We arrived on a beautiful Sunday. Harvard Square was bustling with the activity of the annual MayFair. The Sinclair was a cool respite from the activity outside. We had to wait quite some time for our table – but it was well worth the wait – they were preparing their deck space for us as the weather was unexpectedly beautiful.

Their deck was completely unexpected after being inside the bar. It was insulated and well protected from all the activity outside. Like the interior, it was filled with beautiful furniture and well-thought-out decor. I was pleased and completely at ease in the environment. The decor had the right balance of elegance and edginess. It was attractive and unique without being distracting or uncomfortable.

Our waiter was lovely – he really took care of us and was genuinely interested in learning about our group and our blogs. The chef also took great care of us – course after course was brought out, each paired with one of their special cocktails.

The meal started out with a trio of mimosas. The pear was my favorite – light and refreshing. This was paired with a Misty Point Oyster with pink peppercorn and cucumber seasonings on a bed of sea salt. I love an oyster and this one was delicious.

The oyster was followed by house-cured gravlox (salmon) with pickled red onions, jalapeño slices and a garnish of dill and capers. Like an elegant version of lox, the salmon was perfectly tender, thick and flavorful. I only wish there was more of it – or maybe a cracker or toast to accompany it.

The gravlox was followed by a bloody mary and a soup course. I had a pureed saffron fennel soup as my dairy-free substitution  This was almost too pretty to eat – the bright orange color was gorgeous. I had no problem finishing it once I tasted it though. The flavors were light and unusual – the fennel was subtle and balanced by the saffron and other flavors. It wasn’t overpowering and was quite delicate. I lapped up every last drop.

The bloody mary was so spicy that I could only handle a few sips. It was beautifully served with homemade pickles and pork belly garnish. If you like a spicy mary, you’d probably enjoy this. It wasn’t for me, though.

Next up – calamari. I love seafood and fish and this meal really showcased a lot of ocean specialities. Again, they modified my dish to be dairy-free. Everyone else had fried calamari and I was served grilled calamari. I actually prefer calamari grilled, so this was a good surprise. It was topped with celery leaves and served with the same Tom Yun Gai dipping sauce and plating style as the fried version. They grilled it perfectly and the squid was tender, not rubbery. You could tell it was extremely fresh and prepared with care. If this isn’t on their regular menu, it should be. I’d go back and order it again. I hadn’t enjoyed grilled calamari like that since living in Astoria, Queens.

Finally, we enjoyed the Tiger Lily, a grapefruit and tequila cocktail and our final dish – root vegetable ragu with duck confit. I was a bit skeptical by the description, but once I saw the dish it didn’t seem as odd. There were roasted cubed root veggies including red and yellow beets, carrots, and potatoes. The vegetables were delicious bite-sized morsels. This was topped by shredded cooked duck. I don’t usually eat duck but the pairing of the meat with the veggies was lovely and the meat wasn’t as fatty as duck can often be. Maybe because it was shredded it was more appealing than a full duck breast or one of the usual duck preparations. This was a heavier dish and a nice end to the meal. The rich flavor of the duck was balanced by the varied deep flavor of the vegetables. On the regular menu it’s served with a poached egg. I would come back to try this as I imagine the poached egg makes this dish even better.

The Sinclair was very accommodating and provided everyone with a delicious meal in a great setting. I had called ahead to let them know of my dietary restriction with dairy. It seemed like the hostess hadn’t had this request before, but she was sure the chef would be able to accomodate and just made note of this. The chef did indeed come through. Two of the dishes were modified to be dairy-free. Everything was served at the same time as the other dishes without any fuss or additional delay. I felt extremely well taken care of and satisfied with everything they brought. I even think I lucked out with better dishes! If you were dining at The Sinclair with a large group, I would call ahead to apprise them of any dietary restrictions. This will help the kitchen be prepared for you and ensure that you have plenty of options to enjoy. If you go on an impromptu evening, they could readily accomodate you as well, although you might have fewer options. Several of the dishes were already dairy-free and needed no change, so the waiter would be able to guide your selection. Another one of the brunchers, Gluten Free Boston Girl, also had dietary restrictions. Although she did not call ahead, they were able to appropriately modify her meal and she was able to enjoy everything as well.

A little unexpectedly, we did have to wait a long time between each course. I’m guessing it was because of the size of our group and the last minute switch to an outside table on this sunny day. We arrived around 1:00 and didn’t finish until around 3:30, to give you a sense of the length of this meal. I was with great company, so it was thoroughly enjoyable. Usually I expect brunch to be around an hour and a half – this was nearing three hours. I would go back to The Sinclair for Sunday brunch or to try their dinner food when I have time for a leisurely meal, but I wouldn’t stop by if I was in a rush. This is a perfect spot for a casual group or a romantic meal when you want to linger and enjoy your time together. The outside deck would be great for an evening cocktail on a summer evening.

*I received a complementary brunch in exchange for writing an honest review of my experience. 

I have found myself less excited about cooking and eating. Chalk it up to the dreariness of the never-ending winter, dietary and health changes, quick and dirty weeknight meals, and lots of repeat recipes. But now that spring has finally arrived, I’m finding a renewed interest in the kitchen.

Sunday-afternoon cooking is a special time in the kitchen – like a magic witching-hour. Time slows down, there is still daylight, and the calm of the weekend has been fully realized. The frenzy of preparing for the week hasn’t yet started. It’s a time to really enjoy the process of cooking for cooking’s sake, unlike weeknight cooking when you’re frantically trying to get dinner on the table.

This Sunday there were lots of amazing smells emanating from our stove. My husband and I enjoy this side by side dance where we each create and craft flavor from our melange of ingredients. We chat and offer input into what the other is making, at least where the savory dishes are concerned. When it comes to baking, that’s all on me. His input is along the lines of almonds vs. walnuts, cookies vs. cake, or scones vs. bread. I’m glad this week he picked scones.

It provided the push I needed to finally work on crafting a dairy-free scone recipe. My first attempt was fine. Nothing more, nothing less. A scone should not be fine. Cardboard is fine. White toast is fine. A scone should be flaky, moist, full of nooks and crannies, and ready for jam. It should accompany breakfast or brighten afternoon tea. I knew I could do better than fine. And that is exactly what I did.

Dairy-Free Scones
Makes 8
1/2 c. chilled, refined coconut oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. dairy-free milk (I used unsweetened Almond Milk)
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 large egg
1/4-1/2 c. of additives (nuts, dried fruit, etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Line baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper
3. In a separate bowl, stir dairy-free milk and white vinegar to combine and curdle. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
4. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
5. Add chilled coconut oil, working it into the flour mixture until it forms a grainy dough. This is easiest to do by hand.
6. Add egg to curdled milk and whisk together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir with a spoon or fork.
7. When it starts to come together, finish mixing with your hands to create a dough.
8. Add any additional filling items. I used chopped walnuts this time. Other tasty additions are: chocolate chips, pecans, raisins, cranberries, or blueberries.
9. Separate into two giant balls.
10. Smoosh balls onto cookie sheet.
11. Use knife, score flattened dough in a cross.
12. Separate each scone and arrange on the sheet so they have some breathing room, at least an inch apart.
13. Cook for 15-17 minutes, until they turn golden.
14. Let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.

For the full-dairy version of this recipe, see this earlier post.

It’s also exciting as it gives me a reason to make something new. Why not make baby a quilt? I thought it sounded like a good idea. Baby quilts are a great introductory quilting project. They’re not too big, don’t require too much fabric, and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. When creating for a baby, you can also use all the fun, silly and kitchy print fabrics that abound and might not seem adult-appropriate for your other projects.

I used Holly DeGroot of Bijou Lovely‘s Colorblock quilt pattern for this quilt. I like the clean bold lines of this pattern. It’s great to showcase fabric with big prints. However, I found it hard to find the right combination of fabrics. Every time I had four or five coordinating prints, I was stumped by selecting the fifth and sixth. Luckily, husband Mike is really good at picking fabrics and coordinating colors. The ladies at Cambridge Quilt Shop were also really helpful with this. Their suggestion of the brightly striped fabric for the border ties everything in together and is a fun element.

This quilt top came together fairly quickly. If I were to do it again, I would probably make the outside border strips a bit wider than the pattern calls for. This would provide room to trim it to size if you find the columns don’t match up perfectly (like perhaps mine are).

This was the first quilt that I completed on my own, without the benefits of a class or instructor. Holly’s instructions are very clear and the illustrations made it easy to follow along with this pattern. I would highly recommend this pattern to a beginner quilter or to anyone who needs to make a baby quilt in a hurry. The close straight line quilting looks great but was really time consuming. I should have spaced the quilting lines further apart, but once I started there was no turning back.

Also, make sure to check the size of your fabric. My border fabric had an unusually thick selvage edge, leaving me slightly short of the proper yardage. I had to creatively piece together little bits to get enough fabric. I should have purchased  a 1/4 yard more fabric and it would have saved me some headaches. Lesson learned for next time.

Since removing dairy from my diet, I thought I’d basically said goodbye to a bakery cupcake. Gluten free cupcakes are a-plenty, but dairy free seems to stump most people. When I called for some fact-finding, I was pleased to discover the many options they offer for those with dietary restrictions. They always have a few flavors on hand and can make additional flavors if you order ahead. They are also able to offer soy-free cupcakes with advance notice. They do aim to please!

With these two things going for them, I signed up for this weeknight cupcake party. The front of house is a standard bakery; a kid-in-a cupcake/candy store style bakery. You can purchase any of the beautiful, pre-made cupcakes, or you can have them make you a custom cupcake. Similar to purchasing an ice-cream sundae, but for a cupcake. You order your base cake flavor, pick frosting flavors and then choose from an incredible selection of toppings. Go crazy! They seemed to have pretty much every topping you could want, and then some!

In the back of the store there’s a private room for parties. This is where we were headed. These cupcake parties are for adults and children. If you’re looking to host a birthday party for a 6 year old or a 21 year old, they’ve done it all.

The party starts with markers and blank boxes. You get to decorate your box however you like. Once the box is done, it gets even better. First, mini aprons are passed around. These are child-sized aprons but they look adorable on an adult too. More markers (fabric safe) come out and there’s more decoration.

Once we donned our aprons, the instruction began. Sarah, our host, brought out the fondant (colored, firm play-doh like frosting) to mold and shape. With some basic tips and tutorials we set to work. It was much easier to mix and shape the fondant than I expected. Maybe this was because they had it already prepared to perfect consistency, or perhaps because of the helpful tips, like keeping plenty of powdered sugar handy to prevent it from sticking. With a few fondant shapes of different colors, we were ready to move on to the big guns.

Cupcakes!

There was a choice of vanilla or chocolate cake base (or chocolate dairy-free for me). Out came a tray with a rainbow of frosting containers and little bowls full of all sorts of toppings. Sarah kept all the dairy free items completely separate for me on a different tray so it was really obvious what I could and couldn’t eat. There was another tutorial for frosting and some key pointers were shared, like remember to clean off your spatula regularly, apply more frosting than you think you need and scrape the excess off, and how to make a flat-top cupcake so you can put toppings just on the outer edges.

We set to work frosting, decorating and topping off our cupcakes. At the end of the hour I couldn’t believe all the beautiful professional-looking desserts that everyone had made. Treat Cupcake Bar made it seem so easy! The best part – no clean up!

This would be a fun event to have with your best friends, colleagues, teammates, etc. The Treat staff was really friendly and accommodating. You could tell that everyone at Treat is proud of their product and services.

I came home with 6 beautiful, professional looking cupcakes. I had no idea how I was going to eat all 6 before they went stale. Luckily, you can freeze these things! Sarah shared another tip with us: cupcakes are best right away or the first day. If you don’t plan on finishing them in that timeframe, then it’s best to freeze them. Take the cupcakes out 2 hours before you plan to eat them and they’ll taste freshly made. Cupcakes can be frozen for up to a month (if you can leave them there that long).

Taste review: Dairy-free chocolate cupcake was moist and not overly dense, with a rich chocolate taste. It was not overly sweet. You could tell it wasn’t a standard cupcake, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on the difference. The frosting was really good. I have no idea how they made such delicious dairy-free frosting; it was creamy and sweet and everything frosting should be. When eaten as a combination with cupcake and frosting together it was really delicious. I don’t think you’d bat an eye.

I brought home one full-fledged dairy cupcake for my husband – vanilla cake with chocolate ganache frosting. He tried not to make me feel guilty but said it was really good and benefitted greatly from the butter and cream. And then he fell silent as he gulped it all down.

I attended this event for free as part of the Boston Brunchers. A private party for 10 people is $300. The opinions expressed are my own and aside from the 6 cupcakes I took home, I was not otherwise compensated for this event. 

Our waffle iron was this funky old machine with a fabric-wrapped cord. I never saw other appliances quite like it. It had been a wedding gift to my grandparents, over fifty years before. They must not have used it much, as they passed it on to my parents in near-new condition. There was this little decorative window on the top that showed the heat dial. When it was the right temperature, the arm moved into the center. The plates were cast iron and the waffles were rectangular. The holes were not too deep but just deep enough to catch a schmear of butter or a small pool of syrup. They were not  the overly sweet and fluffy sky-high belgian waffles that most people experience at a restaurant. They were flatter, crisper, and just the way I liked a waffle.

When it came time to purchase my own waffle iron I had a bit of a problem. All the stores sold belgian-styled waffle makers. They were round. With a non-stick coating. I was aghast! I searched and searched and eventually realized that I couldn’t buy a new waffle iron. eBay to the rescue! I spent about six months looking at eBay several times a week. Eventually I found what I was looking for. Apparently these are not popular items, as I was the only bidder. For the low price of $10 I found myself the owner of a perfect waffle iron. It was just what I wanted – rectangular, cast iron, and ancient. Now I can make waffles nearly every weekend, if I choose.

The waffle making was going along quite well, until a recent dairy-free change in my diet. My first attempt at dairy free waffles was nothing to write home about. The waffles were edible, but not particularly good, and no comparison to our usual recipe. I knew there had to be a better solution. Just  because I’m not eating dairy, I shouldn’t have to give up special weekend breakfast, right?

My second attempt at dairy free waffles turned out  much better, better even than I expected. In fact, I might like them more than our original waffle recipe. They certainly must be healthier, as they have oats. Whole grains are good for you, so I could almost argue that these waffles are a healthy breakfast and could be eaten every day, right? They’re also extremely filling, hence the suggestion to call them cowboy waffles. Because cowboys need a hearty breakfast, and well, doesn’t a cowboy waffle sound more appealing than a dairy-free oat waffle? Exactly.

Cowboy Oat Waffles
serves 2
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 c. dairy-free milk. I used unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk. It is low fat and has a mild flavor.
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 Tbsp. molasses
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1/2 tsp. vanilla (optional)

1. Turn on waffle iron so it gets hot.

2. Crush oats in blender or food processor. They should still be fairly coarse.

3. Add oats, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon to a medium mixing bowl. Stir together.

4. Add egg, milk, oil and molasses to bowl. Mix well. If you measure the oil before the molasses and use the same measuring spoon, the molasses will slide right out.

5. Mix everything together. If it seems too thick, add a splash more milk. It will be lumpy. Let sit for a few minutes to soften the oats.

6. Cook following your waffle maker’s instructions.

Enjoy with syrup, jam, fresh fruit, or whatever else you like with your breakfast. A personalized mug is a must!

Helene and Thomas treat everyone like family or a guest in their home – from their “food loving” co-entrepreneurs, as employees are called, to their customers.

Thomas expressed his  philosophy of bread as the fifth element created when the other elements – fire, water, air (yeast), and earth (wheat) are combined. I could completely relate to his excitement and obsession with bread. A good bread does not need any fancy toppings – although it can certainly enhance the experience. In addition to delicious bread, they offer sandwiches, pretzel rolls, croissants, Berliners (like beignets), cookies, and a variety of other treats. I admit that I’ve been known to be particular about my bread and baked goods. If I wasn’t, I probably wouldn’t go to so much trouble all the time to make things myself. The SwissBaker croissant satisfied this long-standing croissant craving that I’ve had a hard time dispelling. These were some of the best croissants I’ve had in a while. Leftover chocolate croissants were still flaky and delicious two days later! That has to count for something, right?

This new location provides the SwissBakers with 12,000 sq. ft. of production space, up from a tight 400 sq. ft. in their current kitchen. They will be able to offer more products, produce greater quantity, increase catering, expand to more farmers markets and other retail locations, and grow their wholesale operations.

In addition to the expansive and orderly kitchens, they’ve carefully thought about the front of house space. The counter areas are set up as different stations, each with a unique offering (bread, sandwiches, dessert, etc.) and to promote interactions and browsing. The dining area has space for sitting and savoring your treat, or for popping in for a quick bite on the go. There will even be a fireplace to cozy up to and a communal table, in addition to a kids’ space. They’ve also created a small side room for privarte meetings and functions. I love the full-length photo on the wall of this room – it almost makes you feel like you’re sitting on a balcony in Switzerland. *sigh*

With smart Swiss business sense, sleek European styling, and a delicious product, this new space is sure to be a success.

Stop by this Thursday, February 28th for the grand opening party and see for yourself how delicious Swiss bread can be! Follow the red cow on the roof to 168 Western Avenue in Allston. Bike and car parking available.

I was invited to attend this event as a member of the Boston Brunchers. Samples were generously provided free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about roses and chocolate (although I do like chocolate…). I like to take the time to think about what I’m thankful for, who I love, and all of the special relationships I’m fortunate to have.

I’m thankful for this bit of space on the interweb to experiment and share my thoughts; I’m thankful for readers; I’m thankful that I can always try again; and I’m thankful for a food revolution where it’s possible to get astoundingly fresh rainbow chard in the middle of a New England winter (thank you Enterprise Farm).

I hope you’ve taken a moment today to let your loved ones know just how much you appreciate them.

I am lucky to live near the Arnold Arboretum.  The recent snowstorm turned it into a winter wonderland.

Trees make such beautiful patterns.

Sometimes it’s good to pause from the busy routine of life and take a moment to reflect on what is right in front of you.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

This Pumpkin Gingerbread could be the spokes-person (spokes-bread?) of versatility. Add chocolate chips and you’ve got dessert. Add nuts and it can be a snack. Add a little more heat and you can serve it alongside dinner.

This is a recipe that I first started working on in the fall, when the leaves were turning and fall flavors were sneaking into the kitchen. Back when pumpkin recipes were turning up all over the interweb, blogosphere, and print world. I’ve since made this pumpkin gingerbread several times and it only seems to get better. It’s funny, because pumpkin bread is still delicious, even though Halloween has long since ended.

This recipe makes two loaves, one to keep and one to share. Or one to freeze for later. Or two to eat! No matter how you split it up, it’s delicious. I hope you enjoy this pumpkin gingerbread as much as my friends, family, neighbors, colleagues, and strangers on the street have (just kidding about the street strangers). Can you tell that I’ve made a lot of this bread lately?

Pumpkin Gingerbread
makes 2 loaves
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 c. water
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1 tsp. ground ginger
1-2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. cinnamon (heaping)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
optional: 1/2-1 c. chocolate chips, chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 9×5 inch loaf pans.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Mix until combined and smooth. Add water and mix until blended.

3. Stir in pumpkin, powdered and fresh ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

4. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet pumpkin mixture.

5. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

6. Add chips or nuts, if desired.

7. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.

8. Bake in oven; after 1 hour, rotate pans. Bake an additional 15-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Rest on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Invert and breads should easily slide out. Continue to cool on rack.

And what’s better for a birthday celebration than a big, fat, chocolatey cake?

I don’t know either, that’s why I’m asking.

I first had this cake over a decade ago. I was working in my first real, post-college job and had the good fortune to work closely with an amazing team. We soon became inseparable. Work would end and we’d head out to the bars. We’d have sleepovers on the weekends. We went on overnight and day trips together – to the beach, to the woods. It was like an extension of college, or at least, what I imagine college is like if you don’t go to a giant school in the city.

One of the women I worked with had been vegan for years and years. On her birthday her mom overnight-FedExed her a cake. It was her favorite cake during her vegan years, and continued to be even after she was no longer vegan. After one bite, I think it became my favorite cake, too. Even after a day in a box traveling across the country, this chocolate cake stood out.

When I got the recipe and learned to make this cake myself, it became even better. When you tell people it’s a vegan cake, there’s a slight hesitation and skepticism before they eat it. You can see them mentally raising an eyebrow. After the first bite, all doubts are dispelled by the rich, chocolatey goodness of this cake.

The best part? No animals were harmed in the making of this cake.

Vegan Chocolate Cake
2 1/4 c. unbleached white flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa (unsweetened)
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare two 8-inch layer cake pans by lightly greasing them and dusting with flour. Shake off excess. Alternatively, you can use one large sheet cake pan.

2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.

3. Add water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Stir until well combined.

4. Pour evenly into pans and bake 30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Vegan Chocolate Frosting
Adapted from Elana’s Pantry
1 c. dark chocolate chips (70% cacao or higher) (or 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 c. unsweetened chocolate)
1/2 c. grapeseed oil or other light vegetable oil
2-3 Tbsp. agave nectar, honey (not vegan, although delicious), or other syrupy sweetener like cane sugar, maple syrup or rice syrup
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and oil. Stir to prevent burning. Alternatively, melt in microwave in 15-second increments, stirring between each heating.

2. Add agave, vanilla and salt. Stir to combine.

3. Place frosting in freezer for 15 minutes to chill and thicken, or in refrigerator for an hour.

4. Remove from freezer/refrigerator and use a mixer or hand blender to whip frosting into a thick and fluffy consistency.

5. Frost between the layers. Assemble cake and fill in any frosting gaps.

Tips: If the frosting is too cold, it won’t properly whip up or spread, you may need to microwave it for 5-10 seconds to soften it up. If it gets too soft, just pop it back in the freezer for a spell. I find that as I’m frosting the cake, I need to periodically stop, microwave for 5 seconds, remix the frosting, and then continue to frost. If you like very thick frosting on a layer cake, you might want to increase the recipe by 1/2 to 1.

Enjoy!

We didn’t go very far away – to the other side of town – but it sure feels different. For the past five years, the Bread and Beta kitchen has been small. Really small. But we made it work – tools were tucked away in every inch of space, food was hiding in every nook (seriously, I kept canned goods under the TV, next to the movies, wine glasses, and liquor). I even entered our space into a small kitchen contest sponsored by Apartment Therapy. I think our kitchen was the smallest one in the contest that was a separate room, not just a corner of another room. We were working in about 45 square feet of space, people. But, that never hindered what we’ve been able to cook in that space. If anything, it fostered even more creativity and planning in cooking, food preparation, storage, clean-up, and photographing. Here are a few photos to show you just how tight a space we were working in.

Enough about the old space… I want to tell you about the new space. The kitchen has more than doubled in size. There’s a walk-in pantry! A dishwasher (that’s an actual appliance and not a human)! A gas stove! Oh, the amazingness just goes on.

Packing, moving, and unpacking, has kept me busy all through the fall. Now that we’re settled in, I hope to return to posting more regularly. And with this new kitchen, I have more space to keep cooking and baking. I’ve already made a number of promising dishes to share with you. I’m working on tweaking the recipes and getting a photo area set up so I can easily record what I’m making.

Here are some pictures of the new space! What do you think? I get excited thinking about all the things I’ll make in our new home.

And my favorite part? The built in ironing board circa early 1900′s. I like that I can cook and iron the laundry at the same time. (Can you hear the sarcasm?)

More pictures of the new and old space are on my Flickr photostream for your viewing pleasure.