The Week in Review

Happy Saturday!!

1.  1000 Likes!! I'm super excited because my food blog finally hit 1000 Likes.  Thank you for liking and sharing my page.  Cooking and baking is my passion and sharing everything I cook with you all, is what I love. I want women and men to get in the kitchen and know that they can do anything.  Cooking is not hard at all, if you enjoy it and put love into it, you can cook anything you put your mind to.  Please continue to share my recipes with your friends and family.  Again, thank you!!

2.  Christmas is only 11 days away. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?  I did, but I still have a few more gifts to buy.  I finally got my husband a nice gift that I know he is going love, I hope.


3.  Before buying anything, make sure that you are getting the best price possible.  I like to check on a couple of applications I have on my phone, but you can also visit their site on your computer. The first one is "Retail Me Not", here you can get information on coupons on stores in your area.  The second application I use on my phone is "Coupons".  You can also visit their site from your computer.  Groupon is also a great one.  Download these applications to your phone so that when you are out shopping you can check and see if there is a coupon you can use to save some extra money.  NEVER pay full price.

4.  I gave myself an early Christmas gift.  As you all know I collect cooking books.  There was a cooking book that I wanted for a while now, and finally I pulled the plug and bought it.  "The Essential New York Times Cook Book Classic Recipes for a New Century~Amanday Hesser" 

Winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundation Award in General Cooking: All the best recipes from 150 years of distinguished food journalism-a volume to take its place in America's kitchens alongside Mastering the Art of French Cooking and How to Cook Everything.
Amanda Hesser, the well-known New York Times food columnist, brings her signature voice and expertise to this compendium of influential and delicious recipes from chefs, home cooks, and food writers. Devoted Times subscribers will find the many treasured recipes they have cooked for years—Plum Torte, David Eyre's Pancake, Pamela Sherrid's Summer Pasta—as well as favorites from the early Craig Claiborne New York Times Cookbook and a host of other classics—from 1940s Caesar salad and 1960s flourless chocolate cake to today's fava bean salad and no-knead bread.

Hesser has cooked and updated every one of the 1,000-plus recipes here. Her chapter introductions showcase the history of American cooking, and her witty and fascinating headnotes share what makes each recipe special. The Essential New York Times Cookbook is for people who grew up in the kitchen with Claiborne, for curious cooks who want to serve a nineteenth-century raspberry granita to their friends, and for the new cook who needs a book that explains everything from how to roll out dough to how to slow-roast fish—a volume that will serve as a lifelong companion. 

Can't wait to start cooking and baking from it.  Another book I purchased "2013 Southern Living Christmas Cookbook" Special Edition Presented Exclusively By Dillards".  This is a fantastic cookbook full of holiday recipes.  My collection just keeps growing. 

5.  This week I cooked and baked some amazing things.  I stated the week with "Mofongo", this yummy plantain mashed deliciousness.  This was a hit on the blog.  Then I made "Thumbprint Cookies" and "Gingerbread Men".  The Thumbprint cookies were out of this world.  The Gingerbread Men were so much fun to decorate, and so delicious too.  A double hit!!  I finished the week with a smooth drink for the holidays.  The "Holiday Spirit", strong but nice. 

6.  Have you decided on your Christmas dinner?  I'm still working on it, I'm still not sure on what I should cook.  I need to figure this out soon.  What are your go to dishes for Christmas?

7.  If you and your guests enjoy drinking cocktails make sure to stock your bar.  Take a look and see what you are missing.  Refer to "Essential Spirits and Mixers to Stock in Your Bar".  Here you can find some great information on stocking your bar.  Remember to always drink responsibly.

8.  Well, I hope you have a fantastic weekend...get your shopping done this weekend. Don't wait until the last minute.  Stay safe!!