Buffalo Quinoa Bites.

These things are delicious. You should all make them. Soon.

I know they don't look like much (D- for presentation) but y'all are lucky I even remembered to take a picture. Too busy munching on them.

I found this recipe on Pinterest ages ago, and just finally got around to making them. I didn't modify it too much, just used some jack cheese instead of mozza, no panko crumbs, and a little less than the required Frank's, mostly because the bottle was getting empty. They could have done with a smidgeon more Frank's.

But seriously. So tasty.

Sprinkles.

Well. Semesters over. It was a doozy but I survived! My slow cooker got quite the work out this past month. I made an epic lasagne, and a mediocre beef stew to tide me through the pre-exams January push.

Mid-exam week now, and am enjoying having evenings again. Looking forward to some baking with a friend tomorrow night. Which will definitely involve sprinkles. D

Ginger cookies.

Not right.

My grandmother used to make these cookies at Christmas. Ginger, but soft, with cinnamon icing. After she passed away, I tried making them, but they were not the same.

Using the recipe she gave me, I was unable to reproduce her cookies. Obviously at some point she changed the recipe in a slight but important way. Her cookies spread out and were soft and chewy; my cookies were tall and dense. The flavor was there, but the texture was off.

Right.

It's taken me a few years, but this Christmas break I set about tackling the mystery of what was wrong with my ginger creams. Essentially, I was not using enough fat or water. (Probably didn't help that we have since learned my parents oven runs 25 degrees too hot.)







Ginger Creams

Mix together:
1/3 C shortening
1/2 C sugar
1 small egg
1/2 C molasses
1/2 C warm water

In a separate bowl, mix together:
2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tap baking soda

Chill dough. When chilled, add a couple of tablespoons of water the smooth out the dough (about 4 Tbsp). Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Top with cinnamon flavored icing.

Slow Cooker.

Today, I had my first experience of coming home to the house smelling deliciously of low-effort, wholesome food, cooked while I was away.

That's right. I got a slow cooker for Christmas. And today I christened it with chili.

I made a really simple beef and bean chili, with onions, green pepper, garlic, chili powder, basil and oregano. And my house smells DELIGHTFUL. I could get used to this.

Osmosis.

With my phone unable to make blogging easier, I obviously went on a bit of a hiatus. Some ideas came to me during that time for good posts, but some were a bit time dependent, and now the moment is gone.

I did a neat demo a couple weeks ago with my science 10's about how water moves across membranes. In the past, I've used eggs, but it's really messy... you need to dissolve the shell off first (which takes 24 hours in vinegar), and then wait minimum 24 hours to see if the eggs change size in different concentrations if salt water. But the shell-less eggs are very fragile, which leads to the messy part.

This year, I used gummy bears. Already this demo is cooler. There is the possibility of eating something. Basically, if you put a gummy bear in tap water, it will swell up. And fast.

What happens is there is a high concentration of sugar inside the gummy bear, and no concentration outside. This difference in concentration is known s a concentration gradient, and typically what would happen is the sugar would diffuse out of the gummy bear (diffusion is movement of particles from an area of high concentration to low). However, gummy bears are made with gelatin, which does not really dissolve in water very well, and the gelatin traps the sugar inside. Since the sugar can't get out to equalize its concentration, water flows in.

The result? Monster gummies. Within an hour you will notice a difference. The ones in this picture were left for about 8.

Green is original size.

Happy Christmas.

Merry Christmas to all!

My Christmas turned out amazingly relaxing. Christmas Eve was the big party with lots of family friends, and then Christmas Day was pretty low key- presents with the family and an amazing turkey dinner.

Trying to avoid Boxing Day shopping by doing some cleaning. Not that I want to go shopping, but I need to pick up a few things, and do not want to brave the crowds. Ah well. I guess that means I can relax a little more...

Giant flock of waxwings swarms over the house.

Tromping through the snow to raid the woodpile.

Centerpiece.

Adorable little earrings from Dom.

New TV for my kitchen! I now have DVD capabilities!

Bonding.

Decorated gingerbread men today with my father.

I have all the artistic talent of an 8 year old.

Christmas Goodies.

Last weekend, I did some Christmas baking with my friend Michelle, and last night I did a bunch more. (truffles, check. Candied popcorn, check. Candy wreaths, check) Goal of today is to attempt to recreate my grandmother's ginger creme cookie recipe.

My grandmother rarely ever used recipes that were written down. She would change a recipe subtly, but never recorded the changes in her recipe box. The result is that I have all of her old recipes... but most turn out NOTHING like they did when she made them. I've managed to reverse engineer a cookie she called Honey Fruit Snaps, but so far no luck with the ginger cremes.