holidays in los angeles

I'm wrapped up in a blanket next to my first full-size, proper Christmas tree that isn't in my parents' house and feeling very cozy and very happy about this holiday season. It's been an interesting and challenging year in LA, so it feels very important and worthwhile to make the holidays here peaceful and joyful. So far, so good. Thanksgiving was a Friendsgiving, with six friends from Washington gathering around a table in California. Angela helped me cook and decorate all day, making all of my favorite recipes my mom made growing up while drinking mimosas and piling up the dishes, and everything turned out kind of perfect. I was a very happy hostess. 

PS: a little craft paper, a DIY Craigslist table, some pinecones gathered from our last trip to the mountains, and some tapestry candles made for a sweet winter tablescape  with just enough room for plates full of food and a few wine glasses per person. 

Rosemary Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage

Do yourself a favor and make this sweet potato hash for breakfast as soon as possible. Or make it for dinner. Make it at 2am when you can't sleep. Whatever.  It's just that good.

This is a very minimalist recipe, with six very simple ingredients that come together to make a dish that is earthy, filling, and perfectly spiced with a Rosemary flavor that made me think of Christmas a little bit. I also just love cooking with our cast iron skillet because it reminds me of camping and cooking bacon on the fire. I used fresh rosemary and sweet Italian sausage and made this dish twice in a week because we loved it so much. It may be a new holiday breakfast tradition.

This recipe is from Delicious Meets Healthy and I'm so glad I found it via a Pinterest search one Sunday morning! Check out her blog or see recipe below.

Ingredients:

1 lb pastured sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium sized sweet potatoes
coconut oil
salt and pepper, to taste
rosemary, to taste


Instructions:

1. Brown sausage. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium high, add 1 Tbsp coconut oil to cast iron skillet and saute onions until translucent. Transfer to the plate with the sausage.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil over medium high heat, add chopped sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 10 minutes). Sprinkle some rosemary over sweet potatoes. Cover skillet with a lid while cooking.
4. Add sausage and onions to the cast iron skillet and stir everything.
5. Crack four eggs over sweet potato hash. Place cast iron skillet in a preheated 425 degrees oven and cook for about 10-15 minutes until eggs are set.

eat this: soba noodles with fried egg

when life gets a little topsy-turvy up & down, you've got to switch into self-love mode. 

you do things that make you feel creative, light, balanced.

for me, that includes cooking--old favorites, like scotch shortbread cookies, and new recipes, like this soba noodle dish with fried egg from Joy Zhang at Joylicious. 

Lime, cilantro, soy, crunchy carrots, an over-easy egg dropped on top with plenty of sriracha...this is straight comfort food. 

Simple ingredients, simply process, so good. 

Find the recipe here & literally drool over her gorgeous food photography. 

Happy Sunday!