five-spice braised short ribs with rice

five-spice has a very distinct flavor. with it's combination of cloves, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and pepper, it is hard to describe with words.

in fact, i didn't even attempt to describe it to the geek. five-spice is the star ingredient of these luscious ribs, so i just served him some ribs with a big scoop of sticky rice and left them alone to get acquainted.

i think the meeting was a success...kind of. while the geek still cannot identify which part of the overall flavor can be attributed to the five-spice powder, he declares these ribs "very tasty, tender, fall off the bone" and says he "rejoices" whenever we have them for dinner.

roasted shrimp cocktail

shrimp cocktail is one of the simplest appetizers to make. cook some shrimp, pour some cocktail sauce and you're ready to serve!

many recipes call for simmering the shrimp in seasoned water; however, roasting is a simple and tasty alternative.

these shrimp are delicious served warm or cool. the geek eats them without cocktail sauce.

more than anything, these are basic guidelines. the amounts are just suggestions and can be altered to your taste.

the making of our chistmas card

every so often, the dog gets to be the star of our holiday card. 2011 happens to be one of those years.

plan a: take a picture of her in our new home so we can use it as a moving announcement/holiday card.

plan b: use this picture of her from the last time it snowed. hey, it's wintry and seasonal!

we tried to get a shot of her coming out the front door...

the 'i'm blinded by the seattle sunshine' shot...

we tried to get her to sit in front of our new house.

the 'i'd rather be sitting on carpet' shot...

we decided to go in a different direction after she started wandering down the block and the geek had to go after her.

we thought it might be cute to get a shot of her with her 'christmas' toy.

the playful shot...

unfortunately, her 'playing' usually consists of tug of war or thrashing the toy around...not very peaceful and holiday-ish, and very blurry given the indoor lighting.

 we finally just sat her in front of the tree and hoped for the best.

the 'whatever' shot...

the 'i don't want to be here' shot...

the blurry 'i think i see a treat' shot...

and at last, the winning shot...

merry christmas!
(and thank goodness for digital cameras!)

black bean and corn salad

the geek's father was born on december 24. this makes for a doubly festive christmas eve/birthday dinner! for his birthday dinner request, the geek's dad usually goes with either spaghetti & meatballs or enchilladas.

during one enchillada year, i wanted to bring a salady type side to the dinner. a black bean and corn salad sounded like the perfect compliment... a cool and fresh contrast to the warm, saucy goodness of the enchilladas.

lazy sort of won ton soup

there's something very satisfying about won ton soup. i love the broth, the meaty yumminess, and the delicate wonton wrappers. it's not too heavy, not too light; it's just right.

unfortunately, i'm way too lazy to learn how to make won tons right now. as a result, when i want won ton soup, i (or often, the geek) must go out and pick some up. when i saw this recipe in real simple, i thought it would be an easy way to satisfy my craving. afterall, it has all the things i love about won ton soup. brothy goodness- yep; elements of the meaty won ton filling- uh-huh; won ton wrappers- yes. yay!