hang in there friends. we only have a couple more crazy weeks of madness till we can all breath a sigh of relief as we prepare for a new year.

between gift exchanges, holiday parties and family gatherings, i know i’m not the only one who is stretched a little thin.

it seems that every event i go to these days is pot luck style. so i needed an easy appetizer that was equally delicious and beautiful. and this dip is just that. it is zesty, and nutty and the caramelized onions and roasted garlic really add some delicious umami to the mix.

pistachio & goat cheese dip

serves: about 4 cups

prep time: 10 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 3 cups crumbled goat cheese. 1 cup greek yogurt. .5 cup pistachios. 1 head roasted garlic. half 1 brown onion, thinly sliced. 3 tbs olive oil. handful of pomegranate seeds. 1 green onion, green parts thinly sliced. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. food processor. crackers or veggies for serving.

start by getting your garlic roasted. follow THESE instructions if you don’t already have some roasted garlic on hand. while your garlic is roasting, you can prep the rest of your ingredients and then finish some other project you surely have waiting for you. when your garlic is roasted, caramelize your onions. in a medium sized pan, heat the pan and 2 tbs of the oil over medium low heat. add in the onions and season with half the salt and pepper. let the onions caramelize, stirring every few minutes for about 15 minutes, till they are soft and browned.

while the onions are caramelizing, place your pistachios in the bowl of your food processor. blend until the pistachios have turned to crumbs.

add in the greek yogurt and goat cheese.

add in your roasted garlic. when the onions are ready, add them into the food processor.

top the mixture with the remaining oil, and salt and pepper.

blend until everything is very smooth.

pour the combined dip into a serving bowl. top with pomegranate seeds and green onions.

serve with your favorite crackers or veggies and enjoy.

xo, a

pistachio & goat cheese dip

serves: about 4 cups

prep time: 10 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 3 cups crumbled goat cheese. 1 cup greek yogurt. .5 cup pistachios. 1 head roasted garlic. half 1 brown onion, thinly sliced. 3 tbs olive oil. handful of pomegranate seeds. 1 green onion, green parts thinly sliced. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. food processor. crackers or veggies for serving.

start by getting your garlic roasted. follow THESE instructions if you don’t already have some roasted garlic on hand. while your garlic is roasting, you can prep the rest of your ingredients and then finish some other project you surely have waiting for you. when your garlic is roasted, caramelize your onions. in a medium sized pan, heat the pan and 2 tbs of the oil over medium low heat. add in the onions and season with half the salt and pepper. let the onions caramelize, stirring every few minutes for about 15 minutes, till they are soft and browned. while the onions are caramelizing, place your pistachios in the bowl of your food processor. blend until the pistachios have turned to crumbs. add in the greek yogurt and goat cheese. add in your roasted garlic. when the onions are ready, add them into the food processor. top the mixture with the remaining oil, and salt and pepper. blend until everything is very smooth. pour the combined dip into a serving bowl. top with pomegranate seeds and green onions. serve with your favorite crackers or veggies and enjoy.

greetings on a rare monday friends!

i took a few days off to celebrate the holiday with my family and to take a much needed breather.

but i’m back, energized and ready to finish out twenty-eighteen with a bang!

now, thanksgiving has come and gone. and the only bits left of the turkey are the bones. whatever you do, DON’T TOSS IT!!!! there are few things more delicious than homemade chicken or turkey stock. you went through all that trouble to roast a whole bird, and those bones, and everything clinging to it are the key to amazing stock.

now i know you are thinking, that sounds like a lot of work. can you rough chop a couple things and throw them in a pot? if the answer is no, you have bigger problems to solve. if the answer is yes, you will CRUSH stock making.

homemade stock

serves: about 4 quarts

prep: 10 minutes

cook time: 2 hours - 24 hours

total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

ingredients: remaining bones & meat from your turkey or roasted whole bird. 6 quarts water. 2 whole brown onions, roughly diced. 3 whole carrots, roughly chopped. 2 celery stalks. 5 smashed garlic cloves. a handful of your favorite fresh herbs (i like to use oregano, thyme and sage, but you can use a combo of whatever you have on hand or whatever your favorites are). 2 dried bay leaves. 2 tbs kosher salt. 5 whole peppercorns. large stock pot. mesh strainer. large extra bowl. things to store your stock in like large mason jars.

**cooks note** you will notice that in the ingredients photo mine are just a bunch of odds and ends. odds and ends are great for stock. if you don’t have any odds and ends from vegetable cuttings, use the ingredients list provided. stock is one of those things that you can tailor to your own taste. do what you like and enjoy. there is not right or wrong.

start by heating your stock pot on medium low heat. add all the ingredients to your stock pot. bring the water to a boil.

once the liquid has come to a boil, lower the temperature to low and allow the liquid to simmer for an hour and a half.

now, you can stop the cooking right there if you like. but if you have the time, the longer you simmer it, the better it will taste. i simmer mine overnight, adding some extra water and a few pinches of extra kosher salt before i go to bed. you can do it either way and it will still be 100 times better than store bought stock. so go with what works for you! once you have simmered your stock, remove it from the heat. allow it to cool for a few minutes. use your mesh strainer to skim any impurities or fats off the top. then strain the whole pot through the mesh strainer into the extra bowl or pot.

allow the liquid to cool completely and store for your future use.

here are a few of my favorite uses for stock.

potato leek soup

butternut squash + bacon soup

roasted carrot & ginger soup

xo, a

homemade stock

serves: about 4 quarts

prep: 10 minutes

cook time: 2 hours - 24 hours

total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

ingredients: remaining bones & meat from your turkey or roasted whole bird. 6 quarts water. 2 whole brown onions, roughly diced. 3 whole carrots, roughly chopped. 2 celery stalks. 5 smashed garlic cloves. a handful of your favorite fresh herbs (i like to use oregano, thyme and sage, but you can use a combo of whatever you have on hand or whatever your favorites are). 2 dried bay leaves. 2 tbs kosher salt. 5 whole peppercorns. large stock pot. mesh strainer. large extra bowl. things to store your stock in like large ball jars.

**cooks note** you will notice that in the ingredients photo mine are just a bunch of odds and ends. odds and ends are great for stock. if you don’t have any odds and ends from vegetable cuttings, use the ingredients list provided. stock is one of those things that you can tailor to your own taste. do what you like and enjoy. there is not right or wrong.

start by heating your stock pot on medium low heat. add all the ingredients to your stock pot. bring the water to a boil. once the liquid has come to a boil, lower the temperature to low and allow the liquid to simmer for an hour and a half. now, you can stop the cooking right there if you like. but if you have the time, the longer you simmer it, the better it will taste. i simmer mine overnight, adding some extra water and a few pinches of extra kosher salt before i go to bed. you can do it either way and it will still be 100 times better than store bought stock. so go with what works for you! once you have simmered your stock, remove it from the heat. allow it to cool for a few minutes. use your mesh strainer to skim any impurities or fats off the top. then strain the whole pot through the mesh strainer into the extra bowl or pot. allow the liquid to cool completely and store for your future use. here are a few of my favorite uses for stock.