S'mores rank as one of my Top 5 favorite foods.

     Hate on me, but they are just too good to not deserve a spot. The list is as follows:

1. Rice

2. Cake/Candy

3. Bread

4. Maple Syrup

5. S'mores

    This list reads like that of a baby lumberjack, I'm aware. I'm literally the most uncultured gastronome on the planet...and I just don't care. I recently just finished writing a paper on food aesthetics and food as art; let me tell you, there are a LOT of food haters. Life is far too finite to care about what's in"good taste". I'm going to keep drinking Malibu Rum and eating Watermelon Sour Patch Kids because I think they're dope. I can already hear the food police at my door...that's why, dear friends, this week I'm providing you with a recipe that utilizes BOXED CAKE MIX. Why? Simply because I, like you, am a lazy, deplorable human being and sometimes you just don't have time to make real cake. Let he who doesn't eat Betty Crocker cast the first stone.

S'mores Cupcakes

First things first, make your impostor cake. Mine called for the addition of eggs, butter, and water. I also added a tablespoon of vanilla and 1/4 cup of cold coffee. While I was making the batter, my lovely friend was adding a dollop of marshmallow/graham goodness to the bottom of each cupcake basin. To make this ingredient, simply crush four cups (roughly) of graham crackers and set aside. Heat 1/3 cup of butter and two cups of marshmallows in a large bowl on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed crackers to the bowl and mix well. This process is similar to making rice krispie treats, so reeeaach back, try and remember the deliciousness. After a fat tablespoon of sticky graham has been placed in each cupcake cavity, you can pour the batter over each and bake for the recommended time. 

Now on to the icing... honestly, I think icing/frosting/glazes are all a pain and get in the way of me just smashing cake into my mouth. However, these would not be S'mores without a marshmallow-like crown. To make the topping, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, and egg whites in a heat proof bowl, set atop a pot of simmering water. Stir the mixture for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Take the mixture off the heat and beat on low, gradually increasing to a higher speed. Add the vanilla. After 5-7 minutes, you should have the right consistency. Should. I have no idea what happened to this icing. It was stiff enough to dip, but not to pipe. After you have iced these lil cakes, hit em with a blow torch, or, the broiler. I can't even believe I found mine. Great success. These cakes are 3 parts rustic to 1 part diva. Serve accordingly. 

Recipe
Icing adapted from The Brook Cook
CAKE
Betty Crocker's Butter Recipe Chocolate Cake Mix
1 c water
1/3 c butter, softened
3 eggs
1/4 c coffee, cold
1 tbsp vanilla
ICING
4 large egg whites
1 c sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla, plus the seeds of one pod (optional)
  

    

   
    "You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it."

     When I decided to come home for the month of August to escape some of the stress of grad school living, I planned on doing as much as I could in that short span of time. The beach, camping, and a quick jaunt to Boston/Portland were all in order. Then Robin Williams died. The only other celebrity death I have ever cried for is Whitney Houston, and it's a strange sensation. You don't personally know them, they didn't rear you, you didn't grow old with them...but, they taught you. They had the humility and talent to open themselves up to the world, and truly change it for the better. Sometimes we get so caught up in our day to day, or what we think we're supposed to be doing, and we forget to really, really reflect on the things in life that are most important. So, instead of running around this month, I'm going to sit right here, spend time with my family, and be grateful that I can, in fact, choose to do nothing and be happy with that choice. After that, I'm sure I'll be back to my old, maddening ways, but until then, I'm just gonna hang out with my little, old pooch and make some crisp.

Peach & Blueberry Crisp 

(Edited by Lindsay Farrell)

     To start off, peel the peaches and slice them into a large bowl. Some suggest blanching the peaches first to release the skins, but I really don't mind peeling. Add the orange zest, sugar, salt, and flour and mix well. I also added about a teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the blueberries and toss lightly. Cover this mixture and set aside. 

    Since I'm normally in it for the carb component (think cake sans icing, pasta without add-ons... I decided to make a 1 1/2 portion of the crisp recipe. I thought about doubling it, but I need to at least pretend like I don't want to die from overeating. To make the crisp, cut the butter into the flour, oats, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. It should be slightly crumbly, but ideally not too dry.

     Pour the fruit mixture into a 11x13 dish that has been greased. Evenly distribute the crumb topping, making sure to hit up the corners. No one likes wimpy corners. Bake at 350 F for at least half an hour to 45 minutes. Depending on the depth of your pan, you will have to adjust this time frame.

(Edited by Lindsay Farrell)

     Recipe

     (Adapted from Ina Garten's filling and crisp recipes) 

     350 F 30-45 min

     FILLING

     10-12 large peaches (4-5 lbs) sliced

     zest of half an orange 

     1 1/4 c sugar

     1 c light brown sugar, packed 

     3 tbsp AP flour

     1 pint blueberries

     1 tsp cinnamon 

     1/2 tsp salt

     CRISP

     2 1/4 c AP flour

     1 heaping c sugar

     1 heaping c light brown sugar, packed

     1 tsp salt

     2 c old-fashioned oats 

     3 sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced

     1 tsp cinnamon 

     

     Hail, Cremona, and Moving On

     I hope everyone's in the mood for a story, because this one's ripe for the picking, juicing, fermenting, and boozin. It all began three weeks ago when...

     HAIL fell onto my keyboard and put the poor beast to sleep for four days. Miraculously, the only thing negatively affected was the computer's sound card annnnd for some reason my ability to log onto this blog. Due to my inability to understand technology, it took me this entire time to realize I just had to add my other email as an administrator in order to edit. Look out, Harvard, I'm comin fur ya. 
     You're probably thinking, "Wow, what kind of a dumb biddy leaves their computer outside in a hail storm?" That would be a correct assessment of the information at hand, but that doesn't make for an excellent story. No no, my computer was in fact inside when this once every 2-3 year (as I'm told) hail storm occured. My potted vegetable garden, however, was outside. So I moved everything inside and my gracious tomato plant thanked me by dropping a gumball sized hail stone onto my keyboard. Fast-forward almost a month and we arrive here, back in the good ol' US of A. That's right, I'm back for the beautiful, fleeting summer. 

     CREMONA
    
     Cremona is aurguablly Italy's most important city for music, as some of the best stringed instruments in the world are made here. Although we were brought for the farms and food, the music did soothe this weary heart. I want to live there FOREVER. Jk, my Italian's rubbish. 

Milk during the first stages of cheese making

Pigs on an organic farm using a four-field grazing system

Fre$h to death ciabatta production

The freshest bread this side of the Atlantic 

The manly, pink beers at Birrificio Toccalmatto

Zucchini bread we made for the trip 

     Fun fact, zucchini bread doesn't really exist outside of North America. When my friends and I made this bread for the trip, everyone was a little wary of eating something that was sweet and also filled with organic vegetation. After some convincing, everyone dug in and the rest is history. I have to thank my good friend Kelly for providing the toddler sized zucchini from her beautiful garden that was used for this bread. 

    If you have a friend to help you make this bread, it can come together in a snap. I've hated grating ever since the great grating disaster of 2012. So, have a friend grate the zucchini and you are already halfway there! Sift all the dry ingredients into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine the oil with the sugar, vanilla, and eggs and beat until well incorporated. Introduce the dry to the wet and stir gently. Add the zucchini to the party and gently fold in, making sure not to over mix the batter. Pour said batter into two, greased 8x4 loaf pans, or, like we did, into one, greased 9x13 dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top has browned nicely. 

     As an aside, the moving on portion of the title refers to a few things. You expect to come home and find everything as you left it. As we know, the only thing that's constant in our little, crazy world is change. As I begin to accept the changes being made at home, I begin to rethink my goals across the ocean. Although I was dead set on going to Dublin for my internship, I'm starting to think a new place, a change of pace, might be good for me. I'm looking at you, Scotland.

Recipe

Adapted from the blog The Kitchen McCabe

325 F 50-60 min

3 c flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cinnamon 

3 eggs

1 c vegetable oil

2 1/4 c sugar

1 tbsp vanilla 

3 1/2 c grated zucchini (avoid the seeded section of mature plants)