The moment I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it out. The bright red of the cranberries and the dusting of powdered sugar makes this a perfectly festive holiday treat. The original recipe calls for a 9″x9″ baking dish. Since my 9″x9″ pan is over at The Boy’s house, I decided to use my 10″ round baking dish instead; turning the “bars” into a tart.

Feel free to add some orange zest or cinnamon into the cranberries as they cook on the stove. You could also just use your leftover relish from Thanksgiving. I enjoyed the tartness that this recipe yielded, but I might add more sugar the next time around. The shortbread-like crust could be a bit richer for my taste. Maybe a little more salt? Or salted butter instead of unsalted?

P.S. Cranberries are full of antioxidants so eat up!

Recipe follows More »

Fall is stuttering to a start. One day will be 68 and the next is 85. Mother Nature is so indecisive. I’m longing to wear a cozy sweater and to once again experience the smell of burning leaves. Until then, here are some pumpkin-pecan muffins that I have adapted from a recipe via SmittenKitchen. I found this recipe about a month ago, but just couldn’t being myself to bake it until October. For some reason I associate October with being the “Autumn-est” of all the months. Just one bite and you’ll be thinking Fall.

Click here for the recipe. I added some chopped pecans to the mix for a little more texture.

neon paint splashes, banana seats and streamers, peeling the paper off of stubby crayons, clapping erasers, M.A.S.H., cinnamon and sugar soldiers, boxy cars, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese wheels, Donkeylips, Beakman and the Sea Monkies, twirling in dresses, the time step, and new white Keds

So I finally got around to baking my first loaf of bread. It really wasn’t too difficult and the 10 minutes of kneading was actually quite relaxing. I haven’t cut into it yet, but if its appearance is any indication of the taste and texture, it should be pretty good. I’m saving the loaf for dinner, but I will be sure update you on the results later tonight.

Update: The bread is delicious; nice and crusty with a tender crumb. Even The Boy, who hates homemade bread, said he liked it. In your face Wonderbread. The only thing I would say against my work is that it’s a little spongy, but nothing I can’t perfect over time.

Fresh from the oven…
Come over and we can enjoy them together with a glass of milk
and some bad movies.

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toothpastefordinner.com

5min.com Life Videopedia has a lot of great videos for learning how to do just about anything. From skateboarding tips to how to change a diaper and burp a baby, you can find it all. I love the Food section because there are a lot of good basic kitchen tips and recipes.

This video for a Low-Fat Fettuccini Alfredo recipe has Giada-wannabe written all over it. From the awkwardly traditional Italian pronunciations to the low cut top and exuberant smile, Sandy Gold has really done her Food Network homework. It even looks like she has the same makeup artist.

Edit: Turns out the fact she wears a lot of makeup is no coincidence. Ms. Gold is a professional makeup artist. Here is her blog.

I apologize for the lack of posting lately. Finals are coming up and I don’t have as much time to sit around on my computer and look at DumbStuff let alone blog about it. Also this weekend was beautiful, so I spent a lot of my time out of doors and away from the Internet.

Eddie and I grilled some burgers and enjoyed the warm weather even if most everyone was out of town and couldn’t join us. It seems the only time that Eddie ever gets excited about cooking is when it’s done over his Weber, so maybe I’ll use this to my advantage and have him grill things other than burgers (even though he does an excellent job with burgers). Hmmm…this will call for a recipe search…maybe some grilled peaches or pork chops. Maybe I’ll wait for the Market at the Square to inspire me. Can’t wait for May 12th!

P.S. Spring! (hopefully for good!)

Cookies aren’t the only thing that I make, honest! My sweet tooth has just been acting up lately, which is not easy to ignore. But since I want to be able to fit into all those cute summer dresses hitting the stores, I decided to look around for some “lighter” recipes. I found this one thanks to the wonderful blog Nosh With Me. If you haven’t been there, you should go and take a look. There are some great baking recipes. This recipe was discovered in an issue of Cooking Light, so I’m fairly confident that they are better for you than the average snickerdoodle. As an added bonus, your home will smell so good while these are baking!

Cooking Light’s Cinnamon & Sugar Cookie More »

Recently, I’ve had cookies on the brain. Not the warm, fresh from the oven chocolaty chip kind, but the information storing cookies of the HTTP variety. In celebration of all things cookie, magic or otherwise, I’m posting my very own Chocolate Chip (non-HTTP) Cookie recipe. The key to these rich and chewy treats is the large amount of brown sugar, extra egg yolk, and kosher salt. If you don’t use kosher salt I recommend you go out and get a box the next time you have to get groceries. The flaky structure (larger surface area) allows for rapid dissolution into whatever you are cooking/baking. It also sticks very well to meat and potatoes which makes it great for searing and roasting.

Miss Anthropology’s Chocolate Chip (non-HTTP) Cookies More »