Bake-n-Blog and My "Kitchen Sink" Stirfry

Kelly @ JAX Does Design is hosting a Bake-n-Blog: Holiday Edition I've never been a part of something like this before as I'm still pretty "fresh" to the Blogging Community so I am totally excited to be participating and am looking forward to the Big Blog on Dec 1.  I'm in for "Pummies" from Cindy @ Bandaids Required which are a pumpkin based cookie that you can make with one of three variations. Personally, I just can't get enough pumpkin! Check out Kelly's Blog for all the details and to join in the fun!

Tonight's meal was "kitchen sink" beef stirfry - it really has everything in it. It's a meal that has no recipe per say and one that both my husband and I have been tweaking and perfecting since we moved in together 12 years ago. We both have our own spin on it, my usual rendition is Beef, Matchstick Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas, Julienned Zucchini, Sliced Mushrooms, Sliced Red Bell Pepper in a blend of sauces including:Terriyaki Sauce, Fish Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Szechuan Sauce, Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Liquid Honey, then add Garlic, Black Pepper, and Chinese 5 Spice. You marinate the meat in the sauce for a couple hours. Put veggies in a hot wok with vegetable oil. Stir quickly for about 3 minutes, then add about 1 TBS of water and cover with lid. Steam for 2 minutes, then scoop a "well" in the middle of the veggies and pour in meat and sauce. Continue to stir and fry until meat is medium rare. Serve over hot cooked rice or noodles and top with chopped green onions. SO flavourful and colourful! 

It has always been a staple in our home and it has been fun experimenting with different combinations of sauces and veggies over the years- give it a try and see what you come up with! 

No Cream Creamy Chickpea Soup with Parmesan Croutons and Cookie Exchange Recipes

A super creamy and filling soup. It reminded me of yellow pea soup - very hearty and perfect for a crisp autumn day. This was the first time I ever made croutons and I knew in my heart that they were easy to make, but now I know that they are and they taste SO much better than the rock hard store bought  ones. My son even ate most of his soup which made me happy because it was full on nothing but good things. I will have this soup on the menu again for sure! 

Go to Recipe!

 

I also whipped up test batches of 2 out of the 3 cookies that I will be making for Christmas cookie exchanges this year. The first up was Red Velvet Cakeys with White Chocolate Chunks from NibbleDish.com. Very yummy and "cake-like". Honestly my husband can't stop eating them (which helps my waistline). I made them just as the recipe says. For the exchange I am going to 'up" the red food colouring just a bit, they just weren't red enough for my liking. DELICIOUS though! 

 

Next up was Egg Nog Cookies from Kicked Up Cookie Recipes. I decided to be daring and switched out the Vanilla for Spiced Rum and HELLO! These turned out AH-MAZING! They are light, almost shortbread-like and not too sweet. You can just get a hint of the creamy egg nog and the subtle kick of rum. I think these too will be a hit.

  

The last cookie that I will be making this year for a cookie exchange is one of my fave standbys Soft Gingersnaps. Easy to make, quick to eat and the recipe makes a nice big batch. 

So there you have my 3 cookie recipes that I'll be making for my 3 Christmas Exchanges this year - I am SO glad that the test batches worked out and I can move onto the serious batches, because well, these ones are already gone... 

50 days to go...

A bonus Holiday post from me today because today marks 50 days until Christmas. I recently read a wonderful article full of useful tips to make this year as stress free as possible. This article is found on the Everything Mom Site (which might I add is an AMAZING site for so many reasons... go see what I mean!) 

This particular article is called Lifehacks: 15 Tips and Tricks for a Stress-free Holiday Season and is filled with some amazingly easy tricks that we can practice to help us all keep a teensy piece of our sanity.

Now I'm off to buy a case of wine...

Ready or not - here they come!

As today is October 24th I am posting a bonus holiday note because we have 1 week until Halloween, 1 month to American Thanksgiving and 2 months to Christmas. It is a busy time of year to be sure, so if you haven't already, now is a good time to start organizing yourself/family/home. Here are some good holiday tips and fun bits...

Halloween...

Have you ever "Boo'd" or been "Boo'd" yourself? I haven't, but I love this idea and I think it is a cute way to share some neighbourly cheer and spread some Halloween style fun - so I may just start this on our street. 

"Choose a decorated bag, or decorate one with Halloween or fall decor. Every Boo bag must include a sign that the recipient can hang in the window or door to let everyone know they’ve already been Boo’d. The bags should also include a Halloween Boo poem. These notes explain to the recipients that they

- Have been Boo’d

- Are to choose a friend or two to Boo

- Need to include treats, notes and a sign in each bag

- Should be sneaky when leaving it at their friends’ doors."

Check out: A Friendly Boo or Halloween Boo

Thanksgiving... 

Need a tasty alternative to the standard Pumpkin Pie? Go no further than Sugar and Shimmer. She has two wonderful alternatives to the standard pie; Crustless Pumpkin Pie and Oats'n'Honey Granola Pie or you can always check out one of my fave recipes Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake. If you are on the market for something quite different, a delicious Apple Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is comforting and just might be what you are looking for.

Christmas...

A great way to set things in the right direction for Christmas is to make yourself a holiday binder. Organized Christmas has all the Planner Printables and instructions that you need to get yourself started. Now is a great time to start this project - it will give you plenty of time to fill in the blanks and get ready and hey, while you are making yours, why not make Holiday Binders for your friends to give as gifts?   

Do you always find yourself scampering around last minute? Try joining the online Rudolph Club- your once a month meeting prep group for all things Christmas. You can sign up at any time and they meet every "Rudolf Day" (25th of the month) and chip away at their lists throughout the whole year. Never too early to look at 2011!

While you are on the Organized Christmas website, check out the Magic Elf Tradition.  Santa sends one of his elves to watch over your kiddies to ensure they are good. While the elf is in your home, you never know where this elf may turn up or what little pranks they may play. You can purchase Elf Stuffed Toys at Amazon.com then go to the Printables Section to print up your own Elf File. Or you can find "Elf on the Shelf" kits at Chapters/Indigo Books, Amazon.com, or in fine Toy Stores.

Well, I hope these little tidbits "uped" your Holiday Spirit and got you in the mood... It's gonna be a busy couple months full of tradition, fun, family, good food, games... so feel free to drop me a line with any ideas that you have to get you through the holidays or any family traditions that you want to share.

100 Days to Christmas!

I thought I'd share with you that September 16th marks exactly 100 days to Christmas! (Scary I know - I just started thinking about Halloween for goodness sakes!) 

Like most Moms, every year I vow to be prepared for this holiday WELL ahead of time and on the ball... not running like a mad woman 1 week before the big day, feeling like it just magically "popped up" out of nowhere and wondering how the heck it snuck up on me AGAIN! (like I do every year)

I think this day marks a good starting point to get the lists started.

Check out 100 days to christmas for inspiration to get this holiday season started off on the right foot!!