TWD: Please buy my house

I am typing this from my husband’s office at 8:18pm KC time.  Why?  Because someone decided to call us for a showing from 8-9pm.  You might think sane people (parents, even!) would say no to such a request.  And, in theory, I wholeheartedly agree…but when you are keeping your house unnaturally clean despite your family’s innate desire to do otherwise and have lost track of your “home improvement” expenses, you take the showing.  You never know when this may be the one that pays off.  So, here we are killing time when we should be winding up for the night.

OF course, this means I am on his computer and have not loaded my one picture of these biscuits.  You get my kids at the Royals game which I found on his laptop.  I did make them. We did eat them.  In fact, I may have eaten one too many the next day rationalizing that they had to be eaten then or be thrown out.  I liked the maple flavor but not enough to make these again.  I like the flaky softer biscuits out there.

The recipe is at a little something…sweet!

TWD: Delayed Strawberry Apple Double Crisp

To detail all of the reasons as to why I am posting last week’s strawberry dessert over this week’s apple tourte would send you into a full on boredom coma in less time than it takes to type Rhubarb.  The short (and ample on its own) reason is that I ended up with 4+ lbs of strawberries on Sunday.  What I did not end up with is any rhubarb.  Actually, I didn’t go looking for it.  For the record, I didn’t go looking for the strawberries either.  I did happen to have two lonely apples in the fruit bowl.  Since I and everyone else within shouting distance has had their fill of apples as a snack until next fall, I quickly decided they would make a great substitute for rhubarb.  I don’t like crystallized ginger so I didn’t go looking for it all.

In short, great dessert and I was ready for some dessert.  If I get my hands on some rhubarb before I exhaust the 3lbs of remaining strawberries, I might just make it again.

TWD: Ice Cream Tart, no Coffee

The thought process of an overthinker:

I am going to NYC this weekend.  I will eat a lot of yummy restaurant food in NYC.  I will eat some (tasty) crap in NYC as well.  This tart sounds good but I don’t really want to eat a lot of or much of it, frankly, or maybe none of it.  If this is a coffee tart, I will be the only one who will eat it.  I will regret every bite of it as I am chowing on a bagel…It is ice cream.  Ice cream is not something I can bring to work.  I love coffee ice cream.  How can I skip coffee ice cream?  I am skipping coffee ice cream.  Period.  What will the boy eat?  Peanuts.  Yup.  Peanuts and chocolate and vanilla ice cream with caramel.  Should I still make the coffee tart?  No.  No coffee.  Peanut/chocolate/vanilla/caramel it is.  Hmmm…that sounds good.  Edit: HALF a peanut/chocolate/vanilla/caramel tart it is.

I am exhausted.

but, of course, I tried a piece.  It was HOT on Sunday (91 degrees!).  good.  very good.  that crust is a keeper.  Full post at domestic deep thought.

TWD: brownies, honey?

 

This is what I think Dorie’s introductory paragraph should have said:

The recipe tastes like brownies from a box without all the pesky corn syrup and multi-syllabic ingredients.

Seriously.  After I ate one (or more) it hit me.  These brownies taste just like a box mix.  They are super duper moist but light on chocolate flavor.   So, if you are partial to that kind of brownie but leery of anything with that long of a shelf life.  These are for you, friend.

Leave me the super chocolaty ones.  Thank you, very much.

TWD: good morning, sunshine muffins

These were awesome.  I will definitely make them again.  That is all.

This was the VERY LAST muffin so I had to quickly snatch it and snap a shot.   It is sitting on the lid on the container they briefly called home.

Next week:  honey nut brownies.  i have actually made these already…

TWD: Corny Muffins that Caused Consternation

Pictures will be up later…

Boy, I would love this to be a post about a sweet home cooked dinner accompanied by from scratch corniest corn muffins.  Alas.  It is not to be.  It could have been.  It even started that way…

All was going well.  Will asked to help with dinner so we made the muffins together.  I even let him use the sharp knife on some green peppers and he was thrilled.  We all sat down for some beans and rice and muffins.  Colin announced that he should try something new and would like a corn muffin.  After I picked myself up off the floor, I gave him one.   He ate a bite and said he liked it.  Angels sang.  And then.  And then…

The scourge of siblinghood appeared.  Will – with OBVIOUS AND MALICIOUS glee  – announced that there were actual corn kernels in the muffin.  Colin reacted just as we all new he would.  The muffin was pronounced inedible and no amount of reasoning and cajoling could convince him otherwise.  He tried to pick the corn out which resulted in a very sad pile of crumbs.  It is a very good thing that looks can’t kill.  I do not aspire to matricide and I gave Will a good one.  so did his father.

There are parts of parenthood that being an only child just didn’t prepare me for.

Next week: More muffins.  and I may try to get to the pots de creme I missed last week.  Full recipe at My Next Life.

TWD: Chocolate Oatmeal (??) Drops

A photo study of a Sunday night, chocolate oatmeal drops included.  Please note, I said NIGHT and it was January.  Draw your own conclusions about the quality.

Will playing basketball in the kitchen, trying to avoid the bags of clothes are giving away.  Notice that he is still in his uniform.  His game was at 2:00pm.  This was after dinner .

The rest of the pics were taken by Will.

Me mixing the dry ingredients.

The entire family (parents included) is banned from electronics until after dinner on Sundays.  Colin whips out the game controllers as soon as possible.

In case you were wondering what was on screen.

The finished chocolate oatmeal drops.  Hmmm…I didn’t “get” the addition of the oatmeal to these.   I wish I had left it out or substituted something else.  Colin, of course, was disappointed to discover the oats.  He wanted them removed from the next batch…

TWD: GREAT great grains muffins

Action shot – Trying to snap a pic of the last one as it is being eaten…

The name is true, these are great despite what some might consider an “offensive” ingredient:  prunes.  (full disclaimer:  the muffins above don’t have prunes – apricots instead – but I have made these with prunes.)  I think most of us consider prunes “old lady” food.  Don’t act like you don’t know what I am talking about.  Prunes are old lady food in the same way that fruit rollups are kid food and frozen burritos are college kid fare.  Its the key demographic.  But prunes have company.  Here is my partial list of what I affectionately describe as “old lady” food:

• Cottage cheese
• Liver and onions
• Pimento loaf
• Boiled vegetables
• Nehi
• Salsbury steak
• Beer in a glass with ice (no?  I guess we don’t know the same old ladies).
• These, however, were certainly NOT old lady food.  We had them on a “breakfast for dinner” night with tofu scramble.  yu-um.
• Now, I can’t get this bullet format to go away….ugh.

TWD: Nutless Swirly Bundt Cake and Orange Poppyseedless Muffins

Twofer again…although this time it is not entirely my fault.  I made the muffins last week and was ready to post.  Unfortunately, our internet, cable and phone were out early last week (some issue with a fiber optic cable).  My kids’ reaction to a lengthy period without computer and TV is probably worth a post on its own, but it will have to wait.  So scroll down for both posts:

It was either take it at night or not take it…

The Bundt Cake

If I was a lady who “lunched,” I would probably serve this sliced beautifully after the kind of light crustless sandwiches that seem to exist only for ladies who lunch.  Instead, I am a lady who blows around the house like a tornado to get the kids to school and herself to work (preferably showered).  I usually “lunch” at my desk (sorry, Michael Pollan) and, if I am lucky, it is a post work-out lunch.  Cuz if I don’t work out at lunch…it ain’t happening that day.

If I were six, I might find this cake served after Sunday dinner at my grandma’s house.  I could easily imagine her serving this after pot roast or brisket or one of those other dishes I haven’t eaten in 20+ years.  Of course, there would be two cakes to feed everyone and one would be nutless for me and my cousin Eric.  She was good that way.  Instead, I am almost at the end of my fourth decade and, if I want Sunday dinner, it is up to me.  And it won’t be brisket or chicken fried steak or cabbage rolls or any of those other Sunday staples from my childhood.

So, I served this after veggie burgers and baked fries on Saturday night.  And it was perfect.

Variations:  I skipped the nuts and used greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.  Also, the very last thing we need around here is an entire cake so I halved it and baked it in a 6 in. springform.

Bottom Line: I would definitely make this again.  Fabulous.

Orange Poppyseed(less) Muffins

This is Will.  He is my favorite Brown eyed boy.

This is Colin.  He is my favorite Blue eyed boy.

I love them both more than anything in the world.

But.

But, I also love date nights (sans blue or brown eyed boys) with my hazel eyed guy that last the whole night.

These are muffins.  They are a good treat to leave for a grandma who is stays overnight with blue and brown eyed boys.

Variations:  no lemon; no poppyseeds; half whole wheat flour and greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Bottom line: A good solid muffin.  I could take or leave lemon poppyseed muffins but these were a good variation.  The glaze made them and is a requirement moving forward.

TWD: Chocolate Fluff Filled Mini Muffileines

What is a great snack after sledding?*  Mini muffileines.

What is a great ending to an otherwise super healthy meal of white bean stew?  Mini muffileines.

What will send your kids into a chocolate induced frenzy of gratitude?  Mini muffeilenes.

So, yeah, these were a big hit at our house. *best cupcakes ever, mom* .  We double dipped in the ganache because wasting?  It is soooo against our philosophy around here.  🙂

Variations:  just the obvious.  I don’t own a madeleine pan.

Bottom Line:  fabulous.  and I am not even sure you need the fluff to enjoy the fabulousness.  Thanks to Margo of Effort to Deliciousness.  Full recipe there.

*these were taken at the first hint of snowfall.  Santa brought sleds for christmas and two young men were dying to try them out.  The real sledding came the next day…