Seashell measuring spoons and a super special gift!

Ali (dear friend, designer, photographer) stopped by the office yesterday so we could exchange gifts. She got me these adorable seashell measuring spoons, sure to be used as I continue The Gahan Girls baking extravaganza (Harleigh's talked me into making two more types of cookies tomorrow!).

And then she handed me a gift she swore was from Santa himself :-). She and husband Matt gifted me with his Canon Digital EOS Rebel, one they don't use, and, most sweetly and fittingly, the one that Ali used to school herself in photography. All I need to get is a lens. Ali is bringing me all of hers to test out before I make a purchase. I'm chompin' at the bit to get started, visiting her blog (and all of its amazing photography) for inspiration.

That Santa . . .

What a Glorious Weekend

My Saturday consisted of a church council half-day meeting which is always pretty intense, but I do love being a part of the church leadership. My mom and I met up to stage the table we're decorating for her church's women's advent tea and dessert. Pix to come! Then after lots of errands, I came home to base camp and had a good hour session of leaf blowing. Like a free therapy session; something cleansing about it.

On Sunday after church, I hosted our new members' lunch, and got to meet some lovely people joining our church family. Then off to Sheepie Day in the Park: Fall Edition. See this picture below. Now imagine the three sheepies here X 20. A sea of grey and white fluff running around. Except Gideon, who started playing and then came to sit down next to me and watch and ponder. You'd think he was 16, not 3. After Sheepie Day we came home to prepare for Monday's Feast at my office. It's the big Thanksgiving meal that we do annually, and it's a big deal!! Pix to come of that too.
For the Feast I made stuffing and my Nana's cranberry salad which is the bomb!! Then a big batch of white chile for when Harleigh comes home this Friday (woot woot!!!).

And this, a tole trash can, is here simply because I love love love it, and am thinking about how I can use it for something other than a trash can.

Cuke water and the never-ending uses for gravy boats

For a wonderfully fresh take on serving a pitcher of water, use cold water and lots of ice, slice about half of a peeled cucumber into the pitcher and let it set for about an hour. You'd think it would be overpowering or fight with the flavors of whatever you're eating, but I find it way better than regular water. I sip it and pretend I'm at a ritzy spa. Don't knock it 'til you try it.

And I love my vintage gravy boats. To use as bowls, eyeglass holders . . . too pretty to keep in the cupboard and pull out just for gravy.

Jalapeno Spread

Well, this really isn't a spread, but whatever the heck you call it, it has become my new holiday staple. The recipe came from co-worker, dear dear friend Molly. She served it as an appetizer at our Feast last year and it was a huge hit. I made a batch last year and a big one this year.

All you do is drain a jar of jalapenos of most of its juice, leaving just a tad. I cut up my jalapenos into smaller pieces but you can keep them sliced. Put the jalapenos and the tad of juice into a bigger jar (you'll need to do this because there is daily stirring to do). Keep refrigerated. Coat the top of the peppers with enough sugar so it's all white, then stir it in. Do this every day. I started my Thanksgiving batch on October 1.

You wind up with this sweet, slightly spicy mixture, that punches a little kick at the end. Put a small dollop onto a Wheat Thin. You can add a little slice of cream cheese too. Super easy to make. And great to put into smaller jars and take as hostess gifts.

Whimsical Colander

Someday when I have a big kitchen with a white-painted exposed-beam ceiling, an eat-at island, and enough counter space to cater a meal for 100, I will definitely have a hanging pot rack. A big one. With lots of aged copper pots hanging from it. In the meantime, here's all I got. I found this little pink colander at the pharmacy and have used it a ton. Just the right size for washing a couple servings of fruit or draining a serving of pasta. And since I use it a lot, I hung it from the plant at the kitchen window. Someday . . .

Tagalong Ding Dong Cupcakes

Tons of leftover cupcakes from the shower this past Saturday (un-iced and with a tub of icing nearby). A bunch of women hanging out in the kitchen. We came up with a new cupcake that is to die for. We call it the Tagalong Ding Dong. Lots of moaning and eye-rolling as we polished off these beauties.

1) a devil's food cupcake

2) spread a layer of creamy peanut butter on top

3) top that with a dollop of Betty Crocker Whipped Fluffy White icing

Valentines at Work for the Girls

This year for all the gals at the office, I tried a new recipe for these flaky biscuit sandwich cookies, with icing centers and sugar sprinkled on top. I nestled a cookie into a glassine sleeve and decorated each one. Put them out this evening for the girls to find tomorrow on their desks. On Valentine's Day everyone deserves to be reminded that they are loved.

The Splendid Table

I usually try to sleep in on Saturday mornings, at least until 9:00. But on the off chance that I am up at 7AM, I am dialed in to Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table on NPR. I love to bake and cook, I love NPR, and I especially adore the way Ms. Kasper talks about food. Her callers are always delightful, well-spoken people who pose the most interesting questions. And the bottom line is, that even the most basic question is answered by Ms. Kasper with such passion, detail . . and a voice "like butta." The other morning she and a caller had a conversation about the best way to fry chicken; I didn't want it to end.

Tune in if you get a chance. Check your local NPR listing; you may not have to wake up at 7:00 on a Saturday morning to hear!

Christmas Cookie are DONE!

As of 10:00 this morning, all the cookies are done! My goal was 48 dozen, but alas I fell short and produced only 45 dozen. My punishment . . . eat cookies!!

And as of 12:30 today, most of the cookies have been delivered to wonderful neighbors. Always watching out for us, always greeting with a smile, a family of sorts.

Here are a few of my Christmas tins. Cookies belong in vintage tins, not tupperware. It's the law here at Chateau Gahan.

Baking: The Best and Cheapest Therapy There Is

I consider today a spa retreat, a much-needed respite. And it all took place in my kitchen. Small as it is. Counter space at a minimum, and I mean a MINIMUM. The picture above is the beginning of the day, setting out all my treasures.

I had begun the Christmas-cookie-baking days ago, but today I tackled it in earnest. Tree lit, Christmas music on the radio, a list of cookies-to-bake a mile long. And the spread before me — measuring cups, spices, flour and sugar, mixing bowls and mixer, wooden spoons — is pure heaven. And that my dear boy, Gideon, keeps me company, makes it all that much more special.Today I made chocolate chip cookies, cheese wafers, hot nuts, macaroons, and Greek cookies. The kitchen smells . . . ahhhhhhhhh. It's as good as any Yankee Candle.

And the best part of the whole day was when I needed some ingredients that I'd run low on. I asked Harleigh — the new driver in the family — to run to the store for me! Gave her a list and some cash, and she came home with what I needed. One of the perks of having your baby grow up.

Cookie Swap

We have such wonderful holiday traditions at my workplace. The Feast starts off the season, then we head into Christmas fun. Tod, our president, gets the biggest tree on the lot. This year it was delivered and put up on the day as our Second Annual Cookie Swap. If anyone is ever looking for a great holiday party idea, the cookie swap is a keeper. Everyone makes at least 4 dozen cookies (we have 31 people on staff). The cookies are divided into two areas: an eating area and a swapping one. Everyone samples whatever cookies they'd like, then heads to the swapping table to fill a box. I get the white bakery boxes from Michael's and have parchment paper on hand for layering.
All cookies are labeled with the type of cookie and who made it. Last year's labels each had a different nutcracker on them. This year, Ashley, my new Traffic Coordinator, was gifted with the task of creating the labels. She chose dogs in Christmas hats; perfect for our canine-friendly work environment.

Recipes are available, printed out and ready for the taking. We have wine, beer, and lots of cold milk. Christmas music plays. It is a festive, filling day.

The Unboundary Feast

The design firm where I work holds an annual Thanksgiving Feast the week before Thanksgiving. It has become one of the most beloved company events that we do. And I have the honor of organizing it every year (two things that I love: organizing and entertaining!). The shindig is pretty much a cookie cutter event, duplicating things we have done successfully over the past 7+ years that we've been having The Feast.

It's a pot luck meal, with employees covering all the standard Thanksgiving fare. And the company buys the ham and turkey. We have favorites that make their appearance year after year, and as new employees join our ranks, new dishes are introduced and added to the annual list of must-haves. In addition to the table as a place to congregate, we've also made a fake fireplace out of foamcore — complete with light-bulb-lit fireplace logs — surrounded by our big leather club chairs. I bring in granny square and colorful ripple afghans from home to throw over the chairs, adding a warm, homey feel to our office space.

My favorite part of the whole thing is that I get to design the table decor. We rent long banquet tables. We have an abundance of these white chairs from Ikea. Our office space is spectacular (a converted train roundhouse) and its sheer size lends itself to doing a long family table. The tablecloths are painter drop cloths which we purchased, cut and sewed to size (same drop cloths I used to make my bedroom curtains). In the past I've done tablescapes using fall themes, but this year I was feeling a connection to home and family. I decided to put to use my own collection of vintage floral tins and go with flowers in all white. Courtney Garvin, one of our designers, has a green thumb, a natural talent for floral design, and access to a wholesale florist. She handles all floral arranging at every Feast. (And as you can see in the one picture, she has also, as of late, been hooked on the PBS series Windsor Castle, where the staff measures the space between table and chair so that everything lines up perfectly.) We usually get a turkey breast, but this year we went with a 20-pound turkey (and you can see we even made the leg frills!) . . . another nod to making the event feel more homey and family.

The tins evoke a sense of going to grandma's. There were lots of comments like "oh I like this one best," that made me think of going to my own Nana's, and my sister and I fighting over which juice glass we'd get or which washcloth was ours for bathtime. The colors of the tins work so beautifully with the white flowers. A very serene feel, perfect for a relaxing meal filled with an overabundance of good food, good company and good conversation. We are blessed.






[Photos courtesy of co-worker and photographer extraordinaire David Naugle]

Please pass the mashed taters

At our house at Thanksgiving we don't pass the food, we pass the plates, which always resulted in lots of "whose plate do I have?" and "do you want gravy on your stuffing?" And so several years ago I made menu cards which now travel with each plate. It's made things easier, but more importantly, gives us something to laugh and talk about. Laughter and chat at the Thanksgiving table . . . for that, we are always thankful. (And thanks to Gretchen at Bird Nest Cottage for the napkins!!). Click on the image to see the card close up.

You'll notice the wording on the question about gravy . . . "Do you wish for gravy on your _______?" Sort of an Old World charm to it. And there's even a space for Special Requests (in my case, to keep the gravy away from the cranberry salad).

Birthday Party

Tonite my family celebrated my and my stepsister Karla's birthdays. My mom (aka Grandie to Harleigh) outdid herself as always. She started us off with homemade paté, yes homemade. To die for. Also homemade (and I'll stop prefacing everything with homemade, since everything she makes is from scratch) crab rangoons. Then for dinner we had pork tenderloin with a heavy-cream and dijon mustard sauce, oven-browned white and sweet potato "fries," and a cold pea, onion and egg salad. And always accompanied by a wonderful selection of wines.

For dessert dear Grandie outdid herself with our favorites: for Karla, pumpkin cheesecake with a ginger snap crust, and for me an apple pie, both with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Harleigh has already put in her birthday dessert order . . . a quiche-sized crème brûlée, all to herself!

Thanks again, Grandie, for a wonderful meal, a wonderful evening.

This won't win me Mother of the Year, but it works . . .

I work full time (actually, now at work with all that we've got going on, it's overly-full time).
I have a 16-year-old daughter who, thankfully, drives now and has her own car. She goes to school, has extra-curricular activities, works out at the gym, takes voice lessons, babysits . . . she's all over the place.
I have a big dog who, rightly so, needs lots of attention.
I have a home, yard, and my own fun projects and interests that keep me busy when I'm not working.

Weekends are our true commitment to mother/daughter time, when we enjoy eating meals together, shopping, going to the movies, lying in bed just talking and laughing. Harleigh is just plain ol' fun to be with and I wouldn't want any remnants of our chaotic and stressful week to creep into OUR weekend time.

One thing that has gotten totally out of whack has been our weekday dinner time. As a meal shared together, it is close to non existent. Which I can deal with. But I really started feeling guilty about us not eating a balanced dinner. Left to her own devices, Harleigh's dinner would consist of a handful of doritos washed down with an energy drink. Mine would be eating corn out a can while standing at the kitchen counter going through the day's mail.

So I went out and bought divided plastic containers. And for the past two weeks have taken an hour on Sunday to make up meals. Neither one of us cares about eating the same thing every night, so I stick to two menus, which makes it really easy. Last week it was black beans/rice/chicken and meatloaf/rice/squash. This week it is salmon/mashed potatoes/cauliflower and broccoli and chicken/mashed potatoes and gravy/green beans. I change the combos around, stick to steaming the veggies, using fat-free gravy, buying fresh fish and chicken . . . the dinners are good for us and taste good too.

Naughty and Nice Salad

I first tried this salad at an office function and loved it. The gal who gave me the recipe called it simply "Broccoli Salad." Well, nothing at Chateau Gahan gets a label or name without a flourish. So I renamed it the Naughty and Nice Salad because it has broccoli and raisins in it (good for you) and bacon, mayo and sugar (bad for you). It is great tasting and easy to make.

Love to open the mailbox . . .

. . . and see a brown cardboard box inside! Got my package in the mail today from A. Bel Emporium . . my first purchase from Amanda's online shop (her blog every little thing is one of my favorites!). Anyways . . . her store has the most fun, kitschy things. This order was for these Bavarian Rose cupcake liners, and she threw in these lemon and strawberry topper picks as a little gift. Stop by her shop and have a look!

Go for it . . .

I've been off work this week, and today kicks off the holiday weekend. Had a hankerin' for French Toast this morning and gonna go for it. We have fireworks this evening and a parade to go to tomorrow morning. I'm hoping that the schedule works out so that I can watch the Boston Pops on TV.

Father's Day Seafood Feast

My stepdad, wonderful Fred aka Poppy, chose today's menu. My mom always entertains with such attention to detail and with such love; it's a joy to eat one of her meals! We feasted on lots and lots of steamed King Crab legs with little pots of warmed drawn butter, cold steamed shrimp with cocktail sauce, fresh calamari in tomato sauce, pasta and potato salads, champagne and mimosas, fresh bread, and a cappuccino cake for dessert. Lots of laughing (and crying — not a bad kind of crying, but the kind usually coming about as a result of a story told, a memory retold . . . we're a very emotionally raw family, not afraid to be ourselves and embrace each others' sufferings and happiness with equal empathy). Ate 'til we were happily full and then Fred opened gifts. Happy Father's Day, Poppy!

Caesar Salad

My family's caesar salad recipe is the bomb. I served it a week ago when out-of-town friends came in. When I asked "anchovies or not?" I got a resounding "I don't care. Either" which was music to my ears. As far as I'm concerned, anchovies are what make a caesar salad THE BEST SALAD. I wouldn't eat anchovies on anything else, mind you, and so when I make this salad I do cut them up really really tiny and also mash them into the wooden bowl to infuse the salty taste. I made a huge bowl for 5 people and we ate our salads off of dinner plates and there was none left . . . enough said.

The Don and Joy Caesar Salad Extraordinaire — Must be used with a wooden bowl. Why? Just because. And I use a wooden spoon just because it feels like I'm in Italy and that's part of creating the mood!
(and of course, with a typical family recipe, there are no real measurements; it's all a matter of sticking your finger, rather unhygienically, into the bowl to taste)

- Rub garlic powder into a wooden bowl
- Add 4 tablespoons of oil (I use canola oil)
- Add one cap of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parboil one egg, add to liquids and stir (in many restaurants this portion of the recipe has gone away because of the danger of using raw egg; hence, this parboiled version should ease any fears yet still impart the same great taste. I parboil by placing an egg in cold water, bringing it to a boil, turning off the burner, covering it and letting it set for 3 minutes. The result should be a runny yolk and a watery but set egg white)
- One whole can of anchovies. Take one half of the can and cut up fine and rub in the bowl. Take the other half, cut up finely and mix in with the greens.
- parmesan cheese (I always grate fresh; big difference)
- romaine lettuce
- croutons (I never even use these because to me it's like putting steak sauce on a great steak. Not necessary. But if you feel inclined, go for it. Personally, I'd rather serve the salad with a wonderful bread.)