I’m not much of a drinker. Some might call me a cheap date. If you haven’t already guessed I would always prefer to chew my calories. That said, a few weeks ago a sesame-infused vodka crossed my path and I went for it! Alcohol that tastes like food is OK by me.
Read moreBlack Velvet Apricot Almond Cake
Guess what? I found an exciting hybrid fruit at the market the other day. I know hybrid fruit doesn’t sound all that appetizing but Black Velvet Apricots might be worth some hype. Fruit has hype in my world. Have you heard of them? They're really something. I know - the name is just a little too sensual for an innocent piece of fruit, right? Maybe that's just because I can’t stop singing about that little boy’s smile while I bake.
Read moreGluten Free Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
They say that you shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry. I understand the logic behind that old adage but isn’t that when buying provisions is the least tedious and the most fun? Every aisle holds so much potential for deliciousness. Plain old broccoli sounds utterly mouth-watering. Bananas feel magical. Bread could make me faint. (Well, that’s always the case.) Hungry supermarket cruising is exactly what credit cards are made for.
Read moreBlueberry Ginger Jam
I’m going to tell you the truth about this post. The tone was completely different the first time I wrote it. I was singing a completely different tune. You see, I was planning on telling you how I had come to the conclusion that all of those annoying rules about making jam at home were just for suckers. I was going to tell you that I had figured out how to make excellent jam by just trusting my heart and having fun. But then I realized that in this case my heart just couldn’t be trusted.
Read moreVegan Coconut Strawberry Ice Cream
Coconut has been enjoying some serious time in the spotlight these days
and I'm all for it. My parents were born in Sri Lanka, which is prime
coconut-eating territory. Coconut appears in some form in basically
every dish the island has to offer. Literally every one. Breakfast,
lunch, dinner, and dessert. Not to mention, the spoons are made of
coconut shells, the floor is cleaned with brooms made from coconut
fibers, the mats underfoot are woven coconut husks, the ubiquitous,
brutally strong liquor is fermented coconut sap, and if you’re my dapper
grandfather, your hair is slicked back with coconut oil.
Sour Cherry Mini Pies with Cardamom Cream
Lemon Raspberry Pound Cake
Do you remember Sara Lee pound cakes? I haven’t eaten one in some time but I still think about them. They were just the kind of convenience food that had a prominent place in our house growing up. We loved Entenmann’s too. My family didn’t discriminate when it came to premade, packaged cakes. (I’m not sure where I ever got the idea to bake something from scratch.)
Read moreStrawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Crisp
I’m on the fence when it comes to crisp. Oatmeal and fruit have a very solid place in my heart. I eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast all year long. Even when the summer gets hot I keep eating steamy bowl after steamy bowl, swapping summer berries for wintery bananas. Oatmeal & Fruit, I’m so into you. Oatmeal Crisp, I’m skeptical.
Read moreJumbleberry Jam Pie
This pie made my niece cry. Not with joy or gratitude. I think it was disgust.
She’s three. I didn’t take it personally. (Well, maybe just a smidge.) You see there’s a little secret to a neat, sliceable berry pie. Once it comes out of the oven it has to sit and wait for hours and hours. Too many hours. It must remain untouched for way too long, torturing all that pass with its sweet, buttery, berry smells, so that it can relax, cool down, and firm up.Read more