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Create: A Fresh Start

Happy Year of the Dragon! Today kicks off 15 days of celebrations all over the world. If you weren’t quite ready to make resolutions, much less get out of bed and make coffee on January 1, here’s another chance. I’ve always liked the idea of marking the new year on your own timeline. The January 1 start date seems limiting, and it really sneaks up on you after the holidays. For many years a trip to Door County, Wisconsin, in March signaled my personal New Year. But I’m sure most people would take fireworks over a plate of Swedish pancakes to symbolically usher in the new.

Aside from fireworks and fire crackers, Lunar New Year traditions include forgiving past conflicts, gathering with friends and family, getting a fresh haircut and accenting with the color red for good luck. And my favorite––parades! The Chinese New Year coincided with my move to New York so I chose that as my re-start button for the year.  The parade, followed by a fortifying bowl of wonton soup at a nondescript, yet welcoming, 12 seat Chinatown diner made for an auspicious beginning to what’s proved to be a pretty interesting adventure so far.

The dragon is a powerful symbol said to bring success and happiness.  This year in particular is supposed to be one of high risks and high returns. So, Kung Hei Fat Choi––let’s do this thing.

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Create: Chocolate-Almond Bark

I was at a party recently where I finished nearly an entire tray of this incredible bark with sea salt, hints of caramel, almonds and dark chocolate. It launched me into complete college flashback munchie mode in the middle of a pretty fancy affair. And I wasn’t at all apologetic. It’s that good.

The recipe is from the December issue of Bon Appétit. Making the caramel takes a little patience, but otherwise it was pretty simple. I just made a batch to bring to friends, and it was nearly wiped out within two hours of our arrival. Thankfully the bowl that I gifted along with it will last a bit longer.

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Create: Winter Bird Feeders

Materials: twine, pine cones, bird seed, peanut butter

Every year my sister and her husband have a Winter Solstice party which has now become its own mini-holiday. Like other holidays, it involves traditions and rituals. Made up ones, but still, it all comes off as legit and even meaningful. Each year we know there will be mulled wine bubbling on the stove, sugar cookies decorated with pentagram symbols and the bird feeder craft table.

We slather the pine cones with peanut butter, roll them in bird seed and leave them to set while we drink wine. Once we’ve all made a bird feeder, we head to a nearby park (one year in full candlelight procession) on the East River to hang our sticky offerings to Mother Nature (and the pigeons) on the spindly trees. Everyone is also given an evergreen bough which they wish on and fling out into the dark water. Then we march over to the local bar and continue the party.

Weird, right? But no stranger than decorating a once living tree with fragile ornaments or putting cookies out for a fictitious guy in a red suit. Not just for Winter Solstice, making bird feeders is a diversion for any winter afternoon, especially with kids. The materials are easy to find and would make a cool little gift too.

Happy Winter Solstice! Here’s to longer, brighter days ahead.

Click on the images for the easy step-by-step instructions.

 

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Create: Go Nuts!

Guest post by Adam Miller

Allow me to introduce Adam Miller: writer, editor, curious traveler and the guy to stay up with way too late talking about music. He cooks too, and offered to reveal his family’s Spiced Nut recipe for the holidays. So Adam can now add Good House Guest contributor (our first!) to his list of distinctions. Thanks Adam! Follow Adam around on Twitter and read more of his food writing here. 

 A batch of these savory-sweet snacks would make an excellent gift for upcoming Hanukkah, Christmas or New Year’s parties. Adam suggests presenting them in a Mason jar with a ribbon. We guarantee everyone will, er, go nuts for them.

My mom and aunt have been making spiced pecans and almonds for years. I’ve always loved them. A bit sweet, a bit salty, and a bit spicy—they’re the perfect snack. They’re also great in salads and an impressive garnish to add to a cheese plate. Funny thing about these, though, is that I never considered making them myself. Just seems like it must be a lot of fuss, right?

So wrong!

Although they take a bit of time in the oven, the actual work involved is 5-10 minutes, tops. It’s worth the minimal effort because these are so much tastier than any of the store-bought mixes. (Don’t worry. I still love you, trashy gas station Blue Diamond Smokehouse Almonds. See you next road trip!)

Make sure the nuts you buy are raw. Raw nuts are available pretty much any place that sells nuts in bulk. This recipe is for one pound of nuts. I use a mix of almonds and pecans, but I’m sure you can do it with any combination.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 lb. raw nuts

1 egg

1 Tbsp. chili powder*

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. rosemary, crumbled

Preheat your oven to 250°. While the oven warms, prepare the mix by separating the egg and discarding the yolk. Beat the egg white with 1 tbsp. of water until frothy. In a separate small bowl, combine all the spices (everything except the nuts). Blend the spices and add to the egg white mixture. Mix well. Add the nuts and fold in until all are coated. Spread the nuts across a non-stick or lightly oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Stir and bake for 30 more minutes. Allow nuts to cool and store in an airtight container.

*Chili powders vary greatly. I found that the one I was using was a little too salty and not spicy enough, so I only used half a Tbsp. of the chili powder and added half a Tbsp. of cayenne pepper. You could also make your own with cumin, cayenne, a bit of salt, and whatever else you enjoy! Really, the spice mix can be tinkered with a lot.


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Create: Sew Easy

I took my very first sewing class recently at the incredible Make Workshop, a tidy studio housed in an artist’s collective on the Lower East Side.  Dianna Rupp, the studio’s founder, sewing book author and creative force, patiently walked us through everything from bobbins to back stitches. And at the end of the two-hour Intro to Sewing Machine session I had a nifty wallet-style pouch to show for it.

For those who know their way around a sewing machine, Diana suggested a pouch like this to present small trinkets for a holiday grab bag or office gift swap. Gussy up movie tickets, coffee gift certificates, even a little tube of lip gloss will seem like a bigger deal with bespoke packaging.

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Create: Saucepan Brownies

I met my best friend in the first grade. So I’ve probably gobbled up dozens of her mom’s brownies over the years. But I didn’t fully appreciate them until last summer when I sat, with my son in my lap, watching as this mom from my childhood stirred and mixed her specialty cocoa confections. Could you imagine finding one of these packed into your lunch box? You’d never put that up for grabs.

Beyond appreciate, I have declared Mrs. Gatti’s saucepan brownies the best straightforward chocolate brownie around. According to a very informal (and unsolicited) taste test, these easy-to-make little squares of bliss have turned even those who aren’t much for brownies into believers too.

Next dinner invite you’ve got dessert covered.

Saucepan Brownies

  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • (optional: 1 cup chocolate chips)

Grease a 9×13 pan. Preheat oven to 325° for glass pan or 350° for metal pan. In a medium size pot over medium-high heat, melt together the chocolate and butter. Stir continually and watch the heat to avoid burning. Remove from heat. Once cooled slightly, stir in sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add salt. Gradually stir in flour until blended. (Optional: stir in chocolate chips). Pour evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and watch them disappear. (I like to serve with berries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream).

 

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