holidays – Ryan's Kitchen Journal

December is Here Already?!?!

Published on December 6, 2022December 6, 2022 by RyanLeave a comment

Wow! What a few whirlwind weeks I’ve been in!

I can’t believe that we are already in the first full week of December. The Holidays are in full swing and Christmas is only two and a half weeks away.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t been baking as much as I thought I would be over the last couple of weeks. But this week I am working on developing a recipe for Peppermint Brownies that I hope to share with you all sometime next week, just in time for the holidays.

So far, the brownies have been well received, but I just want to keep tweaking them a little bit. I am planning to debut them at a holiday party this Saturday. That will be the ultimate taste test.

A New Book on My Shelf…

Published on November 29, 2022 by Ryan2 Comments

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I decided to take advantage of the time off and spend some time shopping. Yes, I even went shopping on Black Friday. But it was in the afternoon, and the stores weren’t any busier than a normal weekend. I was so exhausted from the food that I couldn’t bring myself to bake anything over the weekend. The Pumpkin Banana Mousse Tart was a hit for Thanksgiving, though this time around, the mousse texture wasn’t exactly there.

I had been feeling in a bit of “funk” for the last couple of weeks. I’m not sure what was causing it. But I did know something that would help me snap out of it, so to speak.

Continue reading →

Top Thanksgiving Dessert Options

Published on November 21, 2022 by RyanLeave a comment

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Can you believe it? Seems strange to me. It’s almost like it snuck up on us, right? This year, we are doing a much smaller Thanksgiving celebration and, officially, it’s on Saturday, not Thursday. But, I’m still tasked with making dessert and currently in the process of narrowing down what I should make.

Continue reading →

Memorial Day Weekend 2022

Published on May 28, 2022 by Ryan1 Comment

In the U.S. we are approaching the unofficial start of summer. The last Monday in May is Memorial Day where we are supposed to reflect on those who died in active military service. More realistically the day is celebrated with family and friends gathering together and BBQing or having a picnic.

Continue reading →

Magnolia Bakery 25 – Chocolate Pudding Pie

Published on April 20, 2022April 20, 2022 by Ryan3 Comments

With the Easter holiday over the weekend, I seized the opportunity to create a simple dessert for my family’s small gathering. My family is largely one of chocolate-lovers, so I decided to make one of the best chocolate pudding pies I ever had! Well, at least the pudding part was the best I ever had. The crust? Not so much…

Continue reading →

Holiday Week Update and MB Recipe 18

Published on December 22, 2021December 21, 2021 by Ryan2 Comments

This week I only have time for a quick post. It’s not because I’m busy, but more so because I’m not really doing any baking or cooking this weekend. As you may recall, last year I made a Yule Log. But this year, I do not have the luxury of the time it takes (and to be honest, the energy or desire) to make a Yule Log.

Continue reading →

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Published on March 17, 2021 by RyanLeave a comment

Christmas Recipes

Published on December 21, 2020 by RyanLeave a comment

Hello Readers!

I just wanted to make a quick post to tell you all that I will be making a Yule Log cake later this week for Christmas. This is something I’ve always wanted to make, but have been too intimidated by the thought of it to actually do it. However, due to the pandemic and spending more time in the kitchen, I now feel I am confident enough to do it!

I found a wonderful recipe that can actually be completed over a couple days. So, I will be making the cake and filling it on Wednesday. I will cover it with ganache and make some of the decorations on Thursday and then assemble everything for presentation Friday afternoon.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates!

Thanksgiving Cooking

Published on November 24, 2020 by RyanLeave a comment

This year, Thanksgiving will be much smaller than usual. However, it will also give my family a chance to cook for a change. We usually visit our relatives on Thanksgiving and they handle the cooking.

To help my parents with the meal, I have offered to handle the sides. Over the weekend we agreed on carrots and green beans. I will be looking through Ina’s cookbooks tonight and tomorrow for a recipe that will work well for those choices.

I can’t NOT cook an Ina recipe on the largest food holiday of the year, right?