The Proof is in the Pin

One of my favorite friends, Sarah, has been hosting a blog linkup called "The Proof is in the Pin". Basically, it's a way to be accountable for trying your pins! This is something I really need. I love me some Pinterest and always have every intention of doing my pins, but life gets in the way. I have three pins today that I completed and SURPRISE OF ALL SUPRISES, they are food pins. Try to pick your jaw up off the floor.

Pin #1-- Feta Dip

image via

This dip is insanely good. It couldn't be easier to throw together before a party and it's always a crowd pleaser. I made it several times last winter for different parties, but forgot about it until a few days ago. We were visiting my family this weekend, and I made it for a football gathering on Saturday night and a mini-Thanksgiving meal on Sunday night. It was a huge hit both nights! I think we're going to grill some Greek marinated chicken breasts and serve this on top of them for supper soon-- kind of a Greek bruschetta chicken. The only thing I do differently is I don't crumble the entire block of feta into the dip-- only about 3/4 of the block. Yum!

Pin #2-- Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sandwiches

image via

These sandwiches are from my very favorite food blog. I really like Crist and Tina as people and dang, can they cook and bake. When I'm meal planning, I usually check their blog archives first. This recipe was no exception. These meatballs are easy and perfect! I used mild buffalo sauce and left the sauce out of the meatball mixture so Griffin could have some before I tossed them in the hot sauce. He liked them a lot! We ate them on a bake yourself Kroger multigrain baguette (per Tina's instructions) and we couldn't get enough of them. I usually hate leftovers, but I devoured these the next day. Make the blue cheese dressing yourself-- it's easy and delicious. I served these with sweet potato fries. Well done, ladies!

Pin #3-- Oven Baked Hardboiled Eggs

image via

I make these exactly how she suggests and I don't think I'll ever boil eggs on my stove again (unless I'm in a pinch). Sure, baking them takes a little longer, but I've found it's much more foolproof. I've never had an egg crack in my oven and I do this a lot. Watch, I'll have one break today. We really love hardboiled eggs here as snacks, in egg salad, on our green salads, etc., so this is an easy way to have a bunch on hand at once! Eggs are a great source of protein and I usually will eat one in some form before I go exercise!

Thanks for the fun linkup, Sarah! Happy Tuesday, friends!

 

Chicken Pot Pie & Warm Cinnamon Apples

Well, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that I fell off the 31 Days bandwagon. I did try, but we are in an interesting season of life right now that doesn't always leave a lot of room for a blog post at the end of the day. Since this blog is for me and my family, I don't want to feel pressure to post everyday if I can't make it happen. But I really do love blogging and am glad that I was able to complete some of the 31 days because it made me remember how much I do enjoy chronicling our day to day life.

We've also been throwing around the possibility of taking my blog private, which would mean that you would have to sign in with your email address to read. Again, I blog for our family and it makes me feel a little unsettled that anyone with Internet access can read and see pictures of our life. Nothing happened to make me feel this way, but it's something we've been throwing around.

Now, onto the real reason for this post-- food! Was there ever any doubt? On Monday, I made one of our very favorite winter meals-- chicken pot pie and warm cinnamon apples. This meal is comfort food at it's finest! The winter I was pregnant, my friend Emily gave me this recipe for pot pie and it's been a staple in our winter menus ever since. It's so easy and we usually eat the leftovers in a day or so. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Chicken Pot Pie

serves 6-8

12 oz bag frozen mixed veggies

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

14 oz. can chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken (I always use a rotisserie chicken for flavor)

2 pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium high heat and saute onion for 2-3 minutes. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until bubbly. That will happen quickly. Whisk in the milk, then the broth until smooth. Bring to a boil and let it boil untouched for 1 minute. Stir in the cooked chicken and veggies. 

Put one crust on the bottom of your pie plate. Pour filling into the pie plate and put second crust on top. Cut to vent. Cover edges with foil so the crust won't burn. Bake for 35 minutes or until the crust is golden.

**I have never actually made this pot pie in a standard glass pie plate. This makes a lot of filling, so before I made it for the first time, I went to Target and bought a deep dish pie plate. This pie plate has straight sides, so it's deeper than your average pie plate. I'm pretty sure that mine is the same one in the link and I've gotten my money's worth! I would recommend it for this pot pie. If you don't have one, then I would suggest using a 9x9 square glass baking dish before using a regular pie plate. 

Warm Cinnamon Apples 

via My Recipes

serves 6

4 McIntosh apples (I used Gala because that's what I had-- they were great)

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp butter 

Toss together first four ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Toss to coat the apples well.

Cook apple mixture, water, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover, but stir occasionally for 8-10 minutes or until the apples are soft.

Bon appetit, friends! 

Salmon Salad

Well, I promised y'all that I would blog the recipe for the salmon salad this week and HERE I AM DELIVERING ON THAT PROMISE. I think this is the first blog promise I've ever kept. Sigh. I want to be a good blogger, I really do. Maybe this is the start of something new!

Anyway, this salad. Oh, people. This is such a good, good salad. I have to tell you-- I am a meat and potatoes girl. We had ribeye steak for supper on Monday night and it doesn't get much better than that. Rarely do I think to myself, "Ooooh! We're eating salad for supper-- CAN'T WAIT!" But this is one of those supper salads that I can't get enough of. I'm actually forcing myself to take a few weeks of a break from making this so that we don't get sick of it. 

I have to give credit where credit is due though. I said this in my blog post from Tuesday, but a few years back, my girlfriends and I put together a cookbook and we each got a copy from Tastebook (great website, the books are so quality). My friend, Katie (who just moved back from the Cayman Islands-- woo hoo!), included this recipe from her sister. I have had this recipe in my book for almost two years and I just got around to making it. SHAME ON ME. It's so good. I should have listened to my girlfriends about this one a long time ago. You were all right, ladies. Shame. 

So, here's the recipe. Do yourself a favor. Don't wait two years to make this. You'll regret it. 

Salmon Salad

Serves 4

• 2 lb. grilled or broiled salmon (I squeeze lemon juice over mine, brush it with olive oil, and cook it at 425 degrees for 15 minutes)
• 1 pear, cored and coarsely chopped (leave the peel on)
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 c. sliced green onions
• 1/2 c. honey-roasted almond slivers (I found these by the nuts. You might also find them by the croutons.)
• 2 oz. blue cheese
• 1/3 c. dried cranberries
• 2 c. spring greens (I eyeball this per person)

For the dressing:

• 2/3 c. canola oil (I use vegetable since that's what I have)
• 1/2 c. cherry preserves
• 4 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 4 tsp yellow mustard

In a blender, combine oil, cherry preserves, vinegar, and mustard. Blend until combined. Since I don't have a blender, I use my food processor and it works like a charm.

Flake your cooked salmon into large chunks.

Divide your spring greens among four plates. Top with remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

This is a great salad for the spring, summer, or fall. You can change it up as you like, but the combination of the salmon, greens, toppings, and homemade dressing is scrumptious. I hope you love it like we do! 

Menu Monday. Or Tuesday.

I'm linking up this week with my friend Rachel's Menu Monday! Every week, I want to do this, and every week, I don't get around to it. With Labor Day being today, Tyler is home and Griffin is worn out from a morning at the zoo, so I have a bit more free time. We've had some delicious meals lately and I want to share them with you. These are a few meals that we've had over the last few weeks. Maybe one of these days I'll get my act together and actually post the past week's meals!

Salmon Salad

A few years ago, my girlfriends in my small group put together a cookbook. It's one of my very favorites. This recipe for salmon salad is in there, compliments of Katie, and I've just never made it. The other girls have talked about how amazing it is and I just have overlooked it time and time again. Well... I finally made it and we had it twice within about 10 days. It is SO good and good for you. You don't need any sides because of all the goodness that is packed in. I promise I will post the recipe soon. Now I'm sad that it isn't on the menu for this week!

20-40 Garlic Clove Chicken and Parmesan Quinoa

Crockpot 365 is one of my favorite cooking blogs, especially since I'm a busy mom now. This was an easy meal to throw together and it was pretty yummy. Griffin loved this chicken-- he ate two whole legs! I forgot to put the onions in the bottom, but we didn't miss them. I also bought a jar of the peeled garlic cloves in the produce section and used probably 28ish cloves. It wasn't overly garlic-y. The quinoa was good too! I used Trader Joe's quinoa and before throwing the quinoa into the pot, I sauteed some chopped onion and minced garlic with some olive oil. When the quinoa was done, I added a little fresh grated Parmesan cheese. It was good! The next day, I shredded the chicken and added it to the leftover quinoa for lunch. Delicious!

Grilled Dijon Chicken Thighs and Corn Saute

Speaking of my favorite cooking blogs, you must head over STAT to The Dough Will Rise Again. This is probably my current favorite food blog and I visit their site every week when I'm menu planning, no joke. Crist and Tina are excellent cooks and bakers, and they're funny to boot. You've GOT to add this one to your reader. Anyway, this Dijon chicken marinade is to die for and it's my new go-to. We love dark meat, so we popped a few thighs on the grill. That corn saute is so, so yummy! I just sauteed a chopped zucchini and 1/2 of a chopped onion in olive oil until softened. Then, I threw in two ears of corn (cut off the cob) with some salt and pepper. Once I pulled it off the heat, I threw in some quartered cherry tomatoes. Tyler LOVED this and we've had it a lot over the past few weeks. The mac and cheese was Griffin's supper leftovers-- Annie's Four Cheese Elbows. That is some good stuff right there.

Angie's Ribs and Molly's Twice Baked Potatoes (and Corn Saute, again!)

We LOVED these ribs-- another crockpot meal! Angie was talking about them on Twitter one day and I knew we had to have them. They were easy and fell off the bone. Here's her recipe that I used. Take 3 lbs of baby back ribs and cut them to fit in your crockpot. Rub the ribs with salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Mix 10 oz. of cherry jelly (I pureed cherry preserves since I had them in my fridge) with 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Top ribs with the mixture and cook on low for 5-6 hours (my crockpot cooks HOT so it only took me 4.5 hours).

We had Molly's twice baked potatoes on the side, which are so delicious and easy! I can't find the link to the recipe all of a sudden, but once I do, I will link back to it. And of course, we had the corn saute again. So yummy.

So, there you have it! I promise to post that salmon salad recipe this week. That is one you will DEFINITELY want to make soon. Thanks for the fun link up, Rach! I hope I'll be back sharing meals with you all next week. Let's see if I actually get my act together. 

Meal Plan Monday

Hey-- I actually got this posted on Monday this week! I am ahead of the game... for once. Something I have realized is that I haven't a blessed clue how working moms do life. I am in awe of them-- super women, really. I can barely take care of myself and my husband. If you are a working mom-- I commend you on about 5 different levels. You are my hero.

Now, onto the food. Yum.

Last week, my friend Hayley (check out her new blog endeavor-- you won't be sorry!) left a comment saying that she also meal plans, but doesn't plan on a specific meal for a specific night. I am going to put that into practice this week and just cook whatever strikes my fancy within the meals I have already planned. I am excited for the new recipes this week!

Meal 1: PW's Meatballs and Sweet Potato Fries (recipe to follow)

Meal 2: Broccoli Beef with Brown Rice

Meal 3: PW's Linguine with Clam Sauce (recipe in her cookbook) and Green Salad

Meal 4: Katie Lee's Red Snapper Veracruzana with Green Salad

Meal 5: Leftovers or go out to eat

The meatballs just came out of the oven and my sweet potato fries are just finishing up. Everything smells amazing! The meatballs were a little labor intensive, but not terrible. My sweet potato fries are very easy and delicious. I got the recipe from my aunt and we love eating them with meat dishes.

Sweet Potato Fries

4 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
2 T. olive oil
3 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine potato wedges with the olive oil, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a plastic Ziploc bag. Shake to coat. Spread on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Turn and bake for about 20 more minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they don't burn. Sprinkle with salt and pepper when they come out.

Mmmm. Can't wait to eat these! They are soooo yum. Oh, and before I say goodbye for the evening, let me just say that the gumbo from last week was AMAZING. If you like gumbo, I would strongly recommend trying the recipe that I listed last week. If you haven't ever tried gumbo, this is the time.

And this final bit has nothing to do with food, but it does have to do with one of my other loves: reading. Oh, boy, do I love to read and spend time in libraries, but if you've read this blog for any length of time, that comes as no surprise.

I thought it might be fun to use the blog to chronicle my eclectic reading tastes in 2010. Currently, the first book I am slated to finish in 2010 is The Real Real by the authors of one of my favorite novels, The Nanny Diaries. I am just about half-way through, but I have to say that I'm not loving it as I thought I would. Next up is Witch & Wizard by James Patterson. Sometimes, his stuff can get a little weird, so I am prepared to put down the book if I need to. I'd love book recommendations, too!

Alright, I've got a hungry man who wants some food. Later, ya'll.

I love food and children... in that order.

Apparently I have no brain left because all I can possibly think to blog about is children and food. Lord, have mercy upon my child and cuisine obsessed soul. Amen.

A few nuggets to chew on (pun completely intended)...

1. Yesterday, I received a hand drawn picture from a student. Nothing brings a teacher of small children more joy than a beautiful picture presented to her of dead stick figures lying in a pile. The explanation? "Never jump on a trampoline with two landmines and a grenade." Okay, then. Boy children are the most hilarious children. Ever.

2. I am going to cook a scrumptious feast tonight because I can. No school tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day. Happy Labor Day weekend which I actually keep calling Memorial Day weekend because I have lost my mind to third grade children and food. On the menu for tonight...

Oven Roasted Ribs

Potato Bundles

Caesar Salad

Individual Raspberry Cobblers

All glory and honor goes to The Pioneer Woman for these amazing and life changing recipes (and photos!). If you don't follow her blog, do yourself a favor and start. It will make your world a better place.

Also, please stop salivating on your computer keyboard. It will ruin it. Trust me, I know. And if you've been invited over for dinner tonight, congratulations. I hope it lives up to your expectations. Ree's recipes usually always do.

Happy Memorial Labor Day!

Yum.

I just wanted y'all to know that we will be having this for dinner.

And we will be enjoying it. Delish.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I will be posting something substantial and not about food in the next week or year, but right now with school starting, I am just so dang-blasted tired every night after being with 15 third graders everyday. Mamaw needs her sleep and has been hitting the hay around 9:30 each night. It's good to be old.

Have a wonderful day. And eat a meatball sandwich.

Tasty McTastyness

I don't think it's a secret that I love to eat. I love to cook, bake, look at recipes, cookbooks, pictures of food, food reviews, etc. It is a great wonder that I do not weigh 400 pounds although I could be well on my way if I'm not careful. I was one of those babies who would start to shake with joy when it was time to eat. I may or may not still do that.

Let us move on.

I find great pleasure in going out to eat. I can usually find something to be excited about at a restaurant. During the school year, my coworkers and I will sometimes go to eat at Olive Garden as it is right across the street. My family never went to Olive Garden while I was growing up so I like going now. I do happen to realize that OG does not serve authentic Italian food but that doesn't mean I can't like it!

As much as I love going out to eat, we are trying to save some cash around here, so when I was thinking about one of my favorite OG meals tonight, I thought that I might search the Internets for the recipe. And my word, did I score on this one. I actually found THE RECIPE on the Olive Garden website! I also have the recipes for the salad, salad dressing, and breadsticks from my Food Network magazine.

So all that to say, we are going to have an Olive Garden feast here soon. I would now like to share with you the recipe for my favorite OG dish. I will let you know how it comes out and if I get it all together one of these days, I will type out the salad and breadsticks recipes for you all. That's cause I love you so much. Oh, and if you happen to think this is low calorie, look elsewhere, my friends. Look elsewhere.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Gnocchi Veronese

Ingredients
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced (julienned)
½ zucchini, sliced, (julienned)
Salt to taste
4 chicken breasts, sliced in ½” strips
2 small branches rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of ½ lemon

Veronese Sauce
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup ricotta cheese
14 fl oz heavy cream


Chicken and Sauce

1. COMBINE garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.
   
2. COMBINE Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and heavy cream in a mixing bowl and set aside.
   
3. HEAT sauté pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute until onions are translucent (do not brown).
   
4. ADD marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are brown on all sides and internal temperature is 165°F. Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.
   
5. DRAIN cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to coat gnocchi with sauce.
   
6. SERVE gnocchi topped with extra Parmesan cheese.

**I do not make my own gnocchi. I get the kind that it vacuum sealed as it is fresh and much easier than making your own. I also get the whole grain gnocchi that is made with sweet potatoes for a healthier option. If you would like the instructions to make your own gnocchi, you can click here for the full version of the recipe.

Authors and Laundry and MckAroons, oh my!

This will be a rather quick and random post, but I would like to share a few things.

First off, meet my new baby:


This beautiful Canon PowerShot, which I have named Frank (I tend to name my things, don't ask), is my new buddy. My delightful parents gifted me with Frank as an early birthday present. Hopefully, you will see some good things come from Frank and I. I also checked out Digital Photography for Dummies from the library and hope to come away with some good tips. Let us also hope that Frank is more compatible with my computer so that I can update you with some pictures.

I also would like to, once again, sing the praises of the library. I couldn't love it more. I recently discovered the glory that is the Main Library of Cincinnati. This is the library that is downtown. Oh, mercy. It is a piece of heaven for us book lovers. I just went today. I checked out the first season of Army Wives and it is eight kinds of wonderful. I am almost finished with disc 1. Oh, how I love summers off of teaching.

I have been sitting here enjoying the company of my new army friends while folding the scads of laundry that have been piling up in our room. Here's the deal about laundry: I love it. All of it. I don't mind a single bit, other than running down to the basement for all of the loads. What is bad about clean laundry? NOTHING, I tell you, NOTHING!

I also just finished a chocolate dipped MckAroon. Oh my delicious. I made these for the group of friends that came over last night to watch the parade drive down our street (another post, another time) and everyone gave them a thumbs up. This is one cookie that I will make again.

And before I say goodbye, I have a question for you. Please listen carefully, because I need your help. This is clearly a very important question.

What are your favorite authors/books?

I am a reading fanatic. I go through books in a day or so. Reading is my favorite pasttime and I have some favorite authors, but when I find an author, I tend to go a little nuts and read ALL of their books as fast as possible. This has happened with Mary Higgins Clark, her daughter, Carol Higgins Clark, and Harlan Coben, along with some others.

I would love for you to comment and let me know who your favorite authors are or even what your favorite books are. I would love to know some reading interests that we have in common! I would also really enjoy finding some new authors to explore.

But before you go all gung-ho (and I'm hoping you will!), please read this statement: I do not care for historical fiction of any kind. I know, hate me if you must, but this is one genre that I cannot get myself into. However, before you verbally beat me to death for this, please understand that the only historical fiction that I have ever truly enjoyed is that by Francine Rivers. If you have not read Redeeming Love, go out and BUY this book. I promise that you will not be disappointed, even if you are crazy like me and don't care for historical literature.

On that note, I've gotta go switch the Army Wives disc. Can't wait to hear from you all.

Eyebrows and a Kitchen.

I love my dad. He is the man. I grew up thinking (and still think) that man is the earth, moon, and stars. When he is in the country, he calls me on my way to school and it is one of the highlights of my day. I could write and write and sing and sing his praises, but that is truly for another day.

My daddy gave me lots of things like his sense of humor and his hair. And... his eyebrows. Dark, thick eyebrows. Great on a man, not so great on a lady. Thankfully, the good Lord created wax... or the ingredients in wax, but let's not get technical.

I have the greatest "brow designer" (really, that's what it says on her card!). Her name is Liz and I found her on a fluke. She works at the spa at my local Macy's. When I lived in Michigan, I got my brows done at the spa in Macy's at Somerset. When we moved here, I just decided to try someone at Macy's since I had been so happy. That's when I met Liz. We clicked right away and found out that we grew up within miles of each other and that we had vacationed up north at the same place. Anyone else hearing the "It's a Small World" theme song?

Anyway, I love her. She is fabulous and wonderful and keeps me from looking like Frida Kahlo. However, there is a little issue. In order to get to the spa, I have to walk through Macy's. And not just any part of Macy's... the Martha Stewart kitchen section.

It's like heaven on earth and do not think for a second that I am exaggerating. It is so hard for me to walk through that section and not start snatching up objects and screaming like Animal from the Muppets.

The only blessing is that we live in an apartment, so I am not too inclined to purchase decorative/permanent kitchen objects of color. However, whenever we do buy a house, I would love to decorate my kitchen in shades of red and robin's egg blue. This works out well with Martha's current collection.

I would now like to share with you indulgences that I wish I could bestow upon myself. Unfortunately, this is as close as I'm gonna get for now. That is unless one of you precious ones wants to bless me with a special gift. I don't want to box you in. Go where the Spirit leads you, that's what I always say.

I love this icing spatula. I don't frost a lot of cakes, but I bet I would if I had this baby.

Cupcakes are my favorite. I chose them in lieu of cake for the dessert reception at my wedding. I would really enjoy having one of these for entertainment purposes.

I just think these are darling. Maybe it's the teacher in me, but you could do so many things with kids and these cookie cutters. I'm also thinking that they would be fun to use to make cookies for wedding and baby showers. Wonderful.Thoughts from moms/teachers? Am I delusional?

Wouldn't these be great with my red/robin's egg blue color combination? I also happen to have a small obsession with mixing bowls. I have a multicolored set that I use for everything and these would be oh-so-useful to add to my collection.

These oven mitts and cutting boards would go perfectly with my proposed color scheme. I love to cook and love to do everything associated with cooking (like chopping and using the oven) and these cutting boards and oven mitts would just make my heart sing.I have a cutting board-colander combination that I just love. It is so fantastic to be able to rinse fruits and veggies and cut them up right there. Again, this would be great with my colors! I love matching.

Finally, these don't really "match", but I can't help just standing by the dish towel wall and drool stare every time I pass by. These are two of my favorites. I have a Macy's gift card and may just use it to supplement my dish towel collection. Wouldn't you?

Holy Delicious.

Last night, we attended a small celebration for our friend, Grant, who graduated from law school. Congratulations, Grant! He and his wife, Emily, are friends of ours from college and it is so wonderful to live in the same city now!

We had been out with them the night before for Tyler's birthday and Emily told me about a dessert that she was making for Grant's graduation. It is on the current cover of Better Homes and Gardens. She explained it as a peanut butter bar with strawberry preserves and fresh strawberries on top. It sounded good and Emily is a great cook and baker, so I was looking forward to it.

Looking forward to it? Had I known how delicious it was, I would have counted the hours until I had this treat. Lord have mercy, it made me want to slap my momma; it was that good. She served it with fresh whipped cream and I'll be darned if I've ever tasted anything so good.

Naturally, my mind starts racing to when I can make this treat for myself and justify it. Let's face it, making an entire pan of these just because isn't going to cut it right before bathing suit season. I have a feeling that they would mysteriously disappear in a matter of about 48 hours and the person who would make them disappear would have the initials of Rachel Haney. Someone else in this house has self control, but I'll tell you, it ain't me.

Well, lightening has struck and I have decided to make them for our dessert contribution to small group on Tuesday night. This way, I feel totally fine about making them seeing as though I won't gorge myself on the entire batch, praise the Lord. I'm actually putting it out here on the blog that I am making these for the accountability. Sally, if I show up to your house with a batch of store bought cookies, you'll know that I couldn't help myself and ate the entire pan myself. You have my permission in advance to shame me in front of the entire group if that happens.

Instead of going out and actually buying the magazine like a good consumer, I chose to do a Google search for the recipe instead. Lo and behold, I found the recipe (and pictures!) on Cupcakes and Crinoline. Go on over to her website and make these-- or don't, because I don't want to sound bossy. But if you do, cut me a piece, put some fresh whipped cream on top, and come on over for a cup of tea and we'll chat. Or you'll chat while I eat. One of the two.