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I've posted some ho-hum stuff lately (hey--they can't all be culinary masterpieces like this or this), but I'm really, really excited to share these brownies. read more words!
Mother's Day foods are usually of the sinful and decadent variety, and I've taken that route twice before. We're trying something a little different this year. read more words!
Snickerdoodles, plus chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter cookies--aren't these what come to mind when we think of classic American cookies? I know they're the ones that I "helped" my mom bake when I was little. I've featured all of them except for good ol' peanut butter, complete with criss-cross pattern on top. read more words!
I'm way behind on what's popular in music these days--the station we play at work is all 60s classics, all the time. read more words!
As I mentioned last time, I make a batch of scones just about every day. This is also true of muffins, and I've found that even though scones can be sweet or savory, there's a lot more room for variation when it comes to muffins. read more words!
How do you pronounce "apricot"? Most people around here say "app-ricot" but for some reason, I say "ape-ricot." I imagine somewhere it's pronounced "ah-pricot," and some goobers who like to Frenchify things might say "apri-co." read more words!
I said farewell to my 20s a few days ago. There were gifts, there was laughter, and by Georgina, there was cake. read more words!
I don't think I had my first date until I was in my 20s. read more words!
Every culture has a form of bread to its credit--tortillas, naan, pitas, frybread, injera, lavash, and on and on it goes. In truth, I haven't encountered a single one that I wouldn't eat again. read more words!
...would be like a Monday without coffee. A room without windows. Rice Krispies without marshmallows. Sleeping without a pillow. It's just not right! read more words!
There are very few foods that cause me to completely lose control, but come on--we all have 'em. The latest addition to that short list is candied nuts. I could sit down with a bag of those and just eat. And eat. And eat. read more words!
Easter is very nearly upon us, and you know what that means... Cadbury creme eggs are everywhere! read more words!
You can't go more than a few minutes this week without stumbling onto something reminiscent of Ireland, and I'm happy to contribute to the occasion. read more words!
I've never been among the first to buy any piece of technology. CD players, laptops, iPods, smartphones--I'm always late to the game, but I'm fine with that, as I can take advantage of advancements and the feedback of others. Waaaay back in the 90s, one of my best friends copied her BlondieCD onto a cassette tape so my CD player-less self could listen to it whenever I wanted.
...that's English for giveaway. Friends, I have been a fool. In all these five (!) years I've been blogging, I've come across every color and flavor of macaron imaginable, but until last week, I hadn't made them, eaten one, or even been close enough to touch one in person. read more words!
As a kid, I can remember always looking forward to licking the beaters after my mom made chocolate chip cookie dough. It wasn't until much later that I realized that it wasn't just me who thought the dough was more satisfying than the baked cookies and that many women people prefer it that way, salmonella and all. read more words!
Get it? Fans of Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, and/or the game of basketball know what I'm talkin' about. read more words!
I think those dainty little paper-thin pancakes known as crepes (craps, crehpes, or craypes, depending on where you're located at the time) can be kind of intimidating to make, but I definitely feel very sophisticated when I order them at a restaurant. read more words!
Exciting news! read more words!
Since Valentine's Day is actually on most calendars, I suppose I have to recognize its existence. While I'm not too keen on the premise, I do love hearts and the color pink is growing on me (not literally...last time I checked). Those things being said, I give you pink and red heart-shaped meringues. read more words!
Once upon a time, I made a fantastic batch of fudge. It was so good, I made it again and again and never tried any other recipe or budged from exactly what was written. read more words!
Why do we say upside-down instead of downside-up? They're both true--the top becomes the bottom and the bottom becomes the top, yet downside-up is pretty much never used. These are the questions that keep me up at night. read more words!
I would never be drawn to a plain raspberry muffin. Even if it was the most domed, moist-looking muffin ever made, I simply can't support the use of that fruit in that capacity. It's not that I don't like their flavor, I do--I can eat homemade raspberry ice cream with the best of 'em. The difference, friends, is that the ice cream is strained of all seed evidence. read more
As with screeching children and headache pain, I can tolerate Will Ferrell in moderation. I really enjoyed some of his SNL characters (Craig the Spartan cheerleader comes to mind), but I've found that it's quite the challenge to sit through one of his movies in its entirety. read more words!
Remember how I mentioned that my brother had decided to raise chickens? And how I foolishly decided to name them? I think Myrtle just ended up in my crockpot. read more words!
It's no secret that I love linguistics and have a fascination with words and their origins. Words from the English language have intrigued me for years, and now that I've begun learning German, it seems I'm moving into an obsession with its etymology. read more words!
While I claim to be proud of my Southern roots, it seems that I rarely post about truly Southern cuisine. However, every now and then I'll feature something that's foreign to my friends outside the southern chunk of the US, and I suspect this one may fall into that category. read more words!
I know there are a few more months before the Kentucky Derby, but it's not like I'll be attending anyway. All I really know about it is that it's an excuse for ladies to wear the most ridiculous hats ever created. I like funny hats. read more words!
WHY, oh why is the mushed and molded combination of chicken, fruits, nuts, and vegetables called chicken salad? Is it because of the mayonnaise? It's misleading to me, for when someone tells me they're going to serve chicken salad, I don't necessarily know whether I should expect a bed of greens with grilled chicken sitting atop it or the aforementioned mixture. Methinks a distinc
...ring in the new.
I don't know if any of you watch New Girl, but I catch it as often as I can, and for primarily one reason: Nick Miller, played by the laugh riot known as Jake Johnson. The character is hilariously pessimistic, curmudgeonly, and cynical, and when given the chance to ad lib, Jake consistently delivers laugh after chortle after guffaw. He (or the writers)(or some combination of those) is
Christmas seems to be associated with cookies as much as Thanksgiving is synonymous with pies. I don't know why this is the case, but my best guess is that a platter of cookies is much easier to give as a gift than a smushable, refrigeration-required pie. read more words!
I love corn. I love it on the cob, in salads, in Mexican dishes, in the form of popcorn, and on it goes. What I don't love is when the kernels firmly lodge themselves between my teeth. read more words!
As someone with pale, pale, bordering-on-albino porcelain skin, I'd like to believe that browner isn't always better...except when it comes to butter and a few other select edibles.* *Just like with tanning, though, one can take it too far. read more words!
I've put off making meringue cookies for far too long. read more words!
Christmas is coming. I know this because the (cold, cold, cold) air is permeated with the scents of pine, peppermint, and baking spices. Food blogs are peppered with cookies (and sometimes, they're peppered with peppered nut cookies!)(isn't Pfeffernüsse a fun word?!). Upon leaving a building, my nose promptly turns pink and simultaneously decides to run and stuff up. Plus, I c
Hanukkah starts this weekend! Christmas is in less than three weeks! Have you gotten all your gifts? Are your decorations up? I did a little holiday decorating this past weekend. My tree may be small, but I can fit all the gifts I've already purchased snugly beneath it... read more words!
Orange vegetables tend to be extremely versatile, being just as useful as ingredients in savory recipes as in sweet ones. Pumpkin and carrots are obvious. For some reason, it takes a little bit more convincing when it comes to sweet potatoes, but they're probably my favorite. Another orange veggie that many don't consider as a delicious dessert ingredient is the butternut squash. rea
I've said it before, and I'll no doubt say it at least a hundred more times before my laptop becomes obsolete: Puff pastry is magical. read more words!
Cinnamon, brown sugar, and caramel are very near and dear to me. They make up my baking trifecta. read more words!
On second thought, you can keep your frozen, commercially mass-produced excuse for a waffle. I have one that's fresh and made from scratch by me! read more words!
Of all the comfort foods in all the lands, you'll find banana pudding near the top of my favorites list. Even though it's not always the most delicious thing in the world and it's a nightmare to photograph, there's something special about it that triggers a neuron or twenty in my brain and leads me to say, "Aaaaaah." read more words!
Sweet potatoes need not be reserved for sweet potato casserole or sweet potato pie, though both are certainly worthy uses. For a new taste, check out my sweet potato casserole cupcakes on The Back Burner!
After many posts with no chocolate, I did a u-turn and had about four in a row. I'm not playing games here, folks--this gal, she don't mess around. I'm turning around again (picture, if you will, Austin Powers' hilarious attempt at a three-point turn that becomes a 33-point turn...) and doing something savory. If there's anything more infrequent than a chocolate post on this
One of my posts is not like the others. By that, I mean that one of my posts has been viewed more than 50 times more often than the next most popular post. That's huge. We're talking almost a million hits. Disclaimer: In no way am I making light of actual crack addiction. Thank you, Pinterest. read more words!
I like peanut butter, but I'm somewhat annoyed by the way it coats the inside of my mouth when I try to eat a spoonful of it. It's even a problem between two slices of bread or crackers, particularly if there's no jelly or jam to moisten things up.* *Ever had a sandwich consisting of saltines and peanut butter? That's dry mouth at its finest! What better way to combat thi
More chocolate! Rejoice, rejoice! The posts this week on The Back Burner are all about Halloween candy, and I have one word for you: Heath.
It's been ages since I've posted anything chocolate! I think that I'm not like most female humanoids because I don't really ever crave chocolate. Caramel, yes, but very rarely chocolate. You're calling me a freak under your breath right now, aren't you. That hurts. That hurts, but I can't really deny it. read on!
