Sometimes we would have oatmeal for supper when I was little.  My mom would make a pot of it on the stove, and then set out molasses, maple syrup, raisins, and brown sugar.  We had fun building our own bowls…like an ice cream bar.  Until this winter I hadn’t had homemade oatmeal in roughly 20 […]

Vintage Christmas figurines from thetoadhouse on Etsy. Another Christmas has come and gone.  Well…just about.  I still haven’t exchanged gifts with my family, but we’ll get to that eventually.  I spent Christmas Eve with John’s family in Plymouth, where his aunt and uncle hosted their annual cozy gathering, this year with the addition of a Yankee Swap.  In related news…I am […]

I grew up with two kinds of coffee cake…the homemade tube-pan version my mom made and the Drake’s packaged version my grandparents always had in the cabinet, alongside the Devil Dogs and Swiss Cake Rolls. My mom’s version, sweet and crunchy with nuts, memorably served as my birthday cake one year when I had a […]

After a super fun night at Greg and Courtney’s wedding, nothing could have been more delightful than waking up Sunday morning to the sight of falling snow.  It really capped off the Currier and Ives feel of the weekend, and since I knew I wasn’t the one that was going to be driving in it, […]

I love weddings, I love the holidays, and I love classic New England…so this past weekend in the White Mountains for Greg and Courtney’s wedding was a total home run. It started with the three plus hour drive up to Jackson, New Hampshire.  We knew we were getting close when the view outside started to look more like this: The Wildcat Inn and Tavern couldn’t have […]

John and I are headed up to the Wildcat Inn and Tavern in Jackson, NH this weekend for Greg and Courtney’s wedding (yay!) so I am giving you a photo-laden post today to tide you over. Last weekend I was delighted to hostess my 2nd annual Drop in and Decorate cookie donation party. I knew […]

Merry Mini Cupcakes I am very fortunate have a Bruegger’s Bagel Bakery on the first floor of my work building, for 2 reasons: Their Coffee Club Card program.  Every year I buy my card, and then it’s good for unlimited coffee, tea, and soda fountain beverages for the rest of the year.  I figure at the rate […]

Kris Kringle Cranberry Coins One of my favorite cookie combinations is a tart, dense dried fruit paired with a rich, buttery shortbread.  In a nutshell, these cranberry shortbread coin cookies.  I wanted to send some Delicious Mail to my cousin Jaime in Mississippi, so I needed a cookie that would hold up for the journey.  […]

Three French Hens French Onion Soup What could be cozier while watching a holiday movie, playing Scrabble by the fire, or after coming in from sledding than a steaming crock of soup? Besides a pair of fleecy sweatpants, not much else. I should tell you that I love onions.  I love them a LOT.  They make a […]

Now that we have entered the most magical of months, it’s time to celebrate all things holiday – and that includes here at A&A!  I will be trying out holiday recipes and featuring some of my favorite sights, sounds, and smells of the season, along with the occasional cup of cheer. This is the time […]