Happy Thursday! It has been quite the crafting week over here in Ft. Greene.  We have the 3^rd annual celebration of Daily Candy’s Start Small Go Big contest next week, where we’ll be donating DIY gifts to the winners and it’s my stepsister, Ruthie's baby shower this weekend.  I’ve been braiding, measuring, cutting, and folding over here like there is no tomorrow.  I’ve also been cleaning because my mom and stepdad arrive today from Indianapolis (and you know how parents are when they come to NY for a visit…everything must be spotless).  I love it when my family comes to town.  This trip will be a relatively short one, so we’ll be jam-packing our favorite activities (i.e. shopping and eating) into just a couple of days. Ruthie and I are planning on taking them to Romans in my neighborhood for a little homemade pasta and salted chocolate sorbet and over to Henry’s End in Ruthie’s hood for a bit of fresh fish and turtle soup.

We’ll also be cooking up a storm for the baby shower.  I’ll be making pickled okra to put on the cheese and charcuterie plate like this one.

And these two crostini recipes that I grabbed from Smitten Kitchen.
 

as well as Thai chicken skewers with peanut dipping sauce and coconut shortbread cookies.

We’re also having a magnificent cake made by Sam.  Here is the cake Ruth got for her gender announcing party. It's a work of art, right?!
 

But before all of the cooking begins, my mom and I are going out to dinner tonight in the city.  Being the eldest of my three sisters and one of five out of my stepsiblings, I cherish the rare moments I get with just my mom and me. 

Photo: We took this at our old haunt, Lakeside, during one of my mom's visits almost five years ago! 

She usually spends this time cramming in as many lectures as humanly possible, but I really don’t mind all that much. She is annoyingly right almost all of the time and I like knowing that she would never dare let me make a decision without forcing me to look at it from every angle possible.  Did I mention that she is a psychologist?;) 

What are your visits like with your parents? Are you close with your mom?

xo,

stephania

Ten years ago during my freshman year at IU, I landed myself a pretty rad group of friends.  They are all creative in their own right: Kate with her tedious knitting projects, Emily is a genius in the kitchen always able to pull together a seemingly empty fridge into a magnificent meal, and Colleen with her ever so quirky crafting projects that always turn out just as she planned.  They are also all vegetarian, which coming from a Greek family was just simply not how I grew up.  Our meals always included lamb or chicken or steak or some kind of fish.  I remember my sister, Hillary, trying to go vegetarian as some warped diet plan, which lasted for exactly three days at which point she broke down and dived into a crispy BBQ chicken leg.  I’m not sure that I even had a true vegetarian meal (unless if you count grilled cheese) until I met my veggie friends at IU.

Now, ten years later we are all still dear friends and I have a handful of scrumptious vegetarian recipes, a new found love and appreciation for leafy greens, and at least twice as many recipes that can easily be cooked to suit everyone’s needs and preferences.  We certainly have come a long way.  We’re also all turning 30 this year. A birthday that feels strangely monumental.  The four of us are planning a trip to celebrate and embrace the wisdom we have gained since the day we met, our few (only a few) grey hairs, perhaps our teeny tiny wrinkles around our eyes, and the love and support that we have grown to depend on over the last decade.  We’re currently debating between a cruise, Mexico City, and Puerto Rico.  If you have any suggestions do let us know!

 In the meantime, here is one my favorite dishes that can be amended to please the meat eaters and the vegetarians in your life.

Linguine with Purple Kale and Hot Italian Sausage
by stephania stanley

What you need:       

• 1 lb linguine
• 1 bundle of purple kale, rinsed thoroughly and roughly chopped (stems discarded)
• 1/3 cups olive oil
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 oz feta, crumbled
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan
• 3 Hot Italian sausages (omit for vegetarians, obviously)
• salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic slices and pan fry until they are golden brown.  Watch them closely; They tend to burn rather quickly after they begin to brown.  Using a slotted spoon remove the garlic chips and place them on a paper towel.  Set aside.  Add chopped kale to the same pan, add a dash or two of salt and pepper.  Sauté for about 10 minutes or until greens are tender.

Cook the pasta according the directions on the box.  Make sure to save the starchy water when the pasta is ready to be strained.  Cook the Italian sausages in a separate pan at medium-high heat.  Break them up with a spatula or a knife and fork so that they become ground meat.

Once everything is cooked, combine the pasta, ground Italian sausage, and kale into a large bowl.  Add about 1/3 cup of starchy water, feta, and Parmesan.  OR separate ingredients as needed into two separate bowls if you’re feeding vegetarians.  Stir to mix.  Top with garlic chips and serve!

Jeanette's Healthy Living: Kale Kimchi
Bacon and Souffle: Roasted Carrot Salad With Baby Kale
From My Corner of Saratoga: Pork, Kale and White Bean Soup
Feed My Phoebe: Kale Salad With Bagna Cauda Vinaigrette
Cooking With Elise: Risotto With Tuscan Kale
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Kale and Rainbow Chard Salad With Peaches, Blackberries and Pine Nuts
Thursday Night Dinner: Linguine With Purple Kale and Italian Sausage
FN Dish: The Rise of the Kale Chip

Ok, you all. This is my new obsession!

Ever since our lovely contributor Jana wrote about "The Wonders" of coconut oil and it's deliciousness and magic powers (ok, at least I like to think of it as magic), I've been hearing lots of great things about it, or at least noticing people talking about it. As Jana notes in her post, "Dr. Jon Kabara, professor emeritus at Michigan State, states that coconut oil was recognized for its “extraordinary health properties” 4,000 years ago by the Ayurveda medicinal community in ancient India. " But us westerners have probably been scared of its high saturated fat content. But, like avocado, coconut oil is one of those "good fats" that we're allowed to have, and that may even have very beneficial properties for us.

Last week my dad was telling me about a woman at his work who's husband was exhibiting severe signs of early onset dementia. She had read something about coconut oil and its association with mental and physical well-being. Apparently, she's had her husband on a regimen of a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil a couple of times a day and within a matter of months, she swears he's nearly back to normal.....I don't know. I might just believe in it's magic. Ok, and if it's not magic, it is delicious, and after trying it in mashed sweet potatoes, I don't think the eating portion of my life will ever be the same. It adds just a hint of coconut flavor that goes so perfectly with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. I added a touch of brown sugar to mine, but honestly, they didn't even need it. What a simple, healthly and totally yummy side dish. My mind is reeling with Thanksgiving side dish ideas...

Enjoy!

xo,

colleen

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Oil
by colleen reilly

What you need:       

• 2 large sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and diced into 1"x 1" cubes
• 1 heaping tbsp coconut oil (I got mine at Trader Joe's. And I like the unrefined kind that tastes like coconut. Even my husband who doesn't really like coconut thought these potatoes were delicious)
• 1/4 cup milk (almond milk would be a good, vegan alternative and probably quite yummy)
• Brown sugar, optional

What you do:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Dump in potato cubes and boil until fork tender, about 20-22 minutes. Drain potato cubes and return to pot. Spoon in coconut oil and begin to mash potatoes with a masher or wooden spoon while you slowly add the milk. Add more or less depending on the consistency you like. Serve potatoes into bowls and sprinkle with brown sugar if you like. I served this with a side of Brussels sprouts and vegetarian fake chicken. YUM!

Serves 4-6.

It's no secret that I love beets and everything about them. Most weeks, I roast a few beets and take them for lunch and eat them for dinner, so I'm always looking for new ways to use them. Now, this soup makes me feel like I'm cheating big time...Ok, I am cheating big time. But, hey, we're all busy and I love super simple meals to which I can add my own little touch. This recipe gives a little boost to a ready-made soup and I'm excited to eat it for leftovers all week long (it'll be all up to me because my husband won't touch anything with beets in it).

Enjoy! 

xo,

colleen

Beet Carrot Cashew Ginger Soup
by Colleen

What you need:             

• 1 medium roasted beet
• Olive oil
• 1 12 oz container of ready-made carrot cashew ginger soup (I used Pacific brand)
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Dash of hot sauce (I suggest Cholula)
• Walnuts or cashews for garnish

What you do:

Preheat oven to 365 degrees F. Cut off beet greens from medium sized beet. Place beet inside a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap beet in foil and place on a cookie sheet in the oven. Roast beet for 45 min-1.5 hours. Begin checking beet at 45 minutes. Remove from oven and poke with a fork. When the beet is tender, it' ready to be removed from the oven.

When the beet is ready, remove from oven, unwrap and allow to cool slightly. When it's cooled enough that it can be handled, peel beet with your fingers or a pairing knife. I wear kitchen gloves to keep my fingers clean.

Cut beet into chunks and place in blender. Add soup and puree until smooth and it becomes this beautiful reddish pink color. If you aren't sure you want the whole beet in the soup, add just a bit at a time and puree and taste as you go.

Pour pureed mixture into a pot and heat thoroughly over medium-low heat. Add pepper and hot sauce to taste. When heated, ladle into a bowl and garnish with walnuts or cashews.  Serve with warm, crusty baguette slices smothered with goat cheese. Yum!

New York goes big when it comes to Christmas. From no-expense-spared department store windows to the Rockefeller Center tree, NYC takes the business of Christmas seriously. For those of us who live here, however, fighting yuletide gridlock and attempting to cram Christmas trees in tiny apartments can make the holiday feel a little forced. So it was a huge relief when I strolled through the Flower District and found some affordable and inspiring holiday décor that will help even the tiniest space get in the spirit.

If you can’t fit a tree, these ready-made swags can be hung on your walls or your door and still bring the smell of spruce to your home.

Think potted plants are just for spring and summer? Think again! Treat yourself to a lasting holiday arrangement like these amaryllises and paperwhites.

I love the rustic wooden boxes that these paperwhites were being sold in (the whole arrangement for $15)!

Branches have staying power and make beautiful additions to arrangements/centerpieces:

Still worried that flowers might not last?  These dried arrangements are a great alternative. I even love the brown paper wrapping—it’s a great way of dressing up a bouquet to bring to a friend.

Birch is classic and beautiful.  If you don’t have a working fireplace, filling it with birch logs is a beautiful way of using the space.  I also love working with birch accessories.

                                                                                                          Photo: BHLDN

Don’t forget your ribbon!  Those disposable sticky bows are the pits! Presents feel extra-special when wrapped in ribbon.  Whether your Christmas is white or blue, the flower market has beautiful shades to choose from.

You don’t have to live in New York to find decorations like these. Support your local florists and art supply stores to create your own DIY holiday spirit. Don’t lose heart if you have a limited budget. Simplicity is elegant, and little touches from the heart say a lot more than overdone decorations. My sister recently made me this tiny arrangement of one parrot tulip and two sprigs of holly berries. For me, a million dollar arrangement couldn’t have been more perfect.

• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 cardamom pods, bruised using the side of a knife
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 allspice berries
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus more for garnish
• 1 bottle (3 cups) fruity red wine (we used Merlot)
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cranberry juice

What to do:

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.  Cook tortellini according to the directions on the packages.  Take out a large skillet and melt the butter over medium heat.  Next add the onion and garlic and sauté for five minutes.  Add the flour and after a minute pour in the milk into the pan.  Add nutmeg, cinnamon, all spice, salt, and pepper.  Stir with a whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes so that it begins to thicken.  Add the pumpkin puree and tortellini to the pan and stir to mix.

Remove from heat and transfer tortellini mix to a 13 x 9”baking pan.  Cover with 8 ounces of shaved parmesan.  Bake for ten minutes and enjoy!

Serves 6-8.

What you need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter (softened)
• 2 tbs milk

•  2 lbs butternut squash, peeled seeded, and cubed
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup flour (or as much as ou need to form the dough)