Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ganache

Welcome to adult life. I'm a new kitten mom and starting a real job on Friday. With a retirement plan. So weird, honestly. But also I read a tweet saying that adult life gets better once you realize you don't need an occasion to make and eat a cake. So that's what I did, although arguably I'm celebrating my new kitty.

Meet Nissa:

I got Nissa unexpectedly this past Saturday. My fiance and I had been talking about getting an animal for quite awhile, but he was gunning for a dog or bunny. I had begged for a cat, but pretty much given up on ever having one. I made all my arguments for a cat, explaining that it was probably the best pet for our lifestyle, but my fiance wasn't really swayed.

Enter Nissa.

On Saturday I was in a store with a friend when I suddenly heard high pitched meowing. A guy had come in with a little kitten in a cardboard box. He explained that he had found her under his car and couldn't keep her and that since it was kitten season all the ethical shelters were full. My heart melted. I asked if I could touch her, and she leaped right into my arms. I explained to the guy that I needed my fiance's permission, but was interested in keeping her.

After some begging, sweet Alex reluctantly agreed. Nissa was mine. The Humane Society thinks she's about 8 weeks old, and other than being a little skinny, was healthy. They even gave me a grant to get her spayed and her shots for free, a long with some kitty kibble.

She is the kitten I always wanted. She's playful but loves to cuddle, and loves to "talk" to me. She's the sweetest little thing, purrs like a lawnmower. I'm so in  love. I feel like a new mom, constantly posting pictures of her everywhere, but I can't help it. She's mine. Since I haven't started work yet, we just cuddle and play all day.

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ganaches

cake

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup coffee, cooled

filling

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp coconut oil

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup whipping cream

8 Reese's miniatures, chopped

icing

1 stick butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (buy it on Amazon. it's cheaper than buying the pods. and amazing.)

1/4 cup whipping cream

1. To make the cake, start by stirring together the dry ingredients.
2. Add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, butter, and blend together until smooth.
3. Pour in coffee. Batter will be thin, once stirred together.
4. Pour into two pans (I used 9x9 squares, but rounds will work just as well). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until the middle springs back when touched.
5. Let cool thoroughly, and remove from pans.
6. Using a wooden spoon, poke holes in the top of one of the cakes (like the picture above).
7. While the cakes are cooling, make the ganaches. Melt together the peanut butter and coconut oil, then stir until smooth. Let cool.
8. Melt together the chocolate chips and cream. Stir until homogeneous.
9. Once the cake is cool, spread the peanut butter onto the cake, making sure to get it into all the holes. Sprinkle on the peanut butter cups, then carefully spoon on most of the chocolate ganache. I sprinkled on some salt at this point. Highly recommend.
10. Stack the other layer on top, and let set.
11. Make the buttercream frosting. Ensure that the butter is room temperature and soft. Stir in two cups of the powdered sugar.
12. Add in the cream, the remaining sugar, and vanilla paste. I also added a dash of salt, but that's up to you and your taste.
13. Carefully frost the cake, then drizzle on remaining ganache, swirling with a spoon. Keep in the fridge until ready to eat.

Strawberry Shortcake Waffles

Hi. I've spent too much time talking about how much I love breakfast food to not share more breakfast recipes, so here I am. With waffles and whipped cream, which makes me feel like Leslie Knope. These are the important things in life.

Anyway, let's talk podcasts. I love them, because I like having stuff to listen to while I walk or clean or do other mindless stuff, and audiobooks are way to expensive. Most of mine revolve around either true crime or psychology, but I'm open to most things, so if you have recommendations pleeeease send them my way.

Let's see, on the true crime vein, I loved Serial. Season 1 is much better in my opinion, but both are good. Sarah Koenig takes you inside her investigations of a couple crimes, and I loved "seeing" it all slowly come together. She also lets her listeners form their own opinions which I really appreciate.
I also highly recommend Serial Killers, if you're into that. They spend a couple weeks on each serial killer and talk some about the psychology of psycopathy, and I LOVE that. Neither of the hosts have psych degrees, so their opinions are kinda questionable sometimes, but other than that, GREAT. Just don't listen if you're easily scared.

For psychology, I highly recommend Invisibilia. They talk about different human phenomena and the reasons behind them, such as our insatiable need to solve things--even if it's a problem that should maybe be left alone. There are a lot of deep truths about life and human nature in this one and sometimes it makes me cry.
Another one is The Hilarious World of Depression. Comedians come on and talk about their experiences with depression and other mental illnesses, and I'll be honest--if you have the right sense of humor, they have a point. Depression is kind of funny.

Strawberry Shortcake Waffles
waffles
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups milk

topping
1 pint strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp sugar (more if it's not berry season)
juice of 1 lemon
whipped cream

1. Start by browning the butter: place the butter in a pan over medium heat. As it melts, swirl the pan a bit. It will start to crackle--this is the water boiling out. It's a good thing. Once the butter turns light brown, remove from heat and let cool.
2. Next, make the topping. Gently stir together the strawberries and sugar. Dribble in the lemon juice, then set aside to do their thing. This is called macerating; it means the strawberries will release their juices.
3. To make the waffles, stir together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
4. Create a well in the center, then add eggs, vanilla, and butter. Stir together.
5. Add milk and stir until smooth. Let sit while you preheat the waffle maker.
6. Butter the waffle maker and ladle in about 2/3 cup of batter (depending on size of your waffle maker). Cook for about 3-5 minutes.
7. Serve waffles with strawberry topping and a swoosh of whipped cream.

Watermelon Lemonade

Hello summer.

I just love watermelon, so much. To me it tastes like summer, especially if it's cold from the freezer. Unfortunately, I grew up in a melon-hating household, so it wasn't something I got to eat that often. But now I'm an adult (apparently) and do what I want.

I made this lemonade to go with brunch this past weekend, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was the perfect accompaniment. If you're into it, you could probably add some champagne and make brunch more fun. Actually, sweet tea probably wouldn't hurt this at all either.

It tastes like summer in a glass, friends. I highly recommend making it, pouring it over ice, and sitting on your front porch sipping it with a colorful straw. If you have a front porch, that is. Otherwise, drink it at brunch with your favorite people who love bacon.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients

1/2 cup lemon juice (for me this was 4 lemons)

1/3 cup sugar

4 cups warm water

1/5 of a large watermelon, cut into chunks

1. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher. Stir.
2. Add the water and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Place the melon chunks in a blender and puree until smooth. Add to pitcher and stir.
4. Refrigerate until cold and serve over ice. Enjoy!

My Favorite Way to Eat Vegetables

I ate most of this in one sitting....

If I've ever made you dinner, or if you have me on SnapChat, or honestly, if you let me tell you about food at all, you're probably well-aware that I love roasted vegetables. Especially broccoli. Like, I know it's lame, but I'm pretty sure roasted broccoli is my favorite food. I eat it almost every day. If not broccoli, it's probably Brussels sprouts. All roasted. Always. It's the best way to eat vegetables, I promise. It's also vegan friendly, if you're into that. Oh yeah, highly recommend dipping the broccoli in hummus. I love.

I got you a new phone background.

The day I made this, my car broke down. I'd love to say it came out of nowhere, but I like to think we're all friends here, so I'll admit that it was a part my dad told me to fix a month or so ago. So.....lessons learned. Sorry Daddy. But I digress.
Anyway, I pulled out of the apartment I'm currently trying to sign a lease at, and realized my power steering had quit. Have you ever had to use your entire body weight to move the steering wheel? It's interesting. So, I pulled into the nearest parking lot and called my dad, who probably would've laughed at me if he'd been in a better mood, and then informed me that I couldn't drive the car. While I was freaking out to him, for some reason trying to talk him into saying it was okay to drive, a man appeared. He told me that he was the owner of the bike shop (which apparently was the parking lot I pulled into) and that he knew what was wrong with my car and was willing to go buy the part for me and put it in.
I was shocked and confused and explained it to my dad on the phone, who told me to take help where it's offered. The man (his name is Paul, he owns the bike shop on the corner of NW 6th St. and NW 21st Ln. support his business if you're a Gainesville local.) proceeded to fix my car, and only asked that I reimburse him for the parts and buy him a lottery ticket, even though I offered beer and cash. As someone with a stats background, this feels like a stupid statement, but I really hope he wins. I returned the next day with cookies. I don't know how I got so lucky. All I can say is that God was keeping an eye on me. 

Sometimes good things happen. Celebrate with broccoli, that's what I did.

Roasted Veggies
1 head of broccoli/1 lb. Brussels sprouts/1 lb. green beans/1 sweet potato/etc
3 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder

1. Place the veggie of your choice on a baking sheet lined in foil in a single layer.
2. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to coat. It's okay if they aren't all coated, they just need a little sheen.
3. Season to taste.
4. Bake at 425. For broccoli, I find that it's best after 20 minutes, Brussels sprouts are great after 25, green beans take 20, and sweet potatoes take more like 30-40, depending on size. You just want the vegetables to be cooked through and golden brown where they touched the foil. So good.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Poorly lit kitchen strikes again

Hi. What's this? Another cinnamon roll recipe? Yeah, sorry. I love them to death. Also, where have I been for the last few months? I don't know. Death by undergrad...which I finished. Thank God. Planning a wedding (I said yes to the dress, and cried). Working two jobs which were equal parts rewarding and draining. Trying to enjoy my last semester of undergrad with the people who supported me along the way.

More recently: handling a bizarre and unpleasant turn of events that left me jobless post-graduation. After handling the aforementioned turn of events, I really just haven't felt so good, mentally or physically. Once I finished crying (change is really hard for me), I attacked the job hunt, trying to figure out what the hell you do with a BS in psychology. I have a couple things going, but let's wait until the ink is totally dry until we talk about them.

Dough is calming. Especially the proofing stage. I love.

Quick anecdote: In the process of making these, I somehow touched the heating element of the oven, which I don't recommend. That was quite awhile ago and I finally have all my fingerprints back. Yay.

In other news: I'm applying to medical school, which is weird and daunting but also fun. I've started having weekly brunches at my apartment because honestly, friends, pancakes, and good coffee are better medicine than anything else I've found. Stuff hurts, change is hard, but I think my goal shouldn't be to force joy, but to love the people I care about as deeply as I can and to find the happiness in the time I have with them. Easier said than done? Sure. But cinnamon rolls help.

Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

rolls (adapted from Joy the Baker)

1/4 oz yeast (this is the amount in the little packets)

1/2 tsp +1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk (higher fat content=better)

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 yolk

3 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter

filling

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp maple syrup

3 green apples, diced

dash of salt (unless you're using salted butter)

glaze (only if you reallllllyyyyy have a sweet tooth)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1. Start the dough by adding 1/4 cup warm water to the 1/2 tsp sugar and yeast. Let sit until foamy, about 15 minutes. If it doesn't foam, your yeast has issues.
2. Add the remaining sugar, milk, brown sugar, egg, and yolk. Stir until combined.
3. If you have an electric mixer (I'm jealous), fit it with a dough hook and add the flour half a cup at a time. If not, still add it only half a cup at a time, and use your muscles to smooth it out after each addition.
4. Let rise for 2 hours. In the last half hour of the rise, make the filling.
5. For the filling, melt the butter and combine with remaining ingredients, other than the apples.
6. When the rise is complete, dump out of the bowl onto a floured surface. It should be fairly fluffy. Gently roll out into a rectangle.
7. Spread filling on top of the rectangle, then sprinkle on the diced apples.
8. Carefully roll up the dough into a tight tube, then slice with a sharp knife. I got 8 rolls.
9. Place in buttered pans, then allow to rise for another 30 minutes.
10. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
11. For the glaze, whisk together the sugar and milk. Pour over hot rolls. Serve and enjoy.

BBQ Hummus

Hi squad. Happy 2017. How are we feeling about this year so far? Are you a resolutions type of person? I'm not, but I think it's just because I make goals for myself constantly, so making even more at the start of a new year seems almost redundant. But anyway, this little paragraph is probably redundant, since the year started 18 days ago. Whoops.

But anyway, this year so far: I baked quite possibly the best thing I've ever made about a week ago now. It was this babka from How Sweet Eats and oh my goodness. I didn't make it into muffins but kept them in little swirls like cinnamon rolls. They were buttery and chocolate and fluffy in all the best ways. I'm sort of in love with dough right now. Bread doughs are fun for me because they need just a bit more finesse than other stuff, and I like having my hands busy. I've made cinnamon rolls in the last week and I'm not slowing down. Sorry. Recipe to follow.

In other news, I watched my first anime all the way through and I don't know how I feel about it, but I can definitively say that Yuri on Ice was really good and made me feel things. Also on the TV topic, I'm watching Series of Unfortunate Events and WOW. It was basically my favorite book series growing up and I love the Netflix adaptation so much. NPH as Count Olaf originally made me nervous but he nails the characterization perfectly. I'm on a nostalgia high like no other.

Last few things: I'm trying to pick guitar back up, which currently involves a whole lot of sounding like crap while one of my friends "teaches" me, which mostly involves him making fun of me. I spoke Spanish to a customer at work for the first time yesterday and the look of gratitude she gave uncomfortable, awkward me made it so worth it. I was given almost 20 pounds of flour recently, so baking will not be slowing anytime soon. Buy me flours, not flowers, friends. Sorry.

BBQ Hummus
Ingredients
2 cans of chickpeas (only drain one of them)
2 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the onion
1 small onion, cut thin
3 tbsp BBQ sauce

1. Put the onions in a pan with a bit of oil over medium low heat. Saute until translucent.
2. Meanwhile, Combine the other ingredients (minus BBQ sauce) in a blender or food processor until smooth. Place in serving dish.
3. Once onions are translucent and soft, add BBQ sauce, removing from heat when totally combined.
4. Top the hummus with the BBQ onions, or stir them in if you'd prefer. Serve with chips or anything else you'd like.

Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

I'm having an issue. I have a recipe and pictures, but I don't have too many words today.

These were a part of my annual holiday baking binge (which isn't much different from my every day life, but still....). I've realized I love working with dough, so I made cinnamon rolls a couple different ways, but these were my favorite.

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and wish you a happy new year.

Yum.

Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze
Ingredients

dough (adapted from How Sweet Eats)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 package dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

filling
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar

glaze
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Heat milk in microwave for about 1 minute, until lukewarm. Add vegetable oil and sugar, stir. Sprinkle in yeast and let sit about 15 minutes, or until foamy.
2. Move mixture to an electric mixture and add flour, baking soda, powder, and cinnamon. Stir until combined, then run mixer for about 6 minutes, kneading until dough is elastic and smooth.
3. Allow dough to rise for 90 minutes or until doubled.
4. Punch the dough down, then empty onto a floured counter. Roll out into a rectangle, making sure dough is roughly 1/2 an inch thick.
5. To make filling, combine melted butter, sugars, and cinnamon. Spread evenly on the dough, then roll into spiral tube.
6. Slice into 1-inch sections, then place rolls into a buttered pan. Let rise for 30 minutes.
7. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
8. To make glaze, blend ingredients together. Pour over warm rolls and enjoy.

Chai Pie

If you follow me on Snapchat, you're aware that I baked kind of an obscene amount over the course of Thanksgiving. The final count ended up being 4 pies (pumpkin, apple-cranberry, chai spice, and Kentucky derby) and one chocolate cheesecake. Also apparently no one communicated this to the rest of the family, so we ended up with 8 pies and a cheesecake for 17 people. Oh well. Also, wait until you see how much I bake at Christmas. It makes Thanksgiving look like amateur hour.

Anyway, this recipe is for the chai spice pie. There's only one picture because I sort of forgot to take them and also wasn't expecting this to turn out that well. But here we are.

I sort of love baking pies lately. I love baking everything lately, and it's a favorite hobby of mine. It keeps my hands busy, it's repetitive to a certain degree, and I've been doing it forever, so it brings an amount of familiarity which is calming to me.

In other news, has anyone else seen Moana? I went with my fiance, siblings, their significant others, mom and grandma. Let me just tell you, going on a "triple date" with your younger siblings and their boyfriend/girlfriend is a FUN time, especially when you're engaged and they've been dating for like a month. My mom told me to act as a chaperone, and I thoroughly enjoyed that task.

The movie is pretty good though too. I loved the music and the setting, and Moana herself is likable. I also just thought she was beautiful and love that she has a realistic body type, especially compared to some of the classic princesses.

In other news, the Beauty and the Beast trailer played and I cried. Emma Watson is playing another of my childhood role models and that makes me really emotional.

Okay, that's enough rambling for today.

Chai Spice Pie
Ingredients
2 sleeves cinnamon graham crackers
1 stick salted butter, melted
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
2 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Crush the graham crackers into coarse crumbs, then drizzle in the melted butter. Stir to combine, then press into a greased pie pan. Refrigerate as you make the filling.
2. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and spices in a medium bowl.
3. Microwave the milk until hot, then slowly stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Gently pour into crust. Some of the crust may combine with the filling, this is totally okay.
5. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Filling should be set. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Asparagus, or Why I Shipped Cookies to People I've Never Met

Hi. If you're American, I think we can all agree that the last week has been a little rough. Regardless of who you wanted to win the election or who you voted for, I think the ensuing fear and hate has been pretty grating and exhausting for us all. I'm about ready to leave Facebook forever.

The election stress and upset has been especially difficult for me and many people I know because I/we are volunteers for Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line is a free, national service people are able to text when in crisis and be connected with a trained counselor. On election night and for several days after, we experienced quadruple the usual traffic. Volunteering with Crisis Text Line has made me a better person, and I love it so much, but it's exhausting at times. Whether you think the fear many people experienced as a result of the election was warranted or not, those people and their emotions are very real. I talked to dozens of texters who were terrified of the future and hurting.

Which brings me to cookies. The Crisis Text Line community is so good, y'all. A lot of us were having a rough week. Being there for so many people who are hurting takes it out of you after awhile. But a truly beautiful thing happened. Our Facebook group page was suddenly inundated with posts by my fellow counselors offering all sorts of comfort to each other--everything from meditation videos to personalized playlists. This warmed my heart so much. To pay it forward, I made my own post offering cookies and brownies to anyone who sent me their address. Baking makes me so happy, and I'm constantly looking for people to give love in the form of sugar and chocolate. Today I went to the post office and shipped cookies to eight people I've never actually met. These people are so amazing. They dedicate their time to helping others and spreading positivity, both to texters and to each other. In my book, that deserves to be celebrated. Share cookies with the ones you love, y'all. It'll warm your soul.

If you're in crisis, text Hi to 741741. Crisis Text Line is available 24/7.

Bacon Asparagus
Ingredients
1 lb asparagus, with the woody parts cut off
8 strips of bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
dash of red pepper flakes
2 tbsp salted butter

1. Fry the bacon until crisp over medium heat in a pan (I like cast iron skillets).
2. Add the garlic to the pan, stirring constantly. Garlic cooks fast so be careful.
3. After about a minute, add the asparagus and toss with the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, or until brighter green and tender.
4. Add the breadcrumbs, red pepper, and butter. Stir constantly until butter is melted and breadcrumbs are lightly toasted. Enjoy!
   
   
   

On Language Learning (and Cookies)

Forever my love

For those of you that don't know, in addition to my psychology degree (and 85% of a biochemistry degree...lol), I'm working on a Spanish minor. Learning a language, especially in school, especially as an introvert who doesn't like talking in big groups, especially classes, is weird. There are moments every day where I feel pretty fluent. Moments when my Hispanic residents are on the phone with their parents and I actually comprehend the conversation. Moments when I'm writing an essay and thinking in Spanish and it just flows.

But. There are also moments where I just feel (for lack of a better term) like such a freaking white girl. Which I am (mostly Swedish and German. that's about as white as it gets.). Moments where mi profesor asks me a question and all I can do is blush and mumble "qué?" Moments when I'm lost in class, or one of my group mates (who are all Hispanic and actually bilingual) speaks so fast that it just sounds like a blur to me. Or sometimes I fumble the present tense. It's great. My pronunciation gets weird sometimes, and as someone who has spent my entire life in the south, the fast, staccato rhythm is hard for me.

Language learning is weird, and it gets weirder when you transition into classes that trust that you're competent in the language, and focus on just teaching you literatura y cultura. Your ideas and thoughts actually matter more than the proficiency with which you communicate them. This is intimidating. Learning how to BS an essay about literature in a second language is weird and funny and makes me feel a lot more fluent than I probably am.

So why learn Spanish? It started because I was dead set on med school at U of Miami, and in Miami, you'd better be able to habla. At some point, I actually did fall in love with the language, and more than anything, I'm honestly in love with the idea of being bilingual. The idea of being able to communicate effectively and relate with more than one group of people is so appealing to me, which is why I love culture classes so much. Maybe that's and idealized version of things, but I like it, so I'm sticking with it.

También: I thought about writing this post in Spanish, but I have a little bit (okay a lot) of fear of judgment when it comes to my proficiency. So instead you get a post in English with awkward uses of Spanish vocab. Sorry.

S'more Stuffed Giant Cookie
Ingredients
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips
3 milk chocolate bars
3 graham crackers
1/4 cup mini marshmallows

1. Stir together the butter and sugars.
2. Add in the eggs, vanilla, soda, and salt. Mix until smooth.
3. Stir in flour.
4. Gently fold in the chips.
5. Press about half the dough into a 9-inch round pan.
6. Add a layer of graham crackers, then another layer of chocolate bars. Top with the marshmallows.
7. Carefully spread the rest of the dough on top.
8. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Top will be dark golden, middle will be gooey. Enjoy!
   
   
   

Things I'm Loving Lately

College got me like

Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. Earl Grey and English Breakfast tea
2. Community
3. Andie Mitchell's cook book, Eating in the Middle. The recipes are as amazing as the philosophy behind them.
4. Twistee Treat. If you follow me on Instagram you know that I drove there Sunday night to try it.
5. La Tienda. It has my heart forever.
6. Bagels. Yes, I work in a bagel shop, but they're suddenly extra appealing.
7. Rent
8. Baking. I can't stop.
9. Roasted veggies
10. Julia Child
11. This pasta. I made it last week and then ate it forever (seriously, I made way too much).
12. Urban Decay liquid liner (in RED!)

A Birthday Cake for Mom

Hi Mom.

I know you'd probably prefer I celebrate your birthday with fewer carbs and a little less sugar. I could've made a nice salad with steak and quinoa, topped with some strawberries (good idea, we'll revisit that one). If you were going to eat a cake, you would've preferred carrot. But I thought something new could be fun.

Dusted with cocoa powder

So instead, we have a perfectly moist chocolate cake topped with peanut butter frosting, not too sweet, but salty, with crunchy little granules of sugar. And I drove it down to Tarpon to surprise you and eat dinner by the sponge docks. Happy birthday, Mom.

This makes me weirdly aware of how rarely I take horizontal pictures

Fun fact: I'm a terrible example as a baker, which means I don't actually measure ANYTHING. Unless I'm making something really finicky, I kind of just eyeball everything. Oops. It's worked out so far.

Chocolate Cake and Peanut Butter Frosting
cake
I used this recipe

frosting
1 stick salted butter
2/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1. Microwave the butter and peanut butter for 45 seconds. The butter will be pretty much all melted, and the peanut butter will be stir-able.
2. Stir in both sugars and the salt until smooth.
3. Spread on cooled cake or eat with a spoon. Enjoy.
   
   
   

The Blog is Back!

I made pie. And it looks a mess, but that's okay because I'm mostly just excited to tell you that I'm back and I love food and cooking and sharing food with the people I love.

So, this summer I ended up disappearing because I was studying for a cute and fun little test called the MCAT. Ha. No. I did study for and take the MCAT (no score yet), but it wasn't cute or fun. I think the test went well, but getting to test day was mostly filled with frustration, crying, and too much coffee. (oh yeah, if you follow me on Insta you know that I like coffee now. not sure what that's about, but.....).

Anyway, here's some thoughts on the MCAT, medicine, and life in general. 

If you saw the hot freaking mess I was during Spring semester, you're probably wondering how and why I ended up studying for the MCAT anyway. Well, here's the thing. I never really stopped wanting to be a doctor. I had an exceedingly rough Fall of my junior year, and emerged with a new major and a whole lot of sadness in my heart. Basically I felt like I'd failed at being a biochemistry major and a premed and was, honestly, worn out and tired of spending every second of my life in the library with anxiety and exhaustion clouding my brain. Science, particularly medicine, had come to symbolize everything I wanted and couldn't achieve. 
In a lot of ways, I stopped thinking I could do it. But it never left my mind. Thinking about doing something other than being a doctor, while exhilarating at first, terrified me in more than a "fear-of-the-unknown" kind of way. It hurt a lot.
Finally, after a semester of watching my wallow, my mom gave me a piece of mom-wisdom in a Mexican restaurant, and I cried and decided to try again. The mom-wisdom? "You're selling yourself short if you just walk away from this and don't even try. There's no reason why you can't be a doctor as a psych major." Thanks Mom.
And then, something amazing happened: I realized that I actually like science. I actually love the human body. I love knowing how metabolism works. And, weirdly, I kind of love studying (when I'm not caffeine crazed and hyper-emotional). I was studying because I wanted to, and taking the MCAT because I wanted to. And it felt so good. I remembered why I wanted to be a doctor in the first place.

On test day, I walked into the testing center feeling more peaceful than I would've thought possible. The test was my victory lap at the end of 4 long months of hard studying. It was the cherry on top.

And so, pie. I made it awhile ago, I know peaches aren't really in season anymore. But please appreciate it anyway. I'll have something a little more seasonally appropriate soon.

Blueberry Peach Streusel Pie
Ingredients
crust:
12 graham crackers, pounded into crumbs
1 stick of butter

filling:
4 peaches, cut into chunks (I didn't peel them)
3/4 cup blueberries
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp corn starch
juice of 1 lemon

streusel:
1/2 cup oats
1/2 stick of butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1. Melt the butter and stir in the crumbs. Mash into a greased pie pan, making sure you get the sides. Put into the fridge while you make the filling.
2. For the filling, gently combine the fruit with the other ingredients. Let sit for 5 minutes so the fruits can release a little juice.
3. Add filling to the pie pan.
4. To make the streusel, melt the butter and stir in the other ingredients. Scatter on top of the pie.
5. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. If the top starts to burn, cover it with foil. We ate this with whipped cream, but vanilla ice cream would be pretty amazing too. Enjoy!