2011 Holiday Gift Guide: Food Edition

These are sure to be a hit for your favorite foodie and also make a good hostess gift for the many holiday parties you'll be attending.  I'm putting these at the top of my list for Santa this year!

Clockwise:
Chocolate Croissants from Williams Sonoma
Pistachio and Almond Nougat
Dulce de Leche Alfajores from Dulce Caramel Co.
Foodzie Artisian Beef Jerky Tasting Box

Thanksgiving holiday recap

Lots of good food

Turkey Olympics with family

And more good food

Hope you had a great weekend!

Your cuteness for the day

Best video ever!  Of course owls shouldn't be pets but I just want to pet one!!!

Favorite Friday Recipe: BBQ Pork (Char Siew)

BBQ Pork (also known as Char Siew) is one of my all time favorites.  It's great on its own, in fried rice or noodles and in baked or steamed buns.  We are lucky to have a local Chinese restaurant that makes amazing char siew, but lately B has been itching to try out a recipe using his grill.  He found this great one on Rasa Malaysia and followed it to a T.  I was out of town when B was at the Asian Market getting all the ingredients which ended up being funny because I told him to just get a jar of "char siew" sauce (they have it prepacked and you just add a bit of honey and more spices to your taste).  Instead, I came home and saw all these bottles on the kitchen counter!  Still, the homemade sauce was great.  We're trying to figure out how and where to buy the best pork (the fat/meat ratio has to be just right) but otherwise I think we've got a good thing going here.  More practice to come!

Wishlist Wednesday: Holiday Cards

It's that time of the year to pick out holiday cards!  Here are some of my etsy favorites:

Clockwise: Rudolph the Dachshund; They Don't Like Your Gift; Gingerbread Man; Tessellated Pine

And probably my favorite of all:  Rudolph in a Blizzard

Vintage Monday: Modern Star bowls

Found more Modern Star bowls to add to my collection!  Perfect for dessert or snacks and the upcoming holiday season!

Favorite Friday Recipe: Fried noodles

Fried noodles can probably be more commonly found in Asia than fried rice.  Taking advantage of my mom's visit, I badgered her into making some of my favorite dishes so I could study and learn from her.  Unfortunately my mom isn't into exact ingredients and measuring (like mother like daughter) so I'd turn around and she was throwing in yet another ingredient in an unmeasured quantity into the wok.  It all works though, just like fried rice, where you rummage in your fridge for ingredients and come up with a scrumptious one pot meal.  Here are the directions as best as I can remember them--remember, half the fun is in winging it! :)

Chinese fried noodles

Ingredients:

• Noodles (I prefer Hong Kong style noodles, either frozen or packaged)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  
• Meat such as shrimp, chicken,  pork or tofu
• Half a head of small cabbage, shredded
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
• Lots of beansprouts (absolutely necessary in my opinion)
• Sliced mushrooms
• 3-4 green/spring onions, cut into 2 inch pieces
• Dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt

Directions:

• Boil water and place noodles in there for a few minutes, then rinse in cold water while awaiting frying
• Put oil in your wok and fry garlic till fragrant
• Add your choice of meat and cook till almost done
• Add in carrots and cabbage
• At this point, add in some oyster sauce to taste
• Bean sprouts and mushrooms go in next
• When vegetables are about done, add in noodles and get your arm workout of the day mixing it all up
• Spring/green onions go in last 
• Then add dark soy sauce (2 parts) to soy sauce (1 part) to sesame oil (1/2 a part).  Add salt as well.  Keep adding until you like what you taste and you're done!

Wishlist Wednesday: Baby Giraffe

How could you resist this little fella?

Vintage Monday: Linen folk print tablecloth

Picked up this brightly colored tablecloth while in Cincinnati.  Love the primary colors and the folk print makes me laugh.  I want B to help me reenact the couple holding the pot full of flowers.  We just have to find a willing rooster next...

Favorite Friday Recipe: Tuna burger

Like canceled tv shows, B and I seem to have a talent for choosing favorite restaurants that then close (also friends that will eventually move out of town so if you're a friend of ours right now, watch out!).  Fuegos (RIP) was one of B's favorite California-Mexican restaurants and their best item was their tuna burger.  Recently, we tried to recreate it, and with surprising success!  It was pretty simple to put together--B grilled the tuna steak, and then we added it to a bun topped with tomatoes and spourts.  The secret ingredient is fresh tarter sauce spiked with some freshly chopped jalapenos.  Enjoy!

Wishlist Wednesday: Blue birds

Via etsy: (clockwise) 

Wool felt blue bird

Porcelain pair of bluebirds

Baby blue crochet bird

Stuffed blue bird