Reboot!

I'm getting back into the blogging game after a 1.5 year hiatus. I have all my photos from the missing time but am going to start anew without trying to fill in the gap as that way lies madness, or at least inertia. I had some great adventures during that time with trips to the Middle East, South America, Asia, Europe and new cities in the USA including Portland, Miami and Detroit. Accompanied by some delicious and new eats of course! To ease back in I'm going to start with a monthly wrapup. Hopefully this will make things a lot more manageable. Of course in April I head off for seven weeks to Central Asia so there'll be a hiatus but I'm committing to blogging regularly when I get back.

Chocolate

Lemon pepper and creamy matcha.

Weekend Baking: Banana Walnut Cake

Weekday Dinner

Continuing the string of junk food dinners, this time tater tots with salad.

Weekend Baking: Salty Oat Cookies

Makes a change from super-sweet cookies. Extremely filling.

Recipe: Salty Oak Cookies

Weekday Dinner

Weekend Baking: Sour Cherry Amaretti

Deliciously sour and chewy. Must make again.

Recipe: Sour Cherry Amaretti from Demon Cook

Weekend Baking: Mocha Cookies

Chewy and sweet with my first batch of hazelnuts.

Weekend Baking: Buttermilk Pie Bars

I admit this recipe was only chosen in an attempt to use up the half gallon of buttermilk I bought on sale last week. It turned out great, tasting very much like Japanese cheesecake. This is way easier though. Definitely a keeper.

Recipe: Buttermilk Pie Bars from Baking Bites
Changes: Omitted nutmeg and vanilla and substituted orange flower water; used oat flour in base.

Weekend Baking: TNT #8 Buttermilk Shortcakes

These were the most tender biscuits I've ever tasted. Admittedly I don't make or eat many biscuits but these were exceptional and might persuade me to have them more often.

Recipe: Buttermilk Shortcakes from Baking Bites
Changes: added extra butter as I had an extra ounce left and didn't want it lurking around the freezer; added zest from half a Meyer lemon to cut the richness of the buttermilk.