....is Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I'm still catching up on posting Christmas recipes (I'm only a little behind), I brought these Parmesan Garlic Mashed Potatoes to Christmas dinner at a family friend's house. I typically struggle to make mashed potatoes. I get impatient with boiling or baking them, I don't understand why they take soooo long to cook through. In my impatience I decide the potatoes must be done (even when I know they're not) and take them out early. I don't recommend taking that approach with potatoes, it's the reason my first attempt at Gnocchi turned out a little wonky and my mash potatoes have a somewhat unsettling crunch to them.
In the spirit of Christmas I decided I would be patient, I would not set a timer and the potatoes would be taken out when they were cooked and not when I wanted them to be done.

Success! I thought about not showing up and only sharing the potatoes with CPB but that didn't seem very nice. There were a lot of hungry boys at our Christmas dinner and the potatoes disappeared pretty quickly. I suspect my little brothers (HLCIII & TW) may have eaten half of them all on their own. They were rich, cheesy and creamy. No lumps, no crunch. Perfect. 

....is Zucchini & Tomato Raw Lasagna

Meatless Monday! (That's a thing, right?) I was inspired by a Goop recipe and the unique idea of a raw lasagna, but I love real ricotta too much to make a substitute. I also altered the pesto, I chose walnuts and pine nuts because I already had them on hand, however the pistachio pesto in the original recipe sounds wonderful. The dish is colorful and light while the creamy ricotta adds a richness to the dish. You could always forego the meatless option and layer in some Prosciutto or thinly sliced Salami. Happy Monday!

....is Chicken & Biscuits, Revisited

San Diego doesn't have much of a winter, but when the weather turns even slightly cold I crave this meal. The filling is basically Mrs. M's Chicken Pot Pie Recipe baked with my favorite biscuits on top. It will warm your house and your insides. You can also mix and match ingredients in the filling, use Carrots instead of Sweet Potatoes, add Gold Potatoes, Edamame instead of Peas. Wherever you are, enjoy your winter & keep warm!

....is Pop's Birthday, German Chocolate Brownies

Every year, from before I can remember (and for many years before) my dad has a German Chocolate Cake to celebrate his birthday. Between school and moving I hadn't been home for his birthday in almost a decade. Last year I was finally in the same city to celebrate and for the first time I baked the cake. Last Year's Cake went fairly well, it tasted good but was a bit like a three layer Leaning Tower of Pisa. I decided to bake a slightly different version of this annual treat by changing the Cake to a German Chocolate brownie base, I used a modified version of my Mexican Chocolate Brownies for the base, with the same creamy Topping.

....is a Happy New Year

A New Years Day Bike Ride!

Almost 12 miles down the strand.

Starting at the Hotel Del Coronado.

With a lot of love,

a little coffee & two beach cruisers.

We wish you a Happy New Year!