Holidaze in the City: Union Square Holiday Bazaar

Funtivities

One thing I was really looking forward to living in the city is the holiday season. You could do a new holiday activity every day during December. So far, my favorite activity has been the Union Square Holiday Market.

Rows and rows and rows of holiday carts with food, gifts, trinkets, and much more.

My mom and I nearly stumbled into the market during Thanksgiving break. We wove through every row in search of some tasty treats and cute gifts...

Beware of crowds on the weekends.

We ran into this unique cookie stand and tried one of each...

AMAZING cookies with almonds, pretzels, earl gray, lavender, bananas...

My roommate, Anja, is German and introduced me to some European holiday treats at this German Delights stand...

If you want to get into the Christmas Spirit, make your way to Union Square!

Spaghetti with Clams and Broccolini

Savory Eats

On Monday night, Nat took me to a pasta-making class with an amazing chef from the Food Network's Chopped. It was a blast (and I actually learned A TON).

Anyways, this cooking adventure really got me in the mood for pasta. So, last night I made a dish that really boosted my "culinego" (culinary ego). I swear I could have been on Top Chef...

Spaghetti with clams and broccolini - from Fine Cooking Magazine

Never having cooked with raw clams before, I was shocked by how easy it was...and they tasted incredible.

Ingredients:

*These measurements made 3 large servings without leftovers

• A large bunch of fresh broccolini, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 box of thin angel hair spaghetti
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 lb Manila clams
• Sea salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

**I added 1 cup of sauteed shrimp to the pasta to add some more protein.

Recipe:

-Start boiling water for the pasta. Generously salt the water.

Cut the broccolini and chop the garlic.

-Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the angel hair pasta and broccolini. Cook until pastsa is al dente (roughly 4 minutes). Drain and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water.

Thoroughly wash the clams with water. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped garlic and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute (until fragrant). Add the clams, cover, and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams open (roughly 5 minutes).

Add the spaghetti/broccolini and 1/4 pasta water to the opened clams. (I also added the shrimp in this step)

Top with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Top with fresh parsley. Add some salt and pepper and mix well.

I served the pasta with a side of sauteed broccolini. Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top if you'd like (I preferred the dish without cheese). ENJOY your gourmet meal!

Mom's Famous Homemade Granola

Sweet Treats

Granola is addicting, plain and simple. It's healthy when sprinkled on yogurt and eaten in moderation, but that is easier said than done. Good granola is very delicious and my mom's homemade granola recipe is goood granola. You're lucky enough to get the recipe today!

Almond granola with dried cherries and (optional) white chocolate chips!

Granola-gredients:

Dry Ingredients

• 6 cups of Rolled Oats (or Old Fashion Oats - NOT Quick Cooking Oats)
• 2 cups roasted, salted whole almonds
• 2.5 cups of roasted slivered almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (I use sugar free maple syrup to cut calories)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add-Ins

• 1 bag dried cherries
• White chocolate chips (how ever much you want)

All from Trader Joe's

Recipe:

-Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

-Mix together all the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl. Pour the wet ingredients mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

-Mix until evenly combined.

-Spread onto baking pans (I use 2 baking sheets). Bake at 225 degrees for 2 hours. Move the granola around the sheet every 20 minutes to cook evenly and prevent burning.

After the two hours, remove from the oven and let the granola cool for about 10 minutes. Then, scoop into a bag or container and let cool for at least one more hour before adding dried cherries and (optional) white chocolate chips.

Makes a great gift in cute bags or mason jars!

While were on this topic, you want to know where you can buy the most AMAZING granola? It's called Hippie Crack from Baked & Wired Bakery in Georgetown (Washington, DC)...

If you're ever in the Georgetown area, I highly recommend stopping by Baked & Wired for some incredibly tasty treats.