Chicken and Dumplings

I don't know about where you live but here in the Portland area it has been FREEZING!!!  Last week, due to an inversion, we were in the 20s here while the snowboarders were enjoying temperatures in the 50s on the slopes.  School even got delayed for 4 hours due to freezing rain and ice on the roadways.  Needless to say I have been craving something warm and comforting.  I have never had chicken and dumplings but when I came across a recipe to make it using my crock-pot I decided I just had to try it.  It turned out great and was a perfect meal to warm me up during the cold nights last week.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Growing up as a kid, whenever we had pancakes in the morning, my dad was in charge of cooking them.  He was such a perfectionist (I wonder where I get it from) and always made sure that they were perfectly golden brown. We always made our pancakes using bisquick, and it wasn't until last year that I experimented with making buttermilk pancakes from scratch.  Even though I made the batter I still made my dad cook them, since I am still scarred from one of the first times I made pancakes for my boyfriend and they were raw in the middle (he still ate them though so kudos to him!)  When I was home for winter break, my parents wanted me to make my buttermilk pancakes again and this time I actually cooked them myself!  Sure there were a few choice words that flew out of my mouth when I didn't flip some of them perfectly but they turned out just fine and I'm pretty sure this was the first time ever my dad was able to sit down and enjoy them instead of being the last one to the table.

Savory Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tartlets

The holidays have come and gone, and 2013 is underway.  I don't know about you, but I definitely indulged in many delicious things this holiday season.  When it came time to ring in the New Year, I wanted to make sure we had something yummy to nibble on while we waited for midnight to roll around.  These savory tartlets hit the spot and were pretty simple to make.