Kick out the Jam(s)*

I had a pie crust in my fridge that was at real risk of needing to be thrown out. I couldn’t have that. I also had spent most of the weekend riding motorbikes & looking at motorbikes and was exhausted and making an entire pie wasn’t in the cards.  I was feeling something small and quick, so fancy pop-tarts it was.

Gruyere Bread

Today is the first real cold day we’ve had in Portland this fall – my plants have all died (whoops), days are depressingly dark, the heavy coat has come out…what better time to bake bread.

Chocolate Hazelnut (Nutella) Brownies

Dispatches from the Islands: Avocado Ice Cream

I recently returned from a week in Hawaii, visiting friends who live on the big island. They live just south of Kailua-Kona, on 5 acres that are planted with a variety of nuts, fruits, vegetables and coffee (and which 17 chickens, 5 guinea pig rescues,  2 dogs, 1 cat and a rooster call home).

2014 and Coffee & Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

In 2012 I challenged myself to bake something new each week of the year.

In 2013 I kept trying new things, refining my skills and experimenting with recipes I was familiar with.

In 2014 I am going to start writing my own recipes.  I already tend to stray from nearly all the recipes I use, so it’s just another hop, skip & jump to start creating my own (simple, no? Right.). I’ll still bake from recipes (best way to learn!), but I am going to spend a good portion of this year focused on creating and testing my own.

Peppermint Patty Brownie

I really didn’t want to like this brownie. It’s filled with commercial candies, and I typically find bars/cookies/brownies filled with a pre-made item, cheating and cheap.  These brownies prove me wrong, while they are easy, they are also delicious. My brother asked me to make cookies (or similar) for his “class” that he worked with this year as part of the process of getting his teaching credentials. I said sure, one part because I love baking for other people, and two parts because my brother taxis me to and from the airport on a regular basis, and is also head counselor at Kitten Camp while I’m travelling about the globe.  Baking a batch of something is the least I can do.

Bananas

Is there a bad time for banana bread? I think not. Luckily, there are endless variations on banana bread to keep you in the stuff all year without getting bored (just what we all need, right?)

No whey! Nutella!

Whenever I hear about someone not being able to eat one of their favorite foods due to an allergy or dietary problem, I immediately start thinking how I could make said favorite food within their restrictions.  I think I do this because: 1.  I love food. You love food. Most people love food. It holds a sentimental and joyful place in our lives.  Not being able to eat your favorite food sounds like a nightmare and 2. I problem solve, it’s just what I do. Sometimes it’s real annoying, sometimes it’s real delicious. Like this time.

Sweet Tart

I remember the very first time I had a strawberry rhubarb pie.

I was 12 years old and with my dad in Washington State. We were visiting his family, notably I was meeting one of my Aunts for the very first time.  It was a big deal because our family is very close on both my Mom’s and my Dad’s side. I grew up knowing and playing with my cousins, and having extended parents in my Aunts and Uncles. I think the first time I remember knowing my Dad had a sister was around 5th grade.  She had had a rough life, been into drugs & alcohol and wasn’t very close to the family.  By the time I was 12, she had gotten clean and was starting to rebuild her life and her connections with family, including meeting me.

Treachery of Images, not Ice Cream

Things are rarely what they seem.

Jobs.
Relationships.
People.
Pictures.

Not so with baking. It’s science: formulas, measurements, reactions. You can generally predict the outcome of a recipe based on the ratio of ingredients and applications used. Perhaps that is why I like it so much, there are rules.