Summer’s coming! Which means ice cream is extra-good. And the only thing that could possibly approach the deliciousness of my beloved Sanders on top of a really good French vanilla is a good caramel sauce. And it’s insanely easy to make your own! Now, I’m not gonna call anyone’s favored coffee shop out for squeezing some mono- and diglycerides* over your latte**, because I ... »
I keep thinking that bananas are a good idea, when in reality I don’t particularly care for them. I think, “Hey! I’ll eat fruit and be healthy! I’ll buy a bunch of bananas and take them to work every day!” and then a week later I have a bunch of bananas that look, almost literally, like awful poop. Let’s take a moment to purge that thought from our minds before ... »
You guys, I made cupcakes from stuff that was already in my kitchen. I didn’t have to go to the store for anything. WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?! <– Forreals, this is what's in cupcakes. Super easy, right? But wait! There are weird instructions in my recipe! Herein begins my Ode to the Hand Mixer! (I don't sing so well.) Butter isn't soft enough? Hand mixer. Recipe says to d... »
Since we here in the Midwest had a lovely second winter last week (distinctly less pleasant than second breakfast), I thought I might like some nice soup. And really, how hard can soup be? You put a bunch of stuff that you like all in one pot, pour some water over it, make it hot, and SOUP FOR YOU. Okay, maybe there are a few more rules to soup than that. It wouldn’t work well if you just th... »
Guys. GUYS. Who wants more diabetes-inducing* treats? OF COURSE YOU DO. I made more seven-layer bars, and they were. Uh. May. Zing. First: it’s waaaaay easier to smush up the graham crackers by putting ‘em all in a bigger (say, gallon-size) zip bag and rolling over the whole thing with a rolling pin. SO. FAST. Sure, not as satisfying as crushing the heads of your enemies crackers in yo... »
I’ll be honest, I’m not so into Valentine’s Day. I’m more into the half-price candy on February 15th, but I understand that a lot of folks like to fancy things up for the holiday. So to get in the spirit of things, I thought I’d try cooking with booze! I mean, who doesn’t think chocolate and spiciness and beer are essential ingredients to a successful Valentine&... »
I am not a cook, or a chef, and honestly belong nowhere near a kitchen. My mother thankfully taught me nothing of her cooking skills, as we named our black cat Brownie after her smoke-detector-as-dinner-bell methodology. But since we do so love experimentation and trying new things here at the Lab, and I have learned just enough to avoid burning myself most (more than 50%) of the time, I shall coo... »
