Apparently Minnesota is the land of scandal this holiday season. First there was pointergate. And now? Now we have grapegate.
It all started when the New York Times ran an article on what Thanksgiving dish best “evokes” a given state. They bestowed grape salad upon our unsuspecting state, to which they earned a collective response of “Um….what’s grape salad?” which is passive aggressive code for “WTF NYT?!” Continue reading
Have I ever told you how much my grandpa loves ice cream?
When I was little, we took a trip to a family reunion – my mom, grandpa, sister, and I. With no clue who these really old people were, and not very many children to play with, I remember very little of the reunion besides intense boredom and hot dogs.
What I do remember was the journey out to where ever it was we were going. Why? Two things: Continue reading
Can we talk about how it was 72 degrees yesterday? And I wore flip flops? And my toes saw the sun for the first time in 6 months?
Because that was awesome.
Soon it will be time to eat all my meals outside (when possible), curse the wind because it keeps blowing my skirt up and I’m not wearing thermal leggings because it isn’t -40 degrees outside, and bust out the SPF 50. Continue reading
Yes, it’s St. Patrick’s Day. And yes, most things in life right now are green and minty.
But I’m gonna go ahead and do a 180. I’m bringing you peanut butter.
And if you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of brushing your teeth after you’ve had peanut butter toast for breakfast, you know exactly how much peanut butter and mint don’t go together.
Not quite as bad as mint and orange juice, that’s truly the worst. But PB + Mint made a really good run for 2nd place.
Why did I ignore everything green, minty, Bailey’s, and Guinness to bring you this chocolatey, peanut buttery goodness instead?
Because apparently I am really bad at being Irish this year. Like I forgot to wear green today, bad. Continue reading
Barefoot Contessa, you are a big liar.
The yield of this recipe is 18-20 cupcakes my ass. Continue reading
Other titles I considered for this post: OMG Bars, Chocolate Avalanche Bars, and anything with “Amazing” in it.
These are some of the easiest bars I have ever made, and definitely some of the most delicious.
Because they are basically sugar and fat. That’s why. These are bars you should only ever make in a situation where you are going to give them all away because you will eat the whole pan if you keep them in the house. Continue reading
Well, 2014 certainly got away from me. And we’re only 11 days in.
I had all these lovely blog post ideas floating around in my head. Food photographed, recipes marked, a schedule set up, and then BAM, the world goes nuts.
Why?
Because it got crazy cold in Minnesota. Local news cold. National news cold. International news cold. Live interview on BBC News cold.
In my non-cooking hours, I handle the communications for a nonprofit in Minneapolis called YouthLink, we work with homeless teens and young adults, 16-24. And if there’s one thing that makes a human interest piece human, it’s insanity that is being homeless when the wind chill is -40 degrees below zero. Continue reading
It’s the year of the bar.
I’m serious you guys, think about it. Cupcakes have made their mark. Cake pops were all the rage. Donuts are happening now. Cookies have their moment ever year around Christmas.
But where are the bars!? Heaven in your hand. More versatile than a cookie, easier to eat on the go than cake, these stackable delights are due for their revival.
We’ve all been there.
Someone you weren’t expecting gives you a gift, and suddenly you’re left with 48 hours before everyone leaves the office for Christmas and no gift to give your surprise Santa.
Don’t panic. I’ve devised the perfect solution. All you need are 4 simple ingredients in your pantry, and you’ll be safe-guarded against impromptu gifting. Continue reading
I have a real problem buying apples.
There, I said it. I admit it. I can’t stop.
I cannot stop buying apples. I’m at the farmer’s market, my arms are already weighed down with melons, corn, red peppers, zucchini, and something else that’s making my bag really heavy, when I decide I NEED apples. Continue reading
The Culinary Capers 