Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Last Post of 2013: Best Apple Pie EVER!





























Well here we are, the last day of 2013.  For me, this year has gone by quickly, yet really slow at the same time.  I can't say I'm too broken-hearted to start a new chapter in my life.  This is the year that I turn 30 (I have a little less than a month to go,)  and I'm quite determined to make it a great one!  Hopefully this new year will be full of new adventures, and great cooking.  So long 2013, welcome 2014!  I wish all of you a wonderful new year!

For Christmas I made an apple pie to bring to one of our dinners.  I got nothing but rave reviews, so I knew that it was a recipe that I needed to share with my readers.

What a comfort apple pie is.  Slightly tart and sweet apples, smothered in a sweet spiced syrup, all stuffed in a homemade (after years of doing a store bought one, I finally faced my fear and conquered it) flaky crust.  Serve it warm with some sweet vanilla ice cream, and it is simply the perfect end to a perfect meal.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Holiday Dishes: Dutch Worsteboojes


Literally translated: sausage rolls, these made quite an delicious treat!  What could be better than a a pork and beef mixture all wrapped up in dough.  These tasty bites weren't too, too difficult to make, and they definitely weren't too difficult to polish off either.

Worsteboojes can be found year-round in many regions, however in Limburg, worsteboojes are traditionally eaten after returning from midnight mass.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

A Greek Christmas: Lemon Pork






























I know, I know, I haven't made a post in the past couple of weeks as I promised I would do.  Our computer died.  The computer was down and out for a week.  But I have a couple of new holiday dishes for all you readers, so I will post them both this weekend.

The first of the meals that I made was Greek inspired: I made lemon pork.  Pork is a major staple on the Greek dinner table from December 6 through January 17.  Lemon pork is packed with flavor!  To compliment this dish, I also made roasted acorn squash and sweet potatoes with a lemon and maple syrup glaze.  I used pomegranate seeds to garnish my plate.  Pomegranates are a symbol of Christmas in Greece.  Pomegranates symbolize marriage, fertility, life, and hope.  I also made some candied walnuts to go on top of the squash, but they were so delicious, that I ate them all before I took a picture.  Oops.