what's for DINNER?!?

for mother's day every year, the whole big family gets together to celebrate gramma and each of the moms/aunts altogether.

since all of the grandkids are getting older now, the idea for the kids to make their moms desserts was thrown out there this year.

mom's not a huge dessert person...she likes vegetables.

but she does like herself some blackberry cobbler. so i acquiesced to her request. (even though i'm not the biggest pie/cobbler fan. it was for her after all!!)

-paired it with blue bell's homemade vanilla, and it turned out to be a big hit amongst the mothers.

BLACKBERRY COBBLER!!

(makes about nine-ten servings.)

this recipe calls for:

- 4 c blackberries

- 3/4 c sugar

- 1/4 c flour

- 2 tbsp butter

- 4-5 tsp lemon juice

(this time around, i just used two pillsbury pie crusts...instead of homemade. don't judge me.)

directions:

- toss flour & 1/2 c sugar with berries.

- pour mixture into pan with bottom crust.

- drizzle lemon juice evenly over mixture.

- pour 1/4 c sugar evenly over mixture.

- dot with butter (cut into small pieces).

- cover with top crust.

- sprinkle sugar evenly over top crust.

- bake at 350F for about 45 minutes, or until lightly browned.

*make sure the top crust has some sort of slits/cuts/openings to allow steam to escape. (i went for a woven lattice-look for fun. if i'm not going to looove eating it, i might as well make it look pretty. but i will admit, this recipe is one of the better cobblers i've had.)

dear, blogging community.

to all those who read; to all those who care...

iMISSblogging.
ugh.
i cannot wait till the week is over, and then i can start back up again...i already have four great posts lined up. (unfortunately my ocd with photo-editing/copy editing prolongs this process.)
not one, not two, but three 'what's for dinners'...and one 'thrifty thursday' comin atcha.
get your party pants on.

what's for dinner?!?

after the fast, i definitely went a little crazy scarfing down what i hadn't eaten for forty days...and suffered the consequence. (i decided to cut back on gluten, to see if it could cut back on my stomach problems...and i think it's definitely helped.)
i had discovered these muffins during the fast, and although they are considered "vegan", they still have sugar (granulated and in the chocolate chips), so i had to refrain for the time being.

i love these. so much.
i've made them twice already.

BANANA CHOCOLATE-CHIP MUFFINS!!
(makes about 12 muffins; can be vegan-ized.)

this recipe calls for:
- 4 very ripe bananas
- 2 c flour
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c chocolate chips (semi-sweet, etc. for vegan.)
- 1/4 c water
- 1&1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 c canola oil

directions:
- mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
- in separate, large bowl, beat sugar and oil.
- add chocolate chips and mashed bananas to sugar/oil mixture.
- add water and vanilla, and blend.
- add flour/soda/salt mixture, and fully blend.
- fill lightly-greased muffin tin.
- bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

*the first time i made them, i had only half a cup of semi-sweet and used Ghirardelli milk chocolate-chips for the other half. waaaaay too much chocolate for me.
**the second time i made them, i nixed the chocolate altogether and made six muffins and put the rest of the mix in a bread pan. (ended up having to cook for twice as long...but made a darn-good banana bread.)
***i'm feelin half a cup of regular chocolate-chips for next time's batch.

day...38: what's for dinner?!?

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*i just found this post i never published through from a couple weeks ago!! (shoot !!) but happy Good Friday!!
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currently, i am doing the daniel fast as a time of reflection and prayer.

mission church is doing this 21days of prayer leading up to our official kick-off sunday!! (very exciting; hit me up for any details.)

the fast is requiring me to get creative with my mealtimes, in order to satisfy my hunger while still getting the nutrients i need. it's also causing me to eat more often, (since my meals aren't as large and filling...what-with no bread or meat,) so i'm needing more snack-ish items at my dispense.

so--enjoy!!

(i made this once last summer; it didn't turn out so well. but this time...it was just splendid.)

you might say, how in the world can i make ice cream without dairy?!?
well...
this special ingredient is none other than...bananas!! (i love banana-anything.)

NO-DAIRY ICE CREAM!!
(makes about 2 cups.)

the recipe calls for:
- 2 just-ripened bananas
- 1/4 c water

directions:
- slice bananas into (about) one-inch slices.
- throw banana slices into plastic baggie and stick in freezer. (i took mine out after about five hours; you don't want them in there for days though cause they'll brown and get so frozen that they're even harder to blend.)
- after frozen, put banana slices in blender and blend until smooth. (you might have to spoon it around, but it'll get there.)
- serve it up!! (sometimes i blend peanut butter in--or cocoa--or both!! but the banana by itself is good enough for me!!)

love it. so good. so easy. so healthy.
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annnd just so yall know that cooking isn't just my "forte" (or whatever)...and is definitely a trial-and-error type of art, where you can mess up recipes or just have different tastebuds than the creator...here are the recipes i tried on the fast that did n.o.t turn out delicious:

OLIVE OIL & SALT QUICKBREAD.
vegbonvivant.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/fresh-bread-45-minutes-no-yeast-really-its-yummy-too
-not so "yummy". i just missed bread!! my food processor = me & a wooden spoon. waaay too salty...and yall know i like my salt. i ate three slices, got a stomach ache, and trashed the rest.

TWO-INGREDIENT COOKIES.
www.theburlapbag.com/2012/07/2-ingredient-cookies-plus-the-mix-ins-of-your-choice
-she uses a third ingredient as an "add-in"...but says you don't have to; i'm probably thinkin you do have to for them to be good. they definitely tasted healthy though...i probably ate 12 in one sitting just cause they were there, saved about four to photograph the final product, forgot about them--cause they weren't too memorable, annnd threw them away once they grew mold. (i even added peanut butter to some, cocoa to a few, and both to some...couldn't cut it.)

SUNSHINE BLUES JUICE.
blog.freepeople.com/2012/08/4-easy-homemade-juice-recipes-juicer-required/#ixzz2MmvKLpRg
- iiiii definitely used ginger powder instead of chopped ginger (it was all we had!!) and put both whole lemons in. (minus the peeling, of course. i'm not that stupid.) hahaha. SOOO S.O.U.R. i couldn't even finish it.

days 27 & 28: what's for dinner...??

the 21days of prayer & fasting, leading up to Mission Church's OFFICIAL KICKOFF Sunday gathering, has officially concluded.
(you can find out more about the fast here & here.)

the kickoff was awesome.
jonathan's message was awesome.
*hurley & the band's worship was awesome.
my announcements were awesome. (haha. just kidding.)
and we even had 95 people in attendance!!
granted...everything didn't go as perfectly smooth as maybe we would've liked, buuut...hey--it was our first sunday. :)
i'm so-incredibly excited for this church...what God has in store for it, for us, for the lives we touch.

DANIEL FAST!!
(here's what i predominantly ate on the daniel fast, that i also managed to snap a photo of...)

1. oatmeal with strawberries & pecans.
2. grits.
3. salad with tomatoes and vinaigrette dressing.
4. grilled zucchini.
5. plain, lightly salted rice cake with peanut butter & bananas.
6. apple chips.
7. oatmeal with pecans.
8. strawberries.
9. oatmeal with bananas.
10. sliced tomatoes with sliced avocados, balsamic vinegar & sea salt.
   (the best.) 
11. oatmeal with strawberries & pecans.
12. vegan, banana "ice cream".
   (i will share this recipe later.)
13. smoothie.
   (one banana, one c blueberries, 1/2 c water, and a handful of pecans.)
14. homemade tomato soup.
   (i'll be sure to share this recipe sometime.)
15. corn.
16. oatmeal with strawberries & blueberries.
   (i ate a lot of oatmeal. hahaha. just about every breakfast.)

i am thankful for this fast, the reminder to spend more time in prayer, the realizations had, and the ways God revealed Himself to me.
but i'll be honest...pizza never tasted so good.

*you can find hurley's music here & here...and if you come see us here. do it.

day 10: what's for dinner??

currently, i am doing the daniel fast for more time for reflection and prayer.

mission church is doing this 21days of prayer (and fasting) leading up to our official kick-off sunday!! (very exciting; hit me up for any details.)
today's prayvotional (from our lead follower-jonathan) is paired with the Message's version of Exodus 23:28-30.
"the constant assumption that you're going to get quick results will eat you up. regardless of what the world conditions you to think, if you stay faithful and patient God will lead you "little by little" to where you're supposed to be. confess your tendency to want to rush results. ask God for patience."

this time in my life is definitely trying my patience. i feel like there are a lot of things i am inevitably waiting for. it's enforcing even more the need to just trust and give it all to God. i'm thankful for this fast for even more consciousness to pray and spend time with God.

the daniel fast is definitely requiring me to get creative with my mealtimes, in order to satisfy my hunger while still getting the nutrients i need. it's also causing me to eat more often, (since my meals aren't as large and filling...what-with no bread or meat,) so i'm needing more snack-ish items at my dispense.

so--enjoy!!

APPLE CHIPS!!
(makes about two servings' worth. these are great to eat year-round!!)

this recipe calls for:
- two apples, sliced paper-thin.
- 4 c *water (optional: use 4 c apple juice/cider OR 1/4 c maple syrup instead.)
- 1 tsp *cinnamon (optional: use 1 tsp brown sugar, as well.)

directions:
- slice apples paper-thin (aka: as thin as you can get them. aka: use a mandolin, if you have one. using a knife becomes very tedious.)
- soak them in bowl of *water & *cinnamon for 10-12 minutes. (make sure water covers apples. use more if necessary.)
- lay apple slices flat & spread-out on a cooling rack in a cooking pan. (we had to get rid of our cooling rack, so i used our old grill-irons. ha.) the apples need to be able to breathe through both sides. (otherwise, you can tediously turn over each apple slice half-way through the bake time on wax paper for close to the same effect.)
- bake at 350F for 23-26 minutes. (i did 26.)
- remove from oven, turn heat off, and let oven cool down for about five minutes.
- put apples back in oven for about 8 minutes, so they can dry out further without burning.
-let cool, and chow down!!

**be sure to store in air-tight container to prevent staleness!!

what's for DINNER...??

might not come as a surprise to you readers, after my previous WFD recipe posts, but i've got southern roots.
and i looove me some corn bread.
my mother prefers more of the cornmeal versions, but i had Tippins cornbread too many times growing up to not have grown accustomed.

i came across two separate Tippins copy-cat recipes on this here internet that i thought i'd try out.
the first is...

CORNBREAD!!
(supposedly a Tippins copy-cat; makes about 12 servings.)

the recipe calls for:
- 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix (8 1/2 oz)
- 1 box Jiffy golden yellow cake mix (9 oz)
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 c milk (i used a local brand, shatto.)
- 1/2 c water
-2 tbsp butter, melted

directions:
- mix both mixes together in large bowl
- mix remaining ingredients in with mixes until smooth
- pour in 12" cast iron skillet
- bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until golden-brown

i wouldn't think the cast iron skillet is a necessity, but it definitely adds to the authenticity. ;)

not quite Tippins, but seriously delicious nonetheless.

(then to make honey-butter, i just mixed enough butter and honey together, to taste. very specific, i know.)

*second Tippins copy-cat recipe coming soon!!

*i love buying local; help the little guys!! boost our economy!! buy shatto!!

what's for dinnerrr...??

CAKE-MIX COOKIES!!
(makes about 28 cookies.)

the recipe calls for:
- box of cake mix (i prefer chocolate...yellow cake mix is pretty rich when using this recipe.)
- 2 eggs
- 1/3-1/2 c oil (less is better...depending on the amount of cake mix.)

directions:
- mix ingredients together.
- drop one-in. balls on ungreased pan.
- bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.

ps-this is the best dough.

what's for dinner?!?...to drink.

as i was saying in this post...for the girls' Christmas presents, i had this idea to write a recipe down on a cute recipe card and put it in a ball jar with a vintage apron!! :)
i got this recipe from my cousin, quincy. she made it the night Mission Church went out caroling, and it was ridiculously good.

CROCK POT HOT CHOCOLATE!!
(preferably use a 3-qt. pot; serves about 8.)

the recipe calls for:
- 1/2 c dry baking cocoa
- 12 oz condensed milk (can)
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 7 1/2 c water

directions:
- in crock-pot, combine milk and water.
- add dry cocoa and salt, stir until smooth.
- cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 4 hours, or until very hot.
- top each serving with marshmallows, if desired, and enjoy!!

mmm--l.o.v.e it.

(ps-i made these cookies yesterday...and all 50 were gone that day...with only five people eating them. record.)

WHAT'S FO DINNAAA...?? (aka: a snack.)

it's been awhile since i did a what's for dinner.
well, you're in for a treat. (literally. i'm hilarious, i know.)
we had nothin in the house today for me to snack on...so i thought i'd whip up somethin real quick.

for new year's, we had gotten a whole heck of a lot of chex cereal to make...chex mix. which i don't really care for. but i thought--hey, we have enough...i'll probably get to make somethin with it still.

let's back-track for a minute.
so my mom's the best, and for my 22nd birthday, she had every member of our family bring/send a handwritten recipe card--instead of a gift. as if that wasn't wonderful enough, my parents presented me with a recipe box that dad had handmade and mom had hand-painted. see?? the best.
the thoughtfulness of that gift was so special to me; i felt incredibly blessed. (and on top of that, i was given aprons that belonged to each of my grandmothers. amazing. like i said, blessed.)

one of the recipes, from my cousin pendilton, (who was 14 at the time,) waaasss...

CARAMEL SNACK MIX!!
(serving size depends on your personal preference, but makes about 10 handfuls. i will definitely eat almost all of it, myself.)
(i'll give you this recipe, just as he wrote it. for fun.)

the recipe calls for:
- 4 c corn Chex cereal.
- 1/2 c packed brown sugar
- 1/4 c butter
- 2 tbsp corn syrup
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp vanilla

directions:
- "put brown sugar, butter, corn syrup into the smallest pan, no lid. bring to simmer on stove top. stir occasionally."
- "take pan off stove & add baking soda & vanilla."
- "put cereal in a brown bag, that's in another brown bag." (i poured the mix over cereal in an oven-friendly pan, instead...and stirred until almost fully coated.)
- "pour mixture over cereal in bag and shake. put in microwave for 30 seconds and shake. repeat two more times." (i set the oven to 200F and baked for five minutes, instead...to melt the caramel, so it could fully-coat.)
**"we make this in school, and i really like it.
p.s.-don't forget to put baking soda and vanilla in. haha!"


:) so cute. love him.

THANKSGIVING WEEK'S what's for dinner #3.

HAPPY THANKSGIVIN, YALL!!
may today be filled with family, friends, food, and football. (all the best things in the world.)
(and SPEAKING of the best things in the world...)

today, i give youuuuuuuuuu...

SOUTHERN SWEET TEA!!
(makes about 24oz. we drink this year-round, 24/7. it's my favorite.)

the recipe calls for:
- four regular-sized tea bags. (we use luzianne or lipton.)
- white granulated sugar. (and lots of it!!)
- water.

directions:
- bring 12 oz. of water to a "roaring" boil in tea pot and remove from heat.
- let four tea bags set in hot water for about 15 minutes. (aka: let it steep.)
- fill pitcher up halfway with water, fill other half up with tea.
- sugar to taste. (this calls for more sugar than you'd think is right, while you're pouring. we do about 1.5-2 full cups.)
- serve over ice.

you can find #1's recipe here...and #2's recipe here.

THANKSGIVING WEEK'S what's for dinner #2.

happy thanksgiving week!!

continuing from yesterday's post...in all it's southern-ness.

today, i give youuu...

CROWDER PEAS!!

(makes about five servings-worth. kansas-version of this southern dish; use all fresh ingredients when possible.)

the recipe calls for:

- *a pressure cooker.
- 2 bags frozen crowder peas OR purple hull peas.

- ham hock (can use 6-8 bacon slices, but preferably ham hock.)

- 1 can italian beans. (optional...this is my mother's substitution for the fresh snap-crowder peas in there.)

directions:
- put peas in pressure cooker, add water about a cup over the tops of the peas, and put hamhock in.
- pressure-cook for ten minutes.
- (optional: add italian beans here, and cook on medium for five minutes.)
- add salt to taste. (pepper optional; none for me, please.)
- drain a tad. (we like em to have a little juice in there still.)
- annnd serve.

yum.

THANKSGIVING WEEK's what's for dinner #1.

this week i'm going to do four separate WFDs!!
and maybe it could even be a help for those folks who might not know what to make.
over here in the foster-mullies family, we've grown up on southern-homecookin. aka: comfort foods. so thanksgiving/Christmas dinners are basically the types of meals we eat year-round anyway. ha.

today's is literally my favorite dish ever. (and one of the only things i will eat left-over.) my aunt joyce makes these every-blessed thanksgiving and Christmas, and so this past friday i wanted to share the wealth at our very first friendsgiving peace feast.
at this stage in our lives, our friends are realizing it's a lot harder to get together; everyone's getting legitimate jobs and getting married, so our schedules aren't exactly the same anymore. so events like these are starting to become more scarce, but much more significant because they are so intentional.
my great friend-becky held the event at her house, where we each brought a dish and the girls dressed up as native americans while the boys were pilgrims.

it was super fun and delicious...and interesting sharing all the different dishes that folks are traditionally used to.

I GIVE YOUUU...DUMPLINS!!
(i made about 20 servings-worth. disclaimer: this recipe is basically a three-hour process.)

the recipe calls for:
- *pressure cooker.
- 2-3 chicken breasts. (i used three.)
- 2 bags Reaume egg noodles.
- 4-5 cans of chicken broth. (i used five.)
- 3/4 tsp chicken bouillon.
- 1/4-1/2 tsp poultry seasoning. (i only like using 1/4.)

directions:
- pressure-cook the chicken breast. (don't fill up the pressure cooker too full with water; you're going to use the broth later on. filling it up so it stands just above the chicken should do.)
- remove chicken from pressure cooker and let cool.

- leave the chicken broth in the pot, and add 2-3 cans of chicken broth, and bring to boil.

- once boiling, add 2 bags of noodles.
- broth will stop boiling when added; bring back to a boil, and then turn down to medium heat.
- here's when i shredded the chicken. (you can do so anytime throughout though.)

- stir often (more of a folding motion rather than mixing), and add more chicken broth as needed. (when they start to have fully absorbed the liquid. you don't want the noodles to be sticky or soupy.)

- add chicken bouillon and poultry seasoning; continue to stir.
- check often until noodles are tender.
- do not add salt. (pepper's optional. however, i'm practically allergic.)
- *when eating as a leftover, (cause like i said...one of the only foods i'll eat as one,) you might need to add more chicken broth or bouillon dissolved in water, in case they've hardened up a little.

*stay tuned this week, yall, for the four dishes-in four days WFD. :)

-what's for dinnerrr...??

sooo...i realized something about me & cooking.
i really only like making sweet things. ha.
is that typical of a beginner-cook...?? they're better at baking...?? or at least gravitate towards it more??
anyhow...that is definitely the case with me.

i have been eyeing this "treat" for a couple of years now and finally got around to making it; needless to say, i will definitely be making it this Christmastime. it-is-delicious. salty & sweet and eeeasy-peasy, just what i like. (disclaimer: very rich. be warned.)

SALTED-CARAMEL PRETZEL BARK!!
(makes about a bowl-full; great to combine with a couple other treats/snacks for a get-together this holiday season.)

this recipe calls for:
-2 sticks butter
-1 c brown sugar
- 12 oz. chocolate (i used half milk-chocolate bar, half semi-sweet chocolate chips.)
- sea salt (optional.)
- 1/2 bag mini pretzel twists (i used regular-sized pretzels though.)

directions:
- preheat oven to 350F.
- line a large jelly-roll pan with tin foil, and lay down one layer of pretzels. (at first, i had forgotten the tin foil after painstakingly placing each pretzel, broken ones and all, evenly along the pan's bottom. i remembered, then painstakingly placed them onto the tin foil from there, managed to cradle the pretzeled foil back into the pan, and readjust the pretzels that had gone askew. oy.)
- in a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. bring to a slow-boil until it thickens into a smooth caramel.
- pour caramel evenly over the pretzels, and put pan in oven for five minutes.
- remove from oven and cover the top in chocolate. let the chocolate melt. (spread, if need be.)
- sprinkle salt across the top. (again, optional.)
- let cool for a couple of minutes, then let it sit in freezer for a couple hours.
- once chilled, break into pieces and serve.

love it.

what's for dinner...??

does anyone else ever buy a brownie mix just to eat the brownie batter...??
i am so guilty of this.
and today is one of those days.
so much for wfdw...better luck next week, folks. (or maybe tomorrow, if you're lucky.)

today is also one of those days that i am inspired to create.

- continuing my FP knockoff jean-project. (they're already so fun, yall.)
- stripping, distressing, and re-painting my dresser.
- continuing my pmf.photography branding. (i am just in love with my new paper, stamps, and twine.)
- editing more of my landscape photography to form a separate, more-diverse portfolio.
- brainstorming/planning out my future blog posts. (super excited for december.) :)

i will leave you with this quote that i adore...

"to practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. so do it."
- kurt vonnegut.

tis me.

what's for dinner...??

as i've been cooking (and baking) more during these past few years, i've realized how beneficial it is.
it is definitely an outlet for me.
my brain does not wander while i'm making the dishes; i have to focus very hard because it does not come as easily to me as other acts do. the measuring, and mixing, and stirring, and molding, and timing...to a "perfectionist," (i use quotations because it only applies to certain things...most things though,) i need to pay close attention during each step to ensure a perfect outcome.
i've kind of had a rough past few days (which i will spare you the details on because i want this blog to be strictly positively-driven and ever-encouraging.)...today making these haystacks, and then helping my mom with the potato soup for my family, really served as a type of coping mechanism that i was really thankful for and really needed.
it took my mind off everything, and it also actually made me feel good after finishing; it turned my day around. i felt accomplished. and productive. and i always like to see smiles on my family's faces when they see what i made and enjoy eating it. it's comparable to serving, in a way, actually.

these haystacks are a fun little treat during the fall; i had them at many a halloween party growing up. and they are especially easy...which is great for you college-kids. ;)

Haystacks!!
(made about 18 stacks; depending on how large you mold them.)

this recipe calls for:
-1 (12 oz) bag of chow mein
-2 (11 oz) bags of whatever chips ya like...be it butterscotch, peanut butter, or chocolate. (i made three different batches, so i could do all three.)

directions:
-melt chips, one bag at a time, in microwave...stirring at 30 second intervals until fully melted.
-pour over chow mein.
-mix, however you can to try not to break/crush the noodles.
-form into "haystack" clumps.
-let sit and dry on wax/contact paper. (or can be chilled in refrigerator to speed up process.)

WHAT'S for dinner...??

wow, i am so sorry, yall.
things got a little crazy round here.
i finally understand why all these bloggers can't possibly update every day. (while the wonderwomen (seriously) at a beautiful mess make it look so easy...sigh.)

NOW...i have made two batches of these oatmeal cookies in the past week for two different occasions.
the first being, Ritz has officially closed forever...and to celebrate i mean, mourn. duh... (but really, celebrate) my departure, I made a batch.
the second occasion being, we finally had our long-time-comin "cousin night" over here. (my entire family is extremely & ridiculously close...and equally busy.)

my lovely aunt nan makes these most every year for Christmas; they are a request at many family gatherings and are also given as part of, or the whole of, a birthday gift to many. aka: people love these things.

Aunt Nan's Oatmeal Cookieeesss!! (or opeymeal, as i used to say as a wee one.) (makes about 60 cookies!!)

the recipe calls for:
-1 c. softened butter (i used margarine; don't.)
-1 c. brown sugar
-1 c. white sugar
-2 well-beaten eggs
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 1/2 c. flour
-2  c. oats

directions:
-set the oven to 350F.
-cream butter and sugars together.
-add eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda; stir well.
-add flour (1/2 c. at a time).
-add oats (1 c. at a time).
-bake 8-10 minutes. (there were so many times, with only twelve fifteen cookies on each sheet, that this step became the ultimate experiment with our oven...however, i still was not completely pleased with the outcome of any. at one point, i cooked a set for 11 even. practice makes perfect, i guess.)

aunt nan's hints:: do not overbake; bake on parchment paper (most definitely); small spoonfulls (absolutely).
mckenzi's hint:: leave plenty of time to cool down before stacking...unless you want one, giant oatmeal cookie. then, you're golden.

needless to say, they were a big hit...on both accounts. they were all gobbled up before i could snap a decent photo of them.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i shall try to get my "what's for dinner" segment back on schedule from now on.
if tomorrow, whooo knooowsss what'll-it-be... ;)

now all's i got to do with myself is find a new job...
-preferably a photo assistant with some local photographer. wish me luck!!

-what's for dinner...??

i'm going to attempt to become domestic by starting this weekly entry every wednesday featuring some sort of culinary experiment i try.
and today, i decided it was about time i did some baking.

a few years ago, i went home with my best friend for our spring break. that trip was really special to me for a number of reasons, but predominantly because i got to meet and spend some time with her dad who passed away last year, and i'm still so glad i decided to go.

while we were there, her mom had baked this recipe of beer bread for us, and i immediately fell in love. i had never had beer bread before and thought it was easily one of the best things i'd ever eaten.

i e-mailed her for the recipe a few months ago and finally got around to making it.

the final product wasn't as good as colleen's, but it still did not disappoint. ;) and it's also super easy, which is my kind of recipe!!

Colleen's Beer Bread!!
(makes 1 loaf, 12 servings.)

the recipe calls for:
-1 (12 oz.) can/bottle beer (i used foster's...cause...duh.)
-3 tbsp. white sugar
-3 c. self-rising flour




directions:

-set the oven to 350F.

-mix flour and sugar in large bowl.

-add beer, and continue to mix (first with wooden spoon, then with hands.)

-pour sticky dough in 9x5 greased loaf pan. (i used an 8x6 pan...and forgot to grease. don't forget to do that!! the bottom was done-for.)

-bake for 50-60 minutes on the middle rack. (i went with 50.)

*the top will be crunchy, while the inside remains soft.


mmm...so good.

((if anyone wants to help me with my layout, i will be MORE than happy...i have been trying to get these photos and this copy lined up the way i want it for a couple hours, and it still isn't satisfying me. and i'd rather the images be larger anyway...and the text to all be the same. oy.))