chocolate dipped apricot cookies

i'm not one to ever watch the better homes and gardens daytime tv show, but i happened to catch a segment about christmas cookies last week. maybe it was because i was in the middle of a 3-mile treadmill run at the y, but these sonsaguns looked good. so i picked up the ingredients & made them today. i'm also not one to use baking shortcuts, but the recipe called for a package of betty crocker sugar cookie mix, so i obliged.  what can i say, the holidays make us do crazy things.

you can watch the segment here, or just follow this recipe:

Dark Chocolate Apricot Cookies

ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 egg

1/4 tsp orange extract

1 package betty crocker sugar cookie mix

1 cup chopped dried apricots

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

method:

• preheat oven to 375.
• combine cookie mix, butter, orange extract and egg w/ a mixer until soft. 
• fold in apricots
• scoop out (big teaspoon sized balls) onto cookie sheet and bake until golden, about 8-10 minutes. 
• cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• when the cookies are cool, melt chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 1/2 minutes, stirring a few times.  dip in chocolate and place on a sheet of wax or parchment paper 

while taking these cookie pictures, i realized that they kinda look like moppy-haired boys. and because i have nothing better to do with my time (thanks, 10-day work break!) i photoshopped faces onto the cookies. they kinda remind me of my husband.

cookie boys

potato leek piroshkis (vegan)

for the grimey's employee holiday party, i made crescent dragonwagon's "potato leek piroshkis" from her passionate vegetarian cookbook.

first, you create a SIMPLE yeast dough in the food processor:

this was taken after the rise/punch down (see my fist impression?) 

while the dough is rising, you make the filling, which consists of potatoes, leeks, roasted garlic, fresh dill, sauerkraut and cabbage.  my filling is a pretty purple color since i used our homemade red sauerkraut:

bowl of awesome, i could eat it by the spoonful.

next, you divide the dough into 16 small balls & roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. fill with the potato mixture and create little half-moon pockets:

bake until golden:

and eat (with mustard!):

if you are curious about the recipe, let me know and i will make a photocopy for you. i tried (and failed) to find a transcribed version online, although you can see it here on googlebooks.

spandau

i paid the mister $20 to wear my sister's old homemade spandau ballet short-sleeved sweatshirt to thanksgiving dinner.  (yup, those are fuzzy iron-on letters)

 
he made friends with a lady cat that's been hanging around my dad's house. courtney first called it dion-something-or-other after some football player, but i changed it to dionne warwick after we found out it was a girl. i also called her minnie ripperton, then we went through a bunch of thanksgiving-related names: turkey, stuffing, gobble (aka "goblin"), pumpkin, etc.

side note: if you cover up the "s" and the "u" of "spandau" you're left with PANDA.  

here's a good spandau ballet song, since you're probably only familiar with "true" (ps: i heard this on 91.1 on the way to work yesterday morning (!!!) and was reminded that i never published this post, even though i've had it ready to go for a week or two):

crumble top apple pie (in pictures)

a story of pie in pictures.

1) made the crust the day before

2) made the crumble top the day before:

 3) peeled and cut a billion apples (or about 7-8 lbs worth):

Note: there's even apples on my cutting board, pepping me up in case i get off task.

4) roll out the pie crusts:

5) fill the pie shells:

6) cover with crumbles & bake:

7) PIE TIME:

notes: i follow the recipe exactly as written, except i use a variety of apples instead of strictly granny smith.  so i usually end up using a bit less sugar since some of the apples are sweeter.

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but here's the belated story on my pumpkin pie.

I did research on how to roast the pumpkin & found many different methods - I cut the pumpkins in half, scooped out the seeds & pulp, and placed cut side down in a glass baking dish filled with an inch or two of water.  375 degrees for about an hour. Scooped out the pumpkin mush and placed in a sieve to drain a little water.  Then I pureed it in my food processor to make it super smooth and ended up with this:

(I used 2 pumpkins and kept them separate.  The more yellow-ish one on the left was a little sweeter)

After looking at several pumpkin pie recipes, I decided on this one from Joy Of Baking.  (I was going to try this one instead, but I opted for the one that utilized a pastry crust).

I did do the "optional" gingersnap/pecan layer:

Final Version:

so...was the "real" pumpkin puree worth it?  i'll answer it with a resounding "maybe". it would've been interesting to make 2 different pies (one w/ canned) for a blind taste test. but let me just say this, it really isn't difficult AT ALL to roast the pumpkins. i had the mister cut them in half for me since i've been prone to stupid kitchen injuries lately (thumb cut - food processor blade / blistering steam burn - coffee pot). and i was able to use the leftovers in other recipes.  i'd do it again, definitely. i think everyone liked the pie, too.

Pre-Thanksgiving Musings (and a Recipe)

I was inspired by Kim to make my own pre-Thanksgiving post. My family’s traditional thanksgiving meal is a pretty all-American, meat-and-potatoes sort of affair. My dad handled the turkey (with my sister Carrie eagerly assisting--stuffing and handling that raw bird while Courtney and I looked on with disgust). He also made the stuffing, mashed potatoes and store-bought gravy, while my mom would make her infamous “yams” (sweet potatoes with a bunch of brown sugar and butter). Cranberry sauce (homemade) supplied by my brother-in-law. Add some canned corn and some Pillsbury biscuits, and dinner was served. My dad also made dessert: usually an apple pie or two (fresh filling, but a pre-packaged crust) and a peach pie (canned peaches + pre-packaged crust)…

Not that there’s anything wrong with any of this. This meal has deep-rooted traditions and we all happily dined upon all of its yeasty, starchy glory.

But a few years ago, the official pie torch was passed along to me, after I brazenly declared that I wanted to make “real” pie crust. So for the past few years, I’ve made a crumble-top apple pie, as well as a more traditional one too.

Last year was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so I wanted to bring some more health-conscious and veggie-friendly dishes. I made a hearty vegetable soup for lunch (since we don’t typically eat T-day dinner ‘til 6 or 7, because Carrie & co. lunch with her in-laws), and some roasted root vegetables.

This year, I’m taking Wednesday off work and going to bake 4 (FOUR!) pies - we’re expecting a few guests for dessert (Courtney’s boyfriend’s family & my dad’s Arizona ladyfriend). I am going to  roast a real pumpkin for a pumpkin pie (instead of canned), but I haven’t settled on a recipe just yet. And 2 apple pies and a to-be-determined 4th pie (if you have a knock-out recipe you’d like to share, please do).

I’m also going to make a soup again for lunch (maybe that bean soup from last week) and pumpkin garlic knots (to take the place of the pillbury rolls). And a pistachio/cranberry goat cheese log for snackin’. Oh, and I got myself a Gardein fake turkey thingy for my “main course” (although I feel somewhat guilty about relying on something store-bought. If I am pretty under control on the pie front on Wednesday, I may make myself a shepherd’s pie instead…)

I hope I’m not coming across as some sort of food elitist – my dad works his butt off every Thanksgiving to prepare the meal (he makes my mom’s Yams now, too). But I’ve gained such a greater awareness about my food over the past year & a half, and I want to see if I can add a little bit of my influence to the family meal.

What is your family dinner like?

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple and Green Onions

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
3 large beets, peeled, quartered
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
2 carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces –the thin ones with green tops taste best
2 parsnips, peeled, halved or quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion, peeled, quartered through root end
Brussels sprouts
1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix oil, syrup and garlic in small bowl. Place all remaining ingredients except butter, green onions, and additional syrup on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. (You may want to cover the baking sheet with foil). Pour oil mixture over; toss to coat. Spread out vegetables in single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer vegetables to platter. Drizzle vegetables with butter and a little more maple syrup. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve immediately.

garlic knots

seems like tastespotting and food blogs are all a-flutter with variations on these little guys, so i decided to try them out.   i followed annie's eats recipe and they turned out great.

notes:
-my dough was pretty sticky in the mixer, so i had to add probably 1/2 cup more flour. her description of dough texture was really helpful during this part. 
-when i divided the dough, i flattened out the dough ball and cut (like a pizza) into 16 pieces (instead of her 10 dough balls). 
-for the topping, i used 2 TBS melted sweet unsalted butter, 1 clove garlic, dried basil & about 1 TBS of this olive oil/garlic stuff i had in the pantry.  next time, i will add some salt. that was about the only criticism i had of the overall taste. 
-i plan on trying out (never home)maker's pumpkin version next time (maybe for thanksgiving?) so i'll report back.

hearty bean, barley & vegetable soup (vegan)

i cleaned out the pantry and unearthed a package of trader joe's "17 bean & barley" mix. i roughly followed the directions on the package (subbing whatever veggies i had on hand at the house) and a few hours later, ended up with this:

 

Bean, Barley & Vegetable Soup

ingredients:

1 16-oz package of Trader Joe's "17 Bean & Barley" soup mix

2 Boullion cubes dissolved in 4 cups boiling water (i used 1 Not-Chik'n & 1 Low Sodium Veggie) **alternately, you can use 4 cups of canned/box broth**

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes 

1 cup chopped onion (i used a mixture of red & yellow)

1 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup diced mushrooms

2 small peeled & diced red potatoes

1/2 package of thawed frozen chopped spinach

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS olive oil

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp assorted dried seasoning (i used Bragg's sprinkle...Trader Joe's also makes one)

salt & pepper 

Directions

1) if you have the foresight, soak the beans overnight. otherwise, follow the quick soak directions on the package. this takes an hour.  (thaw frozen spinach now too, if you're using it).

2) Dissolve your boullion cubes in boiling water.

3) Pour 4 cups of broth into pot with the beans.  Add whole can of diced tomatoes.

4) put olive oil in a separate saute pan, and cook vegetables (everything except the spinach), garlic and dried basil over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. 

5) put veggies into soup pot and add bay leaf, spinach, seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cover with more water (2 cups) and stir everything up. 

6) Cover pot and simmer for about 2 hrs. Occasionally check liquid level and add more broth or water if necessary.  the beans were a little hard the first night we ate this, but softened up for the leftovers. 

A note on the vegetables: 

seriously, use up whatever you have. sweet potatoes would be good instead of the red potatoes. bag of frozen corn? use it if you want. same goes with green beans, red peppers, zucchini, etc.  kale would be good instead of spinach. recipe on the package calls for celery - i hate celery, so i left it out.

My ultra-lazy quick thaw method for frozen spinach is as follows: put frozen block of spinach in a metal sieve. run hot water over it until it starts to break up. Press out excess water. 

i'm sure i end "pressing out" vitamins, so if you plan on using frozen spinach, it would probably be best to thaw it when you're quick soaking the beans.

i like: world market

i like world market. for those of you who have never been in one, it's kind of a cross between pier 1 (worldly home goods), ikea (cheap kitchen stuff like plates and glasses) and specialty/international grocery store (huge candy/random food & beer selection). it's one of those stores (along with kohl's and victoria's secret) (*see below*) that actually pays the customer to shop there. granted, you must sign up for their "rewards" program (it's free), but they constantly send out $10 off/$30 purchase coupons.  and tonight, i qualified for a 15% off a southwest airfare (!).  i must purchase the ticket in the next few weeks and travel by the end of january, so let me know if you want to take a trip with me! ha ha!

got all this for $28  

(white cheddar cheese snacks, big bag o'coffee, butterscotch chips, mineral water, sparkling fruit juices, mini muffin tin, 

and 4 boxes of assorted old school sodas)

also, their coffee is good, cheap, and you get a free bag after purchasing 6 (they keep track electronically, so you don't have to carry around a silly punch card). one 24-oz bag ($8.79) fills up the trader joe's coffee containers roughly 2 1/2 times.  coffee is my vice of choice, so i might as well be rewarded for drinking it.

i got 4 of these (each box has 10 "old school" sodas) - 75% halloween clearance for $2.50 (!) each.

these are the curtains i got for the computer room a few months ago 

*kohl's and victoria's secret*

does everyone else get FREE panty coupons? a lot? because i do. i have a whole drawerful of free VS panties. i think they hate me because i go in, get my freebie, and never buy anything (it explicitly says "no purchase necessary). but they keeping sending me the coupons, so they must still love me. or think they can brainwash me to eventually spend too much money on one of their bras.  but i'm a department-store-bra kinda gal. like macy's, or kohl's.  

(segue way) 

i constantly get $10 kohl's gift cards in the mail, which i use toward the purchase of (aforementioned) underthings, kitchen gadgets, dorky work pants (gloria vanderbilt and lee, say what!).  i usually end up spending a little money there, so i'm not bamboozling them the way i am victoria's secret.   

PS: the latest VS coupon i got is for a FREE LACIE THONG. i have no use for this. if i did have a use for it, i have no idea what that use would be.  so if you'd like it (all 3 of my {possible thong-wearing} readers, i'm talking to you)... leave a comment by wednesday the 10th and i'll randomly pick a winner (using this website). and then you can explain to me why women wear thongs. i promise i won't judge you. just like you shouldn't judge me for wearing cotton briefs.

(vegan) pear hazelnut bread recipe

i took a recipe for cooking light's hazelnut-pear tea bread recipe (found in this cookbook) and turned it vegan.   my adapted version is as follows:

(vegan) hazelnut pear bread
ingredients:
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup shredded peeled pear (about 2 medium)  *i used 1 large pear & 1 small gala apple
1/2 cup sugar
3 TBS canola oil
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 TBS applesauce
1 TBS ground flax seed + 3 TBS water

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place hazelnuts in a small ovenproof dish & toast in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3. Mix ground flax seed and water well and let sit for 10 minutes. in the meantime...
4. Combine flours, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in the center.
5. Combine pear, sugar, oil, lemon rind, vanilla, applesauce and flax mixture; mix well.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring just until moist.
7. Spoon batter into a 8x4 loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 55 minutes (test w/ a toothpick).

notes:
this was my first time "veganizing" a recipe on my own.  i had made this bread twice before so i was familiar with how the original is meant to taste (and just as importantly, what the texture's supposed to be like). since the original called for an egg & an egg white, i thought i'd try out 2 different egg substitutes.  i've had good luck with the flax mixture in the past, and since the bread is based around pears, i figured applesauce was a natural pairing.  i also used 1/4 cup less sugar than the original called for, and after tasting the batter, it was totally sweet enough. that's one of the benefits of vegan baking - the ability to taste the batter without fear of salmonella poisoning!

show review: the walkmen, louisville, ky 10/21/10

i made a semi-last-minute decision to drive up to louisville last night (by myself) to see the walkmen. i justified it this way: 1) no nashville show's been announced yet 2) it's only 3 hrs away 3) they've officially knocked r.e.m. and radiohead out of my "favorite band" spot.  when i arrived (after getting lost, stopping for help 2x and finally calling my friend brandon for help...), the 2nd band was about to start (japandroids) - they reminded me a little of mission of burma.  zanzabar is SMALL. like, the basement small. i realize that my own enjoyment of shows partially comes from seeing the band up close (what's the point if you're in the back and all you can hear are drunk people chattering?) so when japandroids finished up i pushed (uh, politely of course) my way up front right in front of the piano.

i am really bad at expressing why certain things move me and others do not (guess that's why i am an amateur blogger and not a big-time music writer...) so i don't think this is going to turn you into a walkmen fan. they're definitely one of those bands that hit you or not; you love them or you don't.  i saw them for the first time at the slow bar - and every time i've seen them since then, i walk away with a greater love and appreciation.  so anyway - this show was fantastic.  kinda like the basement experience, except i wasn't drunk and rollum & co. didn't get up on stage and play with hamilton (i remember turning to courtney and alexis saying "is this really happening?!?")  they played several songs off 'lisbon' (juveniles, angela, while i shovel the snow, victory) and threw in plenty of other stuff too (we've been had, all hands on the cook, canadian girl, in the new year).  it was great to hear the title track from 'everyone who pretended...' and i will never grow tired of 'on the water.'  i asked pete for his set list - it's harder to decipher than features' set lists and i'm still trying to figure out what 'puppies' is (i think it was 'woe is me').   here's hoping they'll come to nashville again soon.

favorite song:


one of my favorites from 'lisbon':

aloo gobi (with sweet potatoes)

i was flipping through the channels one night and caught "the spice goddess" show on the cooking channel. she was making cauliflower with sweet potatoes - seemed easy enough so i found the recipe and made it a few days later.  this is a good thing to try if you've never fixed indian at home - no weird spices required, so you won't have to make a run to the international market just to make this.  the recipe doesn't note this, but on the tv show she ended up adding some water to the mixture (which i did). it ended up a bit mushy (due to the water & way longer cooking time) but i like it that way.  i also added some cayenne pepper.  not the most photogenic dish, but it IS tasty:

turmeric sure does make things super yellow

caramel apple cheesecake

the mister isn't into (traditional) birthday cake, so to celebrate his 31st, i made annie's eats' caramel apple cheesecake pie.  it's pretty time-consuming, so i recommend only making this for people whom you love dearly (or people who are paying you).

followed the recipe as-is, except for the following:
1) for the crust, i used half graham cracker crumbs and half gingersnap cookie crumbs
2) i did NOT make the topping (whipped cream + more caramel). i figured there was already enough fat & sugar in the rest of the cake.

next time, i'll probably use less sugar for the apples. and the parchment paper circle helped a whole lot.

it's pac man!  no, it's caramel apple cheesecake! 

best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

the mister's favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip, so i've tried about 10 different recipes over the years. the gold standard has been set by great harvest bakery's offering, so we seem to compare everything i make to those cookies. while these don't really taste like the great harvest cookies, i feel like i've found THE recipe and can stop looking. (i found it on a mexican food blog, no less...guess you can end up in unexpected places when searching for recipes...)

new subway tile in the kitchen!

backsplash: BEFORE

one of my least favorite things about our house was the half-assed backsplash behind the sink, which was made out of those sticky floor tile squares. i hated it. yet, it took us almost 6 years to do something about it.   my dad & i both came to the conclusion that we loved the look of white subway tiles & hired his neighbor's brother-in-law (who used to build log cabins in colorado) to install them for us.  we both wavered back and forth on the grout color - settled on gray at first, but after talking to carolyn, i realized i really wanted white.  so i changed my mind. and then my dad did too.  i am super happy with the results.

new backsplash: AFTER! 

behind the stove before & after:

katie's seitan reuben recipe

 

katie's seitan reuben (makes 2 open face sandwiches. probably enough for 2 people but i usually eat the whole darn thing myself).

ingredients:

-1/2 small yellow onion 

-2 oz (approx 1/4 package) of Westsoy Seitan strips

-1 tsp (or a nice, healthy squirt) Bragg's liquid aminos

-1 slice of swiss cheese

-2 slices of rye bread

-mayo/ketchup or mustard

-sauerkraut 

directions:

• thinly slice half a small onion and saute in a nonstick skillet (with a little olive oil or cooking spray) over medium heat - for about 10 minutes, or until the onion gets nice and brown.
• add the seitan and the liquid aminos and cook 2 minutes.
• meanwhile, toast the rye bread and coat with a thin layer of "secret sauce" (mayo + ketchup) or mustard. 
• turn down the heat & put the cheese over the seitan/onion mixture. cover and cook until cheese is melty - about a minute.
• put that on the bread and top (or serve with) sauerkraut. 

notes: i am fortunate enough to have a husband who makes his own sauerkraut, so our fridge is usually stocked with the stuff. for you "regular" sauerkraut-less folks, i suggest Bubbies.

vegan potluck & blueberry buckle recipe

last week, we were invited to a vegan potluck dinner in honor of a friend's birthday. the food spread was unbelievable - lentil stew, cashew cheese, samosa pie, spicy greens, beet chocolate cake, brownies, lemon cookies... the mister contributed chana masala and i brought this blueberry buckle. recipe can be found here. 

(notes: i used frozen blueberries instead of fresh - i don't think they were defrosted enough and as such, the batter was really cold. consequently, this needed to bake WAY longer than called for (like, 30 minutes more). the next day when i removed it from the springform pan, it still didn't seem done enough, so i put it on a cookie sheet and cooked for 20 MORE minutes.  leftovers were stored in the fridge - really good warmed up in the toaster oven w/ a little earth balance).

eggless french toast

i'm not crazy about eggs, so i looked around for recipes for "eggless french toast".

single serve (2 slices) eggless french toast (adapted from various online sources. can be vegan depending on your bread):

ingredients:
-1/2 banana
-1/4 cup almond milk
-big dash of cinnamon
-sprinkling of cornstarch
-little bit of vanilla
-2 slices of bread

directions:

• combine the first 5 ingredients in a small food processor for a minute. 

• pour mixture over 2 slices of bread - smush the bread slices together so that the bread soaks the mixture in a little.  

• cook in nonstick skillet (coated w/ cooking spray over medium heat) until brown (approx 5 minutes each side - until the bread firms up a little and gets nice and toasty).  

• top with your favorite toppings. i used powdered sugar, more cinnamon and earth balance. nutella or maple syrup would be delicious too. 

salt & pepper shakers

and now for an update on my salt & pepper shaker collection. i've run out of room atop my kitchen cabinets, so i've been more selective about purchasing/displaying them. my dad (bless his heart) buys me gas station s&p shakers whenever he goes on road trips, but i don't have the heart to tell him i am only interested in old ones. anyway...my interests now lean toward the weird, bizarre vintage ones.

not that weird, but cute: 

mama polar bear holding her cub (estate sale, murfreesboro, $2)

Can't really tell what's going on here:

c

cats? with monocles? (estate sale, murfreesboro, $2)

JFK on Rocking Chair (yes...this is meant to be JFK. it says so on his rocking chair)

i like how his eyes make him look slightly doofy (antique store, nolensville, $12)

(vegan) lemon poppy seed muffins

i've made a few things from isa chandra moskowitz's "vegan brunch" cookbook & they've all been great (pumpkin bran muffins, zucchini spelt muffins). some other vegan baked goods i've made have turned out too gummy and you could definitely tell that something was amiss; not so with the muffins in this book. these are as easy as can be and delicious!  and you don't even miss the eggs and butter (i promise).

recipe can be found here.

ps: i might have asked/pondered this before, but what are the 'rules' about posting a recipe from a cookbook? do you have to ask permission? can you get in trouble if they were to find it?

relatively healthy peach dessert crumble

Ginger Peach Crumble (adapted from moosewood restaurant low-fat favorites)

ingredients:
1 pound frozen unsweetened sliced peaches or 3 cups peeled fresh peach slices
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled gingersnaps (about 8 gingersnaps)
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (my addition)
1 tablespoon butter or Earth Balance (my addition)

method:
-preheat the oven to 425.
-Evenly distribute the peach slices in the bottom of an unoiled 8-inch glass square baking dish. -Sprinkle the lemon juice over the peaches.
-Combine cinnamon, gingersnaps, brown sugar and hazelnuts in a small food processor. add the butter & pulse til crumbly.
-Sprinkle on top of peaches. Bake for about 25 minutes until the peaches are tender.

i used one of those recipe calorie analyzer thingys and came up with approx 700 for the whole dish. divided into 4 servings, that's only 175 calories per serving. now, you shouldn't necessarily eat the whole thing by yourself (like it did), but it was last night's dessert, today's breakfast, and tonight's dessert...  you don't even miss not having a crust and vanilla ice cream.

Master Bathroom re-do

realized i never shared before-and-afters from the "great snowstorm of 2010 master bathroom re-do"(back in january). i removed the grody wallpaper, primed the walls and painted them a nice greyish color ("100 acre raindrops" from the disney color collection by behr from home depot). it was a little more purple than i expected, so i was afraid it was going to clash with the brownish counter & shower, but i found a good shower curtain (on sale from urban outfitters) that actually tied the room together.  i wasn't 100% in love with the color but kept it anyway, thinking we were gonna put the house on the market soon. but...doesn't look like selling is in our near future, so i guess i'm just going to live with it for now.