chocolate mint tart

I look forward to Thanksgiving mostly because I officially get to bust out the Christmas music the day after. And get to say “merry Christmas!!” to everyone I encounter without getting weird looks. So let’s kick off the season with chocolate! And mint! And merriment!

This is one of those deceiving desserts that looks way way harder then it is. The hardest part is making sure you remember to use pie weights when baking the crust, as I did not remember. And I ended up with a sunken deformed crust. Oh well, It’s beautiful in it’s imperfections. You can probably actually make a crust that looks good, don’t rub it in, one day I will do it too.

photo tip: backdrops

Backdrops are some of the most important elements in taking a photograph. A messy and distracting background compared to a clear and simple backdrops is one of the main components to taking a professional looking photograph. Here are some thing I have learned when it comes to selecting a backdrop for food photography.

                         

pear and blue cheese salad

 

Photo used with permission from Foodnetwork.com

Hey guys! In celebration of Thanksgiving foodnetwork.com is sending out recipes to bloggers to help create a smooth and successful Thanksgiving. I chose this from a smorgasbord of recipes, I thought that you all wold enjoy it. A spin on what you may think of as a classic Thanksgiving salad recipe — a little more chic then normal.

What are you guy’s plans for Thanksgiving? Are you the kinds of people that do the same recipes and dished every year, no matter what you cannot change it? Thats my family, we are not allowed to change anything about Thanksgiving dinner. I set the table, I have actually never done more then mashed the potatoes for our dinner. Maybe one day I will be allowed to actually make a dish for Thanksgiving, but for now I just make food and tell you to make them for your Thanksgiving dinner.

10 steps to a better cup of coffee

 

1. Heat your mug. Fill your mug with boiling water before while your coffee is brewing. This helps keep the quality of the coffee, as well as keeps your coffee warmer much longer.
2. Buy whole beans to grind right before brewing.
3. Keep your coffee beans in a sealed container
4. Try using honey as a sweetener
5. Use a French press
6. Commonly a French press is brewed for 4 minutes, I like a 3 minute French press
7. Keep a collection of mugs you really like
8. NEVER add butter to coffee, trust me, don’t do it
9. Use the appropriate grind for the method of brewing that you’re using (always coarse for French press)
10. Always drink coffee over tea

my (imperfect) pumpkin pie

I seriously do not know how I have had this blog for so long and never blogged this recipe. Every year I have the intention of blogging the multiple pies I make, but never get the chance to photograph it before it’s consumed. Oh and I busted out the Christmas music while I made this, and confession, I am listening to it while I type this. Dang it! I can’t help it! It’s about that time and I am more excited about the holidays this year then I have been in years.

You want to know the secrete to the best pumpkin pie? Homemade pumpkin puree, and whole cream. My pies are never perfect looking, my crust is made with 100% butter so it’s normally a little deformed (as you can tell in the picture). But the imperfections are worth it, the taste makes up for that by ten fold.

goodies from europe giveaway!

Update: Especially Eli was the random winner of this giveaway! Thanks for everyone who entered! It was so fun to hear from all of you. I have some more giveaways in the making so stay tuned!

Guys! I brought you back something from my trip! Chocolate from Switzerland, a classic reindeer cookie cutter from Salzburg as well as a awesome giant wooden spoon from Austria! This is the first giveaway that I have done on the blog and I am so excited to share some sweet stuff from the places I visited.

Here are the details:

Includes, an awesome giant wooden spoon, reindeer cookie cutter (about 3 inches), and two dark chocolate (72% coco) bars!

To enter, just leave a comment! (Keeping it simple this first time around!) Deadline to enter is November 14th by 5pm Pacific time. Winner will be chosen by random.

So excited to share with you!

zurich

     

classic biscuits

These are a classic in my family. The card that is always pulled out of the recipe files when biscuits are needed to accompany a dinner. I think I started making these when I was around 10 when I started making these, I cannot believe I am just getting around to blogging them. They always turn out so fluffy and light. I made these for dinner at my parent’s house tonight, we just finished up eating them alongside a beef roast. I’m sitting on the floor of my parent’s kitchen listening to the quibble over the last of the biscuits. I think they have it sorted out now, the adults get two, the kids get one.

salzburg

  

 

Salzburg was amazing. We arrived from large, and seemingly sterile Vienna with a sigh of relief for the small vintage feel of Salzburg. Cozy and woodsie, whittled away in the mountains, this was the perfect little town. I spent the days strolling from cafe to cafe and shopping for shoes and hats along the beautiful streets. Some of my favorite memories here made in Salzburg including, eating at the oldest resultant in Europe, and doing a diy Sound of Music tour (here are some pictures of that from my sister). I highly recommend Salzburg! Keep your eye out for some cafe recommendations from Salzburg coming in the next few months!

you must eat here: Icezeit Crêperie-Cafe, Priesterhausgasse 2, Salzburg, Austria

I happened upon this cafe on a walk with a friend on our first evening in Salzburg. We were both in need of a caffeine stop, and this was the first place we stopped, and instantly fell in love. The atmosphere was an epic clash of modern European with a nod to the traditional. The stack of wood outside the window was offset by stiff white leather booths. It felt woodsie and cozy with a young and fresh twist.