Hopeless and Cookies to celebrate the world not ending

It's been 2 years since my last post, but today is as good a day as any since the world has not ended as predicted by those wise ancient Mayans. I am busy baking Chocolate Banana loaves for the co-workers and just purchased Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. Yay! https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hopeless/id589118195?mt=11

Sitting back and taking a breath

The last month has been absolute madness, as I am sure it has been for most people thanks to the holidays. Sunday was the blizzard. Absolutely serene but bitterly cold. How perfect that it was the day after Christmas. (Merry Belated Christmas, btw.) I finally got a chance to breathe and make some cookies, cookies that I have never made before. I think they turned out pretty decently. Thanks, Emeril.

Hope you guys all had a wonderful snow day.

Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Fall.

Updates, updates, updates!
Summer has ended, but boy have I been soaking up the summer.
I've been cooking and baking a lot, but failing to have the enthusiasm to take pictures of them.
But, Time at the Table featured my picture and recipe for their September newsletter! (Although my name was misspelled and they are on to their October newsletter, I was excited to see my picture and recipe featured!) I must clarify that the recipe is actual from Anatole's family. And I must thank them for passing this recipe onto us to enjoy.

In reflection, this has been an incredible summer because I have gotten to appreciate food. And by food, I mean fresh food - produce, meat, natural ingredients. I have gotten into a natural food kick, but I must admit, I still have a weakness when it comes to potato chips. I'm working on that though. So feast your eyes on a few of the goodies made this summer, made from all natural ingredients! (and a few of my favorite shots from Vermont.)


cinnamon raisin rolls!


lasagna w/homemade tomato sauce


apple spice muffins


double rainbow!!! in Vermont.


Highest point on Mt. Mansfield, Vermont.


Sunflowers at the Hazendale Farm in Vermont.

Wow.

How time flies.

So lately, I've just been enjoying the weather and the World Cup. Yeah!

And on I've been trying to sprinkle in some good deeds into my daily routine.

Ome of these god deeds was to help my friend's school out. She's the new director of a nursery school and the school is in bad financial shape.

So they have been holding weekly flea markets to raise money just to paint the school.

Since I have the time but not the money to help, I decidedto make some goodies so that they can sell them to raise money.

I ended up making several dozen chocolate chip cookies and some rice krispy treats. Even had time to experiment with a new recipe for Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies. (I didn't have enough chocolate chips to meet the recipe, so I added in some peanut butter chips.) I'm not sure, but I think people liked these a lot since they went faster than the traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies I made. But why wouldn't you like it? It's a marriage between two awesome cookies! mmmm.

The cookies and snacks ended up raising more than $30 for the kids. We'll start small and go from there. :)

Back from Slacking

It's been so long since I've had a new post that I almost forgot how to do it.

But lucky for you readers, I didn't.

It's been nearly 2 months since the last post...this is not atypical as I've done this before. Usually, the reason was because I was too busy or had nothing to post. But I have been out and about doing things, but I could not get myself to blog or even take pictures of what I have been up to. Sheer laziness this time.

So since February I've obviously baked and cooked. I have even travelled!

I tried out a new banana bread recipe using nearly black bananas. Because I have just recently read on numerous blogs and sites that bananas ripened until they are black is the secret to moist banana bread. The recipe I tried the first time around didn't quite measure up to expectations. It was moist, but I'm not sure if it was because it was supposed to be that way or if it was underbaked. Attempt 2 will take place this week and results will be documented.

But last night was a success story! My first time using my deep fryer to make Spicy Fried Chicken. I think it turned out pretty well.

Bonus pictures!

Today's lunch - Cracked peppercorn turkey sandwich with Lars spicy brown mustard (soooo good), swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers on a Brooklyn Bread bagel. Lately, I can only imagine eating sandwiches from fresh baked breads/bagels...so I got some fresh bagels from the neighborhood.

And look how beautiful Turkey is!

News Cred!

My photos have been published and credited. Link for my first formal picture publication.
Thank you, Melissa.
Check out the well-written article and the awesome Cafe 81 (81 East 7th street between 1st avenue and 2nd avenue) as well.




*Edit: Shot of the article added. Thanks to the Photoshop Nazis for suggesting that addition and for teaching me to piece the entire article together into one shot.

Cake Galore!

Pictures of Anatole's caramel birthday cake. The chocolate glaze clumped, so I had to do without the glaze. Maybe on the next cake it will work out.





Failed Chocolate Glaze. I tried to fix the glaze, but it was too late. The oils and sugars separated from the chocolate. At least I had the strawberries! Something about strawberries and cake - it's always a winning combination.

Tomorrow morning I am going to try to make a carrot cake for a special baby. Chocolate is his favorite, but he loves all cake, so I thought I would make it semi-healthy by baking a carrot cake. lol. I hope to get shots of him with frosting all over his face! lol.