Cranky Cupcake Class

Constructive criticism:

1. Start the class on time.
2. Have finished products to use as examples, so students can see what they're working toward.
3. If a take-home decorating set is part of the price of class, be sure you have enough sets for the number people you allow to register for class.
4. Provide a plastic or paper cupcake box for transportation, so the cupcakes don't look like this when they get to their final destination:

Cane Syrup Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

The book says that the syrup "...helps keep these chewy, nicely spiced cookies exceptionally moist." Yep, that's what I'm looking for.

The only problem is that I ate mine warm from the oven as my 3 p.m. snack. So I don't know if they'll stay "exceptionally moist", but that's what I'm hoping for.

Cane Syrup Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies, The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett

Cardamom Milk Pudding

My parents will fall over laughing when they read this.

I am not a milk drinker, have never been a milk drinker, don't drink milk, don't like it, don't see the need to learn to like it, don't see the need to learn to drink it.

So why lately I am consuming copious amounts of milk products is beyond my comprehension. I'm on some sort of milk-product binge. Which is probably better for me than the coffee cake binge I was on, but I'm not sure about that. Food jags are food jags, right? Everything in moderation? Neither of these can be considered "moderate".

I've been eating vast quantities of yogurt. I -- the super-dark black coffee drinker -- have been making icy cold milky coffee. Separate and apart from my black coffee, which I'm still drinking. I finished several boxes of cereal that were in the pantry for my boy. For the milk. I couldn't care less about the cereal.

What's up with all the milk? "I don't know".

"That's a lot of dairy!" Yes, I know.

Today's milk: Cardamom Milk Pudding, Gourmet, June 2009. Heavenly!

Peach Crisp

Sunday family dinner, sitting around the table, laughing, happy mom.

Chopped Lamb Steak with Garlicky Spinach (and warm goat cheese on toasted sourdough) Food & Wine, June 2009 -- excellent

{not my}Homegrown Tomatoes

Peach Crisp with vanilla ice cream

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

B'd N'd

*S*

Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake, Abigail Johnson Dodge, Bon Appetit April 2009

Squash

As Exhibit 4 in the Why-I-Don't-Need-My-Own-Garden-or-Farmshare Argument, I present to you a yellow crookneck squash from Casey's garden, sauteed with peppers and onions from Exhibit 3.

(In case you missed them, Exhibits 1 and 2 can be found here and here.)

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

The raspberries didn't look pretty enough to justify their price tag.

Raspberry Blueberry Buttermilk Cake, Gourmet, June 2009

Happiness

Shrimp Salad Rolls with Tarragon & Chives

Summertime doesn't only mean gin & tonic, summertime also means Symphony in the Park. I enjoy putting together some pretty nice picnics. This evening's menu:

Chili Lime Cashews
Gin & Tonic

Shrimp Salad Rolls with Tarragon & Chives
Chardonnay

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake with fresh strawberries

I forgot my bubbles & wand! pooh:(

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake

Lemon-Glazed Butter Cake, wrapped in wax paper for a picnic.

Salmon with Baby Greens & Fennel

Fish with salad is my favorite dinner. I prefer a much more acidic vinaigrette, but overall I did enjoy this (because I made it much more acidic!). I love shaved fennel. And I love my fish monger, Mario.

Pan Seared Salmon with Baby Greens & Fennel, Fine Cooking #99

Green Beans with Mustard-Tarragon Vinaigrette

I continue to enjoy the farmshare box that I picked up for Silke while she was on vacation. The other day someone asked me, since I seem to get so much pleasure from picking up Jess's and Silke's boxes for them, why don't I order my own? But don't you think that sometimes you get more joy from something you don't often get? If I felt that I had to pick up and figure out how to utilize a box of produce every week (or even every other), especially considering that my husband doesn't even like vegetables, that it might become drudgery?

Green beans with mustard-tarragon vinaigrette, Fine Cooking #82
Lamb Meatballs, Fine Cooking #93
Tzatziki, Fine Cooking #93
Pita