From the monthly archives: May 2012
As I was finishing a pilates class last night, a text from Pat popped up on my phone:
This was the enclosed picture*:
What can I say, the boy knows me!
*Just to be clear, that is lime sparkling water
As a surprise for Pat, I made these Dulce de Leche Banana Cookies and Cream Bars from Baker’s Royale. A combination of dulce de leche, vanilla oreos, sweetened condensed milk, bananas and pecans, I thought they sounded heavenly!
As we took our first bites, my face immediately fell. The bars were sickeningly sweet. Pat gamely tried to get through a few more bites before pushing the plate away and telling me he just couldn’t do it. This is coming from the man who can eat half a dozen donuts after a hard bike ride!
Needless to say, this is where the Dulce de Leche Banana Cookies and Cream Bars ended up:
I ran through the recipe to make sure I hadn’t done anything wrong. I can’t figure it out. I’m not sure that I’ve given up on the bars completely. They have the potential to be amazingly delicious if I can figure out a way to tone down the sweetness. Any ideas?
I came home today to a stack of tree stump cuts that will be repurposed into cake stands! Pat snagged these from a nearby business that had just cut down a tree.
This month’s Madison Magazine had a feature about Madison as a bike-friendly city. In one of the articles there was a photo of Pat and I from last fall when we did a B-Cycle photo shoot! I hope you can tell by the look on my face that I love the B-Cycle bike sharing program. You can read the full article here if you are interested.
These watercolor cards are easy to make and work for any occasion. I made one for my mom for Mother’s Day and then whipped up a few extra for thank you’s and “just because” notes. All you need is a watercolor palette and a brush.
Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Toasted Pecans
Adapted from the New York Times Vegan Thanksgiving
The brussels sprouts are roasted at a high heat to bring out the natural sugars and caramelize the edges, then tossed with toasted pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup.
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon (or 10 grinds) black pepper
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. To prepare the brussels sprouts, remove any yellow or brown outer leaves, cut off the stems and cut in half.
3. Toss the brussels sprouts, pecans, olive oil, salt and pepper together. Once coated in oil, spread into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish or cooking sheet to roast. You may want to line your sheet tray with foil for easier cleanup. Place in oven.
4. Place in oven. After 15 minutes, stir with a spatula or large spoon to even out the browning. After 30 minutes, stir in the maple syrup.
5. Continue to roast the brussels sprouts for about 15 more minutes, or until they are fork tender (about 45 minutes total).
Yield: Serves 6.
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