Bacon & Apple Beef Liver Pâté

“What am I? Chopped liver?” 

This was a phrase commonly used in my childhood. I hugged one grandparent and the other would expectantly wait for their hug and exclaim something about being a piece of chopped liver. It was a phrase that popped up a lot. I’m sure you’ve heard it or used it, or had a Nana say it to you while squeezing your cheeks. The phrase was used to express a feeling of being left out. The visual of sad, grey, organ-meat-mush being neglected on the side of one’s plate is haunting. Until this past year, this was the only experience I had with liver. It was only a concept for loneliness and isolation. An expression. A visual symbol of exclusion.  So, in my brain it wasn’t meant for human consumption. I equated it on the same plane as drinking a tall glass of human tears. It’s just not done. Also, sad. Also, gross. […]

Apple & Cinnamon Bourbon Hot Toddy

It’s raining outside. Remember all of those complaints about how it was November and I still had a sweat-stache? Well, now those complaints are replaced with the fact that my lawn has turned into a bog, and how much my golden retriever is into mud. She’s like really really into it. This isn’t great for me. It’s also not great for her once she realizes that she’s going to be met with the cold side of a hose before she’s allowed to gallop her fancy-ass inside.

This rain also means it’s gosh-darn cozy. As a first in our little family, we purchased and mounted an entire evergreen tree in our living room before the first of December. We strung lights as the rain thwacked at the windows. We reminisced about all of the ornaments we put onto the tree. We paused when we realized how many ornaments we have are cat themed. Also, how many framed photograph ornaments of ones dog is too many? I made soup out of the leftover thanksgiving turkey and the broth that I made from the bones in my new pressure cooker. We ate pie recklessly by the fire, like a couple of Bears seeking calories before hibernation. Christmas carols happened. Then, I bought a poinsettia. Then a garland. We hung an advent calendar. I’m thinking about stringing lights in our archways. Let’s just say it all escalated quickly. And, in a fit of holiday cheer and  couch snuggling… between viewings of The Holiday and In Bruges we drank these hot toddies. We kept repeating the phrase “Toddy with a hot-body” and chuckling a lot. I don’t even know. It felt right. […]

Slow-Cooker Chicken & Pumpkin Curry With Apple, Sweet Potatoes & Spinach {Gluten-Free & Paleo}

My crock-pot has been seeing a lot of action this fall. We’ve made a WHOLE chicken smothered with hard cider gravy. We’ve made these Soy & Ginger Ribs. I showed you how to use your crock-pot to make your very own chicken broth from scratch. Heck, we’ve even curry-ed in a hurry before.  Needless to say, I consider this appliance my friend. Except for that one time that it overcooked a pot roast to the point of inedibility. That night it wasn’t my friend. But, like… every other time. We’re friendly. Like, if it was a person, we’d probably have matching outfits and stay up late braiding each other’s hair. Something like that. […]

Apple, Delicata & Blue Cheese Flatbread {Gluten-Free & Grain-Free}

Yesterday I set out to make a pie.
This effort was thwarted once I looked over at the bowl of neglected produce on my counter. The delicata squash made eye contact with me and got real. “Hey, G… I’ve been sitting on your counter for TWO weeks. What-chu gonna do about it?” Jeez. Sassy squash.
Ok, ok… so, the squash didn’t actually speak to me due to its lack of communicative parts and bits (i.e. I’ve never met a squash with lips–have you? If so, email me PUH-LEASE–I wanna hear all about it) but my own produce guilt did create a dialogue between myself and this neglected squash. I’ll spare you the details, but basically, the squash got sassier and sassier until I promised to help her fulfill her delicious little squash destiny. In this process I also got bullied by a very pushy apple. She wanted in on the action. I said yes. […]