Christmas Thyme

The Christmas season is upon us. Its time for the ovens to be dusted off. The cookie cutters to be found and way to much sugar to be consumed. I have great memories of this holiday. Though with every gathering there is always downfalls. One, holiday music I just don't get the hype about Christmas songs. But I diverse since this is about food and not music. Which side note I know nothing about music so that should make you glad this is about food. The last post I mentioned making cookies every Christmas with my family and what great memories I have of doing that. Now that I'm older I don't get the Great Cookie Swap. 

This is how it goes down. I spend one Saturday baking at least three types of cookies. Usually chocolate chip. Sometimes it is done with family or friends other times it's done alone. My co workers and friends do the same. Then I give away the cookies I baked and get cookies everyone else makes. Down side to this little cookie swap, you may not like the cookies the other person makes, you can't eat the cookies you worked so hard on, the other person may not know how to cook, and always you eat way too many cookies. Don't get me wrong I love cookies but why and when did cookie exchanging become such a huge part of this season. Also why don't people exchange things they enjoy cooking? If I like to make jam or biscuits why can't I give those to my neighbor? The whole cookie aspect is just odd to me. 

I'm going to answer my own question. "The earliest examples of Christmas cookies in the United States were brought by the Dutch in the early 17th century. Due to a wide range of cheap imported products from Germany between 1871 and 1906 following a change to importation laws, cookie cutters became available in American markets. These imported cookies cutters often depicted highly stylized images with subjects designed to hang on Christmas trees. Due to the availability of these utensils, recipes began to appear in cookbooks designed to use them. In the early 20th century, U.S, merchants were also importing decorated lebkuchen cookies from Germany to be used as presents." This little glimpse into our past comes to you by Wikipedia. Which may not always be the best source of accurate information but I'm going to go with no one lied about where Christmas 

Cookies came from so that Europe could look good. So thanks Europe for our Christmas tradition. No matter how I feel about swapping cookies at least they are better than fruit cake. No one can make that stuff taste good. 

Well, I hope you all have a merry Christmas and you enjoy those cookies. 

Party for 1

Have you ever had to use the dreaded words, party of one when you go out to eat? I know I haven't because of one reason. I refuse to eat out alone. This may sound ridiculous but is true, I have never even been to a drive through alone. I think the closest thing I have done is grabbed a smoothie. It was horrible. I don't know what it is I just feel like people are judging me. I want to scream at them, I'm married I just wanted to grab a drink after work before I head home. Even though if I had heard someone else say that statement, I would judge them even more than before. Maybe it's just me that my mind goes a million miles and can make up a story on the spot but due to that and probably my fear of being alone I have never eaten alone.

Due to this personal fact I eat at home a lot. Have you ever wanted something fancier than buttered pasta but feel silly making it because your eating by yourself? You may be thinking what does she know she just admitted she was married, well that is true but my husband also works nights so I do dinner for one a lot. The thing is even if I want something fancy it's hard to find a recipe that only makes for one.

The other night I was in just this predicament. Last month was my birthday and my mom got me individual serving dishes. Which means I can make small versions of anything that cooks in a casserole dish. I looked in my cupboards and found left over lasagna noodles, marinara and some cheese. So I made an individual lasagna. It only took two lasagna noodles which was nice and simple. Just like any lasagna it was noodle, marinara, and some ricotta. Then fold the second half of the noodle on top and do it all over again. End with the cheese on top then bake so it gets nice and browned. It is a perfect size for just one or if you have multiple dishes to bake in I think it would look nice for a party as well. Everyone gets their own dish. So no matter if it's just you or multiple people fancy food can be possible.

Bread is better

Last week I decided to take a break since it was thanksgiving. And with the holiday season upon us cooking is essential. So to start off my holiday cooking I made a few types of bread. Cheddar biscuits, honey oat rolls, artisan loaf and a simple butter roll. The thing I am finding about breads is there are so many types. Growing up it was either white or wheat. But with cooking you get to see how many hundred types of bread there is. With the different types of bread they are all made differently. Biscuits don't use yeast so you don't have to wait for the dough to rise. Rolls on the other hand usually use yeast. With that it can take anywhere from an hour to overnight before you can cook it. Plus you can add amazing add ins; cheese, herbs, oats, even cranberries. Artisan bread you let rise but unlike rolls that you have to separate into individual pieces artisan bread just gets dumped in the pot and cooks whole.

With my food in hand we braved LA traffic to be with family. Even though by the end of thanksgiving there was no bread left over I left happy. It's one of those bitter sweet moments. Bitter because I wanted more and sweet to know everyone enjoyed them. With this happy feeling in me I go on to face my next holiday. Christmas, I hope by the end of December I can bring you some great holiday treats that don't in tale sugar cookies decorated with frosting. Not to rag on sugar cookies one of my favorite memories as a child is going to my grandmas with all my cousins and aunts and my grandma has sugar cookies for us to decorate. She would make frosting and have every type of candy ready for us to use. It was so much fun. As an adult the end product would be way to much of a sugar high. This season lets try to get some new treats on our table.