Beany has been increasingly interested in ingredients lately, and her questioning is often relentless. “What is that?” “Where did that come from?” “What does that taste like?” “How did you make it?” This has its plusses and minuses, of course. Curiosity finally convinced her to taste salad dressing, which made her taste spinach salad, which…
The world according to Beany: Chocolate banana muffins
Anyone who lives with a 2-year-old knows that they are incredibly adept at rattling off every last detail they know about any little thing at any given moment of the day. This makes for wonderful bedtime distractions: “Goodnight, Beany.” “Mama, wait! Water! Bunny! Books! My wall! An elephant! It’s dark! More water! Please, Mama! Dada?…
Of markets and merriment: Vintage breakfast puffs
On Saturday morning, we rounded up the gang and headed to the Durham Farmers Market to pick up some fresh produce and enjoy some fresh air. It really was a perfect morning weather-wise: a breezy low 60s with plenty of sunshine. Beany loves to be outside, and we were all do for dose of open…
Timers? Sweets? Huzzah! Sour cherry maple muffins
Although I do from time to time dream of the day when I’ll set a grand table and serve a Norman Rockwell-inspired meal amidst oohs and ahs from family and friends, most of the dishes and desserts that come from our kitchen are served to a gracious though not unusually enthusiastic audience — until last…
Pretty in pictures, lovely in words: Orange and cranberry fairy buns
When I’m cruising Pinterest or flipping through cookbooks or magazines, it’s usually the photos that pull me toward a recipe. I consider myself a writer much more so than a photographer or baker, so I do feel a bit shameful in admitting that I’m so easily influenced by visuals first and words second, but when…
Recipes for naptime: Lemon vanilla bean muffins
Nearly any parent will tell you this: Naptime is the golden hour. Actually, if you’re lucky, it’s the golden couple of hours. Before becoming a mom myself, I thought the parents who pointed this out were a little too snarky for their own good. That’s probably because before becoming a parent, I felt much more…
Delicious muffins and other weighty matters
Oh, how I love a new kitchen gadget. Oh, how I love a beautiful baked good. And oh, how I love whenever the two shall meet. A few Christmases ago, my brother and sister-in-law gifted me with a collection of Avoca cookbooks, filled with recipes for all sorts of delicious things that the two of…
Lessons from a do-over: Banana tea muffins
I’ve learned a lot of lessons in the kitchen over the past few years. No. 1: Wait until the immersion blender is in the soup before turning it on. No. 2: Serrated knives are great for cutting chocolate. No. 3: Never underestimate the power of parchment paper. And No. 4: Don’t freak out when it…
Once upon a time, three apples found their destiny
Earlier this week, three forgotten apples sat quietly at the bottom of our refrigerator. The produce drawer is a lonely place to be, I suspect, especially when you’re the last guys left until the next trip to the grocery store. Actually, I’ve always been rather hesitant about using the refrigerator drawers just because of the…
Blueberry muffins go strawberry
I’m slowly but surely gearing myself up for a little recipe invention of my own, but until I find the nerve, I’ve been doing a bit of recipe tweaking to get myself in the experimental spirit. Everyone in my family was such a fan of Jordan Marsh’s blueberry muffins that I made a few weeks…