Bacon & Fig Brussels Sprout Slaw

Bacon Fig Brussels Slaw

Thanksgiving was a little different this year. Usually my husband and I celebrate with both familiesĀ on the same day. Early supperĀ at 2pm with my family followed a later dinner at 6pm with his family, both with tables topping a dozen guests. Don’t even talk to me about food comas. But this year we did mini celebrates, one per day. On actual Thanksgiving we celebrated at my grandma’s with my immediate family dining on a traditional turkey with (much appreciated) gluten-free everything on the side. Dinner number one was delicious, but it was Friday’s dinner at my in-laws house that blew my mind. And it had nothing to do with the fancy cherry-stuffed turkey roulade.

Continue reading

Looking Pretty Doesn’t Have to Take All Day

IMG_0254

When you tell someone you’re having sirloin with a port reduction sauce, it sounds fancy, and something you shouldn’t attempt on a weekday night. Yes there are meals that you slave over for hours, days sometimes, and serve to a small dinner party. Complements fly, you graciously accept them responding with things like, “oh it was nothing” or “no, I really just love cooking” in your simple but stylish attire. No one has to know that you changed out of your oil and spice covered cooking clothes, showered and primped only minutes before they walked in the door. The party starts at 6pm, but you’re secretly hoping the party starts to break up around 9pm so you can don your fluffy pajamas, crawl under the blankets and sleep for days after your 48 hour cooking marathon. And then there are those days when you come home after work, exhausted, and whip something up in less than 20 minutes for just the two of you. Well here’s one of my biggest secrets. What if you could make fast look fancy?

Continue reading