Christmas recipe – BirdHouse Diaries

Recipe Post: Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip

I can’t help it; whenever I’m at a restaurant that has this as a menu item, I invariably order it, even if it’s only me that’s going to be eating it. There’s just something about its warm, ooey-gooey cheesy goodness that calls to me every time. My thrifty Scottish heart isn’t too excited about the…

Recipe Roundup: What to do with your Christmas leftovers

This year’s Christmas celebrations will likely be very different than in previous years; depending on where you are residing, you may be able to meet up with family and friends, or only be able to celebrate with those in your current household. One thing that likely won’t change, however, is there we will all have…

Recipe Post: No-Knead Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Bread

I’ve always found the concept of a no-knead bread to be somewhat misleading. Kneading is part of the traditional process of dough fermentation, and its goal is to combine the dough ingredients and allow the water to hydrate the flour. In addition, kneading accelerates fermentation by “slapping around” the flour’s protein in order to speed…

Christmas Baking: Cranberry Maple Nut Tartlets

When I was learning how to bake professionally at college, I had the opportunity to participate in an auction that was being held by one of the Marketing students. And by “participate”, I mean “donate stuff to the raffle” for no remuneration whatsoever. However, I liked the person who asked me, and since I was…