Caramel ‘Could Be Crack’ Snack Mix

I am a home-grown, Converse-wearing caring-is-sharing gal, and I have never, ever ever used drugs except in my extra-special brownies. And yeah, you’re staring at the exception to that rule right now. Well, stare away, my lovelies, and let’s talk crack snack mix.

Caramel 'Could Be Crack' Snack Mix 2--111113

If you’ve been following my blog recently, you will know that I am totally digging the idea of photoseries–you know, turning ordinary food photography into fun-derful stories. This recipe deserves its own photoseries. Let me put it this way: this is the single most-requested potluck, party, zombie-apocalypse-you-name-it-event recipe I have ever madeSo … Read more

Crunchy Cookie Butter Granola (and Ala’s Breakfast Breakdown of People in Your Day-to-Day Life)

Crunchy Cookie Butter Granola 4--012713

I’ll confess. I’ve been reading Victorian novels lately.

Crunchy Cookie Butter Granola 2--012713

This got me thinking about angst muffins (who I’ll explain in a second–hold onto your corsets, lady-folks, and top hats, gentlemen), which got me in turn thinking about pastries. Food. Hunger. Uneaten dinner. Growl.

Crunchy Cookie Butter Granola 6--012713

A few years ago, I stumbled across Sarah’s Snack Theory, a brilliant synthesis of three male character types that you’re likely to like, hate, or just go outright epileptic over when you meet him in the literature of your choice. Then, as if I didn’t like the girl enough already, she goes on and likens them to … Read more

LWOM: Extra Fudgy Cheesecake-Topped Brownies and Candied Almonds (A Tale of Two Recipes)

It was the best of climes, it was the worst of climes,

 Extra Fudgy Chunky Cheesecake-Topped Brownies 6 (12.8.12)

Candied Almonds (12.8.12)

it was the age of scrubs, it was the age of dishwashers,

Extra Fudgy Chunky Cheesecake-Topped Brownies (12.8.12)

it was the epoch of eyeballing, it was the epoch of measuring-out-to-the-grain,

Candied Almonds 2 (12.8.12)

it was the season of nuts, it was the season of chocolate,

Extra Fudgy Chunky Cheesecake-Topped Brownies 2 (12.8.12)

it was the spring of ovens, it was the winter of stovetops,

Candied Almonds 4 (12.8.12)

we had the whole tray of brownies and nuts before us, we had no trace of brownies and nuts before us,

Extra Fudgy Chunky Cheesecake-Topped Brownies 3 (12.8.12)

we were all going to put on our brand spanking new stretchy pants, we were all going to fit … Read more

Cookie Butter Bad Boys

Awkward questions are funny. Hilarious, sometimes.

They are less funny when they happen to you.

They are even less funny when they happen to you in “real time,” a.k.a. real life, where you aren’t allowed one full week in which you painstakingly type out messages, scrap drafts, cobble together 3 sentences that sound almost civilized, and finally panic as you check your Sent Mail box right after you hit the send button.

You can probably guess who’s feeling slightly mortified at the moment.

To be fair, I’m a currently a certified patient in the Hospital of  Awkward Social Circumstances. I … Read more