Lookie lookie!

Lookie what Iiiii just purchased on Etsy! K is for Calligraphy's beautiful "12 Days of Christmas" tags. I don't know what I'm going to do with them. They would be lovely as Christmas tree ornaments, or I may part with them if I think of someone who would fall in love with them as I did. I haven't decided. But I can't wait to get them in the mail!

I actually looked into going to Calligraphy school in London when I lived over there. I picked it up as a hobby and bought all sorts of books, nibs, ink, writing paper, etc. I went so far as to start emailing with one of the professors at the art school and gathered all sorts of information. But when I came back, it all got put away, for reasons I can't remember. I need to pull it back out. Katy has inspired me. In the meantime, I'll just keep buying her stuff :)

baileys.

Our neighbors/landlords had us over for dinner last night. He is an amazing cook, and we always look forward to eating with them....After dinner, but before dessert, he made everyone Baileys Hot Cocoa. It was so creamy and delicious...I know most people have had it but I just have to make sure because it's sad if you haven't.

I went to Baileys.com and looked at all their drink recipes, after going through the rounds of them having me enter my birthdate to check my legal status. Really? But once I got through - Yum! I can't believe I don't keep a bottle of this stuff in the cupboard at all times.

Drinksmixer.com has pages of Bailey's recipes, including "Slippery Eggs", "Leprechaun's Lunch", "Moo Moo", and the most disgusting..."Tummy Blower". But worth checking out for the upcoming holiday season!

bread and toast

One big reason to look forward to this time of year is all the delicious loafs and breads that come piping hot out of toasty ovens. Mmmm. Martha's slideshow about quick breads made my mouth water. I especially want to try the Chocolate Marble Cake with Ganache, picture below. Breads also make great gifts, IF they make it out of the house!

The new Christmas issue of Toast UK's catalog is also out. I want everything in this spendy, artsy little catalog. I decided to treat myself and purchase an ornament that was only 4 pounds, but I went to checkout and the minimum shipping cost is 25 pounds! That's almost 50 dollars! No Toast ornament for me this year.

gluten-free meatballs.

Meatballs are surely chameleons. You can add so many different flavors and spices that no meatball need ever be the same. Here's my version, which I add to or subtract from every time. They're also gluten-free.

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 egg, gently mixed

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/3 heaping cup gluten-free bread crumbs

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp thyme

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper

Mix all ingredients together by hand, shape into balls and cook over medium-low heat in olive oil. Finish off the meatballs by simmering in tomato sauce, and serve over brown rice spaghetti to keep this meal gluten-free. I served with a salad made up of baby romaine and lamb's lettuce.

bitty baby booties.

I downloaded this free pattern for Baby Booties off of Heather Bailey's blog, and they were simple to make. You can download your own copy if you're looking for Christmas gifts for little ones!

Remnants are perfect for this pattern - I had a few bags of remnants that I had bought a while back from Bolt Fabric and Josephine's Dry Goods, and was able to put a little bit of this pretty blue and brown to good use.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

I love pumpkin. A little more than the average person, I do believe. I did a pumpkin post last fall, where I made pumpkin muffins and pancakes (FAIL) and pumpkin chili (WIN), and a pumpkin cheesecake (DRAW). This recipe is from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine's special christmas baking issue from last year, and instead of using the honey frosting, which does look delicious, I used the cinnamon glaze recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. So. Good.

(From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food)

I spun off the cake a little, and also the frosting. So it technically isn't the same cake. Here is Martha's original recipe, including the Honey Frosting.

CAKE:

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar (cut from 1 1/2)

1 can pumpkin puree

6 Tbsp butter + 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, adding dry to pumpkin mixture and mix until smooth. Pour into 9 in. greased (coconut oil or butter) pan, bake for 45-50 mins or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool, glaze or ice.

Cinnamon Icing, from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, which I used as a "glaze".

1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp. milk

2 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil (or margarine as the book suggests, ick!), melted

Whisk together, keeping at room temp. until ready to use. Drizzle over cake.