On indecision: vanilla bean pudding/custard

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Sometimes I have trouble deciding.  Which restaurant I want to eat at, what dress to wear to work, whether to do Tae Bo or yoga.  It's a curse (and, apparently, not one I face alone).  Unfortunately, this obsession with options extends to my kitchen.

The internet is a seemingly limitless resource, especially when it comes to food blogs and recipe galleries.  Which is awesome, because you can find a recipe for pretty much anything, but it's also daunting, because you can find a million recipes for the one thing you're craving.  In this case: vanilla bean pudding.

For Broseph: Snickerdoodle Blondies

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When my brother read last week's post on savory things, he was less than thrilled.  Even though he loves ceviche, it seems he reads this blog for the sugar and butter, not the olive oil and salt (mmmmmmm salt).  So, for my brother, because I love him (yes, I said it, don't blush, now!) and because he makes me laugh more than anyone else I know: snickerdoodle blondies.

It's no secret that Snickerdoodles have always been a favorite of mine.  They're sweet without being too rich, spiced without being too spicy, and just the right combo of soft and chewy.  Not to mention how easy they are.  But you know what's even easier?  Blondies.

On savory things

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*Update: The bf and I made this again today, and this time I managed to sneak a few photos of the ingredients before the sun (if it was there behind the clouds) went down.  Hopefully these will be a bit more convincing!  And in the name of bad-pic honesty, the old photos are still here, they've just been moved down to the bottom of the post.

One of the reasons I rarely post about the savory dishes I make is that, well, I don't make that many.  The bf does most of the cooking, because he enjoys it and I don't so much.  That is, I enjoy the cooking part, but prep annoys the hell out of me, whereas he loves it.  So I usually leave it to him.

But as I've mentioned before, his schedule has become more demanding in the past 6 months, so I've been stepping up more.  Which leads me to the other reason I don't often post my savory creations (besides the fact that they rarely involve more than chicken breasts and some veggie in a frying pan with olive oil and salt): I make dinner at night.

Resolution time.

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In December, I always think: I'll start off the new year with a bang!  I'll leap out of the gate and get myself organized, gym-going and writing and tidying up a storm.

And inevitably, in January, I'm in a panic, still trying to catch up with leftover work or errands from December, mired in frustration (and often self-pity), wishing I could throw it all away and start fresh again next year.

Can you guess what's coming?

Mini doughnut muffins for the holidays!

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Happy Holidays!

I'm currently riding out the rain in San Francisco, and doing more tree decorating than baking, but I thought I'd share some pics of the mini doughnut muffins I made before we left London.

They came out pretty adorable, especially in their little Martha Stewart cups.

We gave a bag of them to our porter, and I left a bunch for my friend Magda, who'll be staying in our flat sporadically while we're gone.

They make a great, easy, super-cute holiday gift!

The recipe is here.

Gram's cookies– a major meltdown story

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This is what they're supposed to look like.  Buttery, powdered-sugar-y, fluffy-but-rich little drops of chocolate-chip heaven.  

These are the cookies that made a generation of wary grandchildren smile at the expectation of a visit from a somewhat dour, WASPy (if well-meaning), grandmother.  Gram's cookies.  Usually delivered in a Folgers coffee tin, along with what she called "the healthy cookies"– basically chocolate chip with oats (healthy!), and quite scrummy, but couldn't hold a candle to THE cookies.  Once I got the recipe from my Gram, these immediately became my go-to holiday cookies (especially cute with Martha Stewart packaging):

Continuing the Workplace Takeover: Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffs

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Now this is a stroke of genius.

Shop-bought puff pastry, peanut butter, and chocolate chips; a pizza cutter (or sharp knife) and a rolling pin; an oven.  Add a half hour's attention and minimal energy (and, more importantly, minimal dishes!), et voila: Chocolate peanut butter puffs!