This day is very exciting for me for two reasons - the first reason is that this holiday season was so special to have our family all together. This Christmas Eve our family had a wonderful dinner and our five year old son anxiously awaited for the arrival of ol' Saint Nick on Christmas Eve. The second reason is the launch of my new blog "One Apple Hill" - a blog about flavorful food, home decor and living a grand lifestyle on a modest budget. I have been wanting to start this blog and business for many years. My husband and my son encouraged me to finally move forward with my dreams - they are the driving factor behind this blog....so here we go......
I am a self proclaimed foodie, home designer (of my own home of course), and mompreneur - always looking for a great deal. With the lauch of my new ebay store and soon to be on-line home store with fashions for the kitchen, accessories for every room and fashion for everyone in the family, I have a lot to be thankful for and it is a great way to start the new year. I am investing in a new camera - so there will be many great photos to come....
Oh this holiday was such a joy! Every year, our little family goes into a tizzy about two days before Christmas to answer the question, "What shall we have for Christmas Eve dinner?". I love to cook, however, I can't seem to cook anything simple. The recipes that tend to draw me in after reading the first few enticing ingredients get me hooked and keep me cooking for hours on end - but it is usually worth the hurting feet and dirty clothes (since I always end up with something on my shirt).
Last year, we were aimlessly walking around the grocery store the night before Christmas Eve still asking the question, "What is for Christmas eve dinner?" I agonized over what to make for my child and chef husband. Yes, my husband is a chef, however, I wanted to cook dinner for him since he always makes dinner for us. This year our Christmas Eve dinner wasn't just any ol' dinner - it was a food event in our home - it was FABULOUS! After watching the movie Julie vs. Julia with my husband, we decided we were going to have Beef Bourguinon for Christmas Eve dinner. I am a HUGE fan of Ina Garten and found a recipe of hers for Beef Bourguinon that looked incredible. Several of the recipe reviews indicated that people liked her recipe better the Julia Child's - so of course I was intrigued to try this recipe. So the menu for Christmas Eve was Roasted Shrimp Cocktail as a starter, then Beef Bourguinon, Roasted Asparagus, homemade parmasan breadsticks and a Ina Garten's homemade Apple Tart with an apricot and rum glaze. I was a little nervous to feed the Beef Bourguinon to my five year old son - the pickiest eater in the world. Well, the boys just RAVED about the meal - it was a grand success. We have now unanimously established our annual Christmas Eve dinner and have started a brand new family tradition.
So to Julie Powell and to Julia Child - thanks for the inspiration. It was the perfect meal for such a special night. As I made the Beef Bourguinon, I took great care to make sure each step of the recipe was well executed - and the aroma in the house was simply exquiset. And as I sauteed those mushrooms to place into my wonderful Beef Bourguinon, I had a little Julie Powell sitting on my shoulder saying "don't crowd the mushrooms" and boy, was she right. As they were sauteed, you could just see the brown goodness coming through - that added so much flavor (of course the bottle of Pinor Noir certainly helped too). And by the way, if you don't have a Le Creuset dutch oven - this is by far lucky charm in the kitchen - and the clean up was simple.
And to Ina Gartern - thanks for four great recipes that made for a spectacular dinner. When the boys are quiet and saying, "MMMM", I know it was a huge success. Ina, you have yet to fail me with any of your recipes. I can't wait try the next page in your "Back to Basics" cookbook, as Julie Powell tried the next page in Julia Child's, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook. Can't wait to try the next Ina Garten recipe.
And most of all - to my mom and my husband - you have inspired me with your food, your ideas, your technique in the kitchen and your genuine love for sensational, flavorful and memorable food. I watched my mother cook when I was a litte girl growing up in New York. I remember her coming home work and preparing a great family dinner - while still wearing her suit. When I go to visit her now, I still learn so much from her every time I watch her carefully prepare one of her fabulous meals. She also has an incredible eye (and palette) for picking out recipes - it is almost a sixth sense for her. And I can't tell you how many times she has saved a holiday or two from disaster..hahaha! She truly is my Ina and Julia put together! And as for my husband, he is an incredible chef and makes everything look easy. There is a lot of love and pride that goes into every dish he prepares. He makes everything look simple and effortless. It is amazing how he can pull out any 3-5 ingredients from the pantry and make a fabulous meal for the family. He has taught me to be brave and try some new things - and step out of my comfort zone in the kitchen and in life. I recenty had the pleasure of watching him cater an event for 150 people - by himself! It was just awe-inspiring. You two are my food inspirations - and I hope you can both share in my journey as I begin this food blog.
Well, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone! And in the words of Julie Child - Bon Appetite!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
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