Gates Pond (nature walk)

Ok, it's been a while since I have posted any snapshots....and this weekend I (finally) got out to explore my new neighborhood.  I took a walk on the trail around Gates Pond, the reservoir that supplies Hudson's drinking water supply.  It was a blue sky breeezy day, and perfect.  Here are some pictures I took....

A 30th birthday cupcake!

So, it's been a few weeks since I posted (and baked!) and I wanted to catch up.  My posts have been mainly baked goods, so before you think that all I do is bake and eat sweets, I AM going to post pictures today too!  I hadn't snapped many pics lately, and this weekend I took a stroll around the local reservoir and experimented a bit with my trusty image catcher! 

But first - sweet deliciousness!  My sis-in-law (to be) turned 30 last weekend, and while she and my brother were away attending their first (of many) wedding of the season, I was the puppy-sitter for my adorable, furry, four-legged nephew. We walked, played, got into mischeif, and I managed to fit in some baking for them to come home to. 

I channeled my Great Grammy Conlon for this one. I used her from-scratch chocolate cake recipe.  Now Gram passed when I was a senior in high school, and at her services, the relatives made sure that everyone got a copy of Gram's chocolate cake recipe.  That's the thing in my family - recipes are our memories. Memories of cooking in someone's kitchen, laughing, getting flour everywhere.  Yeah, it sounds like a Lifetime movie, but these are our memories. See, my mom can sew and cook like no one's business, and my grandmother is an amazing craftwoman with a pair of knitting needles.  I feel badly that I never perfected either of these crafts.  Then a cousin said something to me - "Gram would be proud of you, you know? Keeping up with the baking...and gardening."  Then it hit me - that's what I am carrying down and passing on.  My Great Gram's love for baking and gardening.  And I am ok with that.

Ok, ok...without further adieu - Gram's Chocolate Cake recipe (in cupcake form) with espresso buttercream frosting.  Behold.....

The cake mix...secret ingredient: sour milk (milk + vinegar). Shhhhh...

I made them a little oversized.



Frosted, with espresso buttercream and ready for a little somethin'...

...like a little decoration and some burgandy chunks. Yup. I'll eat 'em!

Viola!

Sexy and I Know It - Bruce Springsteen & Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young

Possibly one of the funniest parodies. ever. I love that someone with the fame that Bruce has had for so long still doesn't take himself *too* seriously. Enjoy!

The Joys of Easter!

One of the most vivid memories I have from my childhood is going to my grandparents' house on Easter and realizing that the Easter Bunny stopped there too!! Oh, the joy of devouring Peeps, jelly beans, chocolate eggs, and the list goes on! Part of the Easter celebration always included a Peep Cake, baked by my grandmother. She would make an angel food cake, frost the top with her homemade buttercream frosting, and LOADS of Peeps. Every variety and color was represented - along with many jelly beans, chocolate eggs, and any other confection that would send all of us kids into a sugar high for days.

This year, I made something similar - Peep cupcakes! I used Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix (I cheated, I know!) and Grammy's homemade buttercream frosting. Then, I topped each cupcake with a Peep (traditional yellow chicks and a more modern green bunny) and some jelly beans.



Little Peep Cakes

This explains so much....

...like why I could eat truck loads of super sharp cheddar, and than be riddled with guilt and a cheese "hangover" the next day. (Maybe I do need cheese rehab...) :) 

Culinarily Curious: Addicted to cheese? Here's why.

Breakfast Muffins - Lots of banana goodness!!

I have been following the LifePlusFitness.com blog for several weeks, and have read some GREAT workout tips (I am trying to beat my abs into submission before the summer!).  Last week I saw this post for a muffin recipe - LifePlusFitness.COM: Breakfast Muffin

I love to try new recipes (hence, a topic for my blog) and the muffins seemed pretty healthy, so last night I gave them a whirl.  They came out awesome!  I had a few bananas that were edging past their prime, so they were nice and easy to mash up.  I didn't use carrots, however, because I didn't have any in the house, so I modified the recipe a bit by using a full cup of applesauce.  I love the smell of the cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger combo, and my place was full of that spicy scent when I baked last night. 

Here is the original recipe - LifePlusFitness.COM: Breakfast Muffin

And here is the version that I made (very similar!)

*One warning, I am not sure how using more applesauce affected the calorie count listed..so if you are counting cals, sorry I don't have an accurate amount!

• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cups oatmeal
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups ripe bananas, mashed (I used 4 and it worked out well)
• 1 cup applesauce (I used the unsweetened kind - less sugar!)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp.

Preheat oven to 375*. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with papers, or spray with cooking spray.

Combine the first 7 ingredients (flour through spices) in a large bowl. Stir to blend well. 

In another bowl, combine everything else (bananas through buter). Stir until it is combined well. I used the fork I used to mash the bananas and it blended everything pretty well.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and sirt until combined well (the batter will be pretty lumpy).

Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake at 375* for about 20 min.  These are a hearty muffin, so when they are done, they will spring back a bit when you push on the tops.

Enjoy!

Bruce Springsteen-Tenth Avenue Freeze Out Boston March 26, 2012

An epic performance by The Boss & Co. last night.... unspoken tributes to Big Man and Dan induced goosebumps. Amazing.