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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 23 April |
When does our perception of birthdays change? I’m guessing it is somewhere between 21 and 25. The ages, after which, you no longer need that extra year as an enabler. There are other benefits that the years deliver, however. Knowledge, wealth, friendships, and experience all build over time, but these are often overshadowed by achy backs, extra pounds, and ever growing responsibilities. Either way, I think there are two main offenders to which we can point our fingers.
| 19 March |
Strata. The savory sibling of sweet bread pudding. A breakfast casserole or stuffing of sorts. I do love a good strata.
There are so many fabulous things about stratas I barely know where to begin. How about with the fact that you can make them a day ahead and sleep in the morning of consumption? Or what about the flexibility of knowing that you can use almost anything you have around as long as you have a few key ingredients that are standard pantry staples(see strata take 2)? My new favorite thing about the strata is that I can bake it in the standard casserole dish, individual ramekins, OR I can bake it in one large pan and then use ramekins or cookie cutters to divide it into pretty little individual portions and then top with a poached egg. As with bread pudding that can now be found in every variation from sweet potato to s’more, the sky’s the limit!
| 29 January |
It was purely by chance that this cake made it into my kitchen. I am not particularly enthusiastic about gingerbread, nor do I tend to make desserts that do not contain any trace of chocolate. I am enthused, however, that my guest of honor who is a fan of both gingerbread and fruit desserts inspired me to bake this upside-down cake. It. Was. Delicious. And pretty! And really not all that bad for you! So if you find yourself in the company of one of those people who doesn’t keep an emergency stash of cocoa products in their purse, car, and desk or if you just feel like taking a bite on the other side, try this cake. I promise even the worst chocoholic won’t be disappointed.
| 26 January |
So there’s a lot of devastation in this world and not just the current tragedy in Haiti; it’s all around us and we don’t always think we can do anything to help. That’s like saying your vote doesn’t count. You realize that, right? Everybody counts. Everybody counts and we all have unique gifts and talents we can offer despite our financial situation or busy schedule. Let me tell you a little story about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody:‘
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. In the end, Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Inspired by a book I’m currently reading, I decided to stop blaming Everybody and take action. I gathered some friends at work, we spent Sunday baking, and voila we had a bake sale. Our co-workers came in to some delicious treats, we raised money to send to Haiti, and I’m pretty sure we enjoyed our time in the kitchen.
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