eggnog bundt cake with crumb

Sorry no friday links this time around; I'm so strapped for time these days.

But I gather a nice eggnog bundt will happily amuse you all?

It's quite easy to whip up.

A nice seasonal bundt to celebrate the holidays!

You know I don't have a mixer so this is super easy for those that do.

Every year around this time I always buy some eggnog, and every year I promise myself to use it all up, not just half or a quarter, but ALL.

It never happens, except this year I finally managed to use more.

The perfect way to dress up a normal NYC crumb cake is to add a little bit of eggnog and rum into it.

The taste of the eggnog is very gentle in the cake, a little more stronger in the glaze.

So good news for not making it over-whelmingly strong.

A tip: you might want to taste-test the batter before baking to see if you like the taste of the eggnog or if you want more. 

I used cake flour this time around.

Have you baked with cake flour yet?

You simply must, it makes a softer, tender cake. How else to describe? Like buttery-rich texture.

In my opinion, a nice ratio of cake to crumb to icing.

This is important to me.  I mean why have a crumb cake if there is little crumb?

What's the point? 

That's right!

eggnog bundt cake with crumb & eggnog-rum icing

print recipe

crumb topping

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

¾ ts salt

10 TB unsalted butter, melted & cooled a bit

cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 ts baking soda

¾ ts baking powder

1 ts pumpkin spice

½ ts salt

12 TB unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream + 1 TB

3 TB eggnog + 1 TB spiced rum (rum is optional; if you don’t use rum then add in 1 more TB of eggnog)

icing

3 TB eggnog

a splash or two of spiced rum (Captain Morgans is perfect), optional

1 cup of powdered sugar

cook notes:  

grease up your bundt cake pan well!  

I like my icing very thick, if you think it’s too thick then just add in more eggnog or rum.

The cake batter is very thick; this is good!  Do a taste test on the batter to see if it has enough eggnog for you; mine was made very light on eggnog flavor.

To avoid lumps in your icing, just run the icing through a sifter before using it. 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  

Spray a bundt pan with non stick spray or grease up with butter. Set aside. 

For the crumb topping:

In a medium bowl, mix the sugars, salt, and flour.  Add the melted butter and stir with spatula until combined. Set aside.

for the cake:

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl.  

Using electric mixer, or mixer or by hand (me) beat the butter and sugar in large bowl until smooth. 

Add in the eggs, beating until well blended after each addition. 

Next add in the sour cream and eggnog; mix until just blended. Lastly add in the flour mixture in batches—I did two batches, until all is just combined. Do not overmix once the flour is added; lumps are good!

Pour the batter into the greased pan, spread batter evenly.  Next add on the crumb topping by dropping clumps (2-3 inch clumps) of it on to the top. Do not push crumbs down! 

Bake the cake for 25-32 minutes or until tester inserted into center comes out clean (mine was done at the 31-minute mark).  

Please rotate the pan halfway through baking time.  You will know cake is done when there is no more jiggle in the middle of the cake. 

Once cake is cooled, remove from pan carefully and place on a large plate or cake stand.

Mix up the icing ingredients in a small bowl and drizzle over cake

Keep cake covered.  Should only last 2-3 days at room temperature.  

Interview with cookbook author Greg Henry +Giveaway

COOKBOOK CONTEST IS CLOSED

Today I'm please to have cookbook author Greg Henry answer a few questions about his food blogging life, his cookbooks, and a few things about his personal life.
Greg first published Savory Pies and now his second cookbook Savory Cocktails.
Greg also writes the food blog Sippity Sup--Serious Fun Food.
He's been featured in Food & Wine magazine, the Los Angeles Times, The Today Show online and Saveur's Best of the Web.
As if Greg doesn't keep busy enough he also co-hosts The Table Set podcast for homefries.com.
A show featuring three guys who like to throw parties; a podcast The LA Weekly calls “lighthearted hipster entertainment”.
Greg lives in LA with his partner of twenty years, Ken. His passion is entertaining at home with friends, which is where the creative passion for the book Savory Cocktails came about.

Greg thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions.
Can we start out by telling us a little about the extremely creative book Savory Cocktails came about?

Well, I’d been wanting to write a cocktail book, but the market has been saturated with them since this cocktail renaissance emerged. When I first pitched the idea of a “craft cocktail” book to my publisher I could tell they were not enthusiastic. Their advice to me was to find an angle on cocktails that had not been covered before. It didn’t take long to come up with the idea of Savory Cocktails. I had written a book for the same publisher called Savory Pies. It was easy to suggest Savory Cocktails as a sort of savory sequel.

To me savory cocktails are part of the trend towards more complex cocktails in general. Today’s bartenders are reaching for unexpected ingredients and employing culinary techniques like infusions and purees to expand and sometimes challenge the palate. Herbs and spices are moving from the kitchen to the bar as more and more bartenders develop cocktails with a ‘from scratch’ approach– utilizing innovative ingredients and modern techniques to create a new category of beverages that I chose to call Savory Cocktails. However, I could have easily called the book Culinary Cocktails.


The diversity of Greg’s cocktail creations is very striking, you’ll just have to rely on me to tell you that Greg set out to accomplish meeting and creating cocktails worthy of sour, spicy, herbal, umami, bitter, smoky, rich and strong –and he did just that.  I know it’s an obvious question, but how on earth did you come up with all these creations? And more importantly who were the lucky taste-testers?

Ha! Well I was one of the main taste testers. I can tell you that. Some of the booze I chose to feature in this book is decidedly “top shelf” so I didn’t want to let even a drop of the early renditions go unappreciated. But once I finalized the recipes I did make them for a few of my friends. The guys on The Table Set, Nathan Hazard and Andy Windak, as well as our producer Joy the Baker were some of my best taste testers.

However coming up with ideas for these drinks wasn’t an obvious process. I used well known drinks as inspiration sometimes. Many of the drinks in this book are savory
“riffs” on classics. The hard part for me was defining exactly what a savory cocktail is. I struggled with a definition as I was testing recipes for this book. It’s much more complex than merely the opposite of sweet. Because no matter how savory the cocktail is, most well-made drinks require a sweet element for real balance. The challenge with this book came in presenting complex flavors in a simple format. In the end I decided to use culinary vocabulary because as a food writer I was much more comfortable with that kind of language. That’s how I came to call the book Savory Cocktails: Sour. Spicy. Herbal. Umami. Bitter. Smoky. Rich. Strong.

Were there any cocktails that didn’t make the cut? And why?

There were plenty of cocktails that didn’t make the cut. Partly because a cookbook is like any good book. It has to have a “voice” and a story to tell. Some very delicious drinks just didn’t tell the story in quite the right way in my opinion. Also I have to say, my editor was very strict about page count. The world of publishing has gotten difficult. I’m grateful to my editor Katherine at Ulysses Press for keeping me to a formula (and a price point) that could actually be profitable.
Several of the cocktails that got “cut” are featured on my blog. They may not have made the book, but they were important in helping me market my book. A few examples include: Winter Sour, Bitter Lemon Drop, and Prime Thyme.

Greg’s other cookbook Savory Pies is all about, well, –savory pies.
Smart, very smart to come up with a cookbook just about savory pie creations.
There was a certain niche market for a cookbook about Savory Pies.
Is this how you saw it too?

Absolutely. I never would have gotten a book published without finding a niche that needed to be filled. When I got the Savory Pies deal I had been passing around a book proposal to all kinds of literary agents. It was a much broader book. A big (expensive to produce) book. One after the other agents flat out told me that as good as the proposal was there was just no chance they could sell a book like that to a publisher unless I had a proven track record. Finally one of the agents actually went to my blog and looked around. She came back to me and said that she liked my series on Savory Pies. She said if I turned that series into a book proposal she could probably sell it. I did, and she sold it within four days.

I love to hear about who were the lucky taste-testers for the Savory Pies cookbook?

I used Facebook and some bloggers I know to test Savory Pies for me. It was quite a learning experience because the testers had a whole range of cooking experience. I had to really shuffle through their notes sometimes to separate the valuable information. It was a difficult process, but in the end it helped me write better recipes.

Your favorite Savory Pie recipe?

I’d have to say English Farmhouse Cheddar Onion Pie.  
The British love a savory pie. But of course they say savoury. Some of the most cherished pies in my repertoire find their inspiration in these traditional savouries. Quite a few of them (not surprisingly) get their comfort from potatoes, whether baked inside or mashed and rosti topped. There’s power in those pies. Here is an example of a favorite English countryside pie full of big flavor; starting with the cheese. Cheddar is an English cheese that has been imitated the world over. Great examples can now be found in many different countries. But if you can, I suggest you honor this pie and its roots by choosing an authentic English Cheddar. Many are still made by traditional methods on the farm.
For the recipe, click here. 


What recipes for Savory Pies didn’t make the cut? And why?

So many recipes didn’t make the cut. I was a first time cookbook author in DESPERATE need of a strong editor. The book was almost twice as long as the publishers wanted. Cutting that book was one of the most difficult processes I have ever been through in my life. But again, thanks to my publisher, the experience made me a better author in the long run.

Butternut Squash & Roast Asparagus Crespelle Torta is an example of a “pie” that got cut. I recently decided to run the recipe and photo on my blog as a Thanksgiving vegetarian main course. It’s turning out to be one of the biggest posts I’ve done all year. So everything worked out just fine in the end. 


Your kitchen, you know I’m a huge fan of your kitchen.
You’ve taken your kitchen and remodeled it just to your own liking.
Tell us your favorite and worst parts about the remodel?

The biggest design challenge was doing a modern kitchen for someone who cooks as much as I do, while still making it look and feel like it belonged in an 83 year old Italian style house in Hollywood. But I didn’t want an “old fashioned” style kitchen either. It needed to walk the line between historically appropriate and thoroughly modern. Plus I needed it to be big and open and easy to clean. I wanted to avoid too much trendy stainless steel, but have enough touches of it to keep the space feeling stylish. I’m sure my architects thought I was a difficult client. Get all the gory details here.
In the end this difficult process also turned out to be my favorite part of the remodel, because I think we accomplished all that and more. The kitchen has been featured in Food & Wine magazine and will also be in an upcoming book called Cool Kitchens by Jane Field-Lewis.


In one of your past lives you were a paparazzi man? Is this true?

Actually no. It’s not true, though I was a Hollywood photographer for almost 20 years. I didn’t plan it and I don’t really like movies. But I have met and photographed a lot (a lot)  of big name Hollywood stars. Big screen. Small Screen. No Screen. Actors, writers, producers and all. But it wasn’t paparazzi. I don’t have the personality to hide in the bushes and then jump out and be all in someone’s face. My photos were planned. We worked in a studio. Producers, publicists and magazines were my clients. Technically, they still are because I own all those photos and continue to sell and re-sell them to magazines around the world.

When did you start the blog Sippity Sup and why?

I started my blog Sippity Sup- Serious Fun Food on a whim. I was looking for a creative challenge. Which may sound odd because I have spent almost 20 years as a photographer. But the thing about being “professionally creative” is sometimes you have to compromise your creativity just to fulfill the assignment. To balance that bit of irony, I started a blog; a blog with certain rules.   Rules designed to balance my time and rules to keep me focused. 
For example: I’m a professionally trained photographer who used a point and shoot camera– held together with duct tape, for the photos on my blog (until I got the cookbook deal). 
For me it worked. I miss those early days of blogging because the simple tools I used left me free to focus on the food. Call me an old curmudgeon but social media is killing blogs.

The Table Set podcast, how did this come about?
Did you gather a group of friends and just decide to start this or was there a future theme to it?

I credit Joy the Baker. She was at my house for a dinner I did with a few other bloggers for one of those 24-24-24 meals that FoodBuzz used to sponsor. See the video here. She was just starting her own podcast and wanted a few other podcasts to join her on the network she created called Homefries. 
Well, she had a good meal and thought the collaboration between Andy, Nathan and myself would make fun podcast. She was right. I can’t say if anyone else enjoys it, but we three have a blast doing it.


Is there a third cookbook in the works?

Maybe a third “Savory” book in the series. Maybe, shhh...

Thank you Greg so much for the interview.

Please visit Greg at SippitySup, follow him on Facebook and on Twitter.

Greg was generous to donate three Savory Cocktail books for the giveaway.
All you have to do is leave ONE comment telling us your favorite savory cocktail you've had or want to try.
We'll do the drawing 12/10/13.
Please make sure you have an email in your signature line; ALL anonymous comments are deleted!

friday links

Happy Friday!

Are we still eating?
I am!
I managed to keep eating well after 10pm.
I did good right?
My last meal at 10pm was a slice of my gooey Nutella stuffed chocolate chips bars, which I
PROMISE to post the end of next week.

Coming up Tuesday, we have an interview with Greg Henry of Sippity Sup to talk about his TWO cookbooks: Savory Pies and Savory Cocktails.
And Greg has decided to donate THREE cookbooks for the giveaway!
Come back on Tuesday to read all about it.

My "crunchy" pumpkin bread bundt.
And by crunchy I mean 'sugar & nut coated crunch!'
When I posted this on Instagram, you all wanted the recipe NOW.
Easy peasy.
Take one Trader Joe's pumpkin bread mix; make as per box directions; grease up a bundt pan;
pour in half the bread batter; sprinkle on chopped walnuts or pecans in middle; pour on rest of bread batter; then top with more nuts AND coarse sugar (I used Sugar in The Raw).
Bake a little less time than what box directions say as bundt bakes up faster.

The light from the sunrises and sunsets on cape cod have been magical.

I was sent a copy of the cookbook Good Stock: Life on a Low Simmer by Sanford D'Amato.
And I do love a good cookbook that has a story to go along with it; not just recipes, but a lifetime of cooking/learning and teaching stories. "....Sanford D'Amato, the restaurant D'Amato opened in 1989 and sold to his longtime chef de cuisine in December 2012, has been one of the highest-rated restaurants in America over the past 20 years, earning accolades from Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Esquire, Wine Spectator, Zagat Guide, and the James Beard Foundation. D'Amato has cooked for the Dalai Lama and the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, and was one of 12 chefs chosen by Julia Child herself to cook for her 80th birthday celebration. The story of Sanford and Sandy D'Amato is in part the story of America's embrace of fine dining and its acceptance of chefs as master craftsmen....."
So if you weren't able to visit his restaurant, now you can partake in his personal recipes with Good Stock: Life on a Low Simmer


Tarte fine aux pommes (Apple Tart) pg. 231

Ginger Snap Cannoli w/ dried cherry mascarpone cream pg. 349

Steak au Poivre pg. 239

Around the Web:

just put the f**king turkey in the oven
how can you look more "photogenic" in photos
nordic diet an alternative to Mediterranean diet?
researchers find drug that could halt kidney failure
stocking stuffers: I want them ALL!
clean your arteries with pomegranate? (true or false?)
DIY adjust your outside motion detectors (very helpful!)
little drummer girl--her talent is unbelievable (last 30 seconds she KILLS it)
eat more potassium
apple pie (paleo, gluten, grain free)
ryan gosling coloring book is here
rainbow pencils (I'll take some)
who's into this tinybook stuff?
meals for good skin
honeybee's can be trained to detect cancer
temporary tattoo's: brilliant
TRUE GMO dangers; stuff the media will never cover
3 productivity tips for small business owners
11 secrets to choosing the right perfume
DIY snowy gingerbread village in a jar (love!)
what to eat when you're broke
sweet potato-ginger cookie
9 whole foods for healthy, gorgeous hair
cheesecake pan for 2 (want!)
10 inflammatory foods to avoid like the plague
DIY bone broth (the good for you kind)
the divine: now online
how to fill the emptiness in your life
DIY: anchor a towel rack permanently
how to photograph snowflakes +incredible photos
WONDERFUL summary of what is insulin
why squinting helps you see better
overrated health supplements
creamy slowcooker chicken soup
fancy & gorgeous cakes to whip up when you're short on time (bookmarked!)
happy & sad Jack after his wisdom teeth removal
holiday cookie contest with craftsy!
8 helpful tips for your next Skype job interview
10 tips India teaches the world about living well
how to choose gratitude over stress
saturated fat isn't as bad as we once thought? Hmmm
healthy peanut butter recipes
magnesium for migraines?
healthier pumpkin pie smoothies
pressure cooker veal osso bucco

Have a wonderful weekend!

cranberry toaster strudel (no mixer)

I recently asked a food poll-type question on my Facebook page about pop tarts.
What kind do you like and what are you looking for if you could make your own?
There was an overwhelming response for a "toaster strudel" type pop tart.
And of course you wanted easy--well, as easy as one could get with a pastry tart.
I made this toaster strudel fairly easy.
I don't have a mixer--so everything was done by hand, BUT done in as few steps as possible.
I also cheated a bit by using a cranberry butter for the filling (the Trader Joe's Cranberry-Apple butter is fabulous and it's ready to use; already has pectin in it, so no need to add cornstarch).
The hard part, if we have to have one is measuring out the dough into rectangles.
I highly suggest using a ruler next time to get straighter lines, if you want such a thing.
My lines were that straight, I was more "rustic".
The basic dough is a pate brisee dough from Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery here in Boston
and Flour the cookbook.
Very easy to dough to put together; came together very fast for me, and I did not use a mixer!
Everything was done by hand; used my hands to get the dough to the right consistency.
Actually I prefer using my hands when dealing with pastry doughs and breads, as we all know they can be tricky, and once you over-mix, the dough turns 'tough'.
But not all pastry doughs can be done by hand, a mixer is a must.

If you don't have a mixer and want to give this a go, then follow along with me, if you feel safer using a mixer then please do so.  The original recipe with mixer instructions can be found here.


Add butter chunks to flour and use your hands to make crumbly.

This is what is looks like after you add in the egg mixture. Will be sticky.





Pretty easy right?
It's really not that hard.
To be honest I'm not that good at measuring out the rectangles, but I did rush it.
I highly suggest getting a baker's measuring board, like this one or something similar.
I have one on my wish list.....

I made my glaze very thick. I did not want a runny glaze, I wanted a thick frosting.

Sprinkles make it all better don't they?
I got these "all natural" sprinkles from Whole Foods; no dyes or chemicals.



Cranberry toaster strudel
Pate brisee dough recipe from joanne chang
print recipe

Pâte Brisée
8 pop-tarts or one 9-inch double-crust

dough:
1 3/4 cups (245 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 TB sugar
1 ts sea salt
1 cup (2 sticks ) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 egg yolks
3 TB cold whole milk

filling:
½ cup of cranberry butter (or any filling you wish)

egg wash for gluing edges AND glazing tops:
1 egg, mixed

glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 TB whole milk
Rainbow sprinkles for sprinkling

Cook notes:
You can use whatever filling you wish.  If you use a jam, please mix a little bit of cornstarch with it to thicken it as it bakes (about ¾ ts cornstarch mixed with a little water and then add in ½ cup jam).
I do not have a mixer, and did this all by hand. Don’t run away!  It was actually quite easy and you might prefer it because you will get a better feel for the dough, and will be less inclined to overmix it. The less you work the dough the more flaky the crust. Of course if you have a mixer and feel more comfortable, then please go ahead and use it.
I made my glaze very thick, as I did not want it to dribble down the edges.  If you prefer a more runny glaze, then just add a bit more milk.
I used the cranberry butter from Trader Joe’s; you can use any type of cranberry butter you like though.
I was horrid at measuring out the squares for the dough; I did not follow my own instructions!
Bad baker.  If you follow them you should get 7-8 rectangles; I only got 7.
And remember if dough gets too sticky while your measuring or filling it, just pop it back in the fridge.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, and salt) until combined.
In a cup, whisk the egg yolks and milk until blended; set aside.
Get a large sheet of plastic wrap ready, and set aside, near your workstation.  This is what we will place the dough in once it’s mixed.
Place butter chunks in the flour mixture, and using your hands just crumble everything together until you have a crumbly dough, and dough holds together well when squeezed.  And making sure there aren’t any giant clumps of butter left; small clumps are fine though!
Don’t worry if there is still flour in bottom of bowl—that’s fine!
Add in the egg mixture and mix again using your hands until you have a nice sticky mess.
At this point I’m supposed to dump dough onto a floured work surface and knead a little bit; I did not see the point in this as I wanted to work the dough as little as possible.
Dump the dough onto plastic wrap, flatten to about 1-inch thick in a circle or square, cover very well, and place in fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Do not let this sit in fridge more than 48 hours; it starts to turn a little sour and will harden.

When ready to bake, take dough out of fridge and let it sit about 15 minutes; if your kitchen runs hot or the season, then you might not need to let it sit.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

Divide dough in half. Press each half into a rectangle. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half into a 14-by-11-inch rectangle. Using a paring knife, lightly score 1 rectangle into eight 3 1/2-by-5 1/2-inch rectangles (about the size of an index card).

Brush the edges of the rectangle with the beaten egg; this will be our glue to stick the rectangles together.  Important step!
Spoon 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of cranberry jam in a mound in the center of each scored rectangle; don’t let the jam go to the edges!
Place the second large dough rectangle directly on top of the first.
Using fingertips, carefully press down all around each jam mound, so the pastry sheets adhere to each other.  I then used a fork to crimp the edges.  You can also use a fluted roller if you have one.
Place the rectangles about an inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the tops of the pastries are evenly golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.

For the glaze:
Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, and milk until you get the right consistency you want.  I made mine very thick, like a paste. If you want thinner just add more milk or a hint of vanilla extract.
Sprinkle with sprinkles for a nice decorative touch.  You might have to push the sprinkles down a lot to make them stay put in the frosting.
You should get 8 rectangles; I only got 7 but that’s because I didn’t measure them right.

friday links

Happy Friday!


What's yours?


A Massachusetts native came up with "Mensch on a Bench" after he and his son were shopping
in Bloomingdales son asked if he could have the "Elf on a Shelf" and he replied "no, we're Jewish". Confused, son asked what do we have, and Dad being quick-witted said we have "a Mensch on a, um, a, bench!"  And so began the creation.  So very clever.  And so popular that they are already sold out for 2013, taking orders only for 2014.


I was asked to try out the Fruttare Fruit Bars.
I only wish I had found these this summer.
They are so good.  Fruit and milk frozen treats, almost like a fruit-cremesicle.
I loved the banana and peach.
But they have a whole line of other flavors: strawberry, coconut, lime, mango, lime.


So this happened this week, and it was quite good!


My dear friend, Meagan Micozzi of Scarletta Bakes has her first cookbook out: The New Southwest.
I am so proud of you girl!
If you love southwest cooking, then you'll love this with southwest flavors in a modern twist.



The New Southwest by Meagan Micozzi: "...when Meagan Micozzi relocated to the desert of Arizona, she literally felt like a fish out of water. Finding comfort and inspiration in local foods, flavors and ingredients, Micozzi soon had a new mission: interview native home cooks, research recipes, and then perfect techniques until she had them just right. She launched the Scarletta Bakes blog in 2011 to document her adventures in the kitchen. Since then, thousands of readers have sought out the blog for its innovative approach to southwestern food...."

If you can believe it, my friends are still surfing!
I think we all get together just to "be & watch the beauty of the surf" (a surf thing), but yesterday the swell was decent and the sun was bright.
I didn't go in, don't have a winter wetsuit...yet.  Hope to get one soon.
But isn't this photo stunning?
It was a good day.


Do you need a few ideas for holiday gifts?
Why not make homemade candy?
Candy has a better shelf life than a cake, cookie or bread. And who doesn't love a creative. homemade candy all wrapped up in a nice pretty box?  I know I would love it.
Here are a few ideas:

Espresso Buttercreams


cookie butter-cream cheese trufles


My favorite: white chocolate-mint Nestle Crunch Bars


coconut-cream truffles


homemade peanut butter cups


ginger-peanut chews


Around the web:

Polenta pizza (looks so easy)
DIY mini fondant figures
sweet potato & bacon tots w/ creamy mustard sauce
can turmeric ease arthritis?
a review of Lay's Chocolate covered potato chips
how the flu escapes immunity
I really, really, really want these long fingerless gloves from Ibex.
DIY homemade bacon (yes it's that easy!)
Attention espresso lovers! coffee may help perk up your blood vessels!  
5 obvious things you must do to be healthy
LOVE this -----> map of the modern writer's mind
a very easy gingerbread cookie recipe
newest fragrance love: Turquatic by MAC. Get the rollerball!
how to make 8 grilled cheese sandwiches at once
gingerbread-almond butter
the differences between men & women (funny!)
vegan baking guide
wonderful! how to temper chocolate
the no sleep podcast: for those who LOVE horror stories
top neurologist says grains are bad for your brain (agree/disagree?)
science of cake baking: 6 common baking pitfalls to avoid
roasted cinnamon-date bars
ugly christmas sweater cookie kit
how to make kanafeh (sweet cheese pastry)
waffle maker hash browns
DIY novelty print cotton dress (so cute!)
watch a crab climb out of its shell
nut consumption linked to reduced death rate
have kids on a time out?  use this DIY "relax bottle/time out timer"
canadians rescue a shark choking on a moose
how to de-seed a pomegranate in 3-seconds
DIY homemade white chocolate
how to take panoramic photos
Gabriella Miller (2003 - 2013) talks about the need for constant awareness of childhood cancer

landfill dogs.org 
   These are not just cute pictures of dogs. These are dogs who have been homeless for at least two weeks, and now face euthanasia if they do not find a home. Each week for 18 months (late 2012–early 2014) I bring one dog from the county animal shelter and photograph him/her at the local landfill.

   The landfill site is used for two reasons. First, this is where the dogs will end up if they do not find a home. Their bodies will be buried deep in the landfill among our trash. These photographs offer the last opportunity for the dogs to find homes.

   The second reason for the landfill location is because the county animal shelter falls under the same management as the landfill. This government structure reflects a societal value: homeless cats and dogs are just another waste stream. However, this landscape offers a metaphor of hope. It is a place of trash that has been transformed into a place of beauty. I hope the viewer also sees the beauty in these homeless, unloved creatures.

   As part of this photographic process, each dog receives a car ride, a walk, treats, and about 2 hours of much-needed individual attention. My goal is to offer an individual face to the souls that are lost because of animal overpopulation, and give these animals one last chance. This project will continue for one year, so that we can see the landscape change while the constant stream of dogs remains the same.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

sea salted pumpkin-oat cookies

I do love a good salted oatmeal cookie.
A nice thick, crisp outside, soft in the middle, salted oatmeal cookie.
Just enough sweet in the middle to offset the salty top.
And now we can add pumpkin to it!
So this is for all those pumpkin emails I received asking for MORE pumpkin cookies recipes that aren't terribly time consuming.
Speaking of pumpkin, I hope you've tried baking with pumpkin butter?
pumpkin bread chocolate bark
pumpkin snack cake with buttercream frosting
pumpkin butter crunch bars
AND of course the ever popular pumpkin oreo's!

I got a lot of compliments on these cookies.
A nice gentle pumpkin flavor, the nuttiness of the oatmeal and just the right amount of sea salt on top to balance all the flavors out.
I love that pumpkin butter adds the flavor of pumpkin without all that wetness that a pumpkin can sometimes do to a cookie.

I can't tell you how fast the 1st batch and then the second batch were eaten!
Like a vacuum sucks in air---gone baby gone!

I do like making my cookies a tad bigger than most people (shocker I know).
Here I used a medium ice cream scoop.
If you want smaller cookies-please go ahead; you might want to reduce the baking times.
And please, don't forget that little bit of sea salt on the tops?  OK?

Right out of the oven they will be very soft and delicate--just let them rest a bit and firm up;
it will be worth the wait--I promise

salty pumpkin-oatmeal cookies
recipe from vanillasugarblog.com
print recipe

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp (16 TB)
¾ cup light brown sugar, NOT packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
3 oversized TB pumpkin butter (I used Trader Joe’s)
1 ¾ cups bread flour
¾ cup flour
1 ts baking powder
1 ts baking soda
1 ts sea salt
½ TB cinnamon
2 cups of rolled oats (not quick cooking!)
sea salt for sprinkling the tops

Cook notes:  I used Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter.  You can use any type of pumpkin butter.  I do like to make my cookies larger than normal, so if you wish to make smaller cookies just watch the baking times as smaller cookies may need less time in the oven. Once the dough is mixed, it really needs to chill and set up; if you skip this step you might have flatter cookies.
As always I like to remind everyone that I don’t have a mixer, so everything I mix is by hand; if you have one lucky you!

In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients.
In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugars; add in the eggs, pumpkin butter and mix.
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix till just combined--don't overmix.
Next, by hand, add in the rolled oats.
Cover dough well with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight (I let this sit in fridge 48 hours and it was fine).
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line up two baking sheets with parchment paper or whatever method you use for baking cookies.
Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop out and place on cookie sheet about an inch apart.
Sprinkle tops with sea salt before baking.
Bake for about 13-17 minutes.
Rotate pans halfway through baking.
You'll know they are done when the bottoms are almost crisp/set up and the tops have a gentle crisp to them. It's really easy to overbake them, so definitely check at the 13-minute mark.
Makes about 18-22 cookies? (I’m sorry I can’t remember!  LOL)