Orange Chocolate Pancakes

I'm back on my pancake kick.  For a while, I posted a few overnight oatmeal recipes.  I posted raspberry and almond overnight oatmeal, banana overnight oatmeal, apple pie overnight oatmeal, and overnight carrot cake oats.  I still eat overnight oatmeal most days, but I haven't felt the oatmeal deserves a post.

I have also made many types of muffins.  I have chocolate and peanut butter swirl muffins;  pecan pie muffins; chocolate zucchini muffins; banana, coconut, and mango muffins with chocolate chips; carrot banana muffins; peanut butter and blueberry muffins; gingerbread muffins with oatmeal cookie streusel and chocolate chips; German chocolate muffins; and lime and coconut muffins.

Chili Mac and Cheese

My parents went to Disney land last Fall.  For Christmas, they gave me socks that look like a mermaid tale and Mickey Mouse shaped pasta.  You cannot tell in these pictures, but each piece of pasta looks like Mickey's head.

I haven't made a pasta dish for a while.  For some reason, I usually make dishes that are served with rice instead of pasta.  I need to give pasta more of a chance.

French Canadian Sugar Pie

Every year for Christmas, my we celebrate by eating and celebrating according to the customs of a different country.  My cousin is in responsible for choosing the country.  Last year we had a Philippine Christmas.  I was responsible for making pancit.

The year before last we had a Spanish Christmas.  We ate paella, flan, and a lamb stew.  It is a fun tradition.  We have also had a Mexican, French, Japanese, and Ukrainian Christmas, among others.  I remember that one of my nieces was born the day we celebrated our French Christmas.  

 

Jambalaya

Over a year ago, I went to New Orleans.  It is a beautiful city.  It is one of the most picturesque cities that I have ever visited.  The architecture was stunning.

The food was also phenomenal.  I ate étouffée and red beans and rice.  For some inexplicable reason, I didn't not eat any beignets while I was there.  I intended to eat some, but I kept putting it off.  Poor planning on my part.  I guess that means I'll have to return and try them.

Cherry Upside-Down Cake

This is another dessert I made over the Christmas holidays.  It was a gluttonous time for me.  This was my favorite dessert that I ate.  That is high praise, because I ate desserts and treats for a week straight.

I have a few podcasts that I listen to regularly.  One is entitled "Stuff You Missed in History Class."  In November, I listened to an episode where they spoke to a woman about a novel she wrote on American cakes.  The book is aptly entitled, "American Cake."

Pistazo

There is a recipe in my mother's family that we call pistazo.  I believe it was created by my aunt, but I'm not sure about the details.

I remember as a kid begging my dad to make it.  My dad was the breakfast maker.  In elementary school, he made pancakes for my sibling and I every day.  In the mornings, he wore a long brown house coat that had a hood and went over his head. 

Orange Brownies

I made these brownies for New Year's Eve.  I was still at home visiting my family for New Year's Eve.  We celebrated at my aunt and uncle's home.  I celebrated last year at their home as well.

They have a set of musical pipes that gets taken out at least once a year on New Year's Eve.  There are over twenty pipe.  Each pipe has a distinct number at note.  Each person is given a pipe and a nail to hit the pipe with.  My aunt directs us when to play with music written by the tone's  number.  

Chocolate Chip Cookie Blossoms

I bought a bag of chocolate kisses to make triple chocolate blossoms, but I didn't even use half the bag to make those cookies.

Instead of just eating the candies, I made them less healthy by plopping them into the center of chocolate chip cookies.  Why not?  It was during the holidays, the time when I always eat poorly.

Atkilt - Ethiopian Vegetable Bowl

I tried Ethiopian food for the first time when I moved to the DC area several years ago.  There were no Ethiopian restaurants where I grew up.  I have eaten Ethiopian food several times since then, and it has always been delicious.

Whenever I have eaten Ethiopian food, I have eaten it communally  from the same dish.  Various meat and vegetables were arranged in piles on the same dish.   We were also served flat and airy bread.

Beef and Vegetable Green Curry

The holidays feel like they are officially over.  I came home for over a week this year, and I am going back today.  It was good to see my family and how everyone had changed.  

It has been very relaxing.  It is going to be an adjustment to wake up tomorrow at six and go work for nine hours.