food
Hand Pies
Last week, honeycrisp apples were cheap and I knew I'd come away with more apples than any one human should try to consume. What in the world could I do with all of them? My friend Jen said "oh hey, hand pies," which led to terrifying search results -- including a gorgeous monstrosity called slab […]
Rear Window Chili
A hundred years ago, when my awesome neighbors moved in, I watched from my bedroom window, doing my best L.B. Jefferies impression as furniture and boxes were carted from truck to townhouse. I spied only one person other than the movers -- a dude. I wondered if it was just him, or if that inventory […]
Wonderland Cake
Things checkerboard remind me of Wonderland -- and I've always wanted to make a checkerboard cake, but much like basket weave frosting, I felt it was beyond me, because wow, how does that even work. The thing is, once you learn, it's super easy. Maybe it's like pulling the curtain back on a magician, but […]
Something Sweet
As much as I love making fancy cakes with roses and leaves and basket-weaves (I love basket-weaving!), my favorite cake is so simple, you might not even believe it. I came across this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine (I know, I KNOW), and I know I've blogged about it before, but that blog is […]
Waffles
Growing up, I had the great luck to spend many summers at Island Lake. Then, it was a small place tucked away from the rest of the busy world. From the lake shore, you could see other houses peeking between the trees, and occasionally there would be fishing boats; some afternoons, my cousins and I […]
Best of 2014
I don't usually do best of lists, because...well, many reasons. But this turned into something of a project over the course of the year, a thing I devoted myself to beyond all boundaries, seeking the most distant stores to acquire that which was not close to hand. Thus, I present you with this list: […]
Bubbly, Melty Goodness
I haven't fed you in a while, so here's the latest recipe I've been playing around with. Quinoa enchilada casserole hails from Damn Delicious, but... Guys? I have changed this up, because I found their recipe a little strange. It wasn't even the quinoa I found strange -- the quinoa works perfectly as a tortilla […]
Fulla Beans
Beth sent me this very bad-ass snail and it's hard to be anything other than happy with this on one's desk. Wheeee. This picture ended up in the same file as the photos for bean salad (and/or relish), so I thought I'd mash them all into a post here...but please don't add snails to your […]
Just Pancakes
When I was a kidlet, summers were often spent with my grandparents at their wonderful Island Lake house. Weekends meant pancakes one day and waffles the next, and these simple breakfasts, shared at a sunny kitchen table (and not in the formal dining room), stick in my mind as one of the best things about […]
Cookie Theory
In theory, these cookies should be great, but they're...so strange. They look delicious, but again, they're...disconcerting. They don't firm up, they don't even really bake, they're just...alien. I'm not even sure if I have an idea how to improve them -- so let's see what we figure out. These came from Skinny Mom, and the […]