March 8th, 2013 by
Recipe: Easter Bread Wreath
Someone posted this joke the other day. “Why is everyone so tired on April 1?” “Because they just finished a 31-day March!”
Of course I giggled; it’s a cute joke, after all. Then my brain had to kick in and think. Wow, it really has been a long march to spring this year. How about you?
December 21st, 2012 by
Recipes: Flaky Cheese Twists, Herb Cheese Puffs, Spicy Garlic Nuts, Cheesy Pepperoni Bites, Vermont Cheese Crackers, Baked Zucchini Sticks and Sweet Onion Dip, Garlic and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms, Pizza Twists, Crunchy Crackers, Hot Popper Dip, Spicy Jalapeno-Cheddar Mini Muffins, Taco Dip, and Self-Rising Garlic Sticks.
Apps.
It’s a semi-word thrown around quite easily these days, usually referring to smart phone applications (“apps”) like Instagram, Words with Friends, or Angry Birds (which apparently is at the top of the app popularity totem pole).
But when the holidays roll around, “app” means only one thing to me: appetizer, quite possibly my favorite food group.
Chips and dip, cheese and crackers, crostini and baked artichoke spread… Anything crunchy/salty/savory paired with anything rich/creamy/spreadable is a welcome break from the holiday cookies, candy, and other sweets so ubiquitous right about now.
December 12th, 2012 by
Recipe: Christmas Upside-Down Cake
There’s Christmas fruitcake.
And then there’s Christmas fruit cake.
The difference a single space between two words can make is nowhere more evident than here.
November 26th, 2012 by
Recipe: Caribbean Rum Cake
What is it about the tropics that makes people so relaxed? Everything proceeds at a much slower and more civilized pace. Wound-up businessmen trade ties for tan lines, and harried mavens literally let their hair down, braided in sparkling beads. Even my parents have had their share of island adventures…
November 8th, 2012 by
It was easy to divi up the Christmas cookies in my family when I was younger. My brother gorged himself on the chocolate chip, while my dad snuck the snickerdoodles and butter cookies (the ones my mom would curse as she struggled to get the dough out of the press in anything more comprehensible than a blob) to his room.
I was a little less impulsive than dad, but would still anxiously await the day when mom would make her ginger molasses cookies- a recipe from an old bed and breakfast they had stumbled upon on one year while in Maine. They were bendy-chewy and stuck to your teeth just right.
November 6th, 2012 by
Recipe: None
Given my penchant for mismatched socks, funky earrings, and Mickey Mouse, it usually doesn’t surprise folks to learn I was a preschool and kindergarten teacher for many years before coming to King Arthur Flour. I love watching the uniqueness and curiosity of kids, and finding new ways to help them discover the world around them.
Being an artsy-crafty kind of gal, too, I must admit that project time was one of my favorite times of day. Macaroni necklaces, stained glass (plastic, really) windows, sugar art, and giant murals made me as happy, as the children and I still have a few of those masterpieces tucked away for safekeeping.
November 5th, 2012 by
Recipe: Nutmeg Bites
Scientists tell us that scent is our strongest sense for evoking memories. That’s why smelling wet wood smoke reminds me of melting my rubber boots by the fire and lily of the valley will always remind me of my mother’s Muguet du Bois perfume. As we change seasons we change scents as well, opening a whole world of memories.
November 2nd, 2012 by
Recipe: Golden Stollen
Stollen. (Say “schtollen,” the word spoken with that guttural German flair which, after all, is its birthright).
Dresden, Germany has been known for its stollen since at least 1474, when this classic Christmas sweet bread was first mentioned in print.
And the stollen you purchase at your local supermarket sometimes seems like it might have been around since 1474, doesn’t it?
Dry. Crumbly. Filled with hard bits of… what is that? Fruit? The dreaded “peel”?
As Americans we like to change things up. And stollen is no exception.
Case in point: this golden stollen, its color, flavor, texture, AND nutrition all enriched with a healthy dose of…
December 22nd, 2011 by
Recipe: Stuffed Breakfast Crescent
Stuffing.
You’re thinking bread cubes, onions, herbs, celery, a bit of broth, right?
Or maybe a bag of Stovetop.
Well, think again. When it comes to this breakfast bread, “stuffing” runs a whole different (and tasty) gamut of possibilities.
December 16th, 2011 by
Recipe: Tender White Cake
With holiday parties just around the corner, you’ll be needing some quick festive cakes at some point. This sparkly, whimsical cake can be decorated in less than…