Kaki, my word, I’ve done so much cooking lately!

And then no cooking.  And then a ton of cooking.  It has been a serious season of hustle and bustle, in the kitchen, out of the kitchen, all over the place.

Cooper got me a Cooking Light subscription for Christmas, and I’ve been really enjoying reading through each new magazine.  Far and away the winners have been a phenomenal gin punch and this salmon with an orange glaze and an orange and arugula salad.  Oh my word.  Also, apparently neither of these have been posted to Cooking Light’s website yet.  Huh.  Well, that’s not cool.  Check them out!

I’ve made a fair number of misses lately, alas.  There was a shrimp dish with peppers and potatoes and kidney beans and a Cajun barbecue sauce that was really tasty at the grocery store sample station, and only meh when I made it.  There was a kale and meatball soup that tasted fine, but also, very iron-y.  Maybe too iron-y.  There was a decent stab at making my own savory crust for this spinach pie, but even so, I’ll be sticking with puff pastry going forward.

And I’ve re-made a lot of old favorites, as well.  I subbed baked tofu for the grains in this hearty greens salad with tahini dressing, and it was a very welcome taste of spring.  Cooper and I roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes, made up a great miso-dressing, and ate it all on top of savory green-onion-and-parmesan pancakes one evening.  And I had a hilarious muffin-loaf moment when I tried to make this great pear-and-ginger quickbread that I’ve made several times before, and didn’t let it bake long enough BY A LONG SHOT.  Like the whole center of the dish was basically still batter.  And you know what, Kaki?  Never have my co-workers raved over something I’ve brought to the office the way they raved over that disastrous quickbread.

And last week I made this lovely veggie and sausage tomato sauce to go over some pasta.  Only I didn’t have any pasta in my house.  None.  So I cooked up the tiny amounts of quinoa and brown rice I did have in my pantry, and just plated the sauce over the grains.  It was… Well, it was good, but I bet it would have been better over pasta!

The one discovery I must, must, MUST share with you, though, are these chocolate-cherry date balls from Oh She Glows.  I know you’re already an OSG devotee, and I know that you, as a runner, love you some dried cherries.  Well, whip out your food processor, girl, because these could not be easier or tastier.  Or healthier.  Pretty much.  Unless you took out the chocolate.  Which you wouldn’t do, surely.

See you sometime soon I hope? Choir is busy as all get out right now, but I’d love to squeeze in a visit with you!

Until then, sending warm wishes from my kitchen to yours,
Caitlin