By Ari, on December 26th, 2012%
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook two weeks ago. I’ve tried to find the words to convey my utter sadness for the families involved, but selfishly every time I think about it, my eyes glaze over and I suddenly find myself wiping away tears. Maybe it’s because I’m a new mom, maybe it’s too incomprehensible to imagine, but to know that so many children’s lives were taken — and for what? — well, it’s heartbreaking.
When words fail us, when nothing can bring back the people we’ve lost, sometimes a small act of kindness such as bringing a loved one food can show that they’re not alone.
These cookies are a labor of love; they require patience, something I generally lack. But if you’re looking to bring a little joy to someone, bake these cookies. Bring them a big plate, fresh out of the oven. And don’t forget a tall glass of milk.
To everyone affected by the shooting, my heart goes out to you. May you have the strength to move forward and live your lives. If not for yourself, then for the children whose lives were taken.
Continue reading NY Times’ Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
By Ari, on July 10th, 2012%
You had to see this coming.
No?
Blending a piece of pie with ice cream isn’t the obvious way to use up leftovers?
Continue reading Blueberry Pie Milkshakes
By Ari, on May 21st, 2012%
There is possibly only bad thing I can say about these muffins: they’re in the kitchen and I’m strewn across the couch in the living room.
That means we’re separated by at least 20 feet, and that’s too much.
Blueberry muffins. Is there anything more delightful? I mean let’s be honest: muffins, in general, make cake an acceptable form of breakfast. I’m down with that. And these muffins? Well, they’re pretty delish. Soft and moist with bright flavors from the lemon zest, they’re just flat out yummy.
There are probably as many muffin recipes as there are food blogs out there. I’m not saying this is the best blueberry muffin recipe bar none (I’ve only ever tried a few), but it’s certainly the best I’ve come across so far. They’re not loaded with stick after stick of butter (sorry, butter lovers), but that’s part of what I love about them. I’m used to muffins being completely indulgent and over the top. I can safely keep these muffins around the house, munch on them throughout the week, and know that I haven’t completely sabotaged myself.
So there you have it: a blueberry muffin recipe that is husband-tested and doggy-approved.
Continue reading Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Sugar
By Ari, on March 14th, 2012%
Today is our 9 year anniversary. Or it was, before we got married. I guess we should stop celebrating in March, but old habits die hard. Besides, it’s Pi Day (the 3.14 kind… but I still like to honor the day via baked goods)! Not that I need a reason to bake a pie (or a tart, in this case), but celebrating our love seems like as good a reason as any to bake.
Happy un-anniversary, John! We’re just an old married couple now with a kid on the way. I couldn’t ask for anything else.
I wish I could say that this was easy to make. A piece of cake (a piece of tart?). But no. This dough was out to get me. Anything that could possibly go wrong did.
Alright, drama queen. Calm down. I mean, it doesn’t look awful, but believe me when I say that this was a challenge.
It’s shocking that I’ve been able to master things like challah and croissants, but a little dessert can throw me off balance. If you’re a baker (and by “baker” I mean anyone who is generally more successful at baking than me… or a pastry chef), congratulations! This is the dessert for you! Continue reading Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart
By Ari, on March 1st, 2012%
Not going to lie, I’ve spent the last hour playing around on The Home Depot website looking at this amazing tool: http://homeinspiration.homedepot.com/main.html
Basically, it allows you to play with paint without actually playing with paint. It’s the perfect way to bring inspiration into a new home. I’m in love! So in love that I almost didn’t post about these cookies, which is kind of crazy, because these cookies are kind of outrageously good.
 Continue reading Red Velvet Chocolate Chunk Cookies
By Ari, on October 9th, 2011%
By Ari, on August 15th, 2011%
Please tell me that you’ve tried speculoos before. That as I sit here and tell you how ridiculously good these are, you’re not staring at your computer with confusion over what speculoos is.
Remember when I posted about the Wafels & Dinges truck? They’re putting speculoos on top of warm waffles. Why not put them on warm blondies?
When I came across this blondie recipe last week (originally calling for peanut butter), I knew what needed to be done. To me, blondies are more like a giant chocolate chip cookie than a brownie, and that’s part of what I love about them. The idea of having a huge speculoos blondie-brownie-cookie was too good to pass up, and fortunately, I already had all of the ingredients on hand!
So at 10 pm, I set out to do a little baking. (Some things just can’t wait till morning.)
 Continue reading Speculoos Blondies
By Ari, on March 14th, 2011%
In honor of Pi Day; in honor of our 8-year anniversary; in honor of the fact that warmer weather and farmer’s markets are just around the corner, I bring you blueberry pie.
 Continue reading Pi Day Pie
By Ari, on March 1st, 2011%
If you could only imagine what went down in our small apartment on Sunday, you’d be laughing with me. We divided up our pots, pans, and kitchen utensils; we split the oven and stove, and worked on separate sides of the apartment. The flip of a coin determined who got our “nice” cutting board (John) and who had to suffer with the less impressive, wobbly one (me).
I have to say, we really pulled it off. Not only did we have a blast (yes, we’re that couple who loves cooking together), but also we ate some very tasty food.
Before I show you pictures and announce the winner, I should tell you that our 2-hr time limit was… stretched a little. Given the space restraints and the amount we were trying to get done, we ended up serving our appetizers and entrées for “lunch” and our desserts for “dinner.” We needed a break (read: a nap), and our stomachs were too full to even think about dessert before dinner.
Also, we had to clean up the catastrophic mess of dishes we left from earlier in the day.
*Side note: maple syrup sticks to everything. Continue reading Victory is Sweet
By Ari, on January 6th, 2011%
Every January, people all over the world vow to eat healthier — to make smarter decisions regarding food and exercise — as they ring in the new year.
I thought long and hard about doing the same thing, but… I decided not to.
Okay, well that’s not entirely true. Yes, I would like to lose a few pounds (who wouldn’t?). And yes, I would love to feature some healthier meals on TR. But that won’t be starting for at least another week or two. I’ve got some delightfully yummy homemade meals that are just too good not to post, and let’s be honest, they’re part of the tis-the-season-to-be-jolly mantra. AKA: good for groups, great for parties, but not at all low-calorie, low-fat, or well, low-anything.
But they are highly fun to eat.
Tiramisu is one of my all time favorite desserts. I used to order it at restaurants until I tried this version. Now it seems like nothing else compares.
Continue reading Tiramisu
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