I know I said Thanksgiving wouldn’t be happening, meaning no meal, no plans due to the hustle and bustle of buying our first house, packing and moving in 3 weeks! Well, that’s changed.
Greg’s employer kindly hands out a free turkey each year so I’d like to roast that bird before we move. It didn’t slip my mind. I just thought we’d bring it along for Christmas dinner. But I began to realize that once we get moved in, I’ll be going into “remodel” mode and not “let’s make a large meal involving hours of prep and a large fowl” mode.
Thanks to the free turkey and a trip to Trader Joes, we will have a feast…a trip in the first bad snow/ice fest. We knew this could be the last weekend we’d travel any large distance (minus a trip to Iowa to deliver a secretary we refinished in December) so I was determined to stock my pantry.
Our drive to Trader Joes
In my defense, when we left Northfield it was only raining and then turned into the picture above on the trip to St. Paul. With my new iphone 4S (yes I finally broke down and got rid of my dinosaur phone), I snapped some photos and actually kind of enjoyed the trip. Greg was having fun whipping around in our AWD vehicle and seeing him happy always makes my day. What kind of husband thinks, on his own, to take his wife on a path out of the way in bad weather to see their new home so she can see the house in the first snow of the season? A mighty sweet one that’s made the total almost 9 years together fantastic.
So putting this together for our first Thanksgiving alone (still missing family) and it also happens to be our 3rd wedding anniversary seems super important right now. We’ll be cooking together, cozy and snug, a tift might break out, all in good, teasing fun. But those are our plans now. I felt some guilt about our first one alone, knowing how much Greg likes a roasted bird and all the trimmings. I’m usually considering the menu a month before. Sitting pretty proud at this moment just throwing it all together.
Thanksgiving last year
So here’s our menu:
Spatchcock Turkey- using last year’s brine method and gravy
Stuffing with leeks and pancetta
Brussels sprouts with brown butter and hazelnuts
Mashed potatoes or a gratin
These Parker House rolls (prepped and ready to go as of Sunday)
Pomegranate Cranberry Relish
Sweet potato pie with candied nuts and whipped cream
Beaujolais nouveau wine
All for 2 people. Leftover love up in here. Bonus! What’s on your menu?
And because I like to share our projects, here’s the painted grey bookcase with modern floral wallpaper on the back recently completed.
Put a fork in this project, it's finally done and on etsy.
You’ll have to excuse me in the coming weeks; I’ll most likely be posting less through our transition to the new place and holiday season. Have a terrific Thanksgiving, folks!
Another Finished Dresser and Root Veggies Best Friend: Fried Herb Goat Cheese Rounds
Greg and I move into our first house in a month. One month. I feel like I should be packing but I use most of our belongings almost daily so there’s no use. The ever-prepared person in me is screaming mad. I have to ignore her and rest on my ability to organize. I do it like a boss. Plus, there will be a few weeks to transition from the apartment to the house for our convenience.
But hey, we finished another dresser (on etsy right now). Ta-da!
Our most recent finished dresser
It’s an antique gal we found on craigslist for a client that decided to go for a different piece so we were able to design this as we saw fit (i.e. put the leftover paint together to get this shade). A light blue (with a hint of grey from a tiny bit of chalk paint) and a wax finish for durability. Greg took great care making this one last years to come. Sturdy with jute rope knobs. I wanted a muted, chic country feel for this baby. I’m working on a bookcase (in our second bedroom since it’s too cold to work outside with paint) now. The reveal to come soon.
Enough about that. How about some fried goat cheese? That’s what I’m talking about!
I can’t take credit. I’ve seen them floating around the blogosphere in salads. I found myself with giant Chioggia beets from our pal. Greg is a fool for beets. I love them as well but don’t love preparing the red beasts. The things we do for love.
Goat cheese goes so well with root veggies. Herbs taste wonderful in goat cheese. Thus the trio was put together and went on a journey where they came across their breading ingredient friends. There they decided to mix and dredge with one another and continue on a walk where they eventually found a hot, oiled pan to jump into for some melty, browning pleasure. That sounds disturbingly delicious. And it is! Forget that story.
I’m always looking for a way to make what I categorize as a ‘salad’ but without lettuce (or not much of it) and more heft. A little fat, some protein, carbs (through a small amount of meat and/or beans/bread), usually some cheese and lots of veggies (raw, steamed, roasted). That’s where these discs o’ cheese come in. Right alongside roasted veg. I think it’s a great transition for fall/winter salads. Thanksgiving is coming, holiday parties, why not fried, herb goat cheese rounds as appetizers, a side, snack or complement for your veggies? If I were having a gathering, I’d probably pull these out. Make a large amount because they always seem to go fast. What do you add to salads to help keep you satiated longer?
Fried Herb Goat Cheese Rounds inspired by the Hungry Mouse
Makes about 8 rounds
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
16 oz. goat cheese (in log form or you’ll be making the round shape by hand)
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tsp dried herbes de Provence (or parsley and thyme)
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of flour
olive oil
It’s important to chill your cheese. So toss it in the freezer for about 15 minutes so it’s easier to slice.
Meanwhile, put the panko in a bowl and add the herbes de Provence, granulated garlic, ground white pepper and salt. Stir well and set aside. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and set aside. Line a sheet pan or plate with parchment paper.
Place the flour on a plate or in a shallow bowl. Slice the chilled cheese, using a sharp knife, into 8 pieces. You can keep it nice and clean by wiping the knife on a wet paper towel in between slices. I ended up shaping the rounds by hand anyway to keep it from falling apart. Place the cheese in the flour-coat both sides. Then drop the floured cheese into the egg-both sides. Lastly, put it into the seasoned panko breadcrumbs. You got it, both sides. Put them on your lined pan.
You could do this about an hour ahead and keep them in the fridge. Add a little olive oil in a nonstick pan-just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Set it to medium-high heat. When it shimmers, you’re ready to go. Place your slices of breaded goat cheese in there. Probably best to do them in batches depending on your pan size. Don’t crowd them.
When the bottom is brown, flip and repeat. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb some oil. If you need to keep them warm for a little while before serving, place them in a 150F oven. Otherwise cool a few minutes then serve and enjoy!
What are your feelings about meringue? Meringue cookies, pies and cakes topped with the fluffy stuff? Comprised of 3 (sometimes 4) things-sugar, egg whites, and air (sometimes cream of tartar or water in this recipe case).
I don’t recall why, maybe I had a meringue topped pie and wasn’t pleased, maybe I just thought it looked odd and didn’t go near them. But I avoided any dessert with a meringue topping. Not my dad. I’ve never seen the man avoid dessert. By the way, happy belated birthday to him.
Honestly I’m not too familiar with meringue. I watched my grandma prepare it as a child. I kind of placed whipped cream and meringue prep in the same mental compartment for years. When you grow up with a tub of Cool Whip as the dessert topping then see the mixer come out occasionally, you might confuse the two too…if you aren’t paying attention to the ingredients. As a child, I wasn’t the foodie you see read today. I know the difference but both require a lot of whipping and air so the association will remain.
Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Meringue
Later in life I heard there was a science to meringue but I just jumped in. It isn’t too difficult when you have the equipment. Sure, by hand but also a hand or stand mixer for the cheat (which I am when it comes to this unfamiliar territory). Even the pros pull these puppies out.
This cake uses brown sugar (light works best) in the meringue and even though I haven’t had much experience with the stuff, think I am addicted in a way that regular white sugar wouldn’t give me. The cake, even though the batter isn’t very moist, comes out, protected by the meringue topping, delicious and moist with a layer of a pudding kind of concoction in the middle.
Once again, I reverted to my younger days and the days of Pop-Tarts (something I’ve yet to make homemade) to describe the flavor and smell. If you’ve ever had a brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tart, this is the flavor equivalent in spice cake form. Of course a million times better.
The smell overtook the apartment and I was back in my childhood and loving fall. It smells like the fall holiday season. You get the cinnamon and cloves (I added a dash of nutmeg) with the brown sugar caramelizing scent in the air then the taste, quite sweet, makes you sit there in a stupor. Maybe that was just me but that’s how good this cake was. Bravo to betteirene at Food 52 for this one. I really just stood up and clapped.
Adding the toasted walnuts and raisins (golden is my preference) is a grand idea and my choice but you can omit them for whatever reason you feel. Another tip, make sure to use a double boiler for the meringue. Plus have your hand mixer or your arm will burn like nothing else.
Apple Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Meringue Topping from betteirene at Food 52
Serves 6 to 8 (I think it can serve more-it’s quite sweet)
Print Recipe
Ingredients:
For the Meringue:
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (light seems best)
2 tbsp water
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar (light again)
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
a dash of nutmeg was a nice addition (optional)
2 large apples, cored and grated on a box grater (do this beforehand)
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup raisins (I prefer golden-optional)
2 cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9″x 9″ baking pan or casserole dish and set aside. (I used a round pan.) Toast the walnuts while the oven preheats until fragrant but not burnt then chop if needed. Set those aside to cool.
To make the meringue, place the egg whites (reserve the yolks), brown sugar and water in the top of a double boiler. (I use a glass bowl over the top of a pot.) Put enough water in the bottom of the double boiler to touch the bottom of the top pot. Over high heat, beat the egg whites with the brown sugar mixture with an electric mixer until peaks form, 3-5 minutes. Set aside.
For the cake, in a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy then add the egg yolks. Mix well. By hand, stir in baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, dash of nutmeg, grated apples, walnuts and raisins. Fold in the flour, blending well but don’t overmix. It will be a dry batter.
Place the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the meringue evenly over the batter. Bake until the top is crisp, about 40 to 45 minutes. If you serve it while warm, the meringue will crack when you cut it. If you want neat slices, serve the cake the next day. Yeah right, that didn’t happen here. I also just dove in without making slices. Enjoy!
So the big news I’ve been withholding for what feels like months but has actually been only weeks is that we are getting a house! We put an offer on a 1952 mid-century place near one of the colleges in town about…oh October 18th 6PM and while grabbing a quick bite at Subway October 20th 5PM found out it was accepted. Last Thursday we had the inspection-no surprises, nothing too big. We met with our mortgage consultant last night and have the closing date set for December 15th. (Please excuse the picture quality in this post. I was without my camera when we snapped some shots of the house.)
They have the address all over this place.
Sure it’s crazy to move in Minnesota in December. Yes, it means I will not be decorating for Christmas. Then having a billion things to do in the next month, will not be making a Thanksgiving meal or doing much of anything for our 3rd wedding anniversary. But we’re getting a house! (And with that, we’re getting a pet…finally!)
I am still hesitant to release more information because last time we found a place, when I put it all out there, I fell on my face. Humiliated and defeated. For that house, I created a new floorplan that would take years and years to accomplish. I picked out the décor, made a timeline, budget and finally an ass out of myself when the deal broke. Not one other place with potential came up for months.
Not even a year later and this one came from nowhere. We actually had interest in another place but it was atrocious. Our agent suggested dropping by this house that same night and we began to wonder why this one was still on the market while traipsing around. Other agents wondered the same thing. Maybe something to do with the fact that it has only 1000 square feet listed as the living space but it comes with a finished basement (one we can rent to a few students) so you’re getting about 2000 square feet, a 3 season porch, garage, a large, secluded backyard and a garden shed/greenhouse.
It’s on a quiet lane, has a cute stone patio out back, large windows, a deep garage (the first project to tackle) and established landscaping/plants. It’s open. The kitchen is small-slightly bigger than 10’ x 7’ but has a decent layout (and is better/larger than most places we’ve rented in 9 years). I’ve got plans for it. Where don’t I?
part of the backyard
Things could use updating (we wanted a project house). Nothing is at a point where it absolutely must go but since we don’t intend to live there for more than 5 years, we’re keeping resale in mind mixed with some of our own touches. For instance, the owner put in new carpet before leaving…but I’m not a fan so our plans to update the basement rooms will include moving the new carpet down there and putting in an engineered hardwood floor throughout the top floor (ouch on the budget). When our realtor said the listing agent told him there weren’t hardwood floors, we didn’t believe it. On a 1952 home? Hmmm. So while he was looking the other way, I tried to lift the carpet in a closet without success. That carpet was installed well. When we were there for inspection, Greg continued to see if there was hardwood flooring in another closet even after the inspector tried to lift a corner and said only plywood was visible. I’m not above walking on subfloor until we can afford a new floor. I know it’s ridiculous but sometimes that’s me.
Before renting the bottom, we want to reframe the closets, do something for the brick walls and put that carpet in. I would like to renovate the bathroom downstairs but I don’t know that it will work in the next year. I already have plans including round penny tile, a wall of wallpaper I have leftover from a project and a custom glass shower with new vanity/mirror. I’d like to fashion a vanity out of a dresser since that’s kind of “our thing.” Then our upstairs bath needs some assistance too. I could go on and on with all the other plans but I’ve said too much already.
How bout that plaid carpet on the stairs? 1952 all the way and I kind of like it but that will not be staying.
Before I go on to the recipe links (I haven’t been cooking much…found out the newer Japanese restaurant in town is great), I hate to admit it but this house was one we rejected checking out when we were moving into our current apartment. We were tired of being disappointed and content to stay in this place. Then the furniture refinishing thing came up-it’s doing well so we need more space and then wham, everything fell into place. The plan is to document our renovation projects on our other blog along with our furniture jobs.
Wow, did I really just write that much? I have been trying to avoid those posts. Here are some recipes floating around the interweb I’m craving. Anything on your list I need to know about?
Photo by John Autry
Caramelized Onion, Gruyère, and Bacon Spread
Then there are waffles. Greg and I both crave these. It’s been too long, waffles.
