The Naptime Chef

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

Today’s Powernap: In baking cookies for a friend I am looking for new ways to add flavor to my favorite cookie recipe. There are never enough ways to make a chocolate chip cookie!

It was well known that I am a chocolate chip cookie fanatic. Remember my Top 10 Chocolate Chip Cookies recipes? As evidenced by that list, I like them just about any way I can find them and am always looking for new ways to doctor them up. Since I came back from our recent trip to Florida with a fresh jar of malted milk powder I decided add some to a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. My goal was to achieve the classic soda ship flavor of a malted chocolate milkshake.

The Occasion: Winter entertaining recipe testing with new Roquefort to prepare for party later this month.

Attendees: Party of 3.

Naptime Goals: Make new Roquefort Pear Honey Tart.

Tonight’s Menu: Reheat the rest of the Mushroom Leek Soup (recipe to come soon!)

When I entertain there are usually at least two kinds of cheese dishes on our table. I typically make up one basic cheese plate, hot cheese dip, or baked brie for a savory pre-dinner nibble, and feature cheese somewhere in the dinner course. This may seem like overkill, but it actually works out well. There are so many varieties of cheese it is fairly easy to use it several times in one evening without overdoing it. Also, tasty cheese does not have to be expensive, so drawing up a cheese-focused menu can be quite budget friendly. With a few dinner parties on the horizon I recently decided to focus on a few new entertaining recipes featuring cheese, starting with this terrifically strong, fresh Roquefort.

Congratulations to Cindi, the winner of the KitchenAid Mixer and Meyer lemon giveaway!

1. Nutella Sandwich Cookies
2. Cider Jello Shooters
3. Creative New Year’s Cocktails
4. Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

This is the latest installment of my Powernap column. The series where I share quick, easy food that can be made for all kinds of situations. Powernaps are short and sweet, and so are these recipes. These are the things I make in a jiffy when I need a quick snack, am in the mood for a recipe experiment, or simply need to clean out the pantry.

Today’s Powernap: I still have a dozen Meyer lemons in the fridge and a New Year’s party to plan for – cocktail time!

KITCHENAID MIXER GIVEAWAY! Don’t forget to enter below to enter the Duda Farm Fresh Giveaway for a Meyer Lemons, a $25 Williams-Sonoma giftcard and a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer in Majestic Yellow. Entry rules below, click here for contest introduction.

This year our friends are hosting a New Year’s Eve family potluck. The kids will be in the playroom with pizza and the adults will be in the dining room with a decadent spread. I have committed to bringing two desserts (you’ll read about those soon!) and a signature cocktail. We are all bringing different kinds of cocktails so the bar will be like it’s own potluck too. (And, yes, we have designated drivers!)

What’s Going on Today: Post holiday unwind, nearing time to take down the tree.

Naptime Goals: Baked risotto and have it ready to reheat for dinner, put older toys in storage to make room for the new ones!

Tonight’s Menu: Baked Meyer lemon and thyme risotto, green salad, sparkling water with lemon.

KITCHENAID MIXER GIVEAWAY! Don’t forget to enter below to enter the Duda Farm Fresh Giveaway for a Meyer Lemons, a $25 Williams-Sonoma giftcard and a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer in Majestic Yellow. Entry rules below, click here for contest introduction.

We are in holiday wind-down mode. All of our family has gone home, the presents are put away and we are more or less decompressing from all of the excitement. My daughter has actually been napping pretty regularly for the past few days. She really needs that hour or so in the afternoon to make up for all of the energy she is expending. Yesterday I used her naptime to make a quick, comforting baked risotto with the last of the Meyer lemons in my fridge.

The Occasion: Christmas dinner!

Menu: Beef Wellington Short Rib Pot Pie, Twice-Baked Potatoes, Carrot Souffle, Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots, Parmesan Dinner Rolls, Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Attendees: Party of 7, plus three dogs!

Naptime Goals: Too many to count, but they include making the cheesecake.

KITCHEN AID MIXER GIVEAWAY! Don’t forget to enter below to enter the Duda Farm Fresh Giveaway for a Meyer Lemons, a $25 Williams-Sonoma giftcard and a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer in Majestic Yellow. Entry rules below, click here for contest introduction.

Meyer lemons have dominated my kitchen this month. They are finally in season (I wait all year!) and my friends at Duda Farm Fresh foods kindly sent me a big boxful to work with. For Christmas dinner this year I decided to make a Meyer lemon cheesecake instead of my usual eggnog version. My family, especially my father, adores cheesecake and anything lemony so I knew he would be especially enthusiastic about this addition to the menu.