Nosy neighbors are a good thing!

I live in a condo complex with many neighbors around me. My immediate neighbors are very nice. In my building I have three older ladies who are all very nice and friendly to my husband and I. We all look out for one another. To give them thanks at the end of the year I usually make them cookies. This year I decided to give them Russian Tea Cookies and Rocky Road candy. I think they will all enjoy it! Here is the recipe for the Russian Tea Cookies. I used a recipe from Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies Book. 

1 1/2 cups of nuts (I used walnuts)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons of butter, softened and in small chunks

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 large egg yolk (optional)

1/2 cup powdered  sugar

Pulse nuts in food processor. Half should be finely chopped, tranfer into a bowl and set aside. 

Wipe bowl of food processor of excess oil and add granulated sugar and mix until fine powder. Add flour and salt until blended together. Add butter, vanilla. Process until the mixture looks damp and clumps together. Add nuts until combined. Transfer mixture into bowl, cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. 

Preheat oven to 325. Scoop dough into 1 inch balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake fro 22-24 minutes. 

When cookies are cooled, sieve powered sugar over top of cookies. ENJOY! 

**I used 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour

** I did not add egg yolk

I have to note that I have had this book for so many years that the pages are starting to fall out. My mom and I have used this book over and over, notes on pages and cookie dough spills in the pages. This is an excellent book! 

Merry Christmas to all!

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone enjoys a day with family, love, joy and hope. Today I can reflect on many joyful things in my life...my family, my job, sewing, knitting and creating!

Sunday Dinner

Sunday typically we eat fish. When I went to the grocery store I found a good deal on 5oz pieces of mahi mahi. So, I bought it! About an hour before we started cooking I marinated the fish in a mixture of the following: 

low sodium soy sauce

sesame seed oil

rice wine vinegar 

garlic

s&P

I also made a brown rice stir fry with the following:

Brussels sprouts

onion

mushrooms

sesame seeds

parsnips 

garlic

This was a new stir fry mix for me, I had never cooked with parsnips. I love Brussels sprouts but never cook them for fear of stinking the house up. Instead of steaming the b.sprouts I shredded them and added to the stir-fry. 

I also made a really yummy salad:

lettuce

celery

radishes

avo

yellow beets (baked in oven for an hour)

g.onion

carrots

Sunday

I made a few lavender sachets for a few co-workers. I wanted to give them something on Monday since it will be there last day in the office. Check it out! They are so easy to make.

Neighbor Celebration

On Thursday night my neighbor invited us over for some holiday wine and treats. I brought her some gingersnap cookies. I love making these cookies during this time of the year. It makes the house smell so good with the Christmas tree in the background! I will post the recipe in a few days. If anyone wants it please let me know!

Saturday

This morning my husband and I went to 4th Street in Berkeley. I was able to go to one of my favorite stores, Paper Source and then have a wonderful meal at Tacubaya. This Mexican restaurant as such yummy food. When we got back to our house, John went to a motorcycle show so I was left at home. But, that was ok! Because I was able to make some fun things, I am making lavender sachets and also made gingerbread cookies. The cookies will be for some of the families I babysit for and lavender sachets will be for some co-workers. Here is a picture of the first sachet I made. It's hard to get the lavender in the sachet! More pictures to come!

It's cold outside!

Tuesday was really really cold! When I got home from work I had a plan to make chicken soup. But, because I did not have alot of veggies in the house I got creative! I cut up a butternut squash, onion, mushrooms and chicken then added lentils, garlic, ginger and parsley and there you have it a perfect cold night dinner. Of course you have to add some warm bread!