Getting over Christmas

Happy new year!! It's 2014 and today being little Christmas, it's now time to take down the beautiful decorations and go back to normal. I intensely dislike this part of the year. All the excitement of Christmas has passed and now we are left with some wonderful presents, a half dozen half empty packets of chocolates and a deep sense of regret for the many many days of unhealthy couch potato behaviour and excessive consumption. The television is not out friend either, every commercial seems to relate to weight-loss, exercise and saving money. It's like everyone is supposed to be filled with shame and regret and frankly I don't like it. Christmas comes once a year and, yeah ok, we all indulged but we now have months of winter left to face and darned if that won't get rid of those extra pounds for you.

Look at how that top truffle is just calling to you, go on...it's ok ;)

Snow-flake zimtsterne:: Preparing for Christmas german style

It's advent again that wonderful time of the year when we prepare ourselves for the approaching holiday season. I have never been a big one for advent calendars, we used to get one when we were children but usually something vaguely religious and rarely with chocolate or sweets. None-the-less I thoroughly enjoy this time of year. I revel in the traditions and preparations for the holiday season.

Cookies part 2: less healthy but very tasty oatmeal raisin

It's December!! The count-down begins to the baking and food extravaganza that is Christmas. I will of course be partaking, as usual, although with my new location to consider and traveling with food a less than appealing process I imagine that my baking will be condensed into about 24-48hrs when I return home before Christmas Day. I will inevitably share some of the spoils with you in perhaps a Christmas round-up type post.

However now we can return to the second of my cookie series. A less healthy attempt at the oatmeal raisin cookie. These cookies were fun to make, particularly so because I was making them in the dark. For some reason, while our electricity worked perfectly, our kitchen lights fell into darkness last week, which made for entertaining baking and actually quite interesting photography.

Breaking the plans: winter cold beater

Sorry folks there has been a change from our regularly scheduled programming for something much needed at this time of year. It's the time of year when colds and flu run rampant and yet there is no slow down on the demands or deadlines. What is a girl to do?!!

Well they say that the best defense is a strong attack and I belief that in this situation that is very true so let me share with you a recipe that I have been using for a few years to keep colds and flu away, even cure them once they've started. Nope, this is not chicken soup but it does warm the soul. What you might even enjoy more if you are of a certain dietary inclination is that, not only does it not contain meat, but it contains no dairy or animal products at all and can even be made raw if you so wish.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

It's no secret that I admire Alton Brown. If there is a baking based episode of 'Good Eats,' that I haven't seen I would be surprised, and quite excited to watch it! In fact, the photo in my title is one of cookies that I made altered from his 'the chewy one' cookie recipe. The episode in which he focuses on chocolate chip cookies. In this episode he explores three different types of cookies; the cakey cookies, the chewy cookie and the thin and crispy cookie. This has inspired me to do a miny cookie series.

Welcome to winter

November is still fall in the states but here it's considered the first month of winter and oh boy can we tell?! It is freezin'!! Strangely it never ceases to surprise me when the temperature appears to shift dramatically overnight and all of a sudden it's a new season. That's definitely what happened here but I am not complaining because I love, love wearing comfy hoodies and winter scarves!

During these colder months one is more inclined to answer the call of the couch and the cake which while we all know is immensely enjoyable may lead to a certain sense of guilt. Well here at TVandCookies it is an aim to make it possible to have dessert any and every day and this is one of those recipes! This banana apple bread is a delicious slice of winter flavour without the guilt trip that cake can so often involve, in fact with these mini versions you can have and eat your whole cake! Another nice element of this bake is that it uses up otherwise less appetizing fruit and I now look forward to seeing browning and black bananas on my kitchen counter.

Tamper

This week for a bit of a change I'm trying something different. As I mentioned I recently moved to England and this opens up a whole new world of cafes, bakeries and restaurants to my awaiting palate. Therefore I feel that I should include this in this little blog and share a little more of my life. So I'll start today with a little review of a cafe that we visited on a recent trip to Sheffield.