Chicken, Leek, and Rice Soup

Another cozy looking recipe I had to try as soon as I saw it.

Notes:

• Jasmine rice is my favorite kind to use in this soup.
• I've come to use a little more rice than the recipe calls for (2/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup).
• I've used chicken breast instead of thighs in the soup and it still tastes great.
  

Verdict: Comforting and delicious. I've made it multiple times already and will keep this around for when we want a variation on our regular chicken soup.

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RECIPE: Chicken, Leek, and Rice Soup (Smitten Kitchen)

Chocolate Cherry Cake

I had wanted to make this for Valentine's Day but didn't get to it until March. Oops. But it was no less welcome!

Notes:

• I baked the cake in an 8x8 inch square pan, cut it in half, then split each half to get the four layers of cake. This was a really nice size for two people.
  
• I filled the split layers with sour cherry jam, then stacked the sandwiches together and stuck them together with the chocolate frosting. There was *just* enough frosting to cover the entire cake. I would make more frosting next time if I knew I were going to do anything other than a single sheet of cake.
  

Verdict: I thoroughly enjoyed this cake and was sad when it was gone. This is officially my new favorite chocolate frosting. The melted unsweetened chocolate gives it a very rich, intense chocolate flavor that we absolutely loved.

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RECIPE: The 'I Want Chocolate Cake' Cake (Smitten Kitchen)

Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

This looked really comforting and delicious when it scrolled by recently, so I gave it a try.

Notes:

• I used Korean red pepper flakes instead of a fresh chili pepper because it's what I had on hand.
  

Verdict: We really liked it! (My partner actually asked to have the leftovers -- that's how you know he *really* likes something.) We have made it again since this first time and had it with pasta instead of chickpeas, which was also good. I will be keeping this recipe around for a good, quick vegetarian meal.

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RECIPE: Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Chickpeas (Smitten Kitchen)

Cherry Oatmeal Bars

I made this to use up some cherry jam that was kicking around in the freezer for a long time -- I put too much fruit in it so it didn't set properly, and it sounded like it would work for the cherry filling in this recipe.

Notes:

• I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 baking dish.

Verdict: I don't know that I'd go out of my way to make these again (mostly because I usually don't have sour cherries on hand) but they did taste all right.

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RECIPE: Cherry Oatmeal Bars (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Neapolitan Cookies

I was drawn to these cookies because they looked cute, and who doesn't want three flavors in one cookie?

Notes:

• You can buy dried powdered strawberry and I highly recommend saving yourself the hassle of powdering your own. I decided to try making my own because I wasn't sure I wanted an entire bag of strawberry powder for the amount I needed, so I bought freeze dried strawberries and ground them in my food processor. I was successful, but it made a huge mess.
• The different doughs don't really like to stick together. They'll bake together in the oven but smashing them together while keeping the nice 1/3 sections was a bit challenging.
  

Verdict: These tasted nice but holy hell were they a lot of work for just 15 cookies. I wish the strawberry flavor was a little more pronounced -- maybe a bit of lemon juice would turn up the tartness a little. They're on the large side for a cookie (mine ended up being about 4 inches in diameter). I'm probably not going to make them again, but I'm glad I tried them!

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RECIPE: Neapolitan Cookies (Hummingbird High)

Oatmeal Soda Bread Scones

I made this bread a couple of times a long time ago and had a craving for it recently, so I trotted out the blender and made it again. This time I made it into scone like shapes instead of one big loaf and I think I like it better that way. It's easier to portion and store.

Notes:

• I bake mine on ungreased parchment paper.
  
• Instead of buying buttermilk specially for this, I usually make my own (put 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or a neutral tasting vinegar into the bottom of your measuring cup, pour milk into it to measure 1 1/2 cups, then let stand for about 10 minutes), or dilute some yogurt.
  
• If you make them into scones like I did, shape the dough into two equal sized rounds about 3/4 inch thick, then cut them into 6 wedges each. Bake for about 12-15 minutes at 450 F. (I tried one large round cut into 8 wedges, but I thought the finished product was rather large for a single serving.)
  
• These are best the day they're made, but will keep a couple of days at room temperature in an airtight container. They also freeze well after being baked.
  

Verdict: I love this and have made it four times now. I love the heft and heartiness that the oats impart. Eat with liberal amounts of soft butter and any kind of jam you like -- strawberry and cherry jam are my favorites with this bread!

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RECIPE: Oatmeal Soda Bread (Simply Recipes)

Tea Toddy

Winter in a cold place during the pandemic hasn't been easy with regard to socializing, but thankfully we have a few sets of friends who don't mind bundling up to sit around a fire and talk in the back yard (including our neighbors across the street, which is pretty convenient since we don't have to drive). While at our neighbors' house one evening for a fire, they made hot toddies with bourbon, lemon, and spices. It was so cozy and went a long way to help stay warm. They told me how to make one, and also told me you can make them with tea, which really excited me. I had to try this for myself.

I've heard of lots of people making toddies with either tea OR alcohol, but I have found I like mine with both at the same time!

Notes:

• The alcohol is optional, but if you are making it with alcohol, make sure the tea flavor and alcohol flavor will complement each other. I usually make mine with bourbon for the liquor, and for tea, I like chamomile, a lemon-forward herbal tea, or decaffeinated black tea (Ahmad Evening Tea is great if you can find it) because I often end up drinking them at night and don't want the caffeine to keep me awake. Ginger tea, plain green tea, or a fruit flavored black tea might also be tasty.
  

Verdict: Despite how I came to know of them, these are likely to hold a cozy memory of friends whenever I drink them. They're great for soothing your throat and when you want something to warm you up. If you like warm drinks (tea especially), I highly recommend it.

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RECIPE: Chamomile-Honey Hot Toddy (Garrett McCord, Simply Recipes)