Happy New Year, everyone!
2017 crept up incredibly fast and the 10th February even faster! The last few weeks of 2016 I spent with my sister’s family helping out as she’s been a wee bit under the weather. I’m getting lots of nieces and nephew time.
So, how was everyone’s Christmas? Unlike last Christmas I didn’t get many food related items. In fact, besides chocolate, the only food related item I got was a gift of lunch at the prestigious Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. Which, in fairness, is a pretty epic present. I haven’t decided who to bring with me and when to go. Hopefully in the spring, though! My actually Christmas presents included Harry Potter themed pyjamas (these along with the Shelbourne may have won Christmas for me). My squeals of delight were all that my sister who gave it to me desired. For my birthday she also gave me HP related Christmas decorations, a paper craft, a reading lamp for bed that you wear around your neck. This is so handy for me as I love reading in bed but hate having to get up to turn off the light so instead I usually watch TV…no more!
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(photo credit @ K O’Driscoll – I wasn’t able to take this photo so my sister very kindly helped me out)
However, we had lots of goodies to eat. Here are some of them! I made a couple of cheese boards over the Christmas. This one was to celebrate Nollaig na mBan or Women’s Christmas as Three Kings Day is known here. It featured hummus, paté, gorgonzola, edam, cheddar, chorizo and salami as well as some crisps. Below are my mom’s almond slices. I love when there are almonds on top. We also had her peanut butter balls and peppermint balls (not pictured). I believe some people call them buckeyes? These tartlettes were incredibly yummy. I ate about 4 by myself! The crisps didn’t taste like their description but I’m not sure what they tasted like! They were pretty good, though.
For my birthday, from my sister’s family I got a myriad of food related gifts, which more than made up for Christmas: apricot chocolates, peanut sweets and a jar of Ya Kun Kaya Toast. It’s basically a coconut jam that’s very popular in Singapore. I’ve never had it before. Has anyone ever tried it? If so, did you like it? I haven’t tried it yet – saving it for a special occasion.
(photo credit @ K O’Driscoll – I wasn’t able to take this photo so my sister very kindly helped me out)
My other sister made me my own hobbit hole cake. I first read The Hobbit when I was about 7 or 8 and LOTR when I was about 10. To this day they are some of my favourite stories. Isn’t it adorable?
I also received this beautiful cookbook from my aunt who was visiting. I am in love! This aunt is the one who introduced my sister to the More-with-less and Extending the Table cookbooks. I love Extending the Table and you can find two recipes adapted from that cookbook on this blog: Kusherie and Nepalese Spiced Tea. I am sure that this cookbook will also be excellent. Does anyone else have it?
(photo credit @ K O’Driscoll – I wasn’t able to take this photo so my sister very kindly helped me out)
When my aunt was visiting, she asked me to make some Korean food for her. I made my version of gimbap and adapted a bibimbap recipe of Maangchi’s. Maangchi is one of my favourite Korean food bloggers. You should check her out.
I also participated in Fiesta Friday’s Healthy Recipe Challenge. We had to incorporate two ingredients in a recipe: pineapple and a leafy green. This was my contribution (click the picture to bring you to the recipe)
In my kitchen, I have some fruits, or rather cookies, from my baking labours! The big picture and the bottom right are slightly different versions of the same cookie. The ones on the top right are my Grandma’s Christmas Fork Cookies. I made these for a cookie exchange at the beginning of December.I’m not a confident baker but that’s my goal for this year: (technically it was also last years goal but I got sidetracked!) to increase my knowledge about baking and to bake more often. Most especially, not to be afraid of disasters. To that end I hope to share some stories about my baking adventures over the next year with my first post coming in a couple of weeks. How about you all? Any resolutions cooking related? Blog related? Obviously, for me it’s to post more recipes and to participate more IMK and Fiesta Friday
And that’s all folks. Please check out for the other entries in this month’s In My Kitchen posts at Bizzy Lizzy’s Good Thins and if you are interested in joining us, let her know.Thanks for hosting, Liz.
Spoon in a Saucepan 
The cookbook looks awesome. Will try my local book store of I can get it.
Oh, I hope you can find it! It’s a beautiful book but I need to still sit down and find a recipe I want to make! May will be quieter in work – so maybe then! Thanks for stopping by, Juliet.
hi maggie
i hope you have lots of fun baking this year. the lunch at the hotel sounds wonderful. you will have to put up some pics of it. love the hobbit hole cake. I read the hobbit when i was a teenager but it took me years to get into LOTR. I have since read it many times. Happy baking!
Tolkien was such a wordsmith! I love his worlds and writing. I’ve read several of his books but there is something so special about The Hobbit. I hope I do, too. I’m on a break from baking at the minute but will get back into it before Easter! Hope you are having a lovely 2017?
Not too bad thanks. An interesting year I think it will be. 🙂
The cookbook looks lovely, I’ll have to see if my library has it. Yes, buckeyes are fantastic. Here the get their name for looking luck Buckeye nuts and most known in the State of Ohio (the buckeye state, I also happen o have been born there and have lots of relatives there)! What a busy month or two you’ve had.
It’s been insane, Gretchen. And now I’ve started to work and started a blood sugar diet so it’s even more insane! Oh, how interesting. I didn’t know that about Ohio at all. We literally call them peanut butter balls!
Hello lovely Maggie, happy new year to you. Wow, so many good things in your kitchen. I have that cookbook too, it’s rather beautiful, isn’t it. Loving all the cooking you’ve been doing. Not too much happening here, as we are eating salads… it’s a stinking hot summer and we’re expecting 41 degrees today C! Thanks so much for playing IMK and linking up. I’ve added you xx
Oh. great! I was so worried I was late! I tend to write the blog post ahead of time but then forget to press post before the 10th! Oh, yay – glad someone else has that book. It’s very beautiful. I can’t wait to try one of the recipes. 41 degrees sounds wonderful – I swear I saw a few snowdrops this afternoon. Take care!