Tag Archives: dessert

Fruity Crumble Bars of Amazingness

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Okay.  So once upon a time there was this blog called F-Words and let me just tell you…it was a fantastic food blog.  Yeah…remember when I used to post recipes on here?  I’m not sure what happened bake stand but it could have something to do with the bake stand fact that I haven’t been feeling too inspired since the bake stand lately.  But either way, I felt inspired yesterday because I quit the bake stand and made these delicious little bars AND I remembered to take a picture because I’m not preoccupied by the bake stand.

I feel like I need to get something off my chest I hated doing the bake stand, but I just can’t think of what it was.

…and I ain’t talkin’ ’bout no peanut butter cookies.

Oh, now I remember.  I HATED DOING THE BAKE STAND!  I’d do my day with the kids (I have three kids under four – it’s not exactly a walk in the park – unless we go for a walk in the park that day, then I suppose it is exactly a walk in the park, but you get what I’m driving at here), then I spent EVERY NIGHT alternating between baking and BEGGING for sleep.  Then at the end of all that, I got to stand there, at the market, and watch all of my hard work melt in the sweltering heat, sweating like a fiend.  Then the icing on the cake (pun intended) was that I ended up making a cool $30 profit every week.  I know, it sounds spectacular, but it wasn’t.

I actually ended up going to a therapy session because of the stress of it all (combined with the financial horror that is my bank account), where my therapist said, “But you can bake in the day time can’t you?”  And I was frankly, just too stunned to answer.  I finally said, “A greater woman than myself could probably do it, but I’d end up putting a kid in the oven or making some other horrifying mistake.”  I started going into this huge defensive rant, then realized, this woman has no idea what the f*@k goes on in my house so maybe I should I rethink this whole asking her to therapize my BRAIN thing?!?!?!

Anyway…I have another appointment in 2 weeks.

Back to the bars.  Hey, that sounds like a movie or something.

Back to the Bars – The Lora Banks Story.  A chilling tale of a mother gone mad, searching for meaning in life in the bottom of every whiskey sour she can find in this 3 bar town.

Okay for real, back to the bars.

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Lora Banks: EntrepreNERD

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Oh, hi there.  I’m sorry…you were looking for, Lora?  She’s gone now…and has been replaced by a savvy business woman!

I kid.  I haven’t completely sold out…but my bake stand did!  Yesterday was my first day at the farmer’s market and it went really, really well.

There’s me.  I took a shower and everything.  I’m a serious business lady now.

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Coconut Mango Cake

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Okay.  I don’t want this post to be clouded by your self-loathing for never having thought of this yourself.  After a few days of major soul searching, I have come to terms with it myself, and suggest you do the same.  So let’s begin with a little self-affirmation.  Repeat after me:

“I can’t think of everything.  I am human, and humans are erred by nature.  Everyone has different talents, thinking of the most genius thing EVER is not one of mine, and that, is okay.  I forgive myself.”

Do not move on to the following sentence without having a full sense of peace.  Take a deep breath, and read the following GENIUS two words.

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Chewy Ginger Cookies

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These cookies are a staple in our kitchen.  It’s just one of those recipes, where you always seem to have everything on hand, and they’re always, ALWAYS good.

I got the recipe from AllRecipes.com and they are absolutely delish.  Like, maybe, you make them when no one is home, then open all the windows and air the house out so no one knows you made them thus you can keep them all to yourself kind of delish.

The best part though, is the texture.  They have a bit of a crunch on the outside, and they are soooo chewy in the middle.  And they stay chewy in the middle, for like, a long time.  As long as they can last without being devoured anyway.

So you make your batter, then make little cookie batter balls, roll them in sugar, pop them in the oven and they come out looking like this.

If you know me at all, you’ll know I chose that picture in particular, because it looks like a bum.  Anyway, then they flatten out a little and they look like this…

Then, your pickiest eater takes a bite of one and it looks like this…

SOLD! By the 4-foot hipster with a grin!

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OMG Brownies

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I made a terrible discovery today.  And while every fiber of my barely intact sense of morality is telling me to save you from it, I have decided to share this unspeakable truth with you.  It is so evil, I dare not say it’s name.  So I will share only it’s ruthless, devastating image.  Brace yourself.

I mean seriously.  How is a gal like me, going to run into a delicacy of this scale, and turn my head.  Walk on by.  Pretend I didn’t see it eyeing me.  It practically asked for my number.  (For the record, I would have given it.)  Anyway, I don’t know if they’re from Heaven or Hell, but I know precisely where they’re headed…straight into my favourite brownie recipe.

I’ve been meaning to share this one with you for a while, but I try not to make these brownies too often, because it’s impossible to have just one.  I have calculated them on a calorie counter, and they tap out at about 273 calories a peice.  But sirs and ma’ams, I kid you not, they are the most scrumptious 273 calories you may ever eat.

Since I just anti-sold them with that last comment, I think it’s picture time.

They have that crunchy top, and the gooiest middle, then with those peanut butter melts…O…M…G.  There’s not other way of putting it.

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Our Easter Shinanigans

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I’ll sum up my feelings on this Easter in two words.  It’s over.  (Well, “it’s” is actually two words in one, but who’s counting?  Oh you are.  Thanks.  Thanks for all the support.  ANYway, if you’re done criticizing me now, then maybe I’ll get on with my post?  Yeah, thanks.)

Really, it’s all just a big, sugary blur.  My in-laws came for a visit, so of course I felt obliged to break out the big culinary chops.  Not that anyone expected anything of me at all.  I just like to place unrealistic expectations on myself.  It makes me feel like a kid again.  Haha…I’m kidding, mom.

Anyway, I decided that for the second time in my life, I would make cinnamon buns.  The first and last time I made these delectable, devil-buns was a few Easter’s ago, and I guess the torment of it all has faded with time.   You make the dough, it rises, you punch the air out, it rises again, you punch the air out, it rises again, you roll it out, roll it up and cut it into buns, they rise AGAIN, then you bake them.  I can see now why they remind me of Easter so much, what with all this “rising again” business.

This time however, I made a small change to the recipe.  I added a pinch of BREAD MACHINE!  Let’s just say it was a little easier this time around.

So get this:  You line a 9X13″ pan with caramel and walnuts, then put the buns in and bake them.  They come out of the oven like this.

They already look delicious right?  But then, you dump them out of the pan and you get this.

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Vancouver Peeps: Check This Shop Out!

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I will full on admit it.  I’m totally biased.  But I don’t care.  I don’t care if the journalist police hunt me down and throw me in prison for it.  Because it’s worth it.

My friend Andrea opened up a new bakery/coffee shop in Burnaby and it is, without a doubt, the best place you haven’t been.  I’ve had Andrea’s baking before and I will tell you this: I’d go so far as to say it’s “to die for,” except that I HATE that phrase, and really, you wouldn’t want to risk dying because you’d never be able to try any of her delectable deliciousness again.  So instead I’ll say it’s to LIVE for.

Also, handling the cafe end of things is my sister Christa.  Say hi when you go in!  You’ll know it’s her because she’ll probably be the one making a fart sound.

Here’s a picture of the gals so you know what you’re getting into before you go.

Andrea’s is the one cutting the BRAIN CAKE she MADE, and Christa is the one laughing her head off.  (Note: Andrea is not actually a cow girl – although should probably consider becoming one because she wears it so well.)

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AMAZING Espresso Buttercream

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Okay.

So, I was charged with making cupcakes for my cousin’s baby shower.  Intimidating?  A little.  But to add to it, my cousin and our friend who was also in attendance, are my weight-loss buddies.  If you’re going to ask someone who you’re supposed to be supporting, to vacate their diet for ANY reason, it better be a damn delicious reason.  So I had to come up with something really good.

I did.

Alright…busted.  These are not the ACTUAL cupcakes I made for the shower…but there was a rush, I tell ya, yeah, a real rush, and I was late, and in the kerfuffle I forgot to take a picture.  Have you ever taken a picture in a kerfuffle?  It’s not easy, so lay off man.   I made chocolate cupcakes for the shower, so use your brain and imagine your own damn picture.  Hmpf. Continue reading →

Peanut Butter Snookies

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I don’t know how often you eat peanut butter cookies, but there is about to be a sharp incline on your PBC consumption.  Here’s why.

They are sooooo good.  And so bad!  Like self-control-out-the-window bad.  And it is with that spirit of pure indulgence that I have decided to name them Peanut Butter Snookies, after everyone’s favourite mom-to-be, Snooki.

A lack of restraint is not the only thing they have in common. Continue reading →

Happy Birthday Benjamin Banks!

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The great thing about having a few kids, is that there is always an excuse for cake.  It’s like I got to take the best part of working in an office home with me.  Only now I have three bosses, and they don’t really subscribe to current labour laws…but I still get to eat a lot of cake so who cares.

So this time around, I decided that since it was my first boy’s first birthday, I’d make him a real man cake.  Also, to celebrate one of his first sentences “Yo ho ho!” we went with a pirate theme.

I must say, it turned out great (even though I smushed some of the rosebuds around the bottom in my haste to get it out of the fridge).  I got the design idea from parenting.com. Continue reading →