We kicked off the new year with a small herd of deer wandering through the backyard. Somehow I haven’t shared any deer pictures on the blog before?! There are quite a few deer in the neighborhood. It’s not uncommon to see them out and about, particularly at dusk. In 2016, I fortunate enough to snap pictures of deer right in the yard a few times. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen the couple shots of the doe and fawn we saw over the spring and summer (here and here). I didn’t share any fall deer snaps here, though.
There were three deer wandering through this time. They stopped for a few minutes to graze. I’m not sure what they were eating, to be honest. There’s not much growing this time of year! But they found something to nibble, and then they moved along to the neighbor’s yard. I’m a city girl and have never lived anywhere this remote before, so it’s still quite the novelty to see so much wildlife in the yard. (We even had a fox visitor this fall!)
After the craziness of Christmas decorating, present buying and wrapping, baking, cleaning for company, etc., who has the energy to spend hours getting ready for a New Year’s Eve party?
I love cooking and baking. I also love taking pictures of what I’m cooking and baking. I always enjoy reading about what other people have been eating lately, whether it’s a simple breakfast at home or a fancy meal at a restaurant. So I’ve put together my own post with just a few highlights from my kitchen this month.
I mentioned a while back that I wanted to try Heidi’s slow cooker Thai chicken soup. I finally got around to making a batch (it took me a few months, I know), and it’s SO good. The broth is bursting with flavor. It’s one of those foods where I kept sneaking more bites of the broth as I was packing away the leftovers. Please make a batch ASAP just for the broth. The chicken and vegetables combination is also fantastic.
Jake and I call this pesto mozzarella pizza Hobbit pizza because we first ate a version of it at a little restaurant with a Lord of the Rings-themed name in Alexandria, VA. We ended up at the place randomly because the restaurant a friend had recommended was closed. It was one of the best memories of the trip and is one of my top favorite vacation memories with Jake. I have my version of the pizza posted over here. Don’t mind the really old photos.
I absolutely love soft gingersnap cookies. For some reason, I had never made them myself until this holiday season. I know you can make gingersnaps any time of year, but it feels like a holiday recipe. I made this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod.
I always make crescent rolls for Thanksgiving. I thought about not posting the recipe until next Thanksgiving, but several readers urged me to post the recipe in time for Christmas and New Year’s. So I did. It’s right here. Buttery crescent dinner rolls make any special occasion just that much more special.
Recently I made my pizza calzone recipe as mini calzones! Instead of making eight regular-sized calzones like I usually do, I made 16 mini-sized calzones. I split the dough into 16 pieces, and filled each one with 1/4 cup filling. Then I baked them for 8 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. I’m so happy with the result and can’t wait to try other mini calzone variations.
Finally, lately, my favorite way to eat avocado is sliced, then topped with a little freshly ground salt and pepper. (My salt and pepper grinders have changed my life.) I’ve had some great discussions on Instagram about favorite ways to eat avocados.
I didn’t cook or bake anything too exciting for the holidays. I made chili for a friend get together and lasagna for a family get together. We also had lots of hummus (I’m hoping to get my recipe up here in early 2017), veggies, crackers, cheese, more cookies, chocolate oranges (why are they only available for Christmas?!), and chocolate sea salted caramels.
The best way to follow along with all of my cooking and eating endeavors is to follow me on Instagram! I share tons of quick snaps in my Instagram story and occasional DSLR shots in my main feed. If you ever have a question about exactly what I’m making or where I got a recipe, don’t hesitate to ask.
What have you been cooking and baking lately?
Feel free to share links to favorite recipes in the comments!
The holiday floral show, Not a Creature Was Stirring, is taking place at the Mitchell Park Domes through early January 2017. The domes always do a fabulous job putting together their seasonal shows. The 16-17 holiday floral show is no exception. For the theme, Not a Creature Was Stirring, they placed lots of little animals among the Christmas trees and other holiday decorations. Really cute.
The 16-17 Holiday Floral Show runs through early January 2017. The Mitchell Park Domes are always free on Monday mornings from 9:00 a.m.-noon except major holidays for Milwaukee County residents. Consult the website for more details about current hours and admission.
Check out past Mitchell Park Domes special exhibits!
For more local happenings, visit the Milwaukee section of my blog.
