From the monthly archives:

October 2009

S’mores Icebox Candy Bars

October 30, 2009

Pin it I’m putting on an orange leotard tomorrow. An orange leotard. I’m also putting on bright blue leggings tomorrow.. and white leg warmers… and sweat bands. I’m going to encourage the big, puffy, curly hair that I spend most days trying to tame. Yes, there will be blue eye shadow. I’m going to step [...]

My Favorite Scrambled Eggs

October 28, 2009

Pin it These eggs aren’t the only thing that’s scrambled. My brains…. also pretty scrambled right now. As far as I see it, there are two solutions to the scrambled brain mess that I’ve got going on inside my head right now: a whole weekend worth of sleep or a bag of fun [...]

Lauren’s Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

October 26, 2009

Pin it Have I introduced you to my little sister Lauren? Lauren… this is everyone. Everyone… this is Lauren. Lauren and I grew up in the kitchen together. We made brownies, we burnt cookies, we frosted crooked cakes, and we could plow through a box of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch in 10 minutes flat. We [...]

My Kitchen Basics

October 24, 2009

Pin it I cleared out my cooking cupboard and piled everything up on a table… I’m trying to make a point. I think it’s important you know that you don’t need cabinets full of fancy equipment to make glorious things happen in the kitchen. I think it’s important you know that I don’t [...]

Maple Pecan Muffins

October 22, 2009

Pin it Today’s Maple Pecan Muffins are dedicated to Tracey. Tracey, you are dear and darling… and 15, which is equal parts hard and rad, I know. Let me tell you a little about Tracey. Tracey had her 15th birthday last week. Tracey’s best friend Maggie sent me a pretty precious email asking me if [...]

We Do Dinner!

October 21, 2009

Pin it Hey! Can I share some fun news!? Sweet… thanks. What makes dinner with friends even more fun and lovely? A dash of holiday spirit… aaaand whiskey. I love the months between September and January because I get to cook and cook and cook. Something about the holidays inspires people to gather and [...]

Persimmon Pudding

October 18, 2009

Pin it Persimmon Pudding, from tree to table. Step One: Find a neighbor with a gorgeous, almost cartoon like persimmon tree. Ask your Mom to help you pick persimmons… Mom always likes to help. Step Two: Entice neighbor and Mamabear with the promise of fresh baked persimmon pudding if you’re granted access to their persimmon [...]

Pumpkin and Butternut Squash Soup

October 14, 2009

Pin it Autumn To-Do List Buy boots. Wear new boots at every waking moment. Bust out the scarves and go for it. Two at a time? Fine by me! Make Dad’s Sweet Potato Pie. I know… I’ve been talking about this for ages. I need to shut my trap and get bakin’ already. Don’t get [...]

Swabbing

October 13, 2009

Pin it What’s going on in my world? Oooh the usual… just swabbing my cheeks, barcoding the samples, labeling them a biohazard, shoving them in an envelope and leaving them for the postman. That’s normal… I do this nearly everyday. I’m swabbing because I just put myself on the Be The Match list with the [...]

Spiced Apple Cake

October 12, 2009

Pin it I sometimes wish that my future self could just pop into my present world just to… you know… say hi, and let me know that everything in the future is going along just swimmingly. That never happens, but maybe I just haven’t given future me enough guidance. With this in mind… here’s a [...]

Sunday Winners!

October 11, 2009

Pin it Let’s make this quick and dirty, shall we? From a cool 1,123 comments, Random.org has selected lucky winners 555 and 836. That means Miss Andrea Cox and Stephanie from Hawaii… Holy Heck! You win win win! But… there’s goodness for all of us. The lovely folks at Green Kitchen Tools would like to [...]

Green Kitchen Tools Giveaway

October 9, 2009

Pin it Can I tell you about my new favorite kitchen tool? Nope… not a big ladle… not a fancy spatula, but a mighty fine and beautifully crafted pizza cutter from Green Kitchen Tools. Ironically enough, I have not yet used this pizza cutter to slice pizza, but so far it’s worked wonders [...]

The Best Buttermilk Substitutions

October 7, 2009

Pin it Let’s take a quick minute to talk about buttermilk. What is buttermilk? Buttermilk is a slightly sour milk. The sourness of buttermilk comes acids in the milk, most notably, lactic acids. Because the proteins in buttermilk are slightly curdled, buttermilk is slightly thicker than regular milk, but not quite as thick [...]

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes and other such pumpkin treats

October 5, 2009

Pin it Pumpkin. It’s October and it is time. Pumpkin. Hold on to your hats. I’ll be all up in your grill with peppermint and chocolate for Christmas before you know it. For now…. Pumpkin. Don’t fight it.

Easy No-Roll Pie Crust

October 2, 2009

Pin it Friends. This is important. I need you to hold your pinky up for me. We’re about to make a very important promise to one another. I need you to promise me that you’ll never. ever.. ever… ever buy a store-bought pre-made pie crust again. Don’t do it. Promise me. Those store bought pie [...]