I have successfully made macarons before, but today was not one of those days. This month we made macarons, one of my favorite cookie sandwiches, but it just didn't work out for me. Don't get me wrong, they were good. But wrong. They were too sticky, didn't have feet, and felt wrong. I usually make the recipe from Gourmet, but I tested out this recipe. It worked for some other people, but not for me. Oh well. The 2009 October Daring Bakers' challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose maca... Read Full Story

I get free magazines from work. It's pretty cool, I love magazines. It takes me forever to get through them all, though. I just finished last months Cook's Illustrated and decided to make this for dinner, and Alex was soooo happy. He loves soups and I love dumplings, we're a good pair.Chicken and DumplingsFrom Cook's Illustrated, kind of.6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighssalt and pepper2 t olive oil2 small onions, diced3 carrots, peeled and chopped3 ribs celery, chopped1/2 bulb fennel, chopped... Read Full Story

Oops! Better late than never. This month we made pho, which I love. Pho is a Vietnamese dish of broth with rice noodles and meat, and you get to customize it to your taste. Served alongside is usually a plate of sprouts, lime, chilis, basil, and maybe a few other things. I added scallions, cilantro, and onion as well. The October 2009 Daring Cooks' challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook.Vietnamese Pho... Read Full Story

I've been on a pancake binge. When I went to Massachusetts a few weeks ago my mom bought some Kinnikinnick pancake mix, and oof it's delicious. I snagged a bag of it at the Wholefoods up there, since my store doesn't carry it.I've gotten up early a few times in the last week or two to make pancakes before work. Then maybe I eat them all. I love pancakes.This mix has pea starch, which helps make the mix high in fiber and protein. And it's easy, delicious, and makes yummy pancakes. Get it here ... Read Full Story

At work the demo team was sampling pulled pork the other day, and it smelled sooooo good. The recipe they used had Worcestershire sauce (questionable) and soy sauce (gluten). I had all the ingredients at home to make it, so I did. I changed a few things, using chicken instead of pork, adding a pinch of pepper flakes, and adding an apple. Pomegranate pulled chickenFrom a Wholefoods recipe2/3 c pomegranate molasses1 small can of tomato sauce1 T gf soy sauce1 T Worcestershire saucea big pinch of... Read Full Story

I know I post a lot of biscotti recipes, and here's another one. I'm going to a pumpkin-themed pot-luck tonight, so I adapted my favorite biscotti recipe to have pumpkin and chocolate chips instead of plain with pecans. They worked, and are delicious. Pumpkin chocolate chip biscottiBased on my favorite biscotti recipe1 1/4 c rice flour mix1/2 c almond flour1/2 t xanthan gum1/2 t salt1 t baking powder1/2 t cinnamon1/2 t ginger1 stick softened butter1 c brown sugar1 t vanilla2 eggs1/2 c pumpkin... Read Full Story

So obviously I'm busy working all the time and am not doing all the updating I should be. Since I'm busy working, I need quick things to eat that will keep me going throughout the day. I was sent a box of these a few weeks ago, and was a little skeptical. Vegan jerky? I like meat! These kind of things are yucky and chewy, as far as I know. At least I thought so. These little strips are delicious, high protein, low fat, and I can't stop eating these. Seriously. I ate all the ones the company s... Read Full Story

Sorry. Again. Eventually I'll start posting regularly again. Who cares though, because this granola is banging. So delicious. This recipe was all over the internet this summer, and I made it then, but ate it all so fast I didn't get any pictures. Yum yum. Don't forget that not all oats are gluten free, I used Bob's Red Mill because I can find them sometimes.My version of olive oil granolaFrom the NY Times3 c rolled oats1 c raw pumpkin seeds1 c walnut pieces1 c coconut flakes1 c raw sunflower ... Read Full Story

Today is a friend's birthday, and I'm baking him a cake. Well, really, I'm baking him a cake and one for Alex and I, because there's nothing worse than baking someone a cake and not being able to taste it and make sure it came out OK. So we'll eat ours for dessert tonight, and deliver his tomorrow. I was going to make some elaborate tart, but opted for this easy cake. I used almond meal and some almond extract, because I was craving something almondy. Then, because I really wanted some, I mad... Read Full Story

Don't worry, guys. This won't turn into one of those 'only healthy food' blogs. Because, you see, the healthier I eat, the more butter and cream I can use in my desserts. It balances out! Now that I'm back at work, I need to eat a quick breakfast. I'm not working with food anymore, so if I don't eat before I go to work I might not eat for 6 hours. So I've been drinking breakfast smoothies, and eating granola, and now added this to my repertoire. Quinoa is so awesome. It's healthy and is a ful... Read Full Story