have yourself a merry little christmas

It's been a few months since I've posted anything, but it's because a lot has happened. I went back to the US for some vacation time with the family and during then... got engaged! Needless to say, it was one of the happiest moments of my life, and it was followed by us trying to soak up as much time with family and friends before returning to China. We were in Los Angeles, Washington DC and Honolulu, and had an incredible time throughout our journey. We returned to China, worked worked worked, fall came and went, and now it's really already Christmas day.

I'm engaged to the love of my life! My beautiful ring that he crafted himself. And say no to blood diamonds!

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas with loved ones, and a happy happy new year coming up. Below are two recipes I'd like to share this Christmas - one, certainly not a quintessential holiday dish, but very much a well loved dish of mine of all time, and the other, perfect for indulging with friends and family or by yourself during this merry season.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes and Chicken Meatballs

Sauce, makes 4 servings
Ingredients:

• 3 pounds ripe tomatoes (10-12)
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, diced (or more, if you love garlic like me)
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 glass red wine
• A dash of dry vermouth (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Skin all of the tomatoes and remove the cores from all of them. Roughly dice. 

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onions and saute until translucent. 

Add garlic, tomatoes, thyme and basil, vermouth, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Within the hour, add glass of wine. Continue to simmer and mix. Using a spatula, periodically press down on the tomatoes to help break them down. Add salt and pepper to taste. For a chunky sauce, leave as is and serve. For a smoother sauce, pour into food processor.

Chicken Meatballs, makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
A piece of day old bread
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano or dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Place ground chicken, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, and salt into a medium bowl

Knead together until completely blended. Form into 1 inch balls.

Place meatballs into pat, up to 6 at a time, and cook until all sides are browned, approximately 8 minutes on each meatball

Holiday Bark, makes 1 pound each

Ingredients:

1 pound chocolate, milk or white (do not use chocolate chips)
Assorted toppings (peppermint, crushed graham crackers, marshmellows, etc.)

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Chocolate, marshmellow and pretzel bark

Classic peppermint bark

Coat a 9x12 and a half inch rimmed baking sheet or small loaf pans with cooking spray and line with parchment, leaving overhang on edges. Pour melted chocolate into baking sheet or divide among pans and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle toppings over chocolate immediately. Refrigerate until firm, for at least an hour. Peel off parchment, and break bark into pieces.