Spicy Gingerbread Cookies

I love gingerbread. I love ginger snaps. I love ginger anything, really, including redheads.

I especially like them if they have a little oomph.

It was nearly a decade ago that I discovered my spicy gingerbread recipe, and I’ve made it every year since. It’s not for everyone; it has a kick, by which I mean it kicks you in the back of the throat. It lingers on the palate. It goes really well with ice cold milk or a glass of eggnog.

I wouldn’t waste this recipe on a gingerbread house. I would try this mix of spices in other ginger recipes–molasses cookies, maybe, or a classic gingerbread loaf.

Thanksgiving in a Bun: The Tur-Keyed Up Burger

When naming this burger, we took a family vote. It had to be something punny, being that we’re all huge Bob’s Burgers fans (yes, even my four-year-old loves it because she loves Louise, which is probably a problem…) but I was the only one coming up with any puns so we only had two options. “The Jive Turkey Burger” and “The Tur-Keyed Up Burger”.

Tur-Keyed Up won by a landslide, whether my kids understood it or not.

Candied Yam Dinner Rolls

I once read that the average Thanksgiving table boasts seven side dishes. SEVEN! At first I thought that number must be inaccurate but then I counted up my family’s favorites:

• Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Candied Yams
• Scalloped Corn
• Apple Salad
• Green Bean Casserole
• Cranberry Sauce
• Rolls

That’s eight. Plus turkey and a number of pies.

When we gather in large numbers, we have to have them all. Each one is somebody’s favorite except maybe the green beans, but if they go then another green vegetable replaces them, if only on principle.

When we’re a smaller group, I’m always looking for dishes to nix. Rolls and yams are usually first on my chopping block, but my family always wrestles them back onto the table.

So I thought I’d try a different tactic: I’d combine them.

My Number One Tip for a Tender Pie Crust

For years, the one thing I couldn’t bake successfully was pie crust.

I made angel food cake that was like eating sweet clouds. I rolled and folded and rose danish pastry like a pro. I could make cream puffs in my sleep. I even mastered French macarons.

But pie crust still eluded me.

My Thanksgiving Binder (and How to Make Your Own!)

I love to cook. I love to chop and peel and knead and whisk–if there’s a menial kitchen task that most people delegate to an appliance or the processed food companies, I probably enjoy doing it by hand.

Not every day, of course. I have a food processor and a blender and a garlic press for everyday use. I use my KitchenAid mixer so much I’ve worn out several paddle attachments and one dough hook. I am no stranger to frozen pizzas and canned chili. These things help me (and my family) survive.

But every once in a while, an occasion calls for some serious cooking–and I actually have the time to do it. These are my favorite days.

That’s why I love Thanksgiving.

Support the Blog! Buy a Mug!

Everybody needs mugs, right? To drink their coffee from, to put their pencils in, to fill with bourbon when they need a drink before five…

And this mug is special. This mug is shiny. This mug features a cute literary quote (Louisa May Alcott, Little Women). It holds eleven ounces of liquid and though you can’t microwave it (there’s metal in the paint) you can totally put it in the dishwasher. It’s lightweight, it’s unique, and it also makes julienne fries.

Okay it doesn’t make fries. But proceeds from sales of these mugs will help me fund this blog. They’ll help pay for my domain name and the lovely website that WordPress provides. If I sell enough of them, they’ll help me create more fun content by paying for things like art supplies and costuming for some fun videos I’ve been brainstorming.

So buy one for yourself or for your coworker who really loves reading! Buy one for your mom, your dad, your grandma, your babysitter.

Of course, shipping a mug is pricey, thus the $20 price tag. If you can’t swing that but still want to support the blog, I’ve got other items for sale on my Etsy shop, including printable art and vintage books.

Anything helps!

Garlicky Veggie Stew with Rice

I have to admit something: I’m not great about eating my veggies. I make my kids eat them, sure, but too often I don’t eat my own. It’s easier than it sounds–I don’t eat breakfast until my kids are at school, and they’re usually away for lunch, too. At dinner, I’ll eat a kid-size serving of whatever veggie I’m serving but it isn’t nearly enough.

Writing Exercise: Pie and Whiskey

I’ve been reading Pie and Whiskey, a collection of short stories, essays, poems, and recipes. (The pie crust recipe is spot on, by the way; Kate Lebo knows her stuff.) The creative work in the book comes from a wide variety of authors and covers a wide variety of subjects, but one thing strings them all together (well, two things):

Pie and whiskey.

So, having read a couple dozen short pieces in the past few days, filled with pie-makers and whiskey-drinkers, I’ve got pie and whiskey on the brain. So that’s this week’s prompt. Pie and whiskey. Wherever it takes you.

Here’s mine.

Anniversary Cherry Pie

Tomorrow is my twelfth wedding anniversary. It doesn’t seem possible, but I’ve done the math. Twelve years of marriage. Holy cow.

Originally, I was going to call this “Apology Cherry Pie,” because when I saw the cherries at the grocery store, I thought a pie would be a good way to tell my husband I was sorry for the fight I started last night.