Best of 2015

It's the final days of the year and time to look back on the past twelve months. 2015 was a great year, the happiest I've had in a long time. I fell hard and fast for a wonderful man who loves me (and all my quirks), who makes me smile until my face hurts, who spoils me rotten, and who has become my favorite person of all time in the history of ever. I'm as smitten with him today as I was on our very first date.

After many years of heartbreak and drama, I finally feel like myself again. I'm no longer suffering from overwhelming anxiety and depression, I have more self-esteem, I enjoy the time I spend alone (instead of feeling lonely), and I am excited about teaching.

I'm looking forward to the future instead of being worried about it. We are planning a spring break trip to Montreal (a surprise Christmas gift from Nick). We are talking about taking other trips as well...to Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando, San Diego, Washington DC. Paris, someday. Planning a future is so much fun!

All in all, I'm just damn happy. FINALLY.

While I spent more time knitting than cooking this year, I still enjoyed feeding my family and friends. Here are my top ten posts and some of the best food I made in 2015.

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2016!

10. Shepherd's Pie

9. Scotch Eggs

8. Cinnamon-Currant Rolls

7. Shaker Lemon Pie

6. Blue Crab Boil

5. Labneh with Olives, Hazelnuts, and Mint

Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque

Remember the Downton Abbey-inspired birthday lunch I made for a friend and her mother last month? Here are those lovely ladies I had the pleasure of cooking for:

Here is another of my favorite recipes from that day. 

Normally, I don't care for smooth, creamy soups...too much like eating baby food. But this recipe is flavorful and velvety. The addition of tart apples, ginger, and cardamom makes for a much more interesting version as well.

And it's quite perfect for a nice, light supper on this stormy, wet, gray day after Christmas.

Butternut Squash & Apple Bisque

Salted Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

This year, I am actually looking forward to Christmas....the first time in many years. I've decorated my house; I even have a little tree! I've bought many gifts. I'm excited to spend the holiday with Nick and his daughters. It's nice to be part of a family again. 

We are planning a few get-togethers this week...crafting on Tuesday, cookie baking on Wednesday, and (hopefully) dinner at my place on Christmas day. I'm thinking I'll make homemade pasta with bolognese sauce and creme brûlée. 

I am baking classic spritz cookies (like my Grandma Green used to make), red velvet crinkle cookies,  and cranberry-pistachio biscotti. I may also make another batch of these delicious, decadent, sophisticated shortbreads that I made in my demo class on Saturday. 

Salted Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Apple Charlotte with Earl Grey Crème Anglaise

On Sunday, I cooked a Downton Abbey-inspired supper to celebrate a friend's mom's birthday. Here was our menu:

Smoked salmon mousse with cucumber canapes

Butternut squash soup with sour cream & pumpkin seeds 

Salad with Roquefort, figs, walnuts & creamy pomegranate dressing

Prosciutto, rosemary, & thyme gougeres 

Apple Charlotte with Earl Grey crème anglaise

In the 5th episode of Downton Abbey, the cook Mrs. Patmore refuses to make an Apple Charlotte for dessert, as request by the lady of the house, because she was having problems with her eyesight and couldn't read the recipe.

Apple Charlotte is essentially a caramelized apple filling baked in a French-toasty crust. In my research, I saw many different versions and methods. I chose a recipe posted on the Downton Abbey Cooks blog that uses raisin bread for the crust and condensed milk for the caramel filling. The bread is dipped in an egg & milk batter, which results in a bread pudding-like consistency. (Confession: I don't think I followed the "lightly dip" directions well. I probably should have just brushed the bread.)

In hindsight, I think it would have been better to brush the bread with butter and toast it in the oven, then brush only the tops of each Charlotte with the egg mixture. This would make for a crispier crust that held up better.

Another suggestion: Don't forget to grease the ramekins. It was difficult to get the desserts neatly out of their dishes. Whoops.

Still, these individual desserts make for an impressive presentation, and everyone seemed to like them.

Apple Charlotte with Earl Grey Créme Anglaise

from Downton Abbey Cooks

Buttered Popcorn Cookies

So, the semester is more than halfway over. It's been a good school year. I like my classes, for the most part anyway. My stress level is fairly low, except for the new teacher evaluation procedures. This year, 25% of my evaluation is based on student progress. I have to assess my students three times from September to November on the writing standards I've chosen to focus on. I have to chart their scores, determining how much I think they can improve in the two months' time. After the post-assessment, if at least 80% of my students meet their learning target, I get an "excellent" for that part of my evaluation.

Such. Bullshit.

This isn't making me a better teacher. In fact, it's making me less effective since I'm spending so much time focusing on the assessments instead of the rest of my curriculum, and I'm falling behind in my other grading.

It's all frustrating me, but my students are aware of why they are taking these assessments and I've been honest with them about the outcomes so far. Thankfully, they are understanding and cooperative.

Because it's time-consuming for them, too, I made a little treat for one of my classes this week. I didn't have any chocolate chips or whatnot for traditional cookies, but I did have some popcorn....so popcorn cookies it was!

These are quite buttery, but salty and sweet and really good.

Buttered Popcorn Cookies

from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook