Merry Christmas with Love

Christmas has been quite peaceful this year for Alex and I. Last weekend we celebrated the holiday at our next door neighbors' house. The night was full of tacky holiday garb (see pictures below), food & drinks, music & charades and also a White Elephant/Dirty Santa gift exchange. We've been truly blessed to have moved in next door to such a great couple. I always hoped that I would be good friends with my next door neighbors once I had a house. 

Earlier this week we drove up to Cincinnati to spend a couple days with the Harshman side of Alex's family. I finally made the bourbon balls and gave them to the family as a little mini gift and token of our love. We also had our third annual Christmas gathering at the Cock and Bull Restaurant & Pub with Alex's immediate family and my parents. It gives me such a warm happy feeling to see Alex's family and mine conversing and enjoying each others' company. 

Lighted Message on a Building off I-75

It was a peaceful mid-week getaway and an early Christmas celebration. While we were in Cincinnati Alex and I also picked up our Christmas present. Well, we really decided that this year we wouldn't do Christmas presents, but instead we would buy a piece of bedroom furniture. You know you're getting old when that happens... It's a nice change of pace around the holiday and I think it's taken more of our focus off of the gifts and put it into the meaning for the season and the spirit of the holiday.

Bourbon Balls

Bourbon Balls from the Flavors of Kentucky Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chopped pecans

• 4 tablespoons bourbon

• 1 stick butter, softened

• 1 pound powdered sugar

• 14 oz. package chocolate-flavored candy melts (or you can use semi-sweet chocolate chips & shortening)

Directions:

• Combine the pecans and bourbon in a bowl. Refrigerate, to allow the flavors to blend, for 3 hours or overnight.   

• Cream the butter and the powdered sugar using an electric mixer. Add the pecan mixture. Roll the mixture into small balls and chill.

• Melt the candy melts in the microwave according to the package directions. Dip the balls in the melted chocolate using a fork. Place the balls on waxed paper to harden. Top each candy with a pecan half while the chocolate is still wet (I skipped this step!). 

Wednesday evening we finished putting together the dresser as Karleya and Bryan arrived in town. They were on their way down to spend Christmas in Asheville with the rest of the Sommer Family. We munched on Christmas cookies that Karleya had made and also had bacon-wrapped dates. Yummmm... 

Bacon-Wrapped Dates adapted from a recipe in The Best 1001 Short, Easy Recipes Cookbook
Ingredients:

• 1 package of dates

• 1 package of bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with foil. Turn up the sides of the foil to catch the grease from the bacon.

1. Cut the bacon into halves or even thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around the date. Place it with the seam down on the foil. Continue wrapping dates until you reach the amount of appetizers you would like. (You can base this on how many dates are in a bag).

1. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip halfway through. Bake until bacon is done. Drain and serve hot. 

Thursday morning I made a pastry for breakfast and we had a lazy morning. I'm thankful to have had the chance to see Karleya and Bryan for the short visit even though I would've loved to have had more time with them. Alex worked for the rest of the day while I got in a little Christmas shopping and present wrapping. 

Yummy Breakfast Pastry from Seasoned to Taste: City of Chattanooga Official Cookbook 

Ingredients:

• 1 (12-count) can refrigerated original breadsticks

• 6 oz. cream cheese softened (I personally think you could get away with using even less)

• 1 medium egg yolk

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

• 3/4 cup blueberries (or any other fruit)

• Egg Wash: 1 medium egg white & 2 tsp. water 

• Glaze: 1 cup confectioners' sugar & 2 tbsp orange juice

Directions:

• Unroll the breadstick dough lengthwise on a 10x15 baking pan lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Pinch the center seam of the dough to seal. Beat the cream cheese, egg yolk and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth. Spread down the center of the dough. Top with the blueberries.
• Starting at the top, bring each bread stick alternately towards the center in criss-cross fashion to cover the filling, braiding the dough all the way down. 
• Brush with a mixture of the egg white and water. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes. 
• Beat the confectioners' sugar and orange juice in a bowl until smooth. Spread over the pastry. 

Later that evening we prepped for our Friendsmas. I baked a glazed ham, made old-fashioned sweet potatoes and steamed green beans. Alex made a cranberry apple pie based on a recipe I found. I was impressed by his handiwork. It was fun to be able to cook in the kitchen in sync with him. I suppose that made up for his lack of help with the Christmas cookies! Although, it wasn't on the same scale as our Friendsgiving in Cleveland it was still a wonderful evening with our friends Dan & Jasmine. It amazes me to think that we have already known them for a year. I can't imagine Lexington without them.
To thank all of our friendly visitors this week we sent them off with a 6-pack of homemade beer. 

"Friendsmas" Recipes:  

Brown Sugar Glaze for Baked Ham from food.com

• 1 cup finely packed brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard or 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3 tablespoons vinegar

• 3 tablespoons water

Directions:

• Combine 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoons dry or prepared mustard, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 3 tablespoons vinegar and 3 tablespoons water.

• Mix well and spread on ham, before putting it into oven.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole from the Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 large)< peeled and cubed

• 1 cup milk

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

• 6 tbsp butter, softened

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• 1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4 tsp ground allspice

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 18 large marshmellows

Directions:

• Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain.
• In a large mixing bowl, mash the potatoes. Add the milk, brown sugar, butter, egg, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, salt and nutmeg; beat until smooth. Transfer to a greased shallow 2-1/2 qt. baking dish. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.
• Top with marshmellows. bake 5-10 minutes longer or just until marshmellows begin to brown.

Cranberry Apple Pie from Disney Family Fun 

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie pastry

• 2 cups apples, peeled, cored, and quartered

• 2 cups fresh cranberries (thawed if frozen)

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 1/2 tablespoons flour

• CRUMB TOPPING:

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Directions: 

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie pan with the pastry, fluting the edge.
• Thinly slice the apples crosswise and combine them in a large bowl with the cranberries. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and flour, mixing well. Transfer the filling to the pie shell, smoothing the top of the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and cinnamon for the topping. Add the butter, rubbing it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• After 30 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Spread the topping over the pie and bake it for another 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the fruit thickens and bubbles around the edges. Allow the pie to cool for 2 hours before serving. Serves 8.

This morning I finished my Christmas shopping, but have a few things to wrap still. I love wrapping gifts, it's somehow therapeutic for me and I always feel a large amount of satisfaction when I admire the final product.  Tomorrow my parents will come in town to spend Christmas Eve and part of Christmas day with us. I am looking forward to hosting them at our house and letting them relax for a change! Alex and I might not have a large space to entertain, but I think we've got it down at this point. 

Monday evening we will drive up to Cleveland and will stay through New Years Day. We'll have the opportunity to exchange gifts with Alex's immediate family and spend time with our friends as well. It's like a mini-vacation (minus warm weather). 

New Years Eve we'll spend the evening with 50 of our closest friends at a bar that we've rented out in Lakewood. I can't wait to see so many familiar faces in one place! We're blessed to have such an extended network of friends in Cleveland.

Family, Friends & Food; that's the remainder of 2011 in a nutshell. 

While I would have loved to be able to send a Christmas card to every single person I know (and I certainly try), it's just not feasible. Therefore, I'd like to share our Christmas card message here as well: 

December 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS

We have been incredibly blessed this year as we’ve celebrated our first anniversary of marriage and moved into our first home together. For many of the moments in-between check out our blog: www.alexandlauren.blogspot.com. (obviously you already know this, because you're reading this blog post!)

The New Year is sure to bring us just as many adventures with trips, weddings and home improvements, just to name a few! We hope you and your family have a beautiful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness.

                         

 - with joy & love -

   Lauren & Alex

'And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not:

'Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy

which will be to all people,

Unto you is born this day

a Savior which is Christ the Lord.'

Luke 2:10-11

Is There Such Thing as Seasonal Baking Disorder?

...If So, I've Come Down With It.


For some inexplicable reason I find it necessary to bake as much as possible and use any excuse to do so. Why do the holidays elicit these types of emotions? 


My first order of business this week was to attempt my mother-in-law's Honey Wheat Bread recipe. She is amazing at making homemade bread and usually gives out loaves of the Honey Wheat Bread for the holidays. 


With some apprehension I set out all of the necessary ingredients and tied my apron around my neck. Being my first attempt at making homemade bread that actually requires yeast I felt pretty good about the outcome. After the bread came out of the oven Alex and I had to do a taste test to make sure it was edible. Needless to say it passed the test. Neither of us were very hungry for dinner that night. 

As my bread was baking in the oven I started on my next adventure of making homemade dog biscuits. This was another first. I decided not to make sugar cookies for Christmas this year so this recipe allowed me to utilize my cookie cutters anyways, which I was pretty excited about. In all actuality, it wasn't much different then making regular cookies. After tasting one I would consider them "savory cookies" or an unusual cracker (like those chicken & biscuit crackers...) Not bad at all.

Delicious Dog Treats
 from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1 tablespoon mild paprika
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, white sugar, brown sugar, beef bouillon, poultry seasoning, paprika, cornmeal and flour. In a separate bowl, stir together the butter and hot water until butter melts, then stir in the milk and egg. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until well blended. The dough will be stiff. If it is too stiff, add a bit more water. If it is too sticky, add more flour.
3. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for a few turns. Roll out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness, and cut into squares or into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place treats about 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. 
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned and firm. Let cool for 10 or 15 minutes. When completely cool, store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Seeing as I don't own a dog of my own, I then had to package up the little goodies to distribute to my furry friends! (I love a good excuse to get out my gift wrapping and craft supplies). So cute!

The next day Alex and I went to a movie and on our way back I decided we needed to make some Christmas cookies for ourselves. We've been on a dried cranberry kick lately so I decided to look for a recipe that would incorporate this ingredient. I decided on Cranberry Chip Cookies! The whole idea of baking the cookies was that we were supposed to do it together (envision a scene from one of those holiday movies that plays on continuous loop on the Lifetime Movie Channel). 


What ended up happening... I gathered all the ingredients and Alex started watching YouTube videos on his computer, like this one - Jimmy Kimmel Live - YouTube Challenge - I Gave My Kids a Terrible Present. I mixed the dough and dropped the cookies onto the cookie sheets while Alex entertained us both. It still counts as fun in the kitchen together right?


The cookies were the perfect consistency while warm. They turn out to be more of a crunchy dense cookie  after cooling, but still just as delicious!


Cranberry Chip Cookies
from The Taste of Home Cookbook


Ingredients
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup finely chopped walnuts


Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
2. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, cranberries and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350 for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Now that we've made Christmas cookies, decorated the house and sent out our Christmas cards it's time to have a little fun tonight at our neighbor's Christmas party! (Check out other pictures of the 2011 Holiday). I can't wait to take pictures of Alex and I in our tacky Christmas gear that we bought at Goodwill this afternoon. 


There's still some Christmas shopping to do, but there's still time next week. Also on my list for next week... bourbon balls, eggnog cake and cranberry apple pie! 


P.S. To my Kris Kringle, Pat - you might as well just get me some flour and sugar and call it a gift ; )

Oh College Where Art Thou?

Over Thanksgiving break I had an interesting conversation with my sister-in-law Eileen about college. I was asking her about her favorite and least favorite things about college (academic and otherwise). There was no hesitation when she told me that her favorite non-academic thing about college is spending quality time with her roommates. They always watch Sex and the City together. I immediately felt nostalgic.

Watching old SATC episodes was something my five roommates and I always did. How can it be possible that college already feels like such a long time ago? It's only been two years, but time really flies whether you're having fun or not ; )

Before I went off to college I had an inkling of an idea as to what I wanted to do in my career and part of me just wanted to skip past college to the settling down with a real job and (hopefully) a real man part. Obviously that isn't what happened, but somehow I have been lucky enough to experience both of those things. 

Something I couldn't fathom before I went to college was the lifelong friendships I would gain (you know the saying... how firm thy friendship...). Before I even arrived at Ohio State I started corresponding with my soon-to-be roommate Karleya. We had been paired together randomly. I can't recall what was said in our emails, but I remember feeling so relieved that we hit it off immediately. Our first year in the dorm also included six other "suitemates." There were definitely ups and downs and lots of drama. Coming into this situation as an only child it was one of my first experiences sharing my personal space with others (besides a couple weeks at summer camps here and there). 

Sophomore year I moved into a house with five other girls (phew a little less estrogen): Maria, Meredith, Lauren (LC), Erin and Amy and eventually another Maria. We lived together for the next three years of college and it definitely felt like a family unit because we did everything together. Of course along with these ups there were still the downs and we weren't lacking for drama either. It was an amazing opportunity to learn from one another and be exposed to new perspectives and outlooks on life. Graduation was a very bittersweet day because it meant we had achieved what we set out to, but now it was time to continue on our own paths separate from one another. My path led me back to my first roommate Karleya. 

Throughout college we both had different "families," mine being my five roommates, and Karleya's being her sorority. That's not to say that we didn't spend time together, but it wasn't the 24/7 that you'll have when you live with someone. Post-graduation I moved into Karleya's new home in German Village. 

When Karleya and I lived together that first year of college there were many moments where I felt like she was my twin sister. We were so close, yet living together sometimes got the best of us, especially me. (I think Karleya had a leg up in this area because she already experienced living with a real sister haha).

After experiencing three more years of college and everything that goes along with that I had matured even more before moving back in with Karleya. The second time we lived together I could appreciate a true friend and I couldn't have asked for anything more. Once again that "graduation" time came (again bittersweet), but this time in the form of a wedding. Karleya stood up by my side on my wedding day and gave a speech that only a best friend could give to a room filled with family, coworkers, friends and most importantly my other college roommates. 

Now as Alex and I have made it past the one year mark, I think it's safe to say that I have my college roommates to thank for getting me to this point. They helped me grow into the person I am now and they've been there to challenge me as well as support me every step of the way. They most definitely helped me learn how to live with others!

This past year, some of them focused on kicking off their careers, while another had her first baby, and two others have found themselves engaged. The beautiful thing that both college and weddings have in common is that they bring people together. Figuring out how to stay in touch between all those weddings has been and will continue to be a challenge, but when we're finally back together watching an episode of SATC it's all worth it.

And now to end I'll steal a quote from Karleya's wedding speech:

"The most beautiful discovery that true friends can make is that they grow separately without growing apart"

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Along the way I've had a few roommates who love brownies... Therefore brownies will forever remind me of college and Columbus. This is a recipe that reminds me of the No Pudge Fudge Brownies! This is for the Girls of 1806 and Jenna & Karleya.

Fudgy Brownies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 6 tbsp fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose four
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa, and yogurt. Stir in egg whites and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour and walnuts just until combined. Pour into an 8 inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrition: 1 brownie equals 87 calories, 2 g fat (0 saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 12 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber and 2 g protein.

What's the Meaning?

Many days I think to myself, "What's the meaning behind this day?" Day is sometimes interchanged with conversation, event, or even life in general. In the routine of life it's easy to forget that there can and should be meaning to your life other than just going to work and watching television.

I definitely don’t have this whole “meaning” thing figured out, but today I was doing a little organizing around the house and refreshing my dry erase boards. I was erasing my eye drop chart (that's another story) and while I was contemplating what to write on it three words suddenly flashed in my mind. Eat. Pray. Love. 

These three words happen to embody the things that give my life meaning right now. (Okay, so my dry erase board was inspired a little bit by the title of the book, Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert, but not necessarily related to the content of the book. If you haven't read the book I would recommend it, if you have read the book I would also recommend Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage by Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm currently reading Stern Men also by the same author. The verdict is still out on that one).

Now for the meaning that each word represents in my life...

Eat –

Alex and I are on a mission to eat healthier. We do pretty well, but there's always room for improvement. It's amazing how quickly you can reap the benefits of eating healthy. Cooking has become one of my favorite things to do since gaining my own spacious kitchen and more free time, but more and more I take pleasure in planning our weekly menu, grocery shopping and trying to be creative yet healthy at the same time. 

It's the perfect way for me to be organized, creative, and do something better than Alex (haha just kidding). For dinner tonight we had mixed greens with balsamic grilled chicken, toasted pecans & cranberries with mashed sweet potatoes. 

It's not really about the food though. Eating dinner together is a value that both of our parents instilled in us and I love that. Even though we eat together every day, sometimes we still choose to stay in and eat dinner together instead of going out to eat with friends. 

“I am a better person when I have less on my plate.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Pray - 

As part of our dinner routine we grasp one another's hand and say an introductory prayer and then one of us takes over with a personalized prayer. This is a great time to thank God for all our blessings and reflect on the day. No matter what's happened during the day or what's on the schedule for the evening that moment is so important to realign our minds and spirits to God and one another. 

“Prayer is a relationship; half the job is mine. If I want transformation, but can't even be bothered to articulate what, exactly, I'm aiming for, how will it ever occur? Half the benefit of prayer is in the asking itself, in the offering of a clearly posed and well-considered intention. If you don't have this, all your pleas and desires are boneless, floppy, inert; they swirl at your feet in a cold fog and never lift.”  ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love

Love - {Now jump back a couple hours...}

One of the reasons that it’s easy to love my husband is because he’s expressive and thoughtful. My wedding band had been bothering me because I was always realigning my rings. I decided to have them sodered together. Our jeweler is in Louisville and Alex happened to be there for work so he dropped the rings off and then picked them back up this afternoon. He sent me this text message on his way back...

Not only did they soder the rings together, but they fixed a prong and gave it a good cleaning. When Alex got home, he made sure to take off my substitute ring I had been wearing and he replaced in with my own. When Alex slid the ring on my finger I couldn't help but remember the feeling when he had done that the first time for our engagement and the second time when we were married. 

(I have recently been on quite a few wedding photographer websites so you know where this idea came from...haha)

I originally told Alex that I wanted sapphires in my ring so it would be even more meaningful than an engagement ring already is. My birthday, Alex’s birthday and both of our parents' wedding anniversaries fall in September (as well as my dad's birthday and my best friend's, with my mom and Alex's brother Pat at the end of August). Seeing as September was already pretty full, you can understand why we opted for an early October wedding instead.

What I didn’t realize at first was that sapphires have a wonderful meaning all their own that already relates well to marriage. They have long symbolized truth, sincerity and faithfulness. How perfect is that?

Before Alex had returned home I had received news that a job I had been hoping to interview for had been filled. I was so disappointed and upset, but then Alex came home right at that moment with all of his thoughtfulness and reminded me about the unconditional love that I'm so lucky to have.

 “To be fully seen by somebody, then, and be loved anyhow - this is a human offering that can border on miraculous.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage

I think my dry erase board will just have to stay as it is for a while. As for the meaning of life, that will stay a work in progress as it'll constantly evolve, but I want to close this post with one final quote from Elizabeth Gilbert:

“Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be... a prudent insurance policy.” ― Elizabeth Gilbert