Winter Berry Candle

So since I don't have a real Christmas tree, I was quite sure that my next candle would be some kind of pine scent as there is nothing more Christmasy to me than the smell of a tree. Little did I know that when I walked into Williams Sonoma one day that would change. One of my favorite candles is their spiced chestnut, but I think this one may have taken the number one spot. The winter berry candle is one of their newest scents, but it is fresh, light, fruity and clean. Their candles are made with essential oils so the scents are much more natural and the candles melt like butter. The winter berry is a combination of pomegranate, cassis and and orange. In case you were wondering, cassis is a syrup liqueur made with black currants. Not only does the candle smell delicious, but the bright red glass it comes in looks beautiful when the candle is burning. This is a great hostess gift (or gift to yourself) for the holiday season. Be sure to pick up one before they are gone.

Happy Easter Bread

I love freshly made breads, but I don't really the time or patience to wait for the yeast to grow or the dough to rise. I was flipping through the latest issue of a Williams Sonoma magazine and saw this recipe for cherry almond quick bread. It looked delicious and simple (you don't even need a mixer!)...a perfect way to celebrate Easter. The combination of cherry and almond has always been a favorite, but sadly I really don't see it that often. There was only one thing that I needed that I didn't have on hand - dried cherries. Make sure that you have a loaf pan as well. The recipe called for a mini loaf pan , 8" x 4", however I used an 8" x 8" pan.

I am not sure why I had almond extract already, but that's probably the only other ingredient you'll need. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, butter and eggs are the other ingredients. Melt and cool 1 stick of unsalted butter. In a bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Toss in the 1/2 cup chopped cherries. In another mixing bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup of milk, the cooled butter, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp almond extract. The almond extract smells delicious (much better than how raw almonds smell)! Pour the liquids into the flour mixture and stir until combined.

Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes. I put mine in for 50 minutes, but next time I will put it in for 45 minutes as the crust got a little darker than I would have wanted it to. The bread is a bit on the dense side and the cherries added textural difference. The almond flavor added a hint of nutiness to the bread; Despite its crumbly texture, the bread was moist and not overly sweet. This smells so good when it is baking that you can't wait to pull it out of the oven. Make sure you cool for bread for 10 minutes in the pan and flip out of the pan onto a wire rack to completely. This is so good that I can't wait to make another loaf! Thank you Williams Sonoma for a super delicious recipe! Happy Easter everyone. I hope that you get to enjoy sweet treats and yummy eats with your friends and family!

Holiday Heaven

There is just something about a candle that makes an ordinary moment become extraordinary. I don't know if it is just taking a moment to stop and appreciate the scent or if it's the flickering glow of the flame, but either way it's pure magic for me. There are no words to describe my excitement when the holidays roll around and out comes the spiced chestnut candle from Williams Sonoma. Before you even open the box, you can smell the wonderfulness through the box. It comes in this beautiful frosted cocoa colored holder and the candle is a beautiful cream color. The scent of this candle is a tiny bit woodsy and spicy, but light. The best part is that even when you blow out the candle the scent lingers. It doesn't smell super manly and is actually a nice break from the usual super sweet scents. I know that Williams Sonoma does kitchen things right, but they sure know how to do holiday candles as well! If you haven't had the chance to experience this candle, you need to pick one up immediately. They don't last long and you will never want to blow this candle out.

KitchenAid Gets Some Help

I just got a new KitchenAid mixer from Williams Sonoma and they were doing a special promotion where you would could send away for a free attachment. You could choose between a meat grinder and another bowl with a lid. The attachments that KitchenAid has for their mixers are fantastic and are really useful. When I asked the sales associate which one she suggested, she said that the food grinder apparently made the best hamburgers she has ever had. I had never thought to make my own hamburgers, since I am usually only making chicken. She did mention that the bowl with the lid was very helpful, especially if you were a baker because then you weren't having to transfer things from one bowl to another and then wash it so you could immediately use it again. Both sounded useful, but since I tend to bake more than I cook, I decided to go with the extra bowl. I am so excited because it finally came in the mail and I can't wait to use it! If you have any cool attachments for your mixure, please leave a comment so that I can check it out.

Essential Kitchen Tools

The kitchen is a place where magic happens and you can create some of the most wonderful things for your tummy. However, without the right tools it can be very time consuming. Creating the perfect toolbox for the kitchen doesn't have to expensive or overwhelming. What I have found is that it is an evolving process. I love finding new things that make being in the kitchen fun. One year for Christmas, I had found a garlic zoom at Williams Sonoma. All it was was a little circular box with wheels and a blade. You put the garlic cloves in and rolled it on the counter to chop the garlic. Let's just say garlic got put in everything.

I think that some of the essentials are a spatula, whisk, tongs, kitchen scissors, turner, and a spoon. From there, you begin to see what you might need based on the things you like to make. Kitchen tools are there to make your life easier, so for me I make pasta a lot and a pasta or slotted spoon comes in handy all the time. Once you have the essentials, then you get to add fun ones that you don't absolutely need to have but are just fun. I bake quite a bit, so a cake tester is very useful. Luckily for me, I got a really cute one, but toothpicks are usually something that are on hand and do the job just as well.

One of the newest ones, I have gotten is a lemon and lime juicer. I don't do a ton of juicing, but when I have to it's a pain. Somehow my hand is not as effective and I feel like I am wasting a lot of juice, especially with limes. I have seen the individual colored ones, like orange, yellow, and green for oranges, lemons, and limes, but not one like this. It can be used for lemons and limes. The larger bottom section holds the lemons and the middle section is for limes. All you do is put the half of whatever you are juicing in the appropriate section and squeeze. I think that it will be much better than me squeezing them by hand.

Though you can buy garlic chopped or minced, somehow using freshly peeled garlic makes everything ten times better. Since I use a lot of garlic, I decided it was time to invest in a garlic press. This one has a removable tray for easy cleaning. However, I was slightly upset when I found out this one did not have an awesome cleaning tool that pushes the garlic remains out of the holes. Oh, well. If you have never used one before, all you do is put the peeled clove in and squeeze directly into the pan.

I know that you are probably thinking that this is a pretty expensive toolbox, but it doesn't have to be. I am not a seasoned chef, so I am okay with not having professional grade tools, which can be very pricey. The higher end kitchen stores, like Willams Sonoma and Sur La Table, have these tools, but are more expensive. I have found that Marshalls has a lot of these for about half the price and they have well known brands like KitchenAid. I hope that you have a better idea of how to put together your own kitchen toolbox. Feel free to leave any questions you have. Let me know what your favorite kitchen tool is and if you know of any places to get great deals on tools.