Banana Nut Muffins

Growing up, we lived about 20 minutes away from my grandparents house so we saw them pretty often.  Usually we would go over there and watch the IU (Indiana University) basketball games, make laps on the big wheels up and down the (really long) driveway, and pester my grandpa for more money to buy candy at the gas station down the way.

In all of those times visiting my grandma and poppop, I only remember eating a handful of things: Chicken and Noodles (loved it), Apple Pie (each time she made it, it was the better than the last), "Yay Big Meat" (my grandma would describe how big the beef was by holding her fingers about 2 inches apart and say it was "yay big" - hated it), Pumpkin Cookies (again, loved them), and Banana Bread.

Her banana bread was so light and moist and when you bake it, the top turns this dark espresso brown color which is magically sweeter than the rest of the bread.  There is a reason that I loved it then and I still do now.

To make her perfect banana bread into muffins, I just tweaked a few things (namely the baking time, amount of batter, and the amount of pecans).  The muffins are still sweet and not dense at all AND now they're portable.

Project 365: Week 19

May 6 | I got my cupcake decorating kit from bakeitpretty.com!  Be prepared to see some cupcakes "baked pretty" very soon!

Rosemary Loaf Cake

Somedays you go into the kitchen with your best intentions.  You have an idea and a recipe.  You have the ingredients necessary.  Despite all of your efforts and good planning, something isn't right.  

Yesterday, after a trip to the grocery store, I spent about 4 hours trying to make macarons with the aim to pack them up and send them to my mom for Mother's Day.  Instead, I spent 4 hours and got little, thin wafers that, quite honestly, didn't even taste that great.  They ended up in the trash and now I'll have to send a lame card or order flowers or something.  

Sure, cookies that don't turn out perfectly is not that big of a deal in the scheme of things, but it did have the ability to ruin my day.  Because I didn't get those treats in the mail by this morning, my mom isn't getting anything special this Sunday, and what I would really like to do is have a meal with her.  My sister could probably make dinner, I could make dessert.  My other sister could take a nap on the couch ;)

So do me a favor, if you are lucky enough to spend this Sunday at the same table as your mom, make her something delicious.  Appreciate it.  I recommend this Rosemary Loaf Cake.  

Sorry about the macarons, Mom...maybe this cake will be arriving at your house soon!

Thick 'n Creamy Potato Soup

Have we moved on from soup?  Are we only eating fresh, raw salads and berry pies from here until October?  We're only going to eat alfresco and have garden parties and wear big hats that block the sun?  We'll drink iced tea and lick ice cream out of waffle cones.

That all sounds really nice and I like a fresh blueberry pie more than most, but unfortunately summer fruits and veggies aren't quite in season (at least not here in Colorado where we had 10 inches of snow last week).  So I think we should embrace hearty, soul-warming soups for a little while longer.

Once we've packed up all of our winter clothes and put them in storage, we can officially start the diet of fresh greens followed by berries and ice cream.  Washing it all down with fresh-squeezed lemonade and cold beer.

Even then, there are always rainy days, right?  All I'm sayin' is give soup a chance!

Project 365: Week 18

April 29 | I really hope sinking my hands into warm, yeasty dough is the only therapy I'll ever need.  I don't think I've ever felt more relaxed.

Red Apple

Yesterday, I had to go in early for our board of directors' meeting.  It was fine, but you know, early.  I like sleep.

When I walked out to my car after work, I noticed a little paper flapping in the wind tucked under my windshield wiper.  The woman wrote the ticket a whole 4 minutes before I got there!  Yes, my meter had expired - that does not however mean that I was happy about it.

The rest of the afternoon I spent trying to get myself out of a funk.  I thought yoga would help, but when I got there, I ended up having to teach the class instead of take it. Again fine, but didn't really help my mood.

I'm not advocating alcoholism or anything, but sometimes when you've tried everything else (or at least a couple things), a cocktail might just be the solution you're looking for.  Plus, the weekend is quickly approaching and it's practically begging you to sit outside with a cocktail and unwind.  Happy Friday!!

Choconana Cupcakes

When I was little, I never did any of the classic pranks that other kids were getting in trouble for.  I never went TP'ing.  I never "forked" someone's yard.  I never even prank called innocent listings in the phone book.  I generally didn't like to get in trouble which meant I only did things I knew I could get away with ;)

So, I remember when May Day came around each year and you were instructed to doorbell ditch and leave flowers on your unsuspecting neighbor's stoop, I was more excited than I probably should have been.

Do kids still do that?  I think maybe it's a Midwestern thing? - Austin's never heard of it.

If this is a tradition that's been lost, we should bring it back.  How excited would you be if you were surprised with flowers (even flowers made of tissue paper) on your doorstep?  In fact, why don't we start leaving more nice treats at our neighbors' door?  That'd be nice.  

It's up to you.  You can make these cupcakes and eat them all OR you can spread the love.