cherry, cherry, quite contrary

All right, I lied. There was a winner of the clash of the cobblers from a while back, but not because of flavor alone. No, I made one of the recipes again (thereby deeming it the winner*) solely because it was easier to throw together. Is that so wrong?


Slothdom is a frame of mind that I know all too well, but hey--sloths have to eat too!


Tart cherries, soft cake, rich ice cream. The cherries are a pain to pit, but what a reward for that labor! Yeah, it goes down real nice.

*And what a coincidence that it happens to be the recipe from the Pioneer Woman herself, Ree Drummond, who's all over the blog world and America itself these days, on the book tour of my dreams. She seems like such a good egg.

Here are some fun questions I ask of you. Am I the only one who...

...would rather try to carry ten grocery bags in each hand than make two trips?
...keeps some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call?
...sometimes looks at the clock three consecutive times and still doesn’t know what time it is?
...has no idea how to fold a fitted sheet?
...wonders what would happen if Pinocchio said his nose was about to grow?
...feels a need for a sarcasm font?
...loves the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front?
...finds cursive completely useless?
...wonders how many times it’s appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear what was said?
...hates leaving my house feeling confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day?

read on!

equal opportunity chocolate-eater

That's right--I don't discriminate. Dark, bitter, milk, semi-sweet, white, I'll devour them all. I have my preferences, of course, but who doesn't?

Behold, the Leaning Tower of Bread.

I know there are some haters out there who strongly feel that white chocolate is inedible and make a big deal about the fact that it's actually not chocolate at all. I ask them, though, does anything pair with macadamia nuts as naturally and as marvelously as chunks of white chocolate? I don't think so. Is white chocolate raspberry cheesecake not a heaven-sent creation? Indeed it is. We mustn't ignore this creamy white confection, regardless of whether or not it's inappropriately-named.


Now that I've properly praised white chocolate, I can move on to my latest concoction. I've returned once again to the recipe making use of my sourdough starter and a pudding mix. Past versions have included oreo pudding and oreo bits, coconut cream pudding with macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips, and butterscotch pudding with dried apples. I can't help myself--it's the quickest and easiest way to use a fed Eb and it offers so much in the way of possible combinations.


This time, I used some white chocolate pudding mix, macadamia nuts (even though I've already done something similar, I couldn't resist), and chocolate chips (semi-sweet, for the record, and just for the sake of those irrationally against white chocolate consumption). Soft, moist, chocolate-heavy, and with a salty crunch, this bread is everything a breakfast or even dessert loaf should be.

Whacadamia Nut (white chocolate + macadamia nut...get it?) Bread
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sourdough starter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant white chocolate pudding
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease down whatever molds you intend to use (I filled up 8 mini loaves).
In a large bowl, mix the oil, applesauce, eggs, milk, starter, vanilla, and sugar.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, pudding mix, nuts, and chips. Add this to the liquid mixture and stir thoroughly.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake until done. Apparently, this takes at least an hour for regular loaves, and took around 45 minutes for my mini loaves. Cool completely before slicing.

Meanwhile, if you're unfamiliar with blonde ducks, you should head on over to A Duck in Her Pond and check it out.


Every post written by Miranda (affectionately known as the Blonde Duck) is awesome--she writes amazingly creative stories and displays good eats as far as the eye can see. There's also a little interview with me.

read on!

newfangled classic

How's that for an oxymoron on a Friday morning?

There aren't many pairings more traditional than grilled cheese and tomato soup. Having recently made some delectable tomato jam, I decided to combine the two components into one awesome foodstuff.


Oh, and if it saves on dish-washing, I'm all for it.

I simply took some rosemary focaccia bread (sadly, not homemade), added a thick layer of pepperjack (the end-all, be-all of cheeses in my book), and slathered on a hearty helping of that vibrant tomato jam. I melted some butter in my cast-iron skillet and grilled both sides until they were crispy-crunchy and nicely browned. It was awesome, an all-in-one delight--sweet, spicy, gooey, crusty, and chewy. Easy to clean up, too.

Any other suggestions for ways to use my tomato jam? Do tell!

And hey, watch out for black cats and broken mirrors today--it's Friday the 13th!

read on!

apple of my eye*

*What?!? I don't get it. I think I'll start saying "acai of my eye" instead, just for kicks. And because it rhymes.


I hope I'm never forced to pick my favorite fruit--it'd be way too hard. I love them all, really--bananas for a filling snack, blueberries for an enhanced yogurt-granola experience, dried cranberries for a tart and chewy salad addition, etc, etc. Right now, however, I think I most highly value the apple.

Pies, cobblers, crisps, cakes--is there any fruit dessert for which the apple is not appropriate? I submit that there is not. I've been down the road to Applecakeville once or twice before, but since it's a place I really enjoy visiting, I went back using a different route.


How do I describe this cake? Well folks, the air is dry. The skin on my hands is cracking and peeling and screaming for hourly lotion applications. My hair looks like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket. This cake, however, is so incredibly moist that it can easily combat all that desiccation.

While the moist-iosity is the defining characteristic of this cake for me, there are other redeeming qualities. The spices are redolent, the apples are softened yet still a tad toothy, the coconut (my addition) is crunchy and flavorful. It has a tender crumb, which is appropriate since I found the base recipe on Linda's awesome blog of the same name. Also, although the original recipe didn't originally call for apple butter**, it was a marvelous and valuable component if I do say so myself.


**Incidentally, apple butter is quickly becoming my favorite condiment, approaching and about to overtake pepper jelly. I shall enjoy letting the two fight it out.

Mega-Moist Muffin Cake
(inspired by this recipe)

1/2 cup milk
1 cup apple butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
3 cups apples, diced
1 cup coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Spray down an 8x8-inch pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, apple butter, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. In a separate large bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and oats to combine thoroughly. Using a large rubber spatula, pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix only until combined (less is better). Fold in the diced apples and pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the top with the toasted coconut.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted into the cake center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting into squares, rectangles, circles, or what-have-you.

read on!

sticky scrumtrulescence

If I start listing off ingredients like maple syrup, cinnamon, and butter, what probably first pops into your mind is pancakes. (Mmm. Pancakes.) That's the case with me, anyway. Those three components could clearly contribute great things to any number of dishes, am I right? This time, I chose to use their magic on butternut squarsh.


Yes, squarsh.

Process:
1) Wash, peel, deseed, destring-ify, and dice. The peeling is by far the most difficult part, and it's not that bad. Think of it as a pre-treat workout. Here's a quick tutorial.
2) Evenly coat the diced squarsh with a blessed mixture of melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to taste.
3) Roast at 350F or so for around 30 minutes, or until the goodies are fork-tender.

What a treat this is. Would I rather have pancakes? Maybe. Probably. The point is, if you haven't tried this slimy, satisfying, and yes, scrumtrulescent squash preparation, you must do so posthaste! Posthaste, I say!

read on!

"change is inevitable...

...except from a vending machine."

I love that.


The proof is in the pudding, or in this case, the gingerbread. If ever there was any question that a person's tastes change over time, I've selflessly stepped up and provided an example of it.

Let's wander back to last year, when I made a batch of sourdough ginger gingammonbread. Even with a lovely glaze, I found it difficult to really enjoy. Fast forward to last week and a similar recipe. Wonder of wonders, I liked it, even without a glaze! It was moist and fragrant, sweet and a little bit tangy. Granted, a robust cinnamon scent would've been preferred, but hey--a bit of ginger's all right every now and then.


See that? I'm growing.

Mendenhall (what the heck is that?) Sourdough Gingamuffins
(adapted from this recipe)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup dried fruit (I used cranberries and golden raisins)

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a muffin tin with cups.
In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar and butter. Blend in the molasses and the egg, beating continuously; set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients together and blend into hot water. This will yield a pasty, doughy mixture. Beat this thoroughly into the creamed mixture.
Finally, add the sourdough starter slowly, mixing carefully to maintain a bubbly batter. Dust the dried fruit with flour and lightly fold into the batter. Spoon or pour the mixture into the muffin cups and bake about 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

My ginger of choice:

read on!

boo, i say. boo.

Not "Boooooo!" like the noise an unhappy crowd makes, but "BOO! Boogity-oogity!" in the scare-some-hapless-kids-into-wetting-themselves sense. That's what I meant.


Not that I would intentionally do such a thing, of course.

We all know that I'm not the most creative person, so my offering for Halloween this year relies heavily on the random colors associated with the holiday. I made fudge, and I made it to be black and orange. Isn't that clever? I'm actually quite proud of myself.

I know this recipe by the name Easy Bars, and I have a story to share:

In elementary school, we had to occasionally give presentations to our classmates, teacher, and some judges from around the community. One year, I decided I would present the preparation of a tasty and aptly-named treat called Easy Bars.

It's important to note that one hard and fast rule for any food presentations was to never lick your fingers or utensils. I knew this. However, I became so flustered at one point that I stuck pretty much my entire chocolate-covered fist into my mouth. Can we say humiliation? I think so. I painfully groped my way to the end of my spiel and promptly bolted to the bathroom in tears.

After I had pulled myself together a few hours later, I came back and offered the judges some of the finished product, giving the excuse that I had waited to serve the goodies because I didn't want to spoil their lunches (even as a child I was pretty shrewd). I got a blue ribbon.

Thus marked the beginning of the end of my career as a public speaker.

Smoooooooth.

These are good. These are simple. Make them, but don't lick your fingers. And have a thrilling Halloween.

Easy Bars, Halloween-Style
Black:
1/2 cup peanut (or almond) butter
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

Orange:
1/2 cup peanut (or almond) butter
1/4 cup margarine
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

For each layer, do the following:
Melt the peanut butter, margarine, and chips in the microwave and mix until smooth. Do not lick your spatula. Stir in the vanilla. Do not lick your spatula. Fold in the marshmallows and mix well. Do not lick your spatula. Dump into a buttered or lined 9x9 pan. The order of the layers is completely up to you. Place in the fridge until set and slice into squares. Now you may lick your spatula.

read on!