Sunday, October 31, 2010

Because I'm an Overacheiver

... I do this for the trick-or-treaters that come to my house.  Yes, I make them treat bags, as though they were guests at some party I'm not having.  

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Birfday Cards

So I finally had time to do something crafty.  Sort of out of necessity, because we're going to a birthday party tonight and I don't buy cards in the store anymore because a) they're lame, and b) they're so much cheaper to make yourself!

I'll admit these aren't my most creatively inspired cards ever.  My creative energy appears to expressed in my breast milk (which leaves me at an alarming rate thanks to The Small One who is constantly hungry.) Did I mention he's a month old today and wearing 3-month-old clothes already?

Wait, what was I talking about?  Oh, right.  Birthday cards.  Like I said, not the most inspired, but at least they're cute.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Kitchen Tools

Overall, I don't believe that one needs fancy tools to cook a decent meal.  Basic pots and pans and spatulas usually do the trick, although sometimes the cheap things are more trouble than they're worth.  But as I was looking through my kitchen, I realized that there are 2 tools that I can't live without.

First is my kitchen scale.



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Cooking: My Philosophy

I love food.  I love eating food and cooking food and serving food to others.  It makes me sad when people say they can't cook, because I think a lot of people are overly intimidated by recipes.  Really, there are only a few types of foods that require a lot of precision and can be wrecked easily, but your average dinner shouldn't be one of those things.  Even if you don't do things exactly like the recipe says, most things are salvageable and will still end up tasting good.  There are so many easy and delicious recipes out there, there's no reason your average person shouldn't be able to make a healthy and tasty meal for themselves and their family.

In the cooking section of this blog, I hope to share simple and fantastic recipes that anyone can make, regardless of their culinary expertise.  And I'll post pictures of every step so there's no confusion.  I hope everyone who reads this can find something they can try and can be successful doing!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Basic Scones

I have a two-and-a-half week old Punkin, which makes for interesting mornings.  Primarily it makes it difficult to get breakfast.  He's kind of demanding. So I decided to make Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread from a recipe I found on Tasty Kitchen, since it would be something I could eat for breakfast with one hand.  But then I didn't have enough pumpkin.  So I made scones instead.

This is a recipe I've been using for a long time, actually since Home Ec class in high school.  It's basic and can be adapted in many different ways by throwing in some dried fruit, chocolate, citrus zest, or some combination of those.  They're very simple to make and taste delicous.  These scones have a lighter texture than the scones you would get at your local coffee shop, and if you'd like a denser scone you can add some additional flour to this recipe.