Recipe: Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Cookies.

Sometimes I blog about a recipe I've attempted and then I try it again at a later date and end up doing a much better job. So then I blog about it again and pretend like the first time never happened. This is one of those times. OLD-FASHIONED PUMPKIN COOKIES  According to VeryBestBaking.com INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened 1 cup pure pumpkin 1 large egg 1 tsp...

Read More

My Post-Thanksgiving Bod.

I gained four pounds between Thanksgiving and Sunday. For all you non-mathletes out there, I reckon that's one pound per day. Showcasing all my hard eating work is the laparoscopy aftermath strewn about my midriff. The combination of five tightly cinched scars on the overextended potbellyness of my new physique is something akin to high-quality, Baroque furniture. For a nominal fee, I'm available to sit in your tea rooms/salons/ parlours and look fancy. Basically me. ...

Read More

Thanksgiving: The Holiday Where I Eat Too Much for Two Months Straight.

Since I'm sure everyone is over and done with the whole "I'm thankful for blah-blah-blah" posts, I'll spare you the thankfulness act. Instead, I'll just overload you with a photo dump from the holiday weekend. We spent Thanksgiving day with Eric's family. His parents recently bought a new house and this was my first time seeing it. I loved it. I also loved the new furniture. And I especially loved the endless supply of holiday food. In fact, when we first arrived I put away nearly a whole dish of French onion dip/ Fritos all by myself....

Read More

Recipe: Sweet Potato Casserole.

Growing up, I never liked sweet potatoes. It was really only something we had on Thanksgiving, and even then I wasn't sold. Every year my mom would cook up these candied yam things and I'd be like "No, thanks. Pass anything except those slimy-looking orange blocks." So imagine my surprise when I discovered a version of sweet potatoes that I was not only willing to try, but that I actually love. It was a lot of surprise. This recipe comes from Eric's sister, Vicki. She makes these for Thanksgiving and you better believe I'm looking...

Read More

Recipe: Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Continuing on with the "seasonal" baking, I thought this recipe would make a great addition to my holiday themed pig-out fest. I came across this recipe not too long ago and immediately thought to myself "That looks good. I will make it under the guise that it is for someone else and then I will eat the shit out of it." SPICED APPLESAUCE CAKE WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING From Epicurious.com INGREDIENTS 2 cups flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/8 tsp ground...

Read More

Coffee with Mark.

It's always sad when someone you know passes away. Especially when it happens out of the blue and there's been no time to warm up to the idea of saying goodbye. This past weekend I went to a funeral service for a friend I met while in college. His name was Mark and he was a goofy, awkward guy who always had a sneaky smile on his face, like he'd just played a practical joke on you, but didn't want you to find out. Kind of the way you'd picture your best friend's pesky little brother. There was more than one occasion when...

Read More

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Pasties.

If you've never lived in the U.K., or been to the U.K., or had friends from the U.K., or spent any time getting tanked in a British pub, you've probably never heard of a pasty. Basically, a pasty (pronounced pass-tee) is a pocket of dough filled with meat, vegetables, or sweets. Kind of like an empanada. In case you're wondering, this is what they typically look like. In the good, old fashioned England times, worker men would take pasties in their lunches because they were essentially fully-contained party bags for your...

Read More