Before I married into the Young family, I was pretty coffee agnostic. I would basically drink whatever was in front of me and be happy with it. The Youngs, though, are coffee people, by which I mean they know how to make a fantastic cup of the stuff. If you want proof, just pop by …
Continue reading “‘Chai’ can’t believe I managed to make these lattes at home”
I learned something new this week that totally blew my mind: how to create muffins with perfectly domed tops. It’s been a mystery for me for a long time how bakeries and other super bakers manage to get their muffins to rise so tall, puffing perfectly over the edges of their cupcake liners. This week’s …
Continue reading “New baking technique delivers ‘dome sweet dome’ for muffins”
So much sour cream. Seriously, you should see the nearly literal vat of sour cream in my refrigerator right now. We hosted a catered meal about a week ago, and I ended up with the leftovers in my fridge. I’m not complaining, mind you, because the meal was absolutely delicious, and I’m never going to …
Continue reading “Lots of leftovers results in some recipe (sour) scheming”
I caught Joey eyeballing the bowl of peaches sitting in our fridge this week. “I’m going to use them this time,” I promised him. “They won’t end up in the freezer until next summer.” His facial expression betrayed a lack of confidence in my promises, so of course, I had to do some baking this …
Continue reading “Fresh peaches are ‘muffin’ short of delicious for breakfast”
We were able to spend a fantastic evening with some great folks this past week for a celebration of Christmas in July. We hosted the meal last year, so it was our friends’, Adam and Samantha’s, turn to do it this year. They decided to celebrate the theme of the night by creating an entire …
Continue reading “Make their tummies ‘rum’ble with tropical cake”
This weekend, I stumbled on an article by Gabrielle Drolet called, “In Defence of Garlic in a Jar: How Food Snobs Almost Ruined My Love of Cooking.” It’s a long read, but Drolet makes the point that cooking shortcuts are a great way to make the kitchen more accessible to people who have disabilities. She …
Continue reading “Make ’em go ‘coco’nuts for fudgy, layered brownies”
When I was growing up, my mom’s specialty, which was required at every family get together, was her deviled eggs. I remember my uncle jokingly blocking the door, looking for her tell-tale Tupperware box before we were allowed to come inside. I also remember one fateful day when I accidentally dropped the box, creating havoc …
Continue reading “This summer, let’s come together and give ‘pies’ a chance”
Last summer, we ended up with a large box of peaches, and when they started to get soft before we could finish them, I sliced them up, tossed them in a bag, and stored them away in the freezer. Well, rather than using them up sometime last fall…or winter…or spring…they’ve just been hanging out in …
Continue reading “Stone fruit and brown sugar are truly made for ‘peach’ other”
Sometimes, I ironically bite off more than I can chew when it comes to trying new recipes. This week was one of those times. I was invited to donate something to a dessert auction, and I decided it was the perfect time to try a recipe for some decadent brownies I’ve been eyeballing for quite …
Continue reading “From-scratch salted caramel pretzel brownies ‘knot’ an easy task”
When I first moved out on my own, I discovered that I had no idea how to cook for only one person. I was great at making portions for four, but cooking for one was a challenge. So I generally still made my four-person meals and brought lots of leftovers to work for lunch throughout …
Continue reading “Stop ‘pudding’ off sweets with a dessert for two”