Photographie is Felicite: February 2012

Today is Valentine's Day and I'm a lady, so I'm going to treat myself like a lady. I'll write myself a poem. When I split a brownie, I'll give me the biggest half. I'll open the door for myself. I'll save me the last dance. All the single ladies! Join me in treating yourself like a lady today. :D

Today I don't have a Valentine, but I do have the comfort and continual love of food! (Which is basically the same thing.) Food is good to smell and look at and make with your hands, and gives you real satisfaction with all the work you've accomplished when you get to eat it. It's a great trade. I've tried some new recipes this month and I want to give you a look at my kitchen fixens'. As you can see, most of these recipes were taken from two people: Joy and Heidi. Check out their sites!

Japanese Pizza

Unfussy Apple Cake

Oatmeal Muffins (I used a different topping.)

Spicy Cornmeal Parmesan Crackers

Tapioca Pudding (Tip: The best way to eat this is definitely in a mug.)

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

Okay okay. Enough yummy-ness. I won't pretend everything went nicely. One fateful night I tried to make vinegar potatoes (like salt and vinegar potato chips, right? No.) and seasoned beef sandwiches. The vinegar potatoes were UNBEARABLE. They tasted like gasoline and wood chips. The beef was good (!), but nobody liked the bread we had available so the sandwiches were out. Basically in the middle of other things cooking up so nicely and beautifully, this disgusting meal ended up on everyone's plate. Surprise!!!! ...ahem. I'm not even going to post a picture of the meal, (a picture of my sister is way cuter) but here are a few "anonymous" ;) comments I received:

-"The only thing that saved this meal were the white rolls."
-"Rachel. There's fat on this meat."
-"You officially FAIL at cooking."
-"I found a bone. I almost killed myself!"
-"These potatoes taste like brussel sprouts."
-"Can I have cereal?"
-"So concludes worst dinner ever."

Awwwww. Feelin' the love fam! (Actually I was laughing through the whole thing.)

Carmelized Mushrooms and Dumplings

Boston Creme Pie Cupcakes (aaaaamazing!!!!!! They'll make you fat and happy!)

Pecan Pie Cookies When I made these a couple of my siblings said, "Wow Rach! You've been cooking some good things lately!" Ah, encouragement.

Caramel Pecan Clusters

The list of things I want to cook is SO much longer, and I don't plan on stopping in the kitchen anytime soon. If you'd like to see more future recipes on here, holler!!! (I might even be so bold as to try a tofu recipe, which totally freaks me out.)

All my love,
Rachel

This is a girl who will spend hours listening to books on tape, or training her rabbit outside in the afternoon. She would rather wear jeans than a fancy dress. Her English country-bumpkin accent makes me roll on the floor, laughing! Animals love her, and she is excited (more like ecstatic) to get her calf soon! She's my sister. My almost 10 year-old sister (slow down on the growing up thing, sis).

Her name is Natalie, but we call her Poozer, or Pooz. (so don't be alarmed if you hear us calling her that in public! We are not calling her loser, we are calling her Poozer.) Dad adopted the name from a Dr. Seuss book. :D Pooz, by the way, can be squeezed into just about any word of a sentence, to the great amusement of my brother. Example: (to the tune of My Girl) "I've got Poozer, on a cloudy day." Anyway. It's quite comical. :D