Browsing Category

Holidays

German Sweet Christmas Bread

January 6, 2017
German Christmas Bread, Christbrot Recipe | Fake Food Free

 

It’s a rare for me to find one holiday recipe that I make over and over every year. I’m not against tradition, it’s just that there are so many candies, cakes, and cookies topping my favorites list that if I made each one, I’d have enough to last us right up until the next holiday season.

So I have to pick and choose. 

That has started to change a little bit, though, as we’ve traveled abroad over Christmas and I’ve discovered traditional foods of other countries. It began with Danish Butter Cookies after visiting Copenhagen. I’ve made them a whopping two years in a row and I don’t see them dropping off the list anytime soon. 

Since we’ve visited Austria and Germany at Christmas I’ve found a few favorites from there as well. Actually, my love of stollen started way back when I worked in a bakery and we used to make a modified version at the holidays. I’ve been searching for a good recipe ever since, but I end up running out of time to give it a try before the holiday hits. 

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Stocking Stuffers for Food Lovers 2016

December 20, 2016

Stocking Stuffers for Food Lovers

 

I’m not really into the gift giving scene around the holiday season. It’s not that I don’t want to give gifts, but rather how gift giving seems to affect other people this time of year. It seems to be the number one source of holiday stress for most people I talk to — buying the right gift, buying enough gifts, having enough money to buy gifts, having time to ship and give them.

So other than a handful for close friends and a single gift for a family member chosen in a drawing, that about wraps it up for us.

But one thing I have not lost my holiday spirit for are stocking stuffers! The little thoughtful things that show up in your stocking. Or at least they used to in ours.

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Orange Candied Ginger Chocolate Shortbread

December 14, 2016
Orange Candied Ginger Chocolate Shortbread Recipe | Holiday Baking on Fake Food Free

This year’s holiday baking list is long with a capital L.

The past few Decembers I’ve penciled in things I want to make only to have that task followed by the days disappearing and me running out of steam. So I put them off until the next year. 

Well, this is the year that I’m making it ALL.

Now, most of these things are traditional recipes and the recipes of others. I checked off rugelach (a lovely apricot pistachio version from Martha Stewart Living) this past weekend. I still have stollen, lebkuchen, Danish butter cookies and panettone to get to. 

Since I share mostly original recipes here, that leaves me little to post, besides a few photos. So I still feel like I should come up with at least one new holiday baking recipe to share with you. 

This is that recipe. My 2016 holiday cookie. 

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Pumpkin No Churn Ice Cream with Brown Sugar Swirl and Burnt Sugar Cashew Brittle

November 17, 2016
Pumpkin No Churn Ice Cream with Brown Sugar Swirl and Burnt Sugar Cashew Brittle Recipe | Fake Food Free

I tend to want ice cream more during the holidays than during the heat of summer. Forget the chocolate versus vanilla debate. When I eat ice cream, I want pumpkin, peppermint stick and eggnog flavors. Everything that says – holiday season. So when late fall rolls around, so do the ice cream cravings.

As you probably could have guessed pumpkin is my favorite flavor and I thought if I was going to do a few posts about Thanksgiving worthy desserts I should go that direction. But don’t worry. I took it a bit further with a brown sugar swirl and a crunchy topping. I also decided to give no churn ice cream a try.

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Butterscotch Pear Tart with a Snickerdoodle Crust

November 15, 2016
 

Butterscotch Pear Tart with a Snickerdoodle Crust Recipe | Fake Food Free

I’m not sure what happened this past weekend, but I had this unidentifiable voice telling me – Lori, you’ve been posting way too many Brussels sprouts and squash recipes. I think it’s time to go a little crazy with some holiday desserts. 

Done. 

So this week I have two ideas that will veer from the traditional pecan and pumpkin pies. The first being this pear tart.

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Honey Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes

November 11, 2016
Honey Butter Whipped Sweet Potatoes | Thanksgiving Recipe | fakefoodfree.com

My Thanksgiving preferences typically go in this order of importance –

√ Pumpkin pie (specifically my grandmother’s recipe)
√ Stuffing
√ Sweet potatoes
√ Brussels sprouts (yes, a vegetable!)

You can really just leave turkey off my list entirely. I’d rather dip into my calorie and carb savings account for the four options above. 

I don’t have time this November to do a full Thanksgiving post series like my Thanksgiving Cooking for Two last year, but I can’t let the season slip by without sharing a few menu options. Specifically this one from my top four categories of Thanksgiving foods.

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Spiced Bourbon Soaked Cranberries

December 22, 2015

   Spiced Bourbon Soaked Cranberries Recipe | Fake Food Free | Delicious for garnishing cocktails or even for topping your pancakes!

Quick. If you make these cranberries right now they will be ready for your New Year’s Eve cocktails. And trust me. You are going to want them for your cocktails. 

These tart little berries are sweetened with a syrup made of raw sugar, rich bourbon and aromatic whole spices. They take only minutes to prepare and they make a good destination for the half bag of cranberries left in the fridge that you can’t find a use for.

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Book Gift Guide

December 14, 2015

2015 Book Gift Guide | Holiday Gift Ideas | Fake Food Free
I love the idea of a cozy room lined with book shelves and a reading nook in the corner next to a roaring fireplace. On those shelves would be everything from classic and modern cookbooks, mystery novels and non-fiction cooking and agriculture resources to coffee table books with stunning photography. 

I’ve always loved to read, but I think my real book passion started when my interests grew in cookbooks and photography. The organization of my collection isn’t quite up to par with that cozy room I described, but that doesn’t stop me from adding books to my gift list, both to give and receive. 

I’ve come across some lovely cookbooks, fun photography and inspiring stories this year. If you have a bookworm on your gift list, grab a few of these great books and finish up your holiday shopping.

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Bourbon Nut Cookies

December 7, 2015

Bourbon Nut Cookies Recipe | Fake Food Free | Holiday Baking
It’s taken me a while to determine why I enjoy holiday baked goods so much more than those made any other time of year. I can whip out a batch of cookies in March, but they don’t seem as special to me as those I make in December.

You’ll be happy to know that I’ve discovered the secrets. There are two. 

Spices and booze. 

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Thanksgiving Cooking for Two: Brussels Sprouts in Parmesan Garlic Butter and Smoky Maple Sweet Potatoes

November 23, 2015

This post continues my series on Thanksgiving Cooking for Two. Be sure to check out the recipes for Beer Basted Turkey and Green Olive Pecan Sourdough Stuffing that go along with this meal. 

Brussels Sprouts in Parmesan Garlic Butter and Smoky Maple Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Sugared Pepitas | Thanksgiving Cooking for Two | Fake Food Free

I never had a Brussel sprout until my 30s. There was no turning up my nose at the dinner table or refusing to clear them off my plate as a child. They simple never made an appearance in our house growing up.  At least not that I can remember.

Then a few years ago, when they seemed to hit a peak of popularity on food blogs, I gave them a try. My first thought was how did I overlook this vegetable all these years and my second was why in the world do they have such a bad reputation! 

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