I’m not a good cook. I felt like I’ve tried (my hubby would argue against that), but just cannot get it down pat. I don’t know if it is a fear of getting hurt or just a lack of understanding of all things culinary (my mother never cooked either so I didn’t grow up in a kitchen), but I’m pretty terrible. I plan on continuing to make attempts, as I’d like to be able to cook something for our future children, but I digress.
Something I am good at is baking. I really enjoy it and find it to be therapeutic, especially while done listening to amazing music and sipping on good wine. It also makes me feel very girly and domestic for some reason, and every now and then, I like that. And for those fun baking-related therapy sessions of one, cute protective wear is needed. Cue Be My Clementine!
Be My Clementine is an Etsy shop run by the very talented Sabrina, who picks out the fabrics herself along with selecting coordinating fabrics, designing the features of each apron, then cuts them out and puts them together into a beautiful one-of-a-kind creation. And lucky for us, Sabrina is planning on expanding the line to not only include aprons, but also other household accessories like table linens, reusable/cloth napkins, and potholders/oven mitts, which will all naturally be handmade as well.
If all of this sounds all sorts of wonderful to you, it is your lucky day! Sabrina is being generous enough to offer one of her Wild Paisley aprons (either half or full) to one of my readers!
To enter:
1. Leave a comment to this post with your favorite holiday recipe (maybe I can learn a thing or two from you all!)
For additional entries:
2. Become a fan of Be My Clementine on Facebook
3. Tweet the following: “Enter to win an adorable handmade apron from @SabrinaClem: http://melificent.com/?p=3999 Pls RT!”
And even if you are not declared a winner, Sabrina is offering all Melificent readers 15% off all merchandise through the month of December! Sounds like a great way to make that culinary diva on your Christmas list happy! Just use the coupon code, Melificent15.
So check back a week from today (12/16) when I will announce the winner via random draw! And for those local readers, try to swing by Tarte: An Indie Craft Affair in West Palm Beach where Sabrina will be showcasing and selling some of her great items on Saturday, December 11th from 12pm to 5pm.
I hope to continue to spotlight local artists and businesses on the blog, so if you are interested, please feel free to contact me for giveaways or reviews. I gladly support the local scene.
Update: this giveaway is now closed.
wajima says
I’ll give you something easy. I’ve told you before its in the sazon.
1 can (red) of beans.
Green olives (how many you want)
1tps of Brown sugar
Pinch of Salt
Culantro
Half a diced onion
The top of Red bell pepper
2tps sofrito
Half a can of water (since its just you two)
Put it over med high for 25 mins and DONE!
Now if you want Black beans its pretty much the same. Just don’t add the brown sugar and make sure you use the top of the green bell pepper. Easy. 🙂
Bitchincamero says
My favorite are Candy Cane Cookies! Pretty and yummy…
Arlene says
These are the glazed pumpkin cookies I made around Halloween last year. They’re good for all these “wintery” months though.
They taste kind of cake-like unlike regular cookies and are soooo good!
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.
4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.
Eli says
I want! I want!
These are my favorite:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-coconut-bars
They are friggin scrumptious.
Elissa says
This is what I look forward to every year during Christmas time!
Hot Buttered Rum Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 pinch salt
3 sticks cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups rum
heavy cream — whipped
ground nutmeg — for topping
Directions:
Put all ingredients, except rum and cream, and nutmeg into crockpot. Add 2 quarts hot water. Stir well. Cover pot and cook on LOW for 5 hours. Add rum; stir to blend. Serve from pot in warm mugs with a scoop of whipped cream and a dusting of nutmeg.
Andrea says
I am craving Broccoli Spaghetti. How about the next time I make it i’ll have you over and we make it together… That actually sounds liek fun 🙂 Ofcourse there will be wine….lots of it 😉
Rachel says
I just found out these things call whoopie pies existed. Google it! Trying it this weekend in chocolate and pumpkin!
daniella says
http://www.misschico.com/2009/09/c-is-for-cookie.html
best oreo cookie cupcakes that look like cookie monster!!!!
tracy says
SO CUTE BTW!!!!!
Christmas Cornflake Wreath Cookies
Ingredients
* 1/2 cup butter
* 4 cups miniature marshmallows
* 1 teaspoon green food coloring
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 4 cups cornflakes cereal
* 1 (2.25 ounce) package cinnamon red hot candies
Directions
1. Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir. (This can be done in a double boiler if one doesn’t have a microwave.)
2. Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.
3. Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.
Susan says
The holidays always makes me want to make gingerbread cookies!
Here’s a great recipe to make them from scratch!
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/gingerbread-cookies-ii/Detail.aspx
Janie says
Turkey soup, baby! It can’t fail!
PART ONE: The Stock.
You need:
— One Xmas dinner turkey carcass, stuffing scraped out and extra meat reserved.
— One large stockpot with lid (or two depending on the size of the carcass — pasta pots with lift-out strainers are great for straining the stock later)
— One onion, quartered **
— Four ribs celery, broken into approx. 3-inch pieces**
— Four carrots, split and cut in half**
— Five peppercorns**
— Tablespoon coarse sea salt**
— 1-2 springs tarragon**
** per pot
Step 1: Break down carcass as best as possible (detach legs, wings, break off ribs from breast. Cooked turkey bones break easily, but they poke so tell hubby to make himself useful and do this part!) It helps the turkey fit in the pot(s). Make sure you take off as much meat as you can!
Step 2: Add veggies to pot, then turkey pieces on top (if you’re splitting between two pots, it’s good to evenly distribute dark meat [wings/legs] and white meat [ribs/breast] bits), then seasonings. Fill with water to cover everything — don’t worry if some pokes out; once everything softens you can push it under.
Step 3: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover: simmer for 90 minutes. Uncover and simmer another 90. VOILA.
PART TWO: The easy part — er…I mean, the Soup!
You need:
— Reserved turkey meat, chopped
— Four MORE ribs celery and four MORE carrots, chopped**
— One cup celery leaves, chopped
— Two tablespoons tarragon (new), chopped**
— Egg noodles (I like NoYolks) or barley
** per pot
Step 1: Pull out turkey bones and place on large plate or cutting board. The fat and gristle will have dissolved to flavor your stock by this point, so any meat left on the bones will come right off! Pick as much as you want, and add it to your reserved meat.
Step 2: Skim out all the stock veggies, bone fragments, and scummy bits. See note re: pasta pot!
Step 3: Add your chopped carrots, celery and celery leaves. Bring stock to a boil and add noodles/rice/barley, cooking according to package directions (remember, barley and rice multiply and soak up a LOT more soup than noodles!), watching for foam.
Step 4: When noodles/grains are tender, add turkey and tarragon leaves, and cook until warm through, about 5-7 minutes. You’re done!
NOTE: This soup comes out bland on purpose, so you can season with salt and pepper to taste (or a little hot sauce if you’re feeling zazzy). I prefer to eat the first few bites unsalted so you can really savor those gorgeous veggie flavors in the stock, the richness from the turkey bones and the sweetness from the carrots and tarragon. You can also use rice instead of noodles/barley, but I’d recommend pre-cooking and adding to the soup when you’re ready to eat it.
Marilise says
This is not my recipe, but I made it and it was easy and delicious. My own experiences: the heated cream wasn’t enough to melt the pieces of chocolate, so I heated the chocolate a bit; where the recipe called for liqueur, I used almond extract; I used bittersweet chocolate, and sweetened the mixture with a small amount of powdered sugar to my taste. When you’re shaping the truffles, cover your palms in the cocoa powder too–it makes rolling them into smooth balls easy.
Try this Mels, you guys will enjoy!
I’m crossing my fingers that the next time I make these, I’ll be wearing a new apron ;O)
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Chocolate Truffles recipe, from Martha Stewart
INGREDIENTS
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen .
8 ounces best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon liqueur, such as triple sec or framboise (optional)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for rolling
DIRECTIONS
1.) Put chocolate into a large heatproof bowl. Bring cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour over chocolate in bowl. Stir in liqueur, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let stand until thick, about 15 minutes.
2.)Pour chocolate mixture into a shallow 8-inch dish or pie plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until mixture is very cold and set but still pliable, about 30 minutes.
3.)Using a teaspoon or a 1/2-inch melon baller, scoop balls of chocolate mixture, transferring them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you work. Refrigerate truffles 10 minutes.
4.)Using hands dusted with cocoa powder, dip each truffle in cocoa powder to coat, then quickly shape truffle into a rough round. Refrigerate truffles in an airtight container until ready to serve, up to 2 weeks; before serving, reshape into rounds, and roll each truffle in cocoa powder, if desired.
Lucy says
Your apron is so cute.
Lucy says
Oops, I guess it helps if I put my recipe. I love Starbucks Pumpkin Bread and found this recipe to make myself…yippie!
Starbucks Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Starbucks
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground clove
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup canned pumpkin
¾ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, chopped
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, and vanilla on high speed for about 30 seconds. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add pumpkin and oil, mix to combine. Pour batter into a 9×5 greased loaf pan.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until the top of the bread begins to brown.
When the bread is cool, slice into approximately 1 inch slices. Enjoy!
Jax G. says
Melz, just like you, I am a totally dysfunctional cook. :/
With that being said, all of these recipes on the comments are making me HUNGRY! They all look so good!! MMM!
Ashley says
Cute apron!!!
I really loved these chocolate-peppermint cookies I made a few years back.
Kristyn says
I can hardly cook, but give me a recipe, and I’ll make something edible! This my grandmas recipe for squash casserole. I had to make something for my work holiday party, and this was always my favorite dish at our family dinners. I had to copy it down from a paper bag, written in pencil!! For Christmas shes getting a recipe journal. 🙂
Squash Casserole
2 lbs of small yellow squash (cooked) slice 1/4 – 1/2″ thick, boil and drain. set aside.
in large mixing bowl:
combine 2 medium grated carrots
1 can undiluted cream of chicken soup
1 medium chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper
mix together and fold in drained squash
in separate pan, melt 1 stick of butter
remove and stir one package of pepperidge farm stuffing
grease: 9 x 14 baking dish
put 1/3 of stuffing on bottom
add squash and top with rest of stuffing
bake uncovered at 350 for 40 minutes
if pre-cooking, bake for 30 minutes. at room temperate, reheat for 10-15 minutes at 350.