Breaking Bread

I know, you might be confusing yourself and thinking this is the Betty Crocker website. 

Nope, it's just me.

Pretending to be Betty.

Pretty convincing, yes?

Well if you've been around these parts for a long time now {God bless you if you have}, you know that recipe posts on this little space of mine have been few and far between. I'm usually in the group that prefers to have people who know what they're doing prepare my meals. 

Up until about a year ago. Then I decided to give the cooking thing a try in an attempt to stop being so wasteful spending money on going out for every meal and also to try to live a healthier lifestyle. 

I found this recipe from The Comfort of Cooking on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and thought I'd give it a whirl with my big kid kitchen accessories.

Side note: what is it about pastel colored Kitchen Aid mixers that makes you feel like an unstoppable force in the kitchen? I have no idea either. But it sure makes my inner domestic goddess' ego shine.

So one Saturday, I surprised even myself and whipped out a beautiful loaf of bread that left that incredible fresh bread smell wafting through my kitchen for a few days. You all, it even tasted good. Like made me never want to buy a loaf of bread from the grocery store {ever} again kind of good. The one thing about this recipe I would have done differently is add just a wee bit less salt. But otherwise, oatmeal wheat bread perfection, if I do say so myself.

Making Martha proud since 2014. I knew I'd grow a few domestic skills eventually. Maybe by 30 I'll be able to sew a button on a shirt.

Merry Christmas + Pizzelle Tradition

Merry Christmas, my friends.

It always boggles my mind how quickly the years go by. Each year seems to kick it up a notch and pass even faster than the previous year. I know everyone keeps saying this {to the point that I think we are all blue in the face}, but it's so true. I think people will be saying it until the end of time.

My mother's side of our family is Italian. Loud and proud, baby. Our family Christmas gatherings always include copious amounts of pasta, italian cookies, and delicious sauce. My mom and I contribute the traditional Italian pizzelles each year. Making these goodies is hands-down one of my favorite things about Christmas. I also love that we are sharing a part of our heritage with people we love.

My mother and I have been making pizzelles every year since I can remember. It's always our family gift to friends and neighbors during the holiday season. For those of you that haven't experienced the magic that is a pizzelle, it's a very light Italian cookie that is traditionally anise or almond flavored. We like to mix it up and make a lot of different flavors when we make these little pieces of heaven {think peppermint, cherry and raspberry}. This recipe is pretty close to our family recipe that we've had since my great grandparents came to the US from Italy. 

I truly hope each of you has the most wonderful Christmas if you are celebrating. If not, please know that the warmest thoughts and wishes are with you as I celebrate this joyous day. 

{Almost} Naked Strawberry Cake

Now folks, until roughly 3 months ago, I was not much of a baker. No-sireeee. My friends would laugh at me when I would come up with the idea to make a baked goodie. The fall season was always fun at college, as some friends would laugh their little buns off while I would try to make an apple pie in a dorm kitchen. 

Let's just say I have come a loooooong way.

It was my uncle's birthday last month, and the last of the beautiful strawberries were out. I was on a huge strawberry kick, so I thought to myself, what could be better than a fresh strawberry cake for a birthday celebration? Nothing. Excatly. 

I followed this recipe from Martha Stuart for Versatile Vanilla Cake. Let me tell you, this is a fantastic cake. Dense without being heavy and perfectly moist. This recipe is a winner and bookmarked for future use. I didn't want to have frosting that overpowered the gorgeous organic strawberries I found at a local farm, so I opted for a thin layer of vanilla frosting {also a la Martha} on both cakes. Simply frost, layer with sliced strawberries, plunk another cake on top, frost and arrange more strawberries around the edge, and voila. 

You guys, I couldn't have been happier with the result. Next time you're in the market for a fantastic vanilla cake recipe, Martha's your girl.