Schaubs Do Christmas

Wow, I can't believe that Christmas came and went.

We kicked off the holiday season with Thanksgiving at Carol's sister's house. They live in a beautiful home  and opened it up for all of the family. I had the pleasure of cooking a few of the menu items with the other family cooks, and a great time was had by all.

Then we went to the Christmas tree lighting at the Westlake Center. It is sure a fun event, and this time, it didn't rain. We secured/commandeered a spot where we could see both the hosts and all the areas that were lit up. It was a great start to the Christmas season.

Over the next few weeks we got ready for Christmas by cooking and baking lots of different sweet treats. I really enjoy it, and this time I experimented a little bit more with gluten-free recipes. For the most they worked out, and Pamela's Products remains my favorite brand. There are a few other brands emerging, but so far, every time I use PP, I get a successful product.

We went to the Kleyns and enjoyed decorating Gingerbread people and graham cracker homes. Michele's was definitely the best, but we all had fun showing off our (lack of) cake decorating talent. It was also a night of enjoying Hot Chocolates with Peppermint Schnapps and Hot Buttered Rum. In honor of the commercialized Holiday Season, we also watched "Elf."





We also went to the Swedish Cultural Center for the St. Lucia's Day celebration. St. Lucy was martyred for her faith, and she is honored in December. Afterwards, Josh and I drove around Seattle looking at Christmas lights (Candy Cane Lane in Ravenna is nice, but small) and at the lighting of the city (I can never tire of the Space Needle).

For the first time ever, we went to a national forest (with a permit) and picked out a Christmas tree. It was fun, and it was cold. There was a pleasant layer of snow on the roads and on the trees, and it put me in a very Christmasy mood. The trees were a bit sparse - of course, they were natural trees, not bred for their bushiness. So our tree turned out to be a little Charlie Brown-ish as well. I liked it, but our attempts to bulk it up mostly looked humorous rather than effective. I think we'll go snowshoeing next year and get a tree from a tree farm, but it definitely made a great memory.

We went to Colorado to celebrate with the Kings thanks to the generosity of our sister in law who gave us some standby passes on Alaska. We were only there for three nights, which were spent mostly catching up with my parents and preparing Christmas dinner. We had a great time. My mom and I even figured out how to make some gluten-free knedliky. 

I also took advantage of the time and baked some gluten-free cookies for Josh. King Arthur Flour makes a basic cookie mix into which up to 3 cups of mix-ins can be added, so Josh ended up with a wide variety of cookies and treats. 

We joined my parents for the Christmas Eve service at New Life Church and were greatly amused by the lights, music, and message. The talented performers played a rocking version of Carol of the Bells, a funny, radio drama-style version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas," and even had ice skaters performing on the center stage.

We didn't really get any snow, but it was fun spending some quality time with my parents.

It was very nice and very fun to be in Colorado for Christmas.

We flew home on Christmas day, which turned out well. The flights weren't as full as we'd feared, and we were able to get the first flight from Denver to Seattle. We made it home for Christmas in Seattle, too!

We hope your year has been wonderful and that next year brings even more love and laughter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Summer Cooking

I made the following recipes for a family reunion (Grandma's birthday) and the post-wedding breakfast (Congrats to Matthew and Brittany), and I was asked to post them. The recipes are really similar, but I didn't serve them at the same time!

Here you are!

Easy Salsa

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 medium red onion, minced

4 medium tomatoes (roma, beefsteak, any variety), diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon diced jalapeno, seeds removed, minced (or pressed through garlic press)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 juicy lime pressed with Pampered Chef citrus juicer)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and roughly chopped (optional)

1 14-0z can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup white sweet corn kernels (frozen or fresh)

pinch of salt and pepper, if desired (I don't use them)

1) Be sure to mince the onion and garlic really small or use a food processor to chop finely.

2) Stir together the ingredients in a medium-size bowl with a lid.

3) Allow to rest over night for the best mixing of flavors.

Serve with chips or eggs for a smashing and lower-calorie (skipping the avocado) snack!

Southwestern Quinoa

1 cup well-rinsed quinoa*

2 cups chicken stock (or water with a sprinkle of salt)

1/4 medium red onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 14.5-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5-oz can stewed chopped tomatoes

1 teaspoon (or more to taste) ground cumin

1 tablespoon lime juice

1-2 teaspoons chopped jalapeno pepper, or to taste

*Most quinoa needs to be rinsed in a fine sieve or colander before cooking. Measure out the quinoa, pour into the sieve and rinse under running water for at least a minute. Place your hand under the colander to feel the water flowing off the quinoa. Once it feels "normal" and no longer soapy or soft, the quinoa is rinsed enough. Forgetting to rinse the quinoa results in a bitter, miserable flavor.

1) Bring the water or chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the rinsed quinoa, reduce heat, and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is softened. Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to cool (stir on occasion to separate the grains).

2) Mix in the remaining ingredients, adjusting for the desired spicy levels.

3) Refrigerate in a wide bowl, uncovered for 1 hour, or until the quinoa is cold. Transfer to a storage container, cover and enjoy!