Rachel Getting Merry: Maple-Walnut Bread & Gingerbread Martinis

Eat this: Homemade maple-walnut bread.

And eat this with goat cheese and fig jam.

Over the weekend, I came across this bread recipe on SprinkleBakes as a good homemade food gift and I decided to make it for myself. The blogger kept raving about how good it is toasted with goat cheese and fig jam, so when I went out to buy walnuts, I figured I’d pick those items up as well. As you might have guessed from the picture, this worked out pretty well for me. It’s amazing as a breakfast or as part of The Feast or just as a snack. Or, obviously as a gift…but that would require a certain level of food selflessness that I’m afraid I don’t have when goat cheese and figs are involved.

Drink that: Gingerbread martinis.

Last night, I finally decorated my Christmas tree (the most totally overrated holiday tradition, as far as I’m concerned and I don’t think I’ll bother next year), Eric made these drinks, and we sipped while watching  ”Home Alone” in bed. The drinks were delicious (but surprisingly strong — we fell asleep at like 10:00 after we finished them).

To make two drinks, combine 2 ounces of vodka, 2 ounces of Bailey’s, 2 ounces of Kahlua, 1 ounce of gingerbread syrup (I found this with the coffee syrups at the grocery store), and 3 scoops of very soft vanilla ice cream and put in a shaker (or a blender works too). Dip the rims of the glasses in a little Kahlua and then dip them in Graham cracker crumbs for a delicious rim job.

That’s all I got today — I’m just eating, drinking, and working my ass off! (Not exactly in that order.)