"domestic goddess"

that's what my friend angie calls me. i certainly don't feel like the second word in that phrase, but i had a fantastic day fulfilling out the first word yesterday. i hadn't even so much as cracked open my december issue of cooking light, and when i did, i was overwhelmed with all the yummy recipes in there!


we were having angie, warren, and another couple over last night, so in honor of that i ended up making chili and two desserts--*homemade* chocolate pudding and orange cardamom cake (did you know cardamom was $8 a bottle? i sure didn't...).

i am especially proud of the pudding. actually too rich for me to enjoy much, but that never really bothers me after i cook or bake something. i think for me it really is about the act of cooking, and being able to produce an end product that other people will ooh and aah over and will really enjoy. and everyone else seemed to really enjoy the pudding (and the cake!).


i had to post a photo because i put the pudding in china teacups. rick's mom gave me her entire china collection a few years ago, and the story behind these is awesome. rick's dad bought this noritake china IN JAPAN in the 1950s while he was on a ship in the Navy. so i feel very special to be able to call these my own. aren't they beautiful? (and you can see the cake in the background)

my turn for a recipe

i use gmail for my e-mail account, and sometimes it creeps me out when they put something up in the ticker at the top of the screen that reminds me just HOW much "they" (whoever "they" are) are monitoring the content of my e-mail.

but sometimes i don't care, like when something like this yummy recipe comes up. i can't wait to try it, so i thought i would prematurely share it. if you make it and have success let me know, and i'll do the same! (The link is here: It has some beautiful photos.)

Bulgur, Celery and Pomegranate Salad

[The author notes: I toasted the walnuts. Also, to get the seeds out of a pomegranate cut the fruit into wedges. Place the wedges in a large bowl of water and break the wedges apart to remove the seeds. The seeds will sink to the bottom and the bitter pith and skin will float to the top making it easy to remove. To juice the seeds I simply place small handfuls into a handheld citrus juicer and let the juice run into a separate bowl.]

2/3 cup medium or coarse bulgur
1 pound celery (a small head), cut in thin slices on a slight bias
seeds of 1/2 large pomegranate
3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
1 scant tablespoon fresh mint, finely chopped

Pomegranate Dressing:
juice of 1/2 large pomegranate
1/2 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together.

Put the bulgur in a bowl, add (hs note: boiling hot) water to just below the surface of the wheat and leave it to stand for 10 minutes (hs note: 10 - 15 minutes), until just tender but still quite al dente. Add more water as required or drain in a colander if too wet.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl, pour over the dressing and check the seasoning. Serve immediately. Make sure the walnuts are dressed just before serving, as sometimes they can impart a bitter flavour and unpleasant colour to the dressing if left to sit.

amy's cake

i found a recipe on my friend amy's blog and what convenient timing, because i needed an idea of something to make for a christmas party we attended last night. the cake was a complete hit, and i took a picture of it in honor of amy before we cut it (she forgot to take a picture of hers before it was devoured).


i have no idea if mine looked anything like hers--the weather here was hot (it was 80 degrees at 7 p.m.) and the sugar crystals melted immediately and turned a kind of pink instead of red. but since i love pink i kind of liked it. if you want the recipe, visit her blog (visit her blog anyway--it's so cool!).