August 25th, 2010 § 0
As of today, I’ve been at the Lake for a whole week! I’ve nicely settled in, have gotten used to lazy mornings, and really have started to sink my teeth into the Harry Potter books. I started them two days ago and already I’ve had to sheepishly phone my neighbour twice to ask for the next book in the series. To be on the safe side, when I came to collect the Prisoner of Azkaban this afternoon I also picked up the Goblet of Fire. Woo!
August 20th, 2010 § 0
Every year since my early childhood, my family travels to our cottage in northern Manitoba, known simply as “the Lake”. Some of my fondest memories are of the (mis)adventures my brothers and I got ourselves into as we whiled away the long summer days of the north. Of course, things have changed a lot since then. Gone are the days when we had to jump off the front porch because the stairs had rotted away. Gone are the days when we spent hours on the neighbour’s trampoline, laughing when one of us accidentally bounced off. Gone are the days of doors that didn’t quite fit their hinges, as the cottage foundations succumbed a bit more each year to the soft muskeg below. Gone are the days of mismatched furniture, orange curtains, and peeling lino. But the memories remain and I must admit I don’t miss all the mosquitoes buzzing around my ears!
July 11th, 2010 § 0
Although I routinely get the ‘brownie-shakes’, it’s not often that I crave cheesecake. But last week, the urge hit and I couldn’t ignore it: I just had to make something with cheesecake in it. Since I had decided that bars would be more practical if I wanted to share these with my colleagues at work, it was just a matter of choosing the type of base I wanted.
July 2nd, 2010 § 2
O Canada! Our home and native land… (NOT sung to the tune of ‘O Christmas Tree’, as so many of you delight in doing. /evil glare.)
Happy Canada Day! Well, yesterday was Canada Day (July 1) but I still hope you had a merry one! It was also my dear borther’s birthday (he gets to celebrate with everyone in the country!). Last year, for his 21st, we threw him a big party and instead of a cake, I made cupcakes, each with a chocolate flower on top. I remember for at least a week beforehand I was at it each night, molding the chocolate plastic into pansies, lilies, and roses… until our freezer began to resemble a bizarre stash of the decapitated heads of flowers.
June 29th, 2010 § 0
So I’ve taken an insanely long hiatus from blogging — my last post was November ‘09! Those of you who know me personally will be well aware of the fact that this doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking! In fact, I’ve been baking more than ever. Just living in the far north can have it’s draw backs — sun setting at 3.30pm in the winter, for example. So when daylight hours are limited to less than ten a day, it can be difficult to get a good photo! And that was the main deterrent from blogging. There was just not enough light!
But the flip side of the coin is that Scottish summer days are long. The summer solstice was last Monday and truly it was still light at midnight! So, I suppose I now have lost the “there’s no light” excuse.
November 19th, 2009 § 1
These bars are soooooo good. But how can you go wrong with a crumbly, buttery base covered by a thick layer of fudgy chocolate? And top it off with some more buttery crumbs, chocolate chips, and chopped walnuts… I’m sold.
November 16th, 2009 § 1
So I’m very much behind on my posting again. That’s not to say I haven’t been baking! Indeed, I feel like Ive been baking more than ever. Perhaps it’s in procrastination – I’ve got a midterm this afternoon! *gulp* Go figure that I choose the morning of the midterm to post and not anytime in the past two weeks.
This post will be a quicky. Just some pictures to let you know that I haven’t given up on this blog. :) If you want the recipe, just give me an email and I’ll be happy to send it too you! » Read the rest of this entry «
October 28th, 2009 § 0
Last week there was another happy occasion on which my busy life required me to bake. Not just cause I wanted to and felt like some sugar (I think I’m always up for some sugar. ;) ) but because the Fine Chocolate Society was having a film night and bake sale.
I mentioned before that I thought the Green & Blacks brownies were among the most godly things on earth. I stand by that statement. For sweetness, texture, and cocoa flavour I am convinced that these brownies can’t be beat. They are exquisitely moist and are sweet without being too sweet. And did I mention how I love brownies with a dark chocolate flavour?
October 24th, 2009 § 0
This past week I’ve been lucky enough to bake on three occasions, although lazy enough only to be posting about them now.
In typical British fashion, I feel it is imperative that I discuss the weather before getting on with the recipe. Not in great length, but in enough words to describe how piss-poor and dreary it is outside. It’s been a while since we’ve had this steady and long a downpour. My friend Helen and I got a wee bit lost trying to find the bus station in Dundee, and as a result got extra soaked. Then there was the trudge home from the St Andrews bus station, although by that point I think I’d accepted that I was soaked through. Now, though, I have the pleasure of watching the rain come down in sheets from the nice warm indoors. I’ve slipped on my fleece pyjama bottoms, snuggled into my cosy slippers and I’ve just finished enjoying a cup of hot squash with a few biscuits. Life is good, apart from the mountain of school work awaiting my attention. But that’ll wait til after this post.
» Read the rest of this entry «
October 7th, 2009 § 4
For any of you who occasionally stop by my blog, you’ll have noticed a discrete lack of posts in the last few weeks; many apologies for this. In the past few weeks I’ve moved back to Scotland and begun my first year as a medical student, living in my own flat, with my own kitchen, and a whole new set of responsibilities. Truly, I was spoiled in hall last year, not having to worry about things like bathroom doors falling off and mould on bedroom blinds. Ach weel, welcome to the real world, I suppose.
I’ve also been quite busy between my studies, my taekwon-do, and my involvement in the Fine Chocolate Society. All of these I love, but all of these demand my time and attention, leaving me with much less time to blog. Indeed, I’m embarrassed to admit how much porridge I’ve eaten in the past few weeks (it’s so fast and easy, and you can do it sweet or savoury!) and the other vegetable and bean concoctions I’ve come up with. Sadly, this leaves me with a very small amount of time with which I can bake, and an even smaller budget. » Read the rest of this entry «
