Holiday Food Traditions

This is going to be difficult. I am at that point between Christmas and New Years where if I have to eat another cookie or drink another egg nog I may run for the hills. Holiday food burn out. Ugh. I'm not usually this bad, here is why:

My hubby and I stayed in LA for Christmas this year. It's not fun. We obviously would rather be with our families, but airfare is a killer. So to try compensate, I made all my families favorite food traditions. Food traditions are fabulous things. The problem is most of the recipes I have feed a family of 6+ people. So that "taste of Christmas" you usually get for one or two days has lasted for 7 days (and counting). I just want to run into a 24-hour fitness and scream "Please!!!! Put me on a diet!!!! I'll do anything, just no more cookies!!!!!" (This feeling would last for about 10 minutes on a treadmill unfortunately.)

Since the point of this blog to write about food and not complain about it, I am going to write about the three things I made that weren't under the list of my traditional Christmas food.

First up: Cocoa-Cayenne Popcorn Balls www.chow.com/recipes/27803

Yum. I L-O-V-E popcorn. This recipe had a very unexpected taste, it was good, but unexpected. I'm not sure how much of it was due to the fact that I used lemon zest instead of orange. It was tangy, spicy, and not very chocolately. If I do this recipe again there will be much more chocolate, and just a hint of citrus and cayenne.

Makronen "German Macaroons"

The term macaroon has gotten a little confusing for me lately. I grew up thinking macaroons were coconut flakes and condensed milk. There is also the french macaroon, which is a very colorful and uber-gormet in comparison and is also threatening to overthrow the expensive boutique cupcake fad that is going on right now. (Noooooo!) However, I was recently introduced to the german 'Makronen' and it stole my heart. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, while somehow still being light and fluffy. It's amazing. The Germans use almond or hazelnut meal instead of flour so you get a nice nutty flavor. And when you dip them in a semi-sweet chocolate? Forget about it.

Pepparkakor

This is a hard core Swedish ginger cookie. Wow. Even the name is hardcore. I felt the need to say Pepparkakor in a low and threatening voice like the giant from the Princess Bride. I probably won't be making this again. It was delicious, don't get me wrong. But, in order to get a very crunchy thin ginger cookie, there are a lot of molasses and sugar in this dough. The word sticky doesn't quite cover it. I think I was missing something, some technique that a Swedish grandma somewhere would know all about. There is no picture of these things because they were REALLY ugly despite being tasty. Next year I'm going back to my Martha Stewart ginger bread cookie recipe.

Don't hedge your bets...

Meet my new friend the hedgehog. She's a festive little gal, so I needle felted her a little holly and berry ornament. I bought this pattern from Julie, who writes the blog Little Cotton Rabbits. Check it out, its one of my faves: http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/

Eureka! I have found it!

What is it?

The Kelly Moore camera bag. (http://kellymoorebag.com/) I have been scouring the Internet for weeks looking for the perfect camera bag, and I have finally found it. You would think this would be easy....I assure you it is not. Yes, there are designer camera bags out there, but I'd prefer not to carry something that has cheesy zebra print or looks like a Halliburton case with Ikea fabric on it. Am I too picky? Yes.

I was specifically looking for a camera bag that looks like a handbag. I’m a photography student and the number one thing my professors tell me is that if I’m going to be a serious photographer, then I need to carry my camera at all times. That’s great, sound good. Except I work a corporate job during the day, meaning I can’t carry a backpack around, and carrying two bags is out of the question. A fumbling photographer can be a dangerous and expensive thing.
Enter the Kelly Moore Bag. It’s sleek, stylish, and simple. The exterior is quality leather in colors that are both in style and will go with most of your wardrobe. (My fave is a jewel tone purple see above). There are plenty of pockets on the outside to hold keys, phones, and small camera accessories, but not so many that you waste time trying to find which pocket you left your lip gloss in. The strap is adjustable, so the bag can be over the shoulder, or across the body. The interior is padded and has configurable Velcro inserts so you can customize the space. Just need to carry your camera? No problem. Going on vacation to fashionable Paris and need to carry a few lenses plus a flash? Pas de problème. And, the bag snaps shut to keep away prying eyes. The bags will be available sometime in January and cost $250. Which might seem a little steep, but like I said it’s a leather purse and a camera bag so I think it’s well worth the investment. The search is over, now I can relax and start saving my dollars. Whew. UPDATE: Because I wrote this review ms. Kelly Moore is giving $50 off the price to my blog readers if you pre-order before Christmas. If you want the code, comment below.