A blog about healthy baking, with occasional dips into decadence.
jump to recipe I changed this recipe up a fair bit, and it paid off. Dave is normally immune to the charms of the endless stream of baked goods that makes its way through our kitchen, but this one hooked him. He’s even suggesting that there might … [Continue reading]
Man, these are good. They’re peanut butter cookies with a Rice Krispie crunch, how could they not be good? Plus they started with classic cookie ingredients, butter and two kinds of sugar. The recipe called for brown and white, but I … [Continue reading]
I got a lovely break in my day last Thursday by running out of the office for ten minutes to meet Dad at Grand Central. He was on his way to lunch, I was working, but he was going to Toronto the next day and I had two small items that needed to get … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Let me just put this out there right away: this picture does not do this loaf justice. The how-to-use-your-new-DSL-camera class doesn’t start until April, so I’m still using the automatic setting, and I baked at night, so there was … [Continue reading]
I had my eye on this recipe for a few weeks before I got a chance to try it. I’d picked up a bag of blood oranges at Trader Joe’s and I knew there had to be a good recipe out there. Look at them! The recipe called for an entire cup of juice … [Continue reading]
I’m still not quite sure about these. The flavor is there, a strong lemon taste with the special twang Meyer lemons bring, with the right amount of sweetness to balance it out. But the texture feels off to me. It’s a little too cooked on the bottom, … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe There were so many alluring aspects to this recipe that I just had to give it a try. I’d been to yoga, Juliet & I had already gotten haircuts, the rain was steady, and all signs pointed to cookies. We already love snickerdoodles … [Continue reading]
I never would have thought to mix peanut butter and bran, but I am in love with these muffins. I also love that they come via a blog called The Teenage Taste, written by a junior in high school. It’s a simple recipe, not particularly low in WW points … [Continue reading]
I confess I find the name of this bread somewhat misleading. It’s not really about the lemons; this bread is all about the spice. A little too much spice, I think, which is a very big statement coming from this particular spice lover. That said, I … [Continue reading]
I made madeleines! I didn’t know I could do that. But I can, so I made Meyer Lemon Madeleines, and boy are they tasty. Dave’s parents gave me a madeleine pan for Christmas, so today it got its moment in the sun along with some Meyer lemons fresh … [Continue reading]
First of all, don’t make these. My friend Bridget likes them, and she has graciously volunteered to eat them, but I don’t understand why, because I don’t get any flavor out of them whatsoever. I added spices, there’s sugar in there, two cups of … [Continue reading]
It’s a bit of an odd concoction, but I love it. It’s a hearty, oaty bread, with a lot of sweetness, so it fills you up and feels healthy but dessert-ish at the same time. It’s an odd combination, though, and this is one of the few times that I’m … [Continue reading]
Time for Valentine’s Day cookies. I’ve used the same recipe for sugar cookies for the past year or so, but the last time I made it we had a lot of trouble rolling out the dough, plus it makes about 5 bajillion cookies more than we need. I poked … [Continue reading]
Definitely make this. Perfect texture, deep, tangy lemon flavor with just the right amount of sweetness, and it’s not even bad for you? A win all around, And I like recipes that get very specific about when to put in which ingredients, and what to … [Continue reading]
Get aboard the muffin transport! You won’t regret it. jump to recipe I should have made these muffins instead of last night’s disasters, but we have them now, so the muffin balance has been restored. These are delicious and the recipe seems to … [Continue reading]
These were so terrible that I threw the whole batch out after one bite. Honestly, it’s just an awful recipe. I’m not going to link to it because that would just be mean, but I am floored by how many positive comments were posted the page where I … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I had two overripe bananas, a jar of Nutella, some peanut butter, and an urge to combine them all. I combed Pinterest and Google for recipes. I compared. I contrasted. And then I realized that I didn’t need a NEW recipe, I could … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I couldn’t resist this one. Peanut butter and oatmeal and a Sunday afternoon, it all just seemed like the right combination. The recipe called for half a cup of butter and a full cup of brown sugar. I didn’t mess with the butter … [Continue reading]
I finally did it! After nothing but corn muffin failure, I found a recipe that works, is easy to make, tastes great, and doesn’t require butter to make it special. Dave made pulled pork for dinner and they are providing a perfect match. I started … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I admit I screwed these up. Not the flavor, not the texture, and I didn’t knock anything upside down on its way out of the oven, but somehow I missed that these were supposed to be MINI muffins so I was bewildered when I was pouring … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe If an oatmeal cookie came down to earth disguised as a muffin, this is what it would taste like. I don’t know why I made the cookie come from outer space. Just live with it. These muffins are delicious, filling, and both … [Continue reading]
We were in Toronto for a few days, and my niece Kate likes baking (and eating), so it seemed only logical to bake with her. Also, she’s fun to hang out with, so really, I’ll take any reason that comes my way to do spend time with her. We … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I love peanut butter. This quick bread brought out the best of the peanut butter & banana combination, and didn’t break the Weight Watchers bank along the way. It’s long gone, but looking at this picture as I type, I wish I … [Continue reading]
This lemon tea bread took some doing. It’s not that it was hard to make, it’s that I had one of those rare, completely unnecessary baking disasters, and I wasn’t able to pull it together enough to give it another try until the next day. I’m glad I … [Continue reading]
I had high hopes. I have been looking for Meyer lemons ever since I first heard of them about a year ago, and this weekend as Juliet & I cruised the aisles at Trader Joe’s, I found them at last. I bought two bags. Then I came home and … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe This is a keeper. It was easy to make, didn’t take long, and tastes just wonderful, with a soft fluffy crumb and a mix of spices that come together beautifully and provides an array of flavors for your taste buds to savor. I did … [Continue reading]
I think I messed up the baking powder & baking soda, and that’s why these cookies are so crunchy, but it’s okay, it’s like eating a really big piece of candy, with tasty crumbs. And the kids like them. The first thing I had to do was brown the … [Continue reading]
This morning I wanted to make something special and sweet for the kids. They argued about what it should be. There were tears of frustration. Juliet wanted donuts. Nathaniel wanted mini muffins. We settled for mini donuts, with the … [Continue reading]
A donut pan is one of those things I’ve been dismissing. You can’t own every specialty pan there is, not in a kitchen like mine, which is already bursting at the seams. There’s no room at the inn. Plus we already have that cute mini donut maker that … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe What a fun surprise these Cheerios Banana Muffins turned out to be! I had no idea you could crush Cheerios and bake them into muffins. Pinterest proves its worth yet again. I haven’t been blogging because I was mostly making … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I am am finally baking again. I was down & out with the flu for a few days and as much as that sucked, it gave the bananas time to get ripe and disgusting, and it gave me…well, it gave me no joy. But this banana bread … [Continue reading]
Toffee Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Caramel Sauce and Sea Salt, to be precise. The annual bake-off for the Digital Group was upon me, and this year I wanted to really make something special. I’ve taken up baking pretty heavily since the last one, … [Continue reading]
The name says it all. They’re not called Fluffy Banana Muffins or Breakfast Banana Muffin or Delicious Banana Muffins, they’re called Flax Banana Yogurt Muffins. They taste good, they’re okay and pack a lot of flavor, but they taste healthy. Too much … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Yesterday I was poking around the web looking for quick bread recipes, and came across this one. I liked the look of it, I liked the ingredients, but most of all, the reviews were almost all glowing. A few people had some trouble … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe The other night I wanted to make something healthy. I always want it to be delicious, but I wanted to contrast the chocolate buttercream frostings and cheesecakes as of late, and I wanted to try something new. That’s how I found … [Continue reading]
Tonight I let Juliet make the final decision about which cookies to make, since she didn’t like Nathaniel’s gargantuan chocolate birthday cake, or the pumpkin cheesecake on Thanksgiving. I showed her five different cookie photos and she chose these. … [Continue reading]
Nathaniel requested an insane cake for his birthday party. He didn't say "devil's food cake", but he knew exactly what he wanted. “A chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting, and I want layers, and I want it shaped like a rectangle.” Layered … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Finally, I remembered the sugar. The last time I tried to make this cake, it took until it had been sitting in the fridge for a few hours for me to realize, mid-bloggery, that I had forgotten to put in the sugar. This time, I … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Nathaniel’s birthday was actually almost two weeks ago, but when Sandy knocked out the power, birthday baking was put on hold. Then I went away to BC, and so it got further delayed. Then I got home, we restocked the kitchen, and the … [Continue reading]
Whenever I find a recipe for a 3 (WW) P+ muffin, I have to try it, I’m always trying to expand my breakfast repertoire. So this was next on the list. My first obstacle, however, was that they’re made with my favorite flour, whole wheat pastry … [Continue reading]
People went NUTS over these. I made some mistakes along the way and had to improvise, and wasn’t even sure they were going to turn out okay. But not only did they turn out fine, they turned out delicious, and I have never had raves like this before. … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe These are so tasty! What a great recipe for someone to just invent. I want to learn how to do that. In the meantime, I’ll keep making great cookies like these. And eating them, unfortunately. I’m going to have to get these out of … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe They were supposed to be Biscoff Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies, but the grocery stores around here are all out of Biscoff, and who doesn’t want an excuse to use the word Speculoos? Mom’s the one who got me interested in Biscoff spread, … [Continue reading]
Muffin redemption has arrived. I haven’t blogged my last two experiments because I just wasn’t happy with them. It started on Saturday, when I was very excited to make Rocky Road Muffins. And don’t they look good? Sadly, they were not so … [Continue reading]
(for Jana’s birthday) Recipes like this are reason number twenty million for why I love the internet. I told Jana to pick a birthday treat, and she went to my Pinterest board and picked Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats. So I read the comments … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Remind me not to listen to Presidential debates while I’m baking. It’s so depressing. It feels like this great big game with so little meaning. And yet I’m still watching. I listened to it on the radio while I was baking, I switched … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Here’s another one I’ve been looking at for a while. I don’t like baked apples in things, but I do love apple cider and apple-pie-type spices, so how could I resist a recipe for Apple Cider Spice Bread? The only thing keeping me … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I’m always on the lookout for more healthy muffin recipes, since that’s what I have for breakfast every day. Well now I have a new one to add to the collection. We went apple picking today, and you’d think I’d be baking something … [Continue reading]
I finally did something with those brown bananas that have been sitting on the counter for days, disgusting all of us. Or maybe just me. I don’t know. I find them disgusting! But I’d seen this lightened-up version of cinnamon swirl banana bread a … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte Muffins for a while. It has five things going for it: pumpkin espresso powder whole wheat pastry flour 3 Weight Watchers P+ per muffin it came from a site … [Continue reading]
I don’t get to make cookies that much. They’re too time-consuming for weeknights, and the weekends get busy so quickly that there isn’t always time then either. But we’re on the Monday of a three-day weekend, and the kids’ friend Margot was here, and … [Continue reading]
Last night I was looking for something I could eat in quantity. I knew I’d be on a post-Homeland food rampage so I made something that wouldn’t break the Weight Watchers Points Plus bank if I ate a large amount of it, and that’s how I found this … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I’ve made this before, sort of, but today I changed the recipe, used a new pan to make things pretty, and took the glaze from one dessert to add to it, skipping the frosting. We have company coming, and we’ve actually been … [Continue reading]
Dave doesn’t usually express a strong baking opinion, but tonight he asked for something that didn’t have pumpkin, but did have chocolate. I didn’t exactly come up with something Weight Watchers-friendly, but sometimes one must make sacrifices, … [Continue reading]
I don’t know what happened, I just had to make this cake last night. Maybe it was how good it looked, maybe it was the mood I was in, maybe I’m just nuts. But I had to make a cake, and I did, and it’s delicious, and and it even looks good, which … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Finally! I am always looking at recipes that involve peanut butter, are low in points, and healthy enough for breakfast, but usually they involve some sort of Epicurean compromise. But my quest is over. I have found them! These … [Continue reading]
(for Antonia’s birthday) It’s Antonia’s birthday, and she’d like something with pumpkin. Since I experiment on her constantly with my baking, she deserves something customized for her birthday. These blondies also included a honey and caramel … [Continue reading]
(east coast style) I made these healthy breakfast cookies in BC when we were visiting Mom, and I’ve been wanting to make them again ever since, this time with cinnamon chips. I ended up making one other change by accident, and I think it made them … [Continue reading]
So while the Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Singles were baking or cooling or in various states of I’m-not-sure-if-these-will-work-out, I started working on my back-up plan. I’d seen this recipe on Pinterest a while ago, and I loved the idea of … [Continue reading]
This has been a very strange evening. I don’t usually skip ahead to the end of my baking tales, but really, I was ready to give up on these weird oatmeal singles muffiny thingles completely, until Dave and Nathaniel each gobbled one up with glee. … [Continue reading]
Yesterday was a clunky day. So while these were in the oven, I was increasingly convinced that I was making clunky muffins as well. I liked the idea of cinnamon roll muffins made of healthy ingredients and low in fat, but wasn’t sure these were it. I … [Continue reading]
I’m almost too busy savoring to type. These mini loaves are sublime. I really had no idea what I was going to bake when I got home tonight. I had bananas to use up, and I had peanut butter cravings, but I always have peanut butter cravings. Still, … [Continue reading]
I’ve been wanting to make these for days. Peanut butter, banana, oatmeal, all in a low-point, low-fat, healthy muffin? Sold. I had some icky brown bananas ready, too. The only reason I had to wait an extra day was because I spent Tuesday night … [Continue reading]
Okay. These are incredible. You know when you go apple picking and they sell these crazy apple cider donuts that you can’t stop eating? Well this is the home version. There’s no frying with these, and the ingredients are shockingly NOT … [Continue reading]
Oh fine, you might not think that sounds appealing. But it does to me. I’ve been wanting to try another recipe with wheat germ ever since I made those breakfast cookies in BC, and I love the flavor of molasses, and the picture on the recipe just … [Continue reading]
Things don’t always go well in baking. Sometimes, you just learn about what doesn’t work, and move on. And that’s today’s lesson. Oops. I didn’t bake last night, I went to some crazy “Restore The Core” class instead. It wasn’t exactly a mistake, … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe This looked simple enough, and very delicious, but I may have screwed it up by using the wrong kind of sugar. I’m going to taste one of these muffins when I finish writing this up and then we’ll all know. If I did screw it up, I’m … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I haven’t made bran muffins in a long time, and I found this nice, low-fat, healthy, and flexible recipe on Pinterest, so I whipped them together last night. I have to say, I’m very, very happy with the results. I do love a good … [Continue reading]
The kids have been begging for mini donuts and yesterday was our first Saturday at home in weeks, so I finally took out the mini donut maker Jenny gave us, and got to work. Lucky for me on a sleepy Saturday morning, I had a helper. Juliet was … [Continue reading]
I admit it, I’m still recovering from the cheesecake debacle. But it was a half day at work, and there were some brown bananas on the counter, and I had a recipe for peanut butter banana bread that looked worth a try. And trust me, I read and … [Continue reading]
Well, it finally happened. The dizziness got the best of me. Back in June, on my sister Rosie’s birthday, I promised her a pumpkin cheesecake, but she was away all summer and we couldn’t work out the details of making it and getting it to her. … [Continue reading]
It wasn’t a great night to dig into a new cookie recipe. I am still getting dizzy every night, and today I went to the doctor where they took multiple vials of blood out of me. So I’m extra dizzy. And cookies take a long time, simply because of the … [Continue reading]
I made this simple but magnificent cake at Mom’s in BC, and I had to find out if I could reproduce it in my own kitchen. I didn’t change the recipe one iota in either place, keeping the all purpose flour, the white sugar, and the butter, but for all … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe We came home after a beautiful weekend in Fire Island to a muffin-less house; well, it wasn’t supposed to be muffinless, but the banana muffins I made did not survive their weekend abandonment. I’d made another batch at the same … [Continue reading]
Dave looked at me like I was crazy when he saw me standing in front of a counter full of ingredients, and I don’t blame him. Every afternoon I get this lightheadedness and feel dizzy, and the feeling extends well into the evening, and yet there I … [Continue reading]
It’s nice to be back in my own kitchen. Tonight I’m feeling a little off, I’ve had this lightheadedness going on ever since I started taking Claritin last week. I knew I wanted to make cookies the kids would like, but since I’m still feeling … [Continue reading]
We were still in BC and my baking urges were not yet satisfied. The mocha cake was delicious but pure dessert, and the banana muffins were delicious but routine, so I found something that was new but not terribly decadent and it had been on my list … [Continue reading]
I had to make my famous original Banana Yogurt Muffins in BC once I saw Mom’s potato masher. "Do you have a potato masher, by any chance?" "I do, but it’s not a very good one. It has a penguin handle and it’s in the drawer." Okay, Mom? … [Continue reading]
(with help from Serious Coffee) Okay, I just want to start by saying that this is my favorite new thing I’ve made in a long time. It’s really, really delicious, and very easy to make, and you should brew up some coffee and make it immediately. You … [Continue reading]
We started out our vacation in Toronto, and I really felt like what the city was lacking was a giant dough ball. I think that’s what my brother’s house was missing too, as it certainly didn’t have one when I got there. So I set out to remedy that … [Continue reading]
This cake was created to make someone feel better, so I’m hoping it does its job. I haven’t frosted it yet as I write this, but the cake smells fantastic, the frosting tastes wonderful, and I can’t wait to combine them in the morning. I just didn’t … [Continue reading]
(Yes, that top one has a slice taken out of it already.) It was supposed to be Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread, but I’m still holding on to the perhaps groundless hope that Juliet will actually eat some of this. And we all know she doesn’t eat … [Continue reading]
I decided there were more chocolate zucchini recipes out there worth trying. So I tried one. I admit I am a little distracted today. In addition, we had our summer outing at work today, so I spent the afternoon on a boat cruising around Manhattan. … [Continue reading]
"I’m glad I took the whole piece." That’s what Dave said after he came upstairs to taste the Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf I made tonight. He took half of the piece I cut for him, but I told him to take the whole thing. He was glad. He said … [Continue reading]
I wanted to make something relatively healthy, but I’m really tired too, so it was time to try Coconut Baked Oatmeal. I pinned the recipe after we devoured the Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal from the same site (Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures), and it’s an … [Continue reading]
Well. I wasn’t going to bake tonight, I thought I needed a break, but then I decided it might be fun to make something new and then watch the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. We have a friend of the family competing tomorrow. Go Nicole! And … [Continue reading]
As Nathaniel & Juliet would sing, “It’s the final countdown…” All week I have been using my colleagues at work as guinea pigs. They tasted, they described, they compared and contrasted. They weighed the issues: kids have to like them, they … [Continue reading]
read about Night 1 read about Night 2 Tonight was the last night of true experimentation. Whatever I make tomorrow goes to the kids at St. Philip’s Academy for Read It All Up®, and that’s that. But tonight I went back to the site where I found … [Continue reading]
(with Chocolate Pumpkin Frosting) read about Night 1 Now I really do feel like Annie in The Bake Shop Ghost. I’m trying one recipe after another, trying to find the magical one that will strike just the right note for Read It All Up®. I … [Continue reading]
This is going to be a week of experimentation. My friend Carol and I have started up a non-profit called Read It All Up®, which is all about combining our mutual love for reading and food into a way to get kids to love reading at a very early age. … [Continue reading]
I don’t think this really counts as baking, necessarily, but it’s a favorite of Juliet’s and I’ve been promising to make it since Friday night. And she was determined to help, which always makes it more fun. The first time I made this, I had it … [Continue reading]
Most people who know me know of my hatred of cooked vegetables. Unless you count corn and potatoes, which are more like starches, I don’t eat any cooked vegetables at all, ever. Oh, Dave sometimes purees some carrots and sneaks them into the … [Continue reading]
(for Dad’s birthday) jump to recipe So my Dad’s birthday is on Monday, and I can’t be there to celebrate with him, so I’m sending coconut. My Dad loves coconut. I wanted to make him something fun with fluffy coconut frosting, but (a) I couldn’t … [Continue reading]
I have a confession to make: I have never toasted nuts before. I generally don’t cook with nuts, either, and part of that is my own texture preference. I like nuts, but I don’t love biting into something crunchy and resistant in the middle of … [Continue reading]
"Can you make something with espresso?" asked Kate. Of course I can. We have a house full of visiting family this week and couldn’t be happier about it. I plan to stuff them full of baked goods as much as they’ll let me, and they get to make … [Continue reading]
The cousins are coming, the cousins are coming! I plan to make a lot of treats while they’re here, but Juliet and I got a head start today by whipping up some Lemon Poppy Seed Sugar Cookies. I’ve made them before, and they always turn out addictively … [Continue reading]
After I threw the corn muffins away, I had to make something else, and it was almost lunch time, and the kids requested that the primary flavor be peanut butter. I couldn’t argue with that idea, as I love peanut butter with a fierce, obsessive love. … [Continue reading]
I knew I was going to bake tonight, and I decided it should be something that all four of us could enjoy. That means nothing with chocolate (Juliet), nothing too fattening or decadent (me), and nothing too spicy (Nathaniel). But everybody likes corn … [Continue reading]
Yesterday I didn’t bake anything. So tonight I baked two things. I made my signature banana yogurt muffins, although I was a little distracted and forgot to top them off with cinnamon chips. Crap. They turned out great anyway, I say with … [Continue reading]
There are some baked goods that I call “get-it-out-of-the-house-or-gain-ten-pounds-delicious”, and I created that expression specifically to describe snickerdoodle mini loaves. They’re insane. Antonia — the same Antonia who inspired me to make the … [Continue reading]
The kids were completely disinterested in the Chai Pumpkin Bread, unsurprisingly, and as of late I haven’t been baking things that Juliet particularly likes, so I offered to make her something she’d like, and after some waffling over the cookies vs. … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I wanted something to contrast yesterday’s bran muffins, something with a more complex flavor. When I saw that the ingredients for this recipe included cardamon, allspice, cloves, black pepper, and brewed chai tea in addition to … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I was planning on making carrot oatmeal muffins tonight, since I’ve run out of breakfast muffins, but then I was poking around in the Epicurious iPad app today and saw a buttermilk bran muffin recipe that looked like it was worth a … [Continue reading]
I’ve resisted this recipe for as long as I can. I mean, I pinned it TWELVE DAYS AGO and it has peanut butter, oatmeal, mini chocolate chips, and at some point you actually get to turn it into this: That’s twelve days too long, in my book. I … [Continue reading]
I’m not sure which I’m happier about: conquering a recipe with (liquid) coffee in it, or finally managing to successfully dust something with powdered sugar without having it look hilarious, like a 4-year-old did it. Both feel like long-awaited … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Nathaniel, unsurprisingly, is a Star Wars fan. And Nathaniel owns a very entertaining book called The Star Wars Cookbook. No, really, he does. We’ve made Wookie Cookies before, but this time Nathaniel really wanted the … [Continue reading]
Antonia is a co-worker who likes my baking so much that it inspires me to try making new things, and she needed something decadent. I love a good baking assignment, so I narrowed it down to three choices, and let Nathaniel cast the deciding vote. It … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe The night after we got home from Pennsylvania, I was feeling the baking urge again. The baking urge means that I want to make something I’ve never made before. And that always brings me to my Pinterest board where I pin healthy … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Every June, on or about the last day of school, we take the kids to Pennsylvania to ride the rails at Strasburg Railroad. We ride Thomas the Tank Engine, visit the train museums, buy jams in tiny jars, eat homemade ice cream and … [Continue reading]
Something’s just OFF with me today, so I am surprised these muffins turned out so well. Honestly, I was knocking things over the whole time I was making these, spilling things too, and I swear that every time I opened the fridge, things just leapt … [Continue reading]
Last week, Jenny sent us a box of presents from ThinkGeek. She said there was one gift for each of us and we had to figure out whose was whose. She did say that it wouldn’t be difficult, and she was right. Juliet: Ice Princess Ice Cube … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe Nathaniel has been asking for banana bread again. He really liked the cinnamon swirl one I made a few weeks back, but what he was after was the recipe I used to use a long time ago, long before the baking frenzy began, and he wants … [Continue reading]
(some with cinnamon chips) Another great Pinterest find. I tried really hard not to bake for Robin & James, because they don’t want to be loaded up with baked goods, but I couldn’t help myself. Despite the fun of annoying Robin with the word … [Continue reading]
(for Dave's birthday) I made these at Christmas, and Dave loved them so much that this is what he wanted for his birthday instead of a cake. I offered to do both, but no: he wanted the cookies. So cookies he received. I initially found this … [Continue reading]
It’s been an odd evening. On the way home, I decided I wanted to try this recipe for “My Best Oatmeal Cake”. The photo above is directly from the recipe page, but let me tell you, I don’t think there’s an iota of a chance that this recipe was used to … [Continue reading]
According to Pinterest, I first noticed this recipe 20 weeks ago, which means it’s been waiting for me since January. Maybe it was the three sticks of butter that dissuaded me from trying it sooner, but a visit from our glorious friend Jenny was a … [Continue reading]
A while back I tried out a recipe for cinnamon oatmeal muffins that was a disaster. Adjusting and experimenting with it would have been a waste of time, especially considering how many wonderful recipes there are out there that are actually worth … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I am still a little surprised at the deliciousness of these. I had some pumpkin to use up, I bought some wheat bran I wanted to try out, and I had the urge to prepare something healthy, and I think I hit the jackpot with this … [Continue reading]
How come it never occurred to me to use the meat tenderizer on peanut butter cookies before? The fork-created cross-hatch is a peanut butter cookie staple, but the meat tenderizing mallet is fun and has the whole pattern built in. I admit … [Continue reading]
Juliet likes peanut butter again! She wanted me to bake something with peanut butter, but I wasn’t in a cookie-making mood, what with all the pans going in and out every ten minutes and the fact that I’d just finished doing all the dinner dishes. … [Continue reading]
Sometimes there’s no turning back. There was a point where I thought I’d have to trash the whole thing, but I persevered, and despite a rather major misstep, it all came together at the end. I’m still not quite sure how. Nathaniel wanted banana … [Continue reading]
Like all the reviews said, they don’t taste quite like brownies, but it’s hard to stop eating them once you start. They were really easy to make, despite a few screw-ups along the way. And even though I made what might be my best batch of banana … [Continue reading]
Put the lime in the coconut…and add banana. Scratchy sent me this recipe yesterday, which was especially thoughtful considering her utter disdain for bananas. I had a hankering to try them, especially when I found a particularly revolting-looking … [Continue reading]
Have you ever tried this stuff? It is meant to replace peanut butter, but it’s basically a spread made from cookies. When Mom asked me to pick some up for her, I got a jar for us as well and I have had my eye out for recipes. This one popped up on … [Continue reading]
I have never baked in someone else’s kitchen before, but I was out in Sooke, BC, visiting my Mom, and bake in her kitchen I did. Of course I was in Canada, so all the ingredients were just a little bit different. The salt is in a square container … [Continue reading]
( requested (and assisted) by Juliet) Juliet doesn’t eat chocolate chip cookies. I don’t understand it at all, but that’s how it is. And now no peanut butter cookies. She was sure she wanted some kind of cookies with butterscotch chips, but then … [Continue reading]
(requested by Nathaniel) Sometimes an 8-year-old boy just wants a straightforward treat. “Chocolate chip cookies,” he said. “Big ones, though…not like the little ones you usually make.” It’s true, I am guilty of making my cookies small, because … [Continue reading]
Today was a day for the kids. I’m going away in a few days, which makes me nostalgic for family time in advance, plus it was the annual Vehicles Fair, which we have loved going to since Nathaniel was just a tiny guy. I asked Juliet what she wanted … [Continue reading]
This isn’t about baking, it’s about three kids who decided that they wanted to run a lemonade stand. We had a beautiful weekend of hot summer weather, and a little while after Margot came over to play, Nathaniel approached me for what he clearly … [Continue reading]
(and other baked goods) It’s Mother’s Day, so I’m allowed to bake as much as I want, right? Last night I made the carrot oatmeal muffins again as well as the low-fat gingerbread, and then started off today with mini pancake maple muffins. Once … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I had Greek yogurt to use up, and I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to keep myself busy and distracted. The result? Pumpkin muffins. I started with whole wheat white flour, then whisked in baking soda, baking … [Continue reading]
Tonight I made a Rudi Cake -- a tribute cake to someone special and so much missed. For extra strength, I added espresso powder. And for his white hair, I topped it with powdered sugar. Made with love and sadness and a zest for life and good … [Continue reading]
They can't all be gems. I’m always looking for healthy muffin recipes, but I sort of knew this one was going to be a dud. Don’t make these! I’m still blogging them though. Think of it as a warning, some type of public service … [Continue reading]
I made this once before, a long time ago, and I remember thinking it was a bit undercooked. The flavor was there, but it was a little too wet and not cakey enough, so I figured I’ve made about 20 new things since then, and maybe I’ve acquired some … [Continue reading]
I’ve never heard of Lemon Poppy Seed cookies before, until I found them on a blog through Pinterest, and I couldn’t possibly be happier with the results. It’s a light, tasty, Spring-y cookie (as in the season, not the bounciness) and good for the … [Continue reading]
I had one last burst of energy today so I made something healthy that turned out to be delightfully delicious, and not, you know, delicious enough just because they’re good for you. Carrot Oatmeal Muffins! Also they were very easy to make! First I … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I am back from my trip, operating on almost no sleep, but feeling the need to ease some stress with baking. I found this recipe for Lemon Ginger Tea Muffins on Pinterest and thought it was worth a shot. I didn’t add the pistachios, … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I love peanut butter cookies. (I love peanut butter anything.) I also wanted to make a treat for the kids to tide them over while I’m away, and to make them feel good and sweet and happy while I’m still here, too. After our edgy … [Continue reading]
It’s Saturday morning and we are all tired and a little crabby today. I’m going on a work trip tomorrow and I think it has all four of us just a little edgy. Juliet told me she didn’t want mini muffins, Nathaniel begged for them, Juliet changed her … [Continue reading]
Tonight I got Juliet to help with the baking. Step one was to get her to stop stacking up all the supplies. (Note the baking powder on top of the salt. I’d already removed the peanut butter jar and the baking soda but she started rebuilding the … [Continue reading]
jump to recipe I love these muffins. I’ve made them before, but I change things up just a little bit each time I make them. An actual, real chef even ate one of them and didn’t pass out or spit it out or yell at me or anything…I think he even said … [Continue reading]
(requested by Nathaniel) This was another very early Pinterest discovery: Cinnamon Swirl Bread. I made it in early January and I was disappointed because my streusel swirl sank to the bottom. The only reason I haven’t made it since then was my … [Continue reading]
Maple Pancake Mini-Muffins (from Bakerella) I make these almost every weekend for the kids. This was probably the first recipe that set off my love of Pinterest; I saw it posted there and realized there was a whole world of amazing baked goods … [Continue reading]
Sometimes I want a recipe that has a little technique to it. Last night’s gingerbread was quick and easy, but this afternoon I wanted something that required a little more finesse. I knew I’d found the right recipe when I read this tasty … [Continue reading]
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while, it’s been parked on my Recipes I’d Like To Try (Baking) board on Pinterest. On a Friday night, I tend to bake things that don’t require a tremendous amount of attention; a one-pan item is perfect, … [Continue reading]
I’m exhausted, but I wanted a treat, and I didn’t want to feel crappy about indulging. For that, this is my go-to recipe. These muffins are incredibly easy to whip together in almost no time, and they always taste fantastic. Good texture, … [Continue reading]
(and Egg Accidents) I ate the last of the banana muffins for breakfast today. And I need breakfast tomorrow. Bran muffins it is. This recipe isn’t even on Pinterest, because it’s on the back of the Quaker Oat Bran box…at least that’s where it … [Continue reading]
Dave very thoughtfully bought some cardamom over the weekend, and I think when somebody gives you an ingredient or a new cooking pan, you should make them something. Therefore: chai shortbread cookies. The ingredients list is pretty … [Continue reading]
The kids loved when we made sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day, and have been begging me to do it again. It seemed like a good day for a time-consuming project; I needed some distraction but I wanted to spend time with them, and that fulfilled both … [Continue reading]
I already have a plan for how make them prettier, but I think the deliciousness is just about right. Found this recipe on Pinterest, of course. (Of course!) I waited to make the glaze until the following morning, and it was very easy. The whole … [Continue reading]
