simple spiced coffee & some stiff upper lip.

We usually go out to breakfast on Saturday mornings but this past Saturday morning we stayed home and made breakfast instead. Sourdough waffles (from a starter I've managed to keep alive, more about that another day) and spiced coffee.

Trader Joe's featured their own brand of holiday spiced coffee that they had on sample a while ago, and it was so good that I went back for seconds, although it is hard to maneuver a shopping cart down teeny aisles in a crowded store while sipping a hot beverage from a dixie cup.

We made our own version using the french press.

What you'll need :

French press (or drip!)

Fresh coffee beans

1 - 2 tsp. cinnamon, 3-5 whole cloves, and a few red & white peppercorns

Grind up the spices with your coffee and brew how you like it. You can adjust the spice level according to your preferences after you make the first pot.

Well thank you, I will.

by Claire Owen Illustration

Portlanders who love Christmas AND vintage finds!

Found, The collective shop that Poppy & Ivy is a part of (love her blog!) is hosting Santy Claus tomorrow night! I heard from One Gal's Trash (love hers too!) that there might be champagne too...I'm so there! 4743 NE Fremont St.

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.

apple pressin' and a comforting cider recipe

We went on a little getaway with our good friends up to Puget Sound, where we attended their traditional family cider-making party. It was such a great experience, it felt fall-ish and harvest-y and like we were taking part in the deep roots of the Pacific Northwest.

Every person had a job; whether it was loading the apples, washing the apple, sorting the apples, cutting the apples, pressing the apples, or scooping up the cider and filling milk jugs through cheesecloth. It was a great social time, plus the potluck afterwards was one of the best that I had EVER been to. Especially the apple champagne, which someone had taken the apple juice from last year's pressing and added champagne culture, letting it ferment throughout the year. So crisp and bubbly!

Bottling the good stuff

Custom apple presses

1700 pounds of organic Washington apples

The end result

View from the cabin

The cabin - it was everything I hoped it would be!

The next Tuesday, a group of friends met up to go through the corn maze on Sauvie Island; one of our friend's sisters actually lives full time on the farm and allowed us to heat up cider on her stove after we had completed the course. Friend Josh found this recipe for mulled cider and it is seriously delicious!

• 6 cups apple cider
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 1 orange peel, cut into strips (We used slices)
• 1 lemon peel, cut into strips (We used slices)
• 
  
• Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.Remove the cider from the heat and discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs.

From: allrecipes.com

The Pie of those Sheep-Herding Folk.

Fall is here. I know this because when I walk outside, I can smell it. I also know this because our house is still without heat and there is a distinct chill inside. We have always kept our living spaces cold because we're cheap and usually poor, but this time is different because we don't even have the option of heat available to us.

On a different note, someday it's my dream to have a little bit of property where I can raise some sheep. They are so multi-purpose! They are really cute, their wool is warm and soft, they taste good, and I think you can make really good cheese out of their milk. Naturally, the people who raise and "herd" the sheep must be lovely people, too, right? Of course, because they are also the bless-ed folk behind one of the coziest meals on the menu.

Shepherd's Pie, from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. (With a corny twist)

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp thyme

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. flour

10 oz. (or your preference) frozen veggies. (We used frozen sweet corn and fresh mushrooms)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

3 cups mashed potatoes (this was 3 russet potatoes for us, boiled and smashed with butter)

1. Preheat oven to 425. Cook meat for 4-5 mins, add onion and garlic and cook until soft and onions are transparent, 4-5 mins.

2. Add thyme, ketchup and flour; stir until combined. Add about 1/2 c. water and vegetables, cook until warm and the whole liquid has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place mixture in baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over mixture. Bake for 10-15 mins, adding cheese on top if you'd like. We only had parmesan cheese so I just sprinkled a little over the top. Serve hot with another steamed and buttered veg, like broccoli or green beans.

*What was our corny twist? I sliced up ready-made polenta and made a bottom crust for our pie, spooning the meat mixture over the top. It was delicious.