I don’t care much for baby carrots anymore. I ate them nearly every day at lunch for a solid year. Pretty sure it was the longest year of my life. Have you ever chewed one of those baby carrots? It takes about 5 minutes per carrot. And I always seemed to pack at least 10. That must equal about 4 whole carrots. Those little guys are deceptively dense and far more compact than any normal carrot. And their shape—it’s just a little too perfect. My hands used to turn orange during that time. It all makes sense now. I was eating wayyyy too many carrots. Read more
Did you know—baking with dark colored pans will brown your baked goods faster than baking with light colored pans? It’s true. I learned this the hard way on multiple occasions. Drop your oven temperature slightly or decrease the baking time to compensate.
For my entire married life—4 years and counting—we’ve been eating Jack’s Garden Fresh Salsa. Purchased from Costco. It’s one of the main reasons this two person household has a membership. That and rolled oats. And then we moved to Connecticut. No Jack here. Read more
Who was your first blog crush? Mine was Smitten Kitchen. I’ve been reading since nearly the beginning. I remember when she first went on that Caribbean food blogger trip. I was green with envy and thought maybe I’d get to go one day. And I remember when she announced she had a bun in the oven with real buns in the oven. And when she told us so long ago that there would be a cookbook. She’s who I looked to when I started this blog. In a way she’s been my mentor, not that she knows it. And I imagine she’s been a mentor to thousands of others too. Read more
If you ever want to substitute eggs in a baking recipe, use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water, per egg. Whip using in a blender, immersion blender or food processor until it reaches a creamy, egg yolk consistency. Great when baking for vegan friends or if you find yourself out of eggs.
—Alison, This Homemade Life
This cake is my nod to fall. My nod that it’s coming. But not here yet. I may be wearing my favorite sweatshirt and yoga pants already. Working with the windows open. That’s allowing the tinniest of chills to blow through our apartment. Drinking warm coffee in the morning instead of iced. And we may have gone pear-picking already. Read more
