Is it better to lead quickly with the bad news, like ripping off a band-aid? Or cushion the bad news with a dose of good news first? I never know.

As it happens I don’t have any bad news, only good news here Muesli Friends. (This is the 3rd news sharing option, denial, also called lying) I’ll do it quickly. Ready?

1. After much thought and consideration Peace, Love and Muesli is being retired. Today is the last new post.
2. I have a new blog, Kristin’s Glas, where I will share thoughts and musings as I bumble through life doing my best not to be a grump.
3. Sue from Mommy’s Pen and I have been working hard to bring a new project to the internet, stand by. It will include everything you love here at Peace, Love and Muesli and more. There will be recipes, fear not healthy eaters I have not totally abandoned you.

Peace, Love and Muesli will stay live until our new project is ready to launch, then these posts will be rolled into the new site’s archives. But just in case if there are recipes or information you’d like to hang onto I advise you to get printing. There’s a handy printer friendly button on every page.

The 5 Make Ahead and Freeze Dinner Recipes will be available until January 20th and then they will be gone forever. If you want them, get them now.

Thanks friends for all your support and kindness over the past few years. Friends are the best part of blogging for me. I can’t wait to reveal our secret project to you and in the meantime, please come and hang out with me at Kristin’s Glas.

I have only 1 goal for 2012. To clean my desk and keep it clean.

If I manage to get that done I will clean the kids desk.

It’s a big job but I think I am up to the challenge.

What’s your goal for 2012?

I really do want to hear your ideas. Come on over to the Peace, Love and Muesli Facebook Page or send me an email at peaceloveandmuesli@gmail.com. Or leave a comment, I adore comments.

Merry merry muesli friends.

Presents.

Christmas Morning Wife Saver is still around, terrible name but a tasty breakfast casserole. If you are looking for something more indulgent than wife saving check out Creme Brulee French Toast, posted by A Bit of Momsense. Both make ahead recipes.

Perhaps you are up for a Christmas morning breakfast challenge, try Blueberry Ricotta Blintzes or Sweet Potato Hash. Both carry my superior stamp of approval. (I just made that stamp business up)

Too busy unwrapping to sit and eat, serve up Breakfast Burritos tree side. With guacamole and salsa for dipping. Bibs might be required depending on your eaters.

Me? I’ll be having…uhm… one of each please. I haven’t decided. Smoked Salmon Stuffed Potatoes look really good, with Poached Eggs and Spinach. That’s healthy.

I’d really like to try out Cinnamon Rolls Pioneer Woman style. Look here for a Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll. Can Christmas breakfast have dessert? I vote that we invent that right now, dessert for all holiday breakfasts from here on in. Who’s with me?

Once your creatures are stirred and fed, sip a Gingerbread Cappucino and get into your stocking. Or maybe something a little more adult, like say, a pretty Pomegranate Mimosa or a Surviving Santa Martini.

Or all of the above.

What are your Christmas morning breakfast plans?

Well, I am a purist. My family just amuses me. Friends too.

So when my awesome friend KLZ from Taming Insanity announced her Antler Up competition I didn’t plan to participate. Cause I like to pretend I’m Mother Earth. Or something.

But…

Then he got an idea! An awful idea! The Grinch got a wonderful awful idea!

Uh… I mean, I got a really good idea. There’s no Grinches at my house. Who would suggest such a thing?

"He took some red thread and tied a big horn on top of his head"

He didn’t really like playing reindeer so much so we searched out other reindeer species.

The red coated reindeer

This is an especially majestic reindeer species, no? We carried on our outdoor adventure and found some little reindeer, other rare varieties.

The pink and green reindeer

The pajama clad one horned reindeer.

The chinned antler reindeer

The rhinoceros nosed reindeer

The...uh...I'm not sure what reindeer

I will agree that there is a time and a place for fake antlers. That place is on fake reindeer.

Fake antlers belong on fake reindeer

Keeping it real at Peace, Love and Muesli. Merry Ho Ho Ho to you and your family of reindeer.

#1- Get to know your crock pot better with Stephanie O’Dea. Stephanie is the Queen of crock potting.

 *

I have 5 solid reasons why you need to get this book and your slow cooker together.

1. Korean Short Ribs.
2. Maple Ham.
3. Indian Curry.
4. Brown Sugar Chicken.
5. Honey Lentils.

There are several other reasons why this is my most favourite cookbook but I don’t want to spoil all the surprises. All of Stephanie’s recipe are online at her blog.

#2- Michael Smith’s newest culinary masterpiece.

*

The Homemade Peanut Butter Cups I made are from this book. As are delicious Coconut Mussels, a Mediterranean Stew and Apple Stuffed Squash. Very few of the recipes are online so you will have to trust me when I say- get this cookbook. I promise you won’t be sorry.

What is your current favourite cookbook? 

*These are affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Peace, Love and Muesli.

If you would prefer to shop at Amazon.ca please visit these links. Make It Fast Cook It Slow: The Big Book Of Everyday Slow Cooking
and
Chef Michael Smith’s Kitchen: 100 of My Favourite Easy Recipes

Did I say fire? I mean the yuletide channel. There’s the small problem of plastic beads melted throughout our gas fireplace.

Holiday knitting this year is rainbow mittens. First for the kids, then for me, I love how they are turning out. I am a sucker for colours, so are my kids. We are happy to sit and watch endless Christmas specials with our rainbow of yarn. The pattern is called After the Rain, you can find it at Knitty.com.

Pretty

For you knitters out there, this is the first time I’ve tried the magic loop method. I really like it, especially for this multi-strand project. I will stick with double points for socks though. I learned the magic loop from this video from the Knit Witch.

Now for the good stuff, holiday eating.

We started with my very favourite Double Ginger Cookies. Totally ready for a second batch.

Then we moved onto a new recipe from Hanway INK for Candy Cane Fudge. I melted the chocolate and the kids broke up the candy canes. Good times for everyone. Also totally ready for another batch.

The brave and fearless Chicky Mara decided to start a challenge to change her life in 21 days. I immediately jumped on board.

So water (which I was doing anyway), a cleaner kitchen (which I was totally avoiding) and more focus on food. Three days down, 18 to go.

Visit Mara at Be Nice or Leave Thanks, she’s vlogging everyday of the challenge and she’s one of the best vloggers I know, you won’t be sorry. And if you want to play along with us, join us on Twitter with #change21.

Homemade tamales are a delight. What could be better than a cornmeal dumpling filled with flavored meat that you’ve made yourself? How about a big batch you’ve made with a bunch of friends?

I never considered making tamales myself until my brilliant friend Jessica invited me over for a tamale making party. Each guest brought an ingredient and we took turns assembling tamales and watching the gaggle of kids. Everybody left with a few freezer bags full of a variety of tamales to throw in the freezer.

Tamales are a multi-step endeavor, involving making the filling and dough, assembling the tamales and then steaming them to cook the dough. Fear not, I will walk you through each step.

Tamales require a bit of forethought — which isn’t usually my favorite thing in a recipe — but in this case it’s well worth it. You can break up the tasks over a few days so it doesn’t seem as daunting.

 Ingredients/supplies:

For Wrapping: 2 packages of corn husks (available at Mexican grocery stores or a decent sized natural goods grocer such as Whole Foods), Kitchen twine or yarn.

For the Filling: 3 pounds (or more) of chicken thighs, pork shoulder roast or beef roast – or beans as a vegetarian alternative, 4 tablespoons of spice rub of your choice (such as chili powder and cumin), 1 jar of high quality roasted salsa (or homemade) (you can get two jars of different salsas for more variety)

Recommended flavor combinations: Chicken with verde salsa, Pork with verde salsa, Beef with roasted tomato salsa, Black beans with roasted tomato salsa

For the Dough: 6 cups Masa Harina (or finely ground corn meal), 2 cups shortening (I prefer Spectrum brand, it’s non-hydrogenated and vegan. If you want to go completely authentic use lard, but then you can’t share with vegetarian friends), 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons sea salt

For Garnishing: Sour cream, Cilantro, minced, Green onions, chopped, Salsa, Guacamole.

Step 1: Make the Filling

Haul out the slow cooker. You can fill your tamales with pork, beef, chicken, beans or veggies, it’s entirely up to you. You can go authentic and complicated or cheat style. My ingredients list is for the cheat style.

If you want to go authentic, look online for a recipe. I usually rub the meat with a spice mixture then dump in a jar of high quality salsa (I like Frontera) and cook on low for about 7 hours. It makes sense to do this the day before. If you’re having a party, each guest can make a batch of filling ahead of time and bring it to the party.

Step 2: Soak the Husks

If you’re going to do the assembly the same day as you make the dough, soak your corn husks before you begin preparing the dough. Basically, boil some water, put the husks in a large bowl or a deep roasting pan, pour the boiling water over them and let them sit for at least 45 minutes. If you’re making the dough ahead of time, you can save this step until about an hour before you want to assemble.

Step 3: Make the Dough

Heat the chicken or veggie broth on the stove until hot but not necessarily boiling and add it to the masa. Let it sit for about 20 minutes to soften. Use a hand mixer or kitchen to blend until it forms a dough ball. Stir in the spices and salt. Whip the shortening in a separate bowl until fluffy, then slowly combine it with the masa. You’re looking for a thick consistency, like peanut butter.

If you’re not doing the assembly right away, you can refrigerate your dough for a day or two.

Step 4: Assemble the Tamales

Set up a nice work space. You want the tamale components — husks, dough, filling and kitchen twine — within easy reach and a clear area in front of you to work. Also, sling a clean kitchen towel over your shoulder, as you’ll be frequently wiping your hands. Now turn on some Mariachi music.

Lay out a corn husk, or two overlapping corn husks if they’re small. Spread a thin, uniform layer of masa in the center of the husk. Then a dollop of filling on top of the masa.

Now, fold it over, long edges together, squeeze the dough edges together between the husks and wrap it up burrito style, as tightly as you can manage.

Ideally, the long ends of your corn husks will overlap when folded down and you can tie a string in the center to hold it together. Don’t get too bent out of shape if they’re not turning out perfectly, they’ll steam up just fine. Repeat ad nauseum. Recruit the help of small children.

Stop when you run out of something — it will probably be the filling. If you end up with extra dough, just make some tortillas! Roll out a small lump of dough and then fry it in a non-stick pan or on a griddle. Feed them to your helpers for some instant gratification. 

At this point, you can throw the tamales in a freezer bag (I usually double bag it, as I’d cry if they ended up freezer burned) and freeze them for up to 3 months. Or you can freeze some of them and cook some of them now, because it’d be awfully hard to wait for a sample after all that work.

Step 5: Steam the Tamales

Fit a large soup pot with a steamer basket. I often crumple some aluminum foil and stick it under the steamer basket to create additional room for water, you don’t want to run out of water during steaming, it’s a bad scene.

Once the water is boiling, add the tamales on top and cover the pot (if my lid won’t fit because I want to make a ridiculous amount of tamales, I cover the top with aluminum foil). As they steam, check every 10 minutes or so to make sure you don’t run out of water. If starting from frozen tamales, steam for about 40 minutes, if starting with fresh, check after 25-30 minutes. To check, carefully (remember, there’s steam) pull out one tamale and unwrap it. If the dough is set, you’re good to go, if it still looks mushy, give it another 5-10 minutes and check again.

Unwrap, garnish and serve! Good side dishes include beans and rice and a green salad. If tamales don’t become a family favorite, I’ll pay the shipping to have your batch overnighted to my house. We can’t get enough around here!

Can. Not. Wait. Who’s with me? There will be multiple flavours and each flavour will have it’s own string colour. And it’s going to be a party.

Visit Sue at Mommy’s Pen or on Twitter. Thanks friend for sharing tamale love with all of us.  

It was a chocolate and peanut butter kind of day. First up homemade peanut butter cups. Or almond butter cups, that’s what I had, equally delicious. I used Michael Smith’s recipe, available at Food Network.ca.

Chocolate and peanut butter, yum.

Really fun to make and simple too. I used a pastry brush to cover the muffin papers in chocolate. Each step needs a few minutes in the fridge to chill.

Delicious.

Heather tackled peanut butter logs (the recipe is below)  First you roll them up.

Peanut Butter Logs.

Then you dip them in chocolate.

Melted chocolate for everyone!

Last but not least, marshmallows! We used Smitten Kitchen’s homemade marshmallow recipe. I will admit to it being a messy endeavour but after the Santa Claus parade Heather and I were the best mom’s ever when we served up hot chocolate with great big chunks of homemade marshmallows.

Isn’t that the whole point?

Marshmallows are sticky. And yes, that's me shoveling in marshmallow.

The recipe says to use icing sugar to prevent it from sticking, don’t skimp, it’s needed. To cut them use well oiled pizza cutter. I was skeptical that this would work given the stickiness but it did.

The fine art of cutting marshmallows. Use icing sugar liberally. See. Best Mom's Ever.

And Heather and I are not done yet, stand by for more!

This post links up with iPhone Photo Phun

Heather N’s Peanut Butter Logs.

1 cup crunchy peanut butter, 1 cup icing sugar, 1/2 cup of chopped dates, 1/2 cup of chopped dried cherries, 2 tablespoons of butter. You can use any variety of dried fruit.

Mix everything well. Shape into logs and chill. Once chilled, melt 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate. Dip each log into the melted chocolate and chill again until chocolate has set. Then eat them up!