, we are suppose to stink a little.
*Pet outfits. Especially since CCS’s owner is pro this. 
*Cheap pet food.
*Walks when raining.
*Shower curtains, CCS’s greatest fear (sadly enough). 
Now just because they are the Fluff Ticket don’t let that give you the impression that they are softies. As you can see from the picture below, they are tough when they need to be.
If the issues don’t get voters I guess we will just have to resort to giving out baked goods. Starting with these Pumpkin Cranberry Bars. These are really more like pumpkin bread in bar form. Not as sweet as I had hoped but would make for a great afternoon snack.
Today’s post, though not serious at all, is a reminder of something serious….please register to vote if you have not already! Please educate yourself about the candidates, what they stand for, what issues are important to you. Then go and vote on those issues and candidates!
Pumpkin Cranberry Bars:
1 cup pecans
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tspsalt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from oven, cool completely and then coarsely chop. Set aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and butter and flour an 9 x 9 inch pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground ginger, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2 – 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin puree until incorporated (the batter will look curdled at this point). Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing only until combined. Stir in the chopped toasted pecans and dried cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 – 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bars comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into 16 – 2 inch bars.
Adapted from Buttercup Bakes at Home by Jennifer Appel
We are Crazy Cocker Spaniel and Little Fuzzy Bunny and we aprove this message.
CCS/LFB 2012
Time to Make the Doughnuts….
Wow!
People really wanted to fry some dough. Helen and I were blown away by the response that our little doughnut event got!
What was even greater is that so many people had never made them before. They dragged out the oil and braved making doughnuts. So glad we could help you push the limits.
The variety was outstanding. Yeast, baked, cake, filled, fried, heart shaped…you name it, we got it. And now we pass the goodness on to you.
If your blog name fell alphabetically between M and Z then you are on my post. If your blog name fell alphabetically between A and L, then you are on Helen’s post. We did see a couple people link to us but we never got an email. If this is you or we some how missed you, PLEASE let us know and we will add you.
You have so many doughnuts to chose from…so without further ado…here are all the wonderful doughy creations!
Marija from Belgrade, Serbia made our first batch of doughnuts. Her blog is Palachinka.
Pumpkin Donuts with Powdered Sugar Glaze and Spiced Sugar Donut Holes
Mary of Shazam in the Kitchen made us these beautiful pumpkin doughnuts. Since they are pumpkin, and pumpkin is a vegetable…they have to be healthy…right?
Estonian curd cheese doughnuts aka kohupiimapont…¡ikud
Pille of Nami-Nami makes us an Estonian treat that she says is the comofort food of all Estonian kids. I can see how. She also said that it is best not to tell you how many calories are in these….my favorite kind!
Red Grapefruit Curd Filled Donuts
I was happy to see the vegan bloggers getting in on this one. Dayna of Vegan Visitor made these gorgeous Red Grapefruit Curd Filled Donuts. She was all about making donuts as she too is not into conforming to the January=diet mode.
Ann from Redacted Recipes made Zeppoli(Italian doughnuts). Even better is she used a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Dessert By The Yard.
Ryley or That’s My Cake…and Dog! shows us that doughnuts don’t need to be hard with her World’s Easiest Doughnuts. Easy sounds good to me.
Chris from Mele Cotte tempts us with Italian Doughnuts…that were filled with Nutella(swoon)!
Susan from Wild Yeast broke out the yeast for us with her Yeasted Baked Doughnuts. They are baked…so you can eat twice as many. 
Kelly is a member of the Daring Bakers…but has no blog. She uses the Official Daring Baker Non-Blogging Member Blog which the group provides for non-bloggers. I think it is great that she participated.
Cider and spice doughnut drops
Janie of the Rustic Kitchen makes some of my all time favorites… cider and spice doughnut drops. These are great because you don’t even need a doughnut cutter!
Judy of Judy’s Gross Eats(I always laugh at that name…since there is nothing gross about her eats) made these glorious Beignets Souffles(they just sound so fancy!)
Vineela from Vineela’s Cuisine made these adorable heart shaped cashew nut doughtnuts. Cashews in doughnuts…now that is a great idea.
Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen offers up a variety of toppings for her doughnuts. Her coffee glaze would go over really well in these parts.
Danielle of Sweet and Savory Eats shows us how a potato can be just more than a french fry! I think I like her Spiced Potato Doughnuts over french fries any day.
Sarah of What Smells So Good? took on a doughnut war(so to speak) to see if she could make a healthier doughnut. And she did with her Baked Sour Cream Doughnuts…which were a good 130 calories less than Krispy Kreme.
Lore from Natural Cuisine shows that sweet potatoes are more than just something to have as a side…with her Sweet Potoato Doughnuts. Now that is the way to eat your vegetables.
Jennifer of Oye Cookie! went above the call of duty and ventured to Sur la Table just to buy heart shaped cutters. The result? Cute heart shaped rose water glazed doughnuts. Fantastic.
Laurie of Quirky Cupcake(you might know her from Cupcake Hero) departed from cupcakes to bring us these lovely star shaped Chocolate cake doughnuts.
Mrs. L(my Adopt a Blogger!) of Pages, Pucks and Pantry stepped up and tried her hand at doughnuts….so glad she did. What we got were these yummy Orange Drop doughnuts…that again…don’t have to have a cutter.
Deborah from The “Humble” Housewife was inspired by her fruit bowl to make these Banana stuffed Doughnuts. They are inspiring indeed!
Madam Chow of Madam Chow’s Kitchen who made her doughnuts with bread flour when she realized she was out of all-purpose. All was good though as they tasted…well tasty.
Deborah from Taste and Tell send fried doughnut love in the shape of a heart. She too used the Sherry Yard recipe so you know they were fabulous!
Blackberry & White Chocolate Long Johns
Emiline of Sugar Plum made these gorgeous Blackberry & White Chocolate Long Johns. I have never had a Blackberry Long John but I want one really bad now.
Saffron doughnuts with rose icing and pistachio nuts
Linda from Make Life Sweeter! tried, tried and tried again she got her doughnuts right. Now that is dedication. What she got were these beautiful Saffron Doughnuts with rose icing and pistachio nuts.
Cara from the Picky Apple makes, what else, Apple Fritters. If I am at the doughnut store chances are that I am going for a apple fitter…so I was glad to see another recipe for them.
Miri of Room for Dessert recreates one of Americas favorite doughnuts…Dunkin Doughnuts. The vanilla glazed ones especially catching my eye.
Homemade Doughnuts with Powdered Sugar & Raspberry Jam
Kelly from Sass & Veracity had these Homemade Doughnuts with Powdered Sugar & Raspberry Jam calling her name…and if you listen carefully they are calling your name too!
Raspberry Filled No-Knead Doughnuts
Susan of Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy made some sticky and gooey(well more like oozing) Raspberry Filled No-Knead Doughnuts. She stepped out of her comfort zone and made doughnuts for the first time.
Eliza of Notes from My Food Diary makes some homemade goodness with these tasty looking Orange Drop Doughnuts…homemade goodenss indeed.
Yeast Doughnuts with Chocolate and Maple Glaze
Holly from PheMOMenon squeezed in time these gorgeous Yeast Doughnuts with Chocolate and Maple Glaze. Oh how excited I was when I saw maple glazed. Put a Canadian near a doughnut and cover it with maple…you best take cover.
Emma of The Chef and The Photographer made a dish that is dear to my heart, Sopaipillas. It is one of the things that I do miss from Arizona…a good sopaipilla.
Bomboloni all’Arancia with Orange-Rum Custard
Bomboloni all’Arancia with Orange-Rum Custard is what Michelle of Us vs. Food made. I can’t pronounce it but I sure want to eat them!!! This is the best batch of doughnuts she has ever made…and I can see why.
The Great Doughnut Adventure(aka Apple Cider Doughnuts)
Emiglia of Tomato_Kumato pulled out one of the recipes from my archives to make The Great Doughnut Adventure(aka Apple Cider Doughnuts). After a bit of a trying start she got into a rhythm and ended up with some great doughnuts…and even great tasting “rejects’.
Judith from Shortcut to Mushrooms makes a doughnut called Kala Jamun which uses pancake mix….I will never look at pancake mix the same way knowing that they could be a doughnut!
Chocolate Cake Doughnuts and Filled Doughnuts
Jen Yu of Use Real Butter was a super over-achiever and made not one, but two types of doughnuts….Filled Doughnuts
and Chocolate Cake Doughnuts. I am especially in love with the chocolate ones because they look so much like Dunkin Donut Munchkins that I loved as a kid(and well, adult!).
Julie of The Persnickety Palate made doughnuts that would have my mother beating down her door. Gorgeous cream filled, chocolate glazed Long Johns whose yeasted dougnut recipe I am dying to try because hers looks fantastic.!
Come On In…..
Are you ready to party? I hope so…and for your sake I hope you are wearing clothing with an expandable waist because there is sooo much food that we are all going to burst like pinatas! Not that I am complaining.
Let me say that this party could not have come at a better time, I had kind of a downer week(enough with that though) and receiving dish after dish and so many well wishes made my week not only bearable but wonderful. I was so touched at how everyone really thought about what they were bringing. I loved the variety and am amazed that with 70 something of us squeezing into 1700 sq ft(no one call the Fire Marshall ) that not one repeat dish was done…not even close. We have appetizers, salads, soups, main dishes, side dishes, bread, and of course sweets!
What was also fantastic was all of the lurkers coming out of the woodwork to come to the party…so a big welcome to all of you!
My home is really starting to feel like a home now. We got our window treatments up yesterday and so I don’t have to worry about if my neighbors see me scratch my butt(my husbands words, not mine).
All the Christmas decor is strung about, we have a lovely eclectic collection of snowmen, gingerbread men, reindeer and snowflakes…no it doesn’t go together but I love it all the same.
The dog has finally settled down though her life is spent perching on the stairs so she can be ready to go up or down at any given moment depending on which one of us has a snack.
Of course we do have little pieces of blue tape everywhere where they are going to come and fix all our little flaws that one discovers when they move into new construction. So please, pay no attention to that!
Well enough with my babbling lets get on to what everyone came for…..THE FOOD!!!!
Who is the first guest knocking on my door? Why it is Meeta of What’s For Lunch, Honey? Meeta arrives with an amazing looking salad, chopped full of goodies like pumpkin, mushrooms and yummy Spanish Serrano ham! Appropriately enough it is called a Roasted Pumpkin and Mushroom Salad. Head on over to her site if you want to make this salad at your home.
Next to arrive was KJ, from Cooking the Books. Knowing my love of all things Irish Cream, she adapted a recipe from Nigella Lawson(she has a whole Nigella project your should check out) and made an Irish Cream Tiramisu. It looks divine and I can’t wait to try it.
Next is my beloved friend Lisa(La Mia Cucina). She loves to confuse my readers by calling me Gracie…but the nickname is well deserved. For those of you wondering why she calls me that it is because I am always injuring myself doing everyday things. But enough about that. Lisa has made for us this oozing, cheesy, goodness that is Baked Spaghetti. The day this was sent to me I actually made if for dinner…though must admit I had to run out for mushroom soup as there was none in the house. Thanks so much Lis, it was yummy!
Our next guest is a frequent reader and commenter(thanks so much) of my blog, Liz of Veggie Girl, arrives with S’mores Muffins…..hello! I always love when someone takes a favorite dessert of mine(I mean, who doesn’t love S’mores?) and makes them into another tasty treat. Hopefully, she has made enough for everyone to get one.
Not knowing my love of prawns(since I rarely do savory on here), Anh made these gorgeous Coconut Prawns with Mango and Papaya Salsa. To see this great dish as well as all the other beautiful photography head on over to Food Lovers Journey. I will have to set some aside for myself to make sure I get some.
Now, I know what you are thinking….beetroot? Yes, beetroot, it is actually used in a lot of baked goods. And how can you resist trying it in a brownie. I bet if no one told you, you wouldn’t have even guessed. Nora of Life’s Smƒ¶rgƒ¥sbord challenges you to expand your taste palate and try her Dark Chocolate Beetroot Brownies…I know I will be giving them a try.
How can anyone resist pizza? And not just any pizza, but Pizza filled with milanesas a la napolitana, holy cow! It sounds and looks so gooey and good. The wonderful Marce of Pip in the City was kind enough to bring that for everyone.
Bringing us back to the world of sugar(and what a wonderful world it is) is Gretchen of Canela & Comino. She brings these delicious, bite size(no plates required) Banana Chocolate Shortcakes. I will try not to shove you out of the way as I run to get these!
Theresa, a local Seattle gal(and someone I have met IRL) was gracious enough to step up and participate. She made us a cake that I have been dying to make, Billowing Strawberry Poppy Seed Layer Cake, from on of my favorite local chefs, Kathy Casey. Seeing it now, makes me need to make even more. A beautiful job Theresa!
Our next party guest is someone who I have a huge blog crush on. When I started reading her blog I was in shock that she had so few people commenting…everyone should be reading her blog. Great recipes and beautiful photos. And speaking of great recipes, Jen(of Use Real Butter) brings us this gorgeous looking Baklava. It surely is a glorious treat.
Elle(Feeding My Enthusiasms) , a fellow lover of all things Fall and gracious quince giver, made for us this beautiful Pear-Cranberry Crisp. It looks like a most comforting dessert that I can not wait to dig into!
Anne, aka the Foodie Froggy(of a Foodie Froggy in Paris) brings us this stunning looking Traditional sweet Alsatian Kougelhopf. What I espeically love about it is that it symbolizes friendship! How sweet.
Someone who was already kind enough to send me a housewarming treat, delights me again by making this amazing looking French cassoulet. Veronica, of Veronica’s Test Kitchen always impresses me with her talents and this is no exception.
When I first read the post for these and it said, “use all-butter puff pastry if you can get it,” I knew I would be loving these Sun-Dried Tomato, Parmesan & Basil Whirls. Filled with all things good, these great party appetizers are brought to us by Nicisme of Cherraopeno.
Bee an Jai of Jugalbandi makes a treat that is accommodating to our most pickiest eaters. It is gluten free, nut free and vegan! A tempting dish with the flavors of Mexico, Arroz Rojo brings a great international flare to the party.
Another use of puff pastry(oh how I love me some puff pastry) comes these delicious looking Crispy Cheese Twists. Cheese, garlic and puff pastry…oh my! Thanks to Abby of Confabulation in the Kitchen for bringing these tasty treats.
Coming to us from good ol’ Wisconsin is Nemmie of Cast Sugar. She makes what she calls a Racine Kringle that is described as pastry made of layers of dough and butter glazed with brown sugar and cinnamon, a filling of pecans or fruits, and sugar icing…are you kidding me? How GREAT is that!
Laurie of Quirky Cupcake decided to bring the ultimate in comfort, Macaroni and Cheese. With stick of butter and a pound of cheese can you really go wrong…and this is oh so right. Thanks for bringing this savory dish to balance out our sweets.
One of my regular reads, Kristen of Dine and Dish got a little confused in making our party treat. Seems she got me and Helen(Tartelette) confused…well not us, but something Helen made on her blog. She decided to make a Banana Cream Pudding with Pie Crust Cookie Garnish inspired by my deconstructed Coconut Cream Pie(too bad it was Helen’s). Regardless of who it was inspired by it looks over the top amazing!
A blogger who’s site always brings a smile to my face, Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas, makes for us a scrumptious looking Applesauce Spice Bar. It’s no surprise that these bars come from none other than Dorie Greenspan, who is Brilynn’s foodie crush…and why not, Dorie is one heck of a baker…and so is Brilynn.
Iisha of The Fabulous Life of “I [Dot] J” brings us an appetizer after my own heart…bacon and cream cheese…come to Peabody. These yummy bites of goodness, or Baked Potato Bites as she calls them. Call them whatever you want…they look good.
Helen of Tartelette, who I often call my less evil twin(because we love all things mini and everytime we make a Daring Bakers challenge we tend to do almost the same thing!), made these adorable looking Spiced Pumpkin Mascarpone Cupcakes. Helen knows my love of all things pumpkin, and then makes them even better by adding Mascarpone cheese to the frosting. Can you say new pants size? I can, but I don’t care!
Every party needs chocolate…or at least every party I host does! So I was happy to see Patricia of Technicolor Kitchen make these sinful looking Chocolate Pots de Creme. Not only are these chocolate, she broke out the good chocolate for the occasion! I feel loved.
Kelley(Kelley the Culinarian) who is oven-less, still wanted to come to the party. This Taco Dip was made awhile back but I wont hold that against her…who am I to turn down dip!
I was delighted to see that my beloved friend Tanna(My Kitchen in Half Cups) broke out the yeast to make this beautiful Olive and Thyme Bread…shaped in a lovely and festive ring(or wreath…it is that time of year after all!). You best get some before there is none left!
Camila of Culinary Tests brings along this yummy looking Mom’s Carrot Cake with Chocolate Frosting. I am intrigued to try it since I have only every had cream cheese frosting with carrot cake. Can’t wait to try it.
Kaylyn(Kalyn’s Kitchen) made us this hearty looking soup, Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Red Peppers. Which I am sure you will be flocking to since it will be in the mid to low 30’s tonight.
Deborah of Taste and Tell tempts us all with Gooey Caramel Butter Bars. Caramel and butter are darn close to my favorite things in life so I was super happy to see these show up.
My favorite doctor to be, Claire of Cooking is Medicine, took time out of here busy schedule to make her mom’s Poppy Seed Chicken…oh how I just love a family recipe. Thanks Claire for taking time to come.
Susan from Food Blogga had me drooling the minute she walked into the door with her Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter(say that three times fast!). Talk about comforting!
Since I opened my Housewarming Party up to any of my readers a few of them don’t have blogs, but gladly passed on recipes! On such person was Colleen in Cape Town South Africa. She offered up two dishes. She told me to pick one, but really how could I choose!
COLLEEN¢â¬â„¢S MICRO FUDGE
INGREDIENTS
1 Can Condensed Milk
375g Icing (Confectioner¢â¬â„¢s) Sugar (sifted twice)
175g Unsalted Butter ¢â¬â€œ cut into blocks
10ml Vanilla Extract
10ml Lemon Juice
A big pinch of good quality Sea Salt flakes
A pinch of dried chilli flakes (this is optional)
METHOD
Line a baking sheet with tin foil and brush with some softened butter
Put the cold butter into a large micro proof glass dish or jug
Pour over the condensed milk
Sift over icing sugar. DO NOT STIR OR MIX!!
Micro on Hi for 2 ½ minutes
Remove from microwave oven and stir well with a wooden spoon
Return to oven and micro on Hi for 10 minutes. Watch very carefully and if it threatens to boil over then just open the door briefly ¢â¬â€œ don¢â¬â„¢t stir. I find that if I do it this way it bubbles up and then keeps falling in on itself and doesn¢â¬â„¢t boil over¢â¬â€œ I usually don¢â¬â„¢t have to stir it at all after the initial whisking!
Remove from oven, stand on a folded towel to stabilize, knock it down a bit with the wooden spoon then stir in the flavors (I mix them together beforehand) the salt (rub the flakes between your fingers before sprinkling evenly into the fudge mixture) and the chilli if using ¢â¬â€œ if the chilli bits are too big chop them finely
Beat well until the fudge starts to thicken (only takes about 2 or 3 minutes of beating)
Pour into the prepared dish and allow to cool down
Cut into squares before completely set.
TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD WITH VANILLA GINGER SYRUP
& WALNUT MASCARPONE CREAM
Ingredients for the Salad:
1 Medium Sized Ripe Papaya ¢â¬â€œ deseeded and peeled and cut into smallish cubes
! Small Ripe Pineapple ¢â¬â€œ peeled and cored and cut into cubes
2 Almost Ripe Bananas ¢â¬â€œ peeled and sliced thinly
2 Kiwi Fruit ¢â¬â€œ peeled and quartered then thinly sliced
1 Star fruit ¢â¬â€œ washed and then thinly sliced
1 Sharon Fruit ¢â¬â€œ ripe ¢â¬â€œ scoop out the inside and add to the salad
1 Granny Smith Apple ¢â¬â€œ washed then quartered and cored and thinly sliced
2 Nectarines ¢â¬â€œ washed and cut from the pit then cut into cubes
2 Dessert Peaches ¢â¬â€œ peeled, cut from pit then cut into cubes
1 Naartjie (Clementine) ¢â¬â€œ peeled, deseeded then divided and cut into cubes
1 Granadilla ¢â¬â€œ halved and flesh scooped out into salad
1 Lemon or Lime ¢â¬â€œ Juice only
A few Ripe Red Cherries
A few Raspberries or Blue Berries or whatever in season
Toss all the fruit cubes together in a large attractive bowl, squeeze over the lemon or lime juice then add the cherries and raspberries to the top of the salad
the vanilla & ginger Syrup
1 Cup Hot Water
½ Cup Sugar
½ Vanilla Pod split open
About 3cm Fresh Root Ginger ¢â¬â€œ scraped with a spoon then pounded a bit
Boil all together over a low heat until all sugar dissolved and the syrup thickens ¢â¬â€œ about 5 minutes. Strain the syrup through a sieve
Pour the hot syrup over the tossed salad and allow to cool
Mascarpone Walnut Cream
Mascarpone Cheese at room temperature
50g Walnuts
50g Sugar
Dry roast the walnuts until lightly brown
Roughly chop up the walnuts then put into a food processor and process until the walnuts form a dryish paste.
Scoop walnuts into softened mascarpone cream and mix together well with a little bit of sugar to sweeten to taste. Serve a dollop on top of each serving of fruit salad.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************
Our next dish comes from someone I know on a food chat board for newlyweds(though I hardly am one anymore ). Elly of Elly Says Opa! makes the Greek treat of Avgolemono (egg-lemon rice) Soup. If you look carefully, she even took a picture of the soup sitting on top of a hockey puck…how cute is that!
I can never pass up a deviled egg when I see them out on a plate. Sher of What Did You Eat took deviled eggs to the next level bringing these inviting looking Pesto Deviled Eggs….what a clever idea. Yum.
Freshly moved herself, Sara of I Like to Cook, made us this savory Tomato Braised Chicken. Along with the beautiful chicken she left me a housewarming poem and a quote was too true…..”People are living longer than ever before, a phenomenon undoubtedly made necessary by the 30-year mortgage.” ~Doug Larson
Mary(Shazam in the Kitchen) I learned has a cooking quirk just like me. I ruin kitchen scales and she sets ovens on fire…what a pair we make. But before her oven burst into flames she did manage to make us these great cookies, Billy Goats, a recipe by none other than her grandmother….oh I love, love, love the family recipes!
What do you get when you take peanut butter cookie dough, potato chips, chocolate chips and all other sorts of goodness? Grand Prize-Winning Chocolate-Topped Peanut-Toffee Bars thats what. And lucky for us, Helene of La Cuisine d’Helene has brought them to the party! Can’t wait to try them.
If you are a long time reader you know I am a lover of all things cheesecake…heck I even hosted a HHDD dedicated to cheesecake. So I had hoped that someone would be bringing cheesecake. My wish was granted…big time as Chris of Mele Cotte made us this stunning Mascarpone Cheesecake with Almond Crust.
When we are done filling ourselves with all the sugar and carbs, Alanna(A Veggie Venture) brought this vibrant and beautiful Red and Green Warm Spinach Salad. Full of wonderful things like walnuts, pomegranate seeds and mint…it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Sneaking in some more healthy food(lol…anything with broccoli is healthy to me …forget that it is wrapped in buttery puff pastry) is Quellia of All Things Edible. Her Chicken and Broccoli Puffs are more than edible…they are fantastic.
Inne of Vanille & Chocolat made us this absolutely gorgeous Sweet Potato Flan…look at the plating! She told me not to look at how much butter was in it…but hey, to me there is never too much butter!!!
Julie(A Mingling of Tastes) shares her latest obsession, truffles, by making us these luscious looking Pistachio-Black Currant Truffles. Doesn’t that flavor combination sound amazing!!!! Thanks for bringing chocolate to the party!
Fellow Seattle area gal, Lynn, of Cookie Baker Lynn, deviates from her title and makes not cookies but these heavenly looking Pumpkin-Cinnamon Streusel rolls. Inspired by the pumpkin brioche I made, Lynn takes it one step further making these carb-filled bundles of joy.
What’s a party around this time of year without a ham? Annemarie of Ambrosia and Nectar seemed to agree with that statement and brought this lovley and large(good thing there are a lot of us) Coca Cola Ham( a Nigella’s Ham in Coca Cola to be exact).
When I saw these arrive I was jumping up and down, considering the fact that I think bacon deserves it’s own food group. So when Michelle of Culinography walked in with these Bacon & Cream Cheese Crescents you can imagine my excitement.
Vibrant and bursting with color were these Guava Gelee Candy. Gigi of Gigi Cakes made these as thank you gifts for everyone coming…which is great so I don’t have to do it….thanks Gigi…your candy looks delish!
I recognized these the minute I saw them. Siri(Siri’s Corner) made one of my all time favorite Christmas cookies, Mexican Wedding Cookies(though where I am from they are called Russian Tea Cakes). Great cookies that melt in your mouth. So glad they found their way here.
I was excited to see this next dish because it comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Pastry Queen, and I have always wanted to make it. Jamie of Good Eats ‘n Sweet Treats made this homey Chicken Pot Pie…it just screams comfort!
Throwing caution to the wind, Baking Blonde, for the first time she baked with yeast! And then to make it even better she used her freshly baked bread to make Mini Grilled Cheese. Which I love so much I actually served mini grilled cheeses at my wedding cocktail hour. They were the first to go there and most likely will be the first to go here.
A super popular(for a reason) appetizer makes it’s way on to the table, Bruschetta courtesy of Enza of Open then Oven and Take a Look. She apologized for not having time to make something more elaborate…I think no apology is necessary with these tasty treats.
For those of you watching your weight(and I don’t mean watching it increase…like mine ) Danielle(Dinner with Danielle) offers up these less than diet looking Mini Meat Loaf Muffins.
My fellow hockey lover(and sometimes hater when our teams are sucking…which they are right now…sigh 
), Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice brought one of my all time favorite side dishes, which she calls Bakedy Beans, I call them tasty(I am already to eat these with the ham!). But even more special then her dish was her 10 reasons why I have made Bakedy Beans for Peabody…it was very cute
Zazzy(Zazamataz) almost didn’t come to the party because she was intimidated because she is not a chef….I assured her that didn’t matter, as most food bloggers are not! And besides, when you show up with pumpkin anything, I am letting you in my house! So when Pumpkin Cookies with Raisins and Pecans showed up I quickly opened the door.
Bring a family favorite(and I can see why) is Judy of Judy’s Gross Eats. Chocolate and mint brought together in these great looking Chocolate-Mint Layer Cookies. Definitely good eats.
Theresa of The Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine who hails from my former residence, Phoenix, made a batch of warming soup to warm us up. Her Tortellini Soup/Stew seems to be filled with all sorts of goodies like tortellini(duh), mushrooms, Italian sausage and bell peppers to name a few.
Giving the Daring Bakers Potato Bread another go, Cheryl from Gruel Omelet whipped up this cheesy goodness she is calling Italian Potato Focaccia with Peppers and Cheese. Way to recycle a DB challenge into something even better!
Artichokes, sweet Italian sausage, ricotta cheese and fresh basil are just a few of the ingredients stuffed into these scrumptious looking Artichoke and Sausage Stuffed Shells. Who brought this great looking dish? Why Tara of Smells Like Home.
Now I have to say that this dish made me get a little misty eyed…well not the dish itself but the story that went along with it, if you have the time head on over to Little Foodies to see it. Speaking of Little Foodies, Amanda and her boys made us some Storybook Cookies…and they are so adorable.
Putting a twist on classic coconut cake, Madam Chow brought this luscious layered Coconut Cake with Lilikoi Curd. Now in case you are wondering like I was, what is Lilikoi is, it is passion fruit…passion fruit in coconut cake….YUM!
Kevin of Closet Cooking recently discovered the wonderful world of dates…and the many varieties they come in. His latest date discovery were Medjool dates in which he stuffed with cream cheese to give us a tasty appetizer of Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese.
Another fellow Seattle area gal Mohini(Mango Power Girl)adds a special Pacific Northwest twist to her Nigella Lawson recipe by adding marionberries to the already lovely sounding No Churn Pomegranate Ice Cream. What’s great is that the marionberry syrup comes from a local farm, so you know it has to be good.
Adding a tropical twist(to help warm us up) to a French classic, Michelle of Life in the Pink Kitchen offers up these ĉۡclairs filled with Honey Cream, topped with Mango and Kiwi. These should definitely help keep the cold out.
Melody of Fruit Tart was very thoughtful about what she was bringing to the party. Being that her blog has tarts in the name, a tart it was…but what kind? Knowing my love of Jif and both my husband and I’s love of peanut butter and chocolate she made us this sinful Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart.
A Domestic Goddess in Training, Jules brought something we can both eat and decorate with as well. Christmas Decoration Biscuits would probably be more in my mouth then on my tree, but it is nice to know it is an option. Thanks for bringing these.
“Doh! I was going to bring this to Peabody’s House Warming Party. But since I was so disorganized, I missed the submission deadline yesterday. Bummer. Hope you have a fabulous party Peabody!” is what Illngc of Feed Me! I’m Hungry wrote. But when I saw her gorgeous Blondies I told her to get dressed and hurry up over…and bring those blondies!
Fellow Flames fan, Mary the Bread Chick(The Sour Dough) gets an excuse for being late, for she is in Moscow(not where she normally is) and so she is just a couple steps behind…she blames the vodka. Since she is well aware of my love of sweets, she made special for me Peabody’s Over the Top Housewarming Potluck Seven Layer Bars…and they do look over the top!
Another one of my non-blogging owning readers was nice enough to give us a appetizer recipe that sounds like a crowd pleaser…Tortellini Skewers! Thanks Carole for the recipe.
Tortellini Skewers
1 package (16 ounce) refrigerated tortellini
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
24 1-inch cubes red bell pepper
24 small black seedless olives (drained, rinsed and patted dry)
24 1-inch cubes mozzarella cheese
24 small cherry tomatoes
24 3 – 4 inch wooden skewers
Prepare tortellini according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, basil, tarragon, red pepper, salt and pepper. Whisk to blend. Add tortellini, bell pepper, olives, cheese and tomatoes. Toss to blend. Cover bowl and refrigerate to marinate for 3 – 6 hours. Remove from refrigerator, drain and discard liquid.
String a tortellini, a cube of bell pepper, a olive and a cube of cheese on a skewer. Secure a tomato over the point of the skewer. Repeat with the remaining skewers.
Arrange skewers on a serving platter.
Serve.
Makes 24 skewers.
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Sihan of Fundamentally-Flawed decided to make Banana Cake because “it just reminds her of her childhood, warm and lovely just like the way your new home is”…isn’t that the sweetest thing. And speaking of sweet back to her yummy looking Banana Mini Crown Cakes, small enough to stick into your purse or pocket to take home if you don’t have room in your tummy.
Seeing the snow covering the ground and my home, Paula of Half Baked decided it would be best to make a comforting and warming dish…and she did just that. Paula brings this lovely Risotto with Peas.
You can’t offer maple syrup to a Canadian and expect them to say no. So I was delighted to see that Dolores(Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity) had brought these Maple Syrup Tartlets not only for the maple crazed Canadians but for everyone else as well.
And then that leaves me. What did I bring to my own House Warming Party you ask? An experiment of sorts and something I am calling Chocolate Peppermint Stick Marshmallow Fantasy Cake(you should see the inside of it!). You know it had to be sugar…I wasn’t even going to pretend to make something savory. I’ll be posting the recipe in a couple of days for those interested in it.
Giving gingerbread a roll….
I had mentioned that the idea of using the pumpkin brioche to make cinnamon rolls sounded good to me….and it still does. But after more thumbing through The Secrets of Baking I found a Gingerbread Brioche, and so you know I had to give that a try! I decided that the gingerbread brioche is what I would make into buns. I wanted to do something less traditional.
Around last Christmas, my friend M brought gingerbread with a lovely lemon sauce to Book Club as her treat. And what a treat it was. I had never had lemon sauce with gingerbread before. My mom always served it with whipped cream(nothing wrong with that!) and once you get in a rut, you get in a rut. So I thought, how can I incorporate that into a bun? I made the brioche as the recipe called for but made a lemon sugar for the filling and a lemon sauce to go over the top of them. These are soft, spicy, tangy and tasty all “rolled” into one. Be warned: This dough is not like normal brioche…it is sticky and doesn’t like to play nice, but the end result is worth it.
I am really loving this cookbook. It was purchased for me off of my wish list at Christmas time when I got more than a few cookbooks. I must have just skimmed through it and thought nothing more of it. I must say I am kind of addicted to it….like Yard is becoming me new Dorie(though she can never be replaced). Now I am excited to purchase her new cookbook(Desserts by the Yard) that just came out. Oh and speaking of cookbooks that just came out, my most influential chef Marcel Desaulniers came out with a new one just in time for Christmas, I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas. Oh course I bought it. It has so great looking things and I plan on making something from it this week!
Gingerbread Brioche Buns with Lemon Sauce
Gingerbread Brioche
For the sponge:
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
1 TBSP dry active yeast
2 TBSP sugar
½ cup bread flour
Combine milk and yeast in the mixing bowl of a standing mixer. Whisk and let sit for 5 minutes. Add flour and sugar, mix to form a thick batter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, until bubbles form.
For the dough:
1/3 cup unsulfured black-strap molasses
3 TBSP packed light brown sugar
2 TBSP ground ginger(may seem like a lot but this makes a lot of dough)
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cloves
3 ½ ¢â¬â€œ 4 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
6 large eggs, slightly beaten
9 ounces unsalted butter, softened but still cool
Filling:
3 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar rubbed with the zest of one large lemon
Add the molasses, brown sugar, spice, flour, and salt to the sponge. Add the eggs. Beat with the paddle attachment on low speed for 2 minutes, until the eggs are absorbed. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes.(It doesn’t say to do it, but I switch to the dough hook at this point). The dough will be sticky. Hold the mixer when necessary if it starts to dance on you.
Turn the machine down to medium low speed and add the butter, 2 TBSP at a time. Knead for another 5 minutes, until the dough is shiny. Scrape out the dough and clean and lightly oil the bowl. Don’t worry if the dough is difficult to work with(it will be).
Place the dough in the bowl then turn it over so that the top is oiled. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours, until doubled.
When dough is has doubled in volume, punch it down by folding it two or three times. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
After the second rise, the dough is ready to be shaped. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a rectangle approximately 12 by 16 inches. Use a pastry brush(or your hands if you like to get messy) to spread 3 TBSP of butter around the rolled out dough, leaving an 1-inch margin at the top edge with no butter. Sprinkle filling evenly over the surface, again leaving the 1-inch margin. Starting from the long side closest to you, roll up the dough like a jellyroll. Transfer the log to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes. This will make cutting the buns clean and even.
Remove from freezer, cut buns into 1 ½-inch pieces, you should get around 12. Place them back onto a greased baking pan. Spread out so they are not touching. Wrap with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake buns for 10 minutes and reduce heat to 350F. Bake for another 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your buns. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Pour lemon sauce over buns and serve warm.
Adapted From: The Secrets of Baking by Sherry Yard, Houghton Mifflin 2003
Lemon Sauce
1 TBSP cornstarch
½ cup sugar
dash of salt
1 cup boiling water
juice of one large lemon
zest of on large lemon
Combine cornstarch, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Add boiling water to it and bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in juice and zest.
