When The Littlest Apple was born 2 years ago, I knew I wanted to start some new family traditions for Christmas.  I’d seen this idea several places, and given my love of books and my love of Christmas, this new tradition is a perfect fit for us.  The idea is to collect 25 Christmas books, wrap them all up (and number them, though this is optional) then let your child unwrap a book each night during the month of December to read.  Since The Littlest Apple is only 2, this will be my first year wrapping the books.  Our collection is still growing.  We’ve got 20 books, with about half of those gifted from grandparents.  Right now I’ve got some books that are on the baby-ish side, and some that are probably a little over my guy’s head, but I’m excited to see which books are his favorites this year.  As The Littlest Apple gets older, the books will change to reflect his age and interests.

1.  My First Christmas,  by Tomie dePaola:  A beautifully illustrated boardbook with introductions to all of the basics of Christmas.

2.  Biscuit’s Pet & Play Christmas, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli: My son loves Biscuit.  This one is a very short touch and feel book.

3.  Counting Christmas, by Karen Katz:  Karen Katz is always a favorite here, and this one will be great for a little boy learning to count!

4.  Jingle Bugs, by David A. Carter:  This is a pop-up book with music (Jingle Bells) and lights at the end.  This is a current favorite, but the pop-ups are a little too delicate for my rough little 2 year old.

5.  Santa’s Special Day, by Janet Sacks:  This book teaches about colors.  Throughout the book, there are black and white pictures (like the one of Santa, below) that “magically” change to color pictures as you pull the tab.

6.  The Mitten, by Jan Brett:  Jan Brett’s illustrations are amazing in this traditional Ukranian tale, and I especially love the extra insight you get from the border illustrations.

7.  Gingerbread Baby, by Jan Brett: Another great book illustrated by Jan Brett.  The Gingerbread Baby has the whole village trying to catch him, and a little boy comes up with a smart way to do it!

8. I Spy Christmas, by Jean Marzollo: This book is new for us this year, but since The Littlest Apple is starting to enjoy searching for things in pictures, I think he’s going to love this one!  There is so much to look at!

9.  Curious George Christmas Countdown, by Tish Rabe: Also new for us this year.  The Littlest Apple loved his Curious George Halloween book, so I think this one is destined to be a favorite.

10.  Russell’s Christmas Magic, by Rob Scotton: Another new one for us this year.  I love the whimsical illustrations.

11. The Berenstain Bears Trim the Tree, by Jan and Mike Berenstain.

12.  A Merry Little Christmas: Celebrate From A to Z, by Mary Engelbreit.  This was one of my son’s favorites last year.  An alphabet Christmas book with Mary Engelbreit’s gorgeous illustrations.

13.  A Scratch & Sniff Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore.  The scratch and sniff books were always a favorite of mine when I was little, so I’m happy to share this with The Littlest Apple.

14.  Ho Ho Ho, by Mary Engelbreit:  This is a short little book (no real plot) with Mary Engelbreit’s lovely illustrations.

15.  The Sweet Smell of Christmas, by Patricia M. Scarry: This was the scratch and sniff book my parents read to my brother and me growing up.  My parents bought a copy for the The Littlest Apple, and I am excited to pass along this wonderful book (and scents!) to him.

16.  The Polar Express, by Chris Van Allsburg:  The Littlest Apple is probably a little young for this one right now, but this book is just so beautiful to look at!

17.  Santa Claus, by Rod Green.  I spotted this book at Target last year.  What a neat, interactive book, with many flaps and letters to open!  This book, as you can tell from the title, is all about Santa Claus.  I think this book is perfect for older elementary school aged children.

18.  The Night Before Christmas, illustrated by Mary Engelbreit:  The classic story with Mary Engelbreit’s colorful illustrations.

19.  How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss.  Need I say more?

20.  Dream Snow, by Eric Carle.  We love Eric Carle’s books, so it was great to find a Christmas one!

I’m sharing this post with Show Us Your Life: Christmas Traditions at Kelly’s Korner

I’ve been searching and searching for the perfect cheesecake recipe.  A go-to recipe that I can make at home that tastes like the delicious cheesecakes at some of my favorite restaurants.  I’ve tried recipes with ricotta, and several different recipes for New York Style cheesecakes, but none were quite was I was looking for.

Until now.

My friends, THIS is the perfect cheesecake.  I wish I had pictures, but I brought this to Thanksgiving dinner, and we devoured what little leftovers I brought home before we remembered that we needed photos!  If you love cheesecake, then this is THE recipe for you!

Tall and Creamy Cheesecake

from Baking: From My Home To Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

For the Crust:

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake:

• 2 pounds (four 8-ounce boxes) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream or heavy cream, or a combination of the two (I used all heavy cream)

To Make the Crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan–choose one that has sides that are 2 3/4 inches high (if the sides are lower, you will have cheesecake batter left over)–and wrap the bottom of the pan in a double layer of aluminum foil.

Stir the crumbs, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl.  Pour over the melted butter and stir until all of the dry ingredients are uniformly moist.  Turn the ingredients into the springform pan and use a glass to pat an even layer of crumbs over the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides.  Don’t worry if the sides are not perfectly even or if the crumbs reach slightly above or below midway point on the sides.  Put the pan in the freezer while you preheat the oven.  (The crust can be covered and frozen for up to 2 months.)

Center a rack in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place the springform on a baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Set the crust aside to cool on a rack while you make the cheesecake.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

To Make the Cheesecake: Put a kettle of water on to boil.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 4 minutes.  With the mixer running, add the sugar and salt and continue to beat for another 4 minutes or so, until the cream cheese is light. Beat in the vanilla.  Add the eggs one by one, beating for a full minute after each addition–you want a well-aerated batter.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the sour cream and/or heavy cream.

Put the foil-wrapped springform pan in a roasting pan that is large enoug to hold the pan with some space around it.

Give the batter a few stirs with a rubber spatula, just to make sure that there is nothing left unmixed at the bottom of the bowl, and scrape the batter into the springform pan.  The batter will reach the rim of the pan.  (If you have a pan with lower sides and have leftover batter, you can bake the batter in a buttered ramekin or small souffle mold.)  Put the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough boiling water into it to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, at which point the top should be browned (and perhaps cracked) and may have risen just a little above the rim of the pan.  Turn off the oven and prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon.  Allow the cheesecake to luxuriate in its water bath for another hour.

After 1 hour, carefully pull the setup out of the oven, lift the springform pan out of the roaster–be careful, there may be some hot water in the aluminum foil–and remove the foil.  Let the cheesecake come to room temperature on a cooling rack.

When the cake is cool, cover the top lightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

At serving time, remove the sides of the springform pan and set the cake on a serving platter.

These cupcakes were my dessert contribution to Thanksgiving Dinner with my parents and brother and sister-in-law on Wednesday.  They turned out fantastic, and I think part of the reason was that I switched up the frosting and went with a Cinnamon Buttercream instead of what the original recipe called for.  You really can’t go wrong with Cinnamon Buttercream, in my opinion!  These cupcakes will definitely become part of my regular holiday baking!

Cheesecake-Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes

from Every Day with Rachael Ray

Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used coconut oil.  Love it!)

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking liners.  Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar for 3 minutes.  Beat in 1 egg white and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  In another bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs, granulated sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Whisk in the flour mixture.

Layer each muffin cup with some of the pumpkin batter, then the cream cheese mixture, then more of the batter.  Bake until springy to the touch, 25 minutes.  Let cool.

Cinnamon Buttercream

from recipezaar.com

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place butter in a large bowl.  Beat on low for 30 seconds.  Add sugar about a cup at a time, beating on low between each addition.  Add 3 tablespoons milk, vanilla and cinnamon.  Beat on medium 1 minute.  Blend in up to 1 tablespoon of milk if frosting is too thick.  Ice cupcakes.

I hope all of you are having a Happy Thanksgiving!  We have been busy indeed with our Thanksgiving dinners.

2009 has definitely had its ups and downs, but I have SO MUCH to be thankful for this year.  Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving….

The Picky Apple, my husband, my best friend, the voice of sanity and reason in this little family of ours.  I love you!

The Littlest Apple, my amazing little boy with an enthusiasm and zest for life that is unparalleled.  I am so proud to be his mommy.

I’m thankful that I get to stay home with The Littlest Apple and watch him grow and learn all day long.  Being a stay at home mom is not always easy, but I am so thankful to have this experience!

Having parents and in laws nearby.  I can’t imagine NOT having my parents and in-laws nearby!  They have always been super supportive, but they have been amazingly helpful since The LIttlest Apple was born.  I love spending time with them!

The library. Reading is such a passion of mine, and I go through books fast.  How wonderful that we have a great library system nearby where I can borrow an unlimited number of books for free!

The readers of my blog!  I started this blog not really expecting it to become much of anything, mostly as a place to keep track of my favorite recipes and notes on motherhood.  I am so thankful for how much this blog has grown!  Thanks again to all my regular readers and commenters!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

This was exactly the kind of meal I needed tonight: quick and easy!  It’s been one of those days.  The kind of day that involves a 45 minute battle to get The Littlest Apple to wear pants that ends with both of us in tears and no pants (well, I had on my pants).  The kind of day that involves squeezing a juice box all over the kitchen just to see what happens.  The kind of day that involves spilling milk all over the couch, just to see what happens.  It was a very very long day, and I am drained.

The Picky Apple is off the rest of the week (yay! yay! yay!), so I’m hoping to get some longer posts written in the next few days.  Hopefully I can also get to all of those comments that keep piling up!  I value all of your comments, and I try my hardest to respond to each of them.  Sometimes I’m just a little slower than others.

But for now, here’s this quick and easy recipe, perfect for those days.

Chicken-Broccoli Mac & Cheese

from Better Homes and Gardens, June 2009

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. dried rigatoni
• 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
• 1 2 to 2 1/4 lb. whole roasted chicken
• 1 5.2 oz. pkg. semisoft cheese with garlic and fine herbs
• 3/4 to 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and snipped
• Fresh Italian parsley, optional

In large saucepan cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccoli florets during the last 3 minutes of cooking time.  While pasta is cooking, remove meat from roasted chicken.  Coarsely chop chicken.  Drain pasta and broccoli; set aside.

In same saucepan combine cheese, the 3/4 cup milk, tomatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted.  Add pasta mixture and chicken.  Heat through.  If necessary, thin with additional milk.  Sprinkle fresh parsley.

This is an easy week for dinners, since we’ve got two Thanksgiving dinners to attend, and I’m not hosting either of them!  I will be doing lots of baking this week to bring things to share.  I’m looking forward to lots of leftovers!

Monday: leftovers Thai food

Tuesday: Chicken-Broccoli Mac & Cheese (new recipe)

Wednesday: Thanksgiving dinner with my family.  I’m bringing Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Cheesecake Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes (new recipe)

Thursday: Thanksgiving dinner with The Picky Apple’s family.  I’m bringing Roasted Rosemary Potatoes and Cheesecake (new recipe)

Friday: leftovers!

Saturday: All American Beef Chili, Cornbread

Sunday: leftover chili

Baking: Pumpkin Buns (new recipe), Homemade Bread (new recipe)

For more menu planning inspiration, check out Menu Plan Monday at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

We did lots of reading this week!  The Littlest Apple let me read 8 books in a row many days this week.  It’s highly unusual for him to sit still that long, but I’m enjoying it while I can!  Here are a few of the books we’re loving this week:

Rudolf Von Flugel’s Busy Day, by Richard Scarry:  This is a current favorite at our house.  Full of airplanes, helicopters, and hot air balloons.

Firefighters to the Rescue, by Kersten Hamilton:  We checked this one out from the library, and it took us a while to warm up to it.  Now my son loves this book, and runs around the house pretending to be a fireman, listening for the fire bell, saving Ben (a dog) and yelling “Firefighters to the Rescue!!”  Definitely a book to check out if you’ve got a kid that loves firetrucks!

What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best, by Laura Numeroff:  This is actually two books in one.  One side for Mommies, and one side for Daddies.  A sweet book that discusses all the great things mommies and daddies do for their little ones.

Feast for 10, by Cathryn Falwell:  I checked out a handful of harvest and Thanksgiving themed books from the library, but this is the only one that my son likes.  This is a counting book that shows the family going grocery shopping, then preparing a big feast.  The Littlest Apple loves the grocery store, cooking and baking, so this was perfect for him!

I’m sharing this post with What My Child is Reading at Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns.

I was almost positive that I shared this recipe months ago, but apparently I didn’t.  This is like a big pan of lasagna, but much easier to throw together.  The Picky Apple and I absolutely love it, and it makes excellent comfort food on a cold and rainy day like today.  I haven’t really found my go-to lasagna recipe, so for now, this makes a nice substitute.  I found this recipe in Family Fun Magazine…I sure have been mentioning them lots lately, haven’t I?!

Some recipe notes: This recipe allows you to add more or less ricotta and cheese depending on how much you like.  I like LOTS of ricotta, The Picky Apple just likes a little.  Note that I put the ricotta mixture on top just for this photo…it is supposed to be on the bottom!  Also, you can see from the photos that this batch of lasagna soup doesn’t really look soupy….the noodles sucked up all the liquid.  If you want it on the soupier side, you may need to add extra chicken broth.

Lasagna Soup

adapted from Family Fun Magazine, February 2009

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 ounces fusilli pasta
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil (or a couple teaspoons of dried basil)
• 8 ounces ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella (I didn’t even use this, and it still tastes great!)

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon., until the beef is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain any excess fat from the pot.  Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute.  Add the tomato paste and saute until the paste turns a rusty brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium-high and boil the soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package.  Discard bay leaves, then stir in basil. If desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, the Parmesan, the 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pinch of pepper.  To serve, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture in each bowl, sprinkle with some of the mozzarella, and ladle the soup on top.  Makes about 13 cups.

As the subtitle of this book indicates, What To Eat is “An Aisle by Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating.”  Ms. Nestle, a nutritionist and the author of Food Politics sheds some light not only on the best choices at the grocery store, but also on how the grocery stores, the food companies, various food lobby groups, and the government influence what you eat.  This was an eye-opening book, though at times it was a bit dry.  It is also quite long at 524 pages.  I opted to read a few chapters at a time, then take a break to read fiction, then come back to What to Eat.  Every time I returned to this book, I was once again captivated and fascinated by what Ms. Nestle had to offer.

Here are some things from the book I found particularly fascinating:

• A section on yogurt and how food companies are increasingly turning yogurt into a dessert by adding sugar and different flavors.  This is an example of food companies taking advantage of the “cash cow” that is yogurt, and promoting “line extensions” with an infinite variety of different flavors.
• The bottom line from the section on dairy substitutes is that margarine is not a good substitute for butter, even though the makers of margarine products are spending millions of dollars in advertising to convince you otherwise.
• It is pointed out in a discussion of meat that Tyson Foods owns one-fourth of the entire United States market for chicken, beef, and pork, and that just four meat processing plants slaughter 80% of all beef cattle and 50% of hogs.  That is seriously problematic, if you ask me!
• There is also a great discussion of the confusion surrounding meats labeled “natural” vs. meats labeled “organic.”  I didn’t know the difference, and I bet you don’t either.  Turns out most store managers that sell meats with these labels don’t really understand it either!
• How large of an impact the Sugar Lobbies have on government warnings and recommendations regarding sugar.
• One of the most interesting sections of the whole book focused on breakfast cereals and what all of those health endorsements you see on the boxes(think American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association) really mean.

I think What to Eat should be required reading for anyone who shops at the grocery store on a regular basis, and this is definitely a book I would recommend to those who want to know more about the politics and marketing efforts behind the products you see on grocery store shelves.  A fascinating and eye-opening book!

It’s that time of year again….

You know, time for Oprah’s Favorite Things Show.  I rarely tune it to watch Oprah anymore, but I always try to watch the Favorite Things Show.  I love to see her selections, and I love to see all the hysterical people in the audience.

So yes, this post is a little materialistic, but here are a few of my favorite things.  These are things that make me happy, and I’m having a rough week mentally, so I could use some happy!  If I could share these things with all of you, Oprah style, I totally would!

Le Creuset Dutch Oven: I got this last year for Christmas, and it is truly my favorite kitchen thing (followed closely by my stand mixer).  Great for the stove-top or to use in the oven.  Dishwasher safe!  Super sturdy enameled cast iron.  And in this great cherry red color, beautiful to look at!

Glee: This is my new favorite show.  I love everything about this show.  Love the music, love the plots, love the actors.  Love it!  It makes me laugh, cry, sing and dance.  If you aren’t watching it yet, you must check it out.  Also, you can now own the songs sung on the show, on the newly released Glee Soundtrack, Volume 1 and soon to be released Volume 2.  I MUST have these for Christmas, even though I’ve already downloaded many of the songs from itunes.

Bobbi Brown face palettes: This is my go-to makeup that I use daily.  Easy to use, flattering for most skin tones.  New palettes are released each season, and they make picking eye shadow, liner, blush, and lipstick stress free.  I’m trying hard to resist buying any new ones (like the one pictured!) until I use up the ones I have now.

Pottery Barn Faux Fur Throw: I bought one of these in chocolate brown about 4 years ago, and I absolutely love it.  So soft, warm and cuddly.

Slatkin & Co Pumpkin Patch candles:  This is my favorite candle scent of all time.  They changed the name and the look of the candle this year, but the scent is still the same: pumpkin, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla cream. The smell just makes me feel so happy and peaceful.  I bought 4 of these the day they started selling them this season, and I’m already out!

Kenzie Cardigan: I wear this cardigan ALL the time (wearing it right now, in fact)!  So soft and cozy!  My favorite sweater for lounging around the house.

I’m sharing this post with the Favorite Things Party at 320 Sycamore.  I can’t wait to go see what other bloggers love and maybe find some new favorite things!