Another famous recipe from Gram: Mexican Brownies!

Pin It

Remember those cookies I told you about a while back?  The ones that are amazingly delicious and addictive but a little finicky?  Or the pumpkin pie, which basically put my mom's family on the map, baking-wise?  Well, they're not the only recipes my grandmother handed down– the trump card, her ace in the hole, the ultimate indulgence, was her recipe for Mexican Brownies.

Now, I know I say 'ridiculous' a lot, but this time I mean it.  These things are ridiculous.  I mean, a whole box of powdered sugar for the frosting?  Buttermilk AND margarine in the cake?  This is serious stuff, guys.  Sugar overload, and it hurts so good.

Think you don't like olives?

Pin It Well, think again!

Both my father and the bf claim to hate olives.  Usually when we go out to dinner with my parents, bowls of marinated olives are left entirely to my mom and me, the salt/vinegar lovers.  But a few years ago, my parents were visiting London and we went to a restaurant called Pied à Terre for lunch.  The food was very good, and the service was pleasant, if a bit obsequious, but what we still talk about to this day were the olives. 

Fighting winter as best we can: Mom's Chicken Pozole

Pin It

London is a cold, grey place lately.  I haven't seen the sun much (which is why you haven't seen nice pics here much), and I'm getting really really tired of finding dresses I can wear over tights/leggings without sitting at my desk all day, pulling at my midriff self-consciously.

On that note, I'm also trying to eat more foods that could be classified as 'healthy.'  Not that I'm avoiding badness altogether (stay tuned for a ridiculous chocolate cake/brownie recipe), but I have decided that one way to warm up in the midst of all this mist is to eat healthy, hearty, delicious soups.  Preferably with chili.

And that's where this pozole comes in.

On indecision: vanilla bean pudding/custard

Pin It

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

Pin It

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

Pin It

*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.

Pin It

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?