Back Home

Ryan and I have been home for three weeks now. We’ve watched two snowfalls, and I’ve succumbed to two bouts of the stomach bug. I’ve been to the doctor (or ER) at least four times. And we still have what seems like hundreds of boxes stacked around the house. But despite sickness, the stress of unpacking, and a the occasional wave of uncertainty, Ryan and I feel so blessed to be home.

We are fortunate to be surrounded by those that have loved us for as long as we remember. By those who taught us the very meaning of the word love. Just as Ryan holds little Trent, we look forward to watching our parents and siblings hold our baby come this June (and did I mention that he or she is already the size of an avocado? and that I can feel him or her flutter in the early morning?).

Because Ryan and I didn’t know if we’d be able to get pregnant, and because we faced this uncertainty during a season of immense grief and loss, this baby feels like the greatest gift we could ever receive. Each ultrasound is magical, and I’m already counting down the days to when we bring him or her into our world. We have such good examples of love here. Each time my sister holds baby Ryan, I see the power that flows between a mother and a child. No matter what happens. No matter what obstacles they may face.

So as we wait, we celebrate all that is good and restored in our lives. Having my two sisters in the same room and us laughing over plates of spaghetti is as precious as any present we received this Christmas. Throwing up again and again, only to finally reach that moment when your body decides enough is enough and finally allows you to eat and drink makes those first bites and sips better than anything you’ve enjoyed the entire year. And watching my dad and niece decorate my birthday cake with such care erases all the birthdays we spent apart from each other. I am so very happy to be home.

I hope that you all had a beautiful holiday, and I look forward to sharing more good things in the weeks to come.

Monet

Anecdotes and Apple Cores

White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies

Christmas cookies. Even those of us who don’t particularly like the lights, the inflatable santas, and the endless rounds of carols, can’t resist a homemade platter of Christmas cookies. Growing up, my mom and grandmother would spoil us with dozens of varieties. We all had our favorites, and we’d be sure to stand in the kitchen when our batch went into the oven.

My favorite? Those peanut butter thumbprint cookies. Ubiquitous but delicious. I loved the saltiness of the peanut butter, the crunchiness of the cookie, and the smooth way the Hershey kiss would melt on my tongue.

When I had the opportunity to peruse McCormick’s impressive collection of cookie recipes, I knew I had to try an updated version of this personal favorite. Instead of the classic peanut butter, I used McCormick’s ground nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon to make a spicy gingerbread cookie. And much to my delight, I bought a bag of those white and milk chocolate swirled kisses (my personal favorite).

The cookies turned out beautifully (although my niece and nephews were a bit eager to place the kisses on the cookies…they were too warm still and melted just slightly). The spiciness of the gingerbread compliments the creaminess of the chocolate, and I happily helped myself to not one, but three cookies right after we pulled from the oven.

Thank goodness my morning sickness is gone!

McCormick spices have been part of our Christmas cookie tradition for as long as I can remember (and as long as my mom can remember too!) With the holiday weekend approaching, I encourage you to peruse their great recipes and give a few new ones a try. No one will protest if there are an extra dozen or two cookies on the cookie tray.

White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread

*From McCormick®

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons McCormick® Ginger, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Nutmeg, Ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup granulated sugar
60 white and milk chocolate swirled kiss-shaped candies

1. Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar to coat. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a chocolate candy into center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Baby!

After what’s felt like ages, Ryan and I are very happy to announce we are expecting our first baby in June. Some of you might have guessed something was up when my posts dropped from twice a week, to once a week, to once a month! Although my mom had warned me, I naively thought I would handle morning sickness with ease. THIS was not the case. Instead, I found myself hardly able to leave the bed (and with six wedding cakes ahead of me!)

But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ryan and I had been told by numerous doctors that the only way I could get pregnant was through fertility treatment. After a few years of family loss, this news felt heavy and overwhelming. “One more thing?” I found myself asking God. “Do we really need to go through this too?” After drownings, car accidents, and suicides…Ryan and I needed rest.

I saw one fertility specialist last spring–an old hairy man with a thick eastern European accent. After a few appointments, I began to believe we had a better understanding of female anatomy than he did, and so we went on the search for a new doctor and clinic.

Thanks to the recommendation of a dear friend, we started seeing Dr. Hansard. Her presence was a comfort after several months of discouragement. We sat in her office for an hour as she explained what she thought was wrong…and how we would go about fixing it. The road ahead wouldn’t be easy. Not only would this be a huge financial commitment, but it would require my body to go through invasive procedures, hormone therapy, and tests. Ryan and I weren’t ready for this, but we felt empowered in finally understanding the problem.

Dr. Hansard asked me if she could do an ultrasound before we left. She wanted to take measurements and make sure that there wasn’t anything structural that would prevent treatment. Ryan and I sat in a very cold room and we watched that grainy screen as Dr. Hansard oriented herself with the ultrasound wand. After a few seconds, she started to chuckle. The nurse assisting her laughed too. Ryan and I looked at each other and then again at the screen.

“It looks like you’re pregnant,” she said.

Ryan and I sat there for several minutes. In complete shock. With thankful thankful hearts.

We continued to work with Dr. Hansard during my first trimester and she provided me with the best care I could have asked for. Now that we’re in Colorado, I finally am feeling better and we were able to watch our baby dance across the screen at our ultrasound appointment yesterday. Ryan and I are so thankful that we were given the opportunity to have this baby, but we are also aware of the long road that so many parents travel down to make their families a reality. And I must say that family is a beautiful thing. Whether it happens through natural conception, through adoption, through fertility treatments, or through the development of friendships that are stronger than blood.

So I’ll be baking (still) and I’ll be nesting (soon) and I’ll be waking up thankful for how good can still come after so much bad.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

Hey readers! I am so honored to be teaming up with McCormick and the very lovely, Georgia, from the Comfort of Cooking for a cookie swap today! Enjoy her lovely post below and make sure to hop over to her page to see what cookie I baked up!

Well, hey there! Happy December to you, Anecdotes and Apple Cores readers. I’m so happy to be posting over here on Monet’s special space. I’ve been lucky to get to know the beauty behind the baking blog this year, and it’s a true treat to be able to call her a friend. So, since this festive time of year is our mutual favorite, what better excuse to do a cookie swap?

Today, we’re teaming up with McCormick to bring you two original cookie recipes using their quality baking products. To me, there are no better ingredients for cold-weather baking than pure, fragrant vanilla extract and spicy cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger…

Soft, sweet and spicy, these itty-bitty gingerbread whoopie pies are cute and tasty treats worthy of any holiday table. They’re fun to mix up and the amazingly aromatic spices will make your whole home feel wrapped in a big grandma hug!

… And who doesn’t love those?

Chomp!

Give a tin full of ‘em as gifts, set them out pretty at a party, or just keep these delicious goodies all for yourself. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Santa you’ve been naughty…

Thanks for reading along, lovely foodie friends! I hope you enjoyed what you found here. Now bring your buns over to my blog, The Comfort of Cooking, where you can see what Monet baked up for the occasion!

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies

Yields 30-35

Ingredients
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Ground Ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Ground Nutmeg
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup buttermilk

Filling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2-3 cups powdered confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, scraping down sides of bowl after. With mixer on low, add molasses and buttermilk. Add flour and mix only until blended; do not over-mix.
Using a small scoop or teaspoon, portion batter onto the baking sheets, spacing each about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the filling: With a mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute, until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Make sure cookies are cooled completely then pair cookies by size. Transfer filling to a piping bag. Onto the flat side of one of each cookie pair, pipe a bit of frosting. Sandwich the cookies together.

Enjoy!

Maple Syrup Banana Bread

Ryan and I are moving back to Colorado in four days. FOUR DAYS! I wish I could say our apartment was neatly organized, boxes stacked and clearly labeled. But unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do. Because instead of packing, Ryan and I have been eating. We figure, we might as well enjoy all the best Austin has to offer before we move back home.

And when I think about: the meals we had at Uchi and La Condessa this weekend are well worth the extra long days of packing we’ll have on Wednesday and Thursday.

We’re also trying (underscore trying) to prepare ourselves and our animals for the 16 hour drive ahead. Cricket does not like cars. Margot isn’t a big fan either (she threw up on me on our way to Houston for Thanksgiving). If anyone has traveled cross-country with cats, please let me know any and all secrets! We need all the help we can get.

But thankfully, even if Cricket does decide to howl and meow through the great state of Texas and beyond, we’ll have this naturally sweet banana bread to alleviate some of the tension. Banana bread reminds me of Christmas. We always make several loaves to share with friends and family that stop by during the holidays. As much as I love banana bread, I find most varieties far too sweet. I wanted to create a recipe that was moist and flavorful. A recipe that didn’t scream sugar at first bite.

Maple syrup turned out to be the perfect substitute for white sugar. Instead of a cup of the granulated variety, I only used 1/3 cup of high-quality pure maple syrup. And let me assure you: the bread tastes amazing. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to using sugar again! Even more moist and even more flavorful, this maple syrup banana bread needs to be part of your holiday baking plans.

We’ll be taking this loaf with us on our road-trip, and then I’m sure I’ll be baking a few more as the weeks roll on.

Maple Syrup Banana Bread

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3-4 very ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 TBSP sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper and grease well.

2. Mash the bananas in a small bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set both bowls aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs and maple syrup for 10 minutes (yes, 1o minutes!) The egg mixture will grow in volume. Drizzle in oil. Stir in bananas and sour cream; and then gently fold in flour. Do not overmix. Spread into prepared pan.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Enjoy.