Thank you for continuing in this journey with me. When I started this blog in 2009, I didn’t know what to expect. I have “met” many great bakers, cooks, and just people who like food. I appreciate your support when we lost our baby Jillian in March and sticking with me when the posts were scarce. …
Monthly Archives: December 2010
The Givens Go to Hawaii: Kauai
Here is our last stop, Kauai. We spent two days there. We went to Lu’au Kalamaku where I had some great mashed purple sweet potatoes with coconut (you know I love sweet potatoes), kaluau pig, and other tasty dinner items. I even tried poi, which didn’t taste like much of anything to me. We…
Dill Dip
This was one of the appetizers I served for Christmas Eve Dinner, but it would be great for a New Year’s party or many of the upcoming football game gatherings. The recipe below is cut in half and I could have made even less. It is best to make it the night before so the flavors…
Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese
This original recipe had bacon in it, and as hard as it was to leave it out, I did not include it because not everyone at my Christmas Eve dinner ate pork *sigh*. It did not really matter though because it was delicious without it. Three Cheese Macaroni and Cheese Adapted from Everyday Food, October…
The Givens Go to Hawaii: The Big Island
Our first stop on the Big Island was Hilo. We visited the Black Sand Beach and Lava Tree State Park. This a lava field. The ocean was once where this lava field is. Hilo is on the rainy side of the Big Island so of course we got some rain once we got out of…
Roasted Winter Root Vegetables
My Christmas Eve table setting I wanted some seasonal vegetables for my Christmas Eve dinner and thought that roasted root vegetables were a great way to go. I lucked up on this slow cooker recipe; it allowed me the time I needed to concentrate on my other dishes because I did not need to continue…
Bourbon-Caramel Truffles
I saw this recipe posted by My Recipes on Twitter and decided to make and give them as a gift. Truffles are very quick, especially when you have everything you need on hand. I did substitute light corn syrup for golden cane syrup which I’m sure changed the flavor a little, but they were indeed…
The Givens Go to Hawaii: Part II
Neither of us have visited Hawaii so we decided to take a cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America. I chose a cruise because I couldn’t decide which islands for us to visit. I thought this would give us a little bit of everything so when we visit next time (hint, hint Mr. G),…
Homemade Vanilla Extract
This recipe showed up in my Google Reader in the summer, and I knew it was something I wanted to give as gifts to a few special bakers in my life (and keep a little for myself). This is one gift you will need to prepare in advance as the extract takes a couple of…
The Givens Go to Hawaii Part I
I am long overdue with sharing pictures from our Hawaiian vacation with you, but I will start today! I promise not to post the 370+ pictures, but enough to give you a general idea of all the fun we had. If you have any questions, please just ask! We started off by flying in to…