This is Husband’s busy season at work.  Good guess, but no, he’s not an accountant.  I’ve been dining alone a lot the last few weeks.  Besides taco salad (can’t get enough of that), it’s been rare that I’ve actually cooked a real meal.   Do you ever just pick your way through dinner?  A little this, a little that…

Tonight, I was ready for eating.  I love shrimp, and Husband doesn’t, so this was my chance.  Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi went together really fast (not to boast, but I’m quite good at scaling recipes to fit the needs of one), and was a satisfying meal.  I roasted a few spears of asparagus for a side.  Bon Appetite!

Now, what’s for dessert?

I think I must apologize to any readers I may have left.  I, obviously, started this blog before I was really ready.  How many posts have I completed?  I hate to keep complaining, but my relationship with food is just not what it used to be.  I have the hardest time coming up with menus.  I literally cannot think of food to cook.  This is bad (really bad) for a food blogger.  Hopefully, this is just another symptom of the pregnancy, and once the baby has arrived, I’ll be back to normal.  In the meantime, I’m going to try really hard…I do like blogging.

No Bake Cookies are one of my fast go-to favorites.  I almost always have all of the ingredients in the pantry, so they’re ready in a matter of minutes.  You really don’t need to wait until they’ve cooled.  Enjoy some warm!  After dropping the majority on a sheet to cool, I leave some of the batter in the saucepan and eat it straight from there.  Just wipe your face clean when you’re done. 

No Bake Cookies
makes 24ish

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. cocoa powder (I usually add a bit extra for more chocolate flavor)
1/2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. peanut butter
3 c. oatmeal

Mix first four ingredients in a saucepan with a whisk.  Bring to a boil and boil one minute.  Remove from heat and mix in the rest of the ingredients.  Stir until mixture thickens.  Drop by spoonful onto wax paper.  Let stand until cool.

I’ve been craving cinnamon rolls for quite some time now.  With just the two of us, I really couldn’t justify baking some.  Do I really need a whole pan to myself? …and I’d eat it too.  Last week some friends did a good deed for Husband, so I thought it would be perfect thank you…and I’d be sure to sample a couple myself, thank you very much.

The cinnamon rolls that I grew up on are my absolute favorite.  However, the recipe makes not one, but a few 9×13 pans.  This was just too many for only four people, plus I wasn’t that motivated.  Too much rising and rolling.  The recipe I used, from Cuisine at Home Magazine, isn’t quite the same, but they are delish.  The only change I’d make is the frosting.  It’s a cream cheese frosting that I just don’t think is sweet enough.  I did add extra powdered sugar, but I’d probably make a simple butter/sugar/milk frosting next time.

Please forgive the way the recipe (below) came out.  I guess I haven’t quite figured wordpress out?!?

Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Cuisine at Home Magazine)

Makes 12
Total time: 2 hours + rising

For the Dough:

1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ t.)

1 c. warm water (100 – 110 degrees)

¾ c. whole milk

½ c. buttermilk

3 T. sugar

2 T unsalted butter, room temp.

5 c. all purpose flour, divided  (I added one more cup of flour - it was just too wet)

1 ½ t. kosher salt

For the Filling :

¾ c. unsalted butter, room temp.

1 ¼ c. sugar

1/4 c. ground cinnamon
(I add raisins as well.  I hoping the friends are raisin people.  We’ll see).

Proof the yeast for the dough in warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer for 5 minutes or until foamy.

Warm the milk to 100 degrees in a saucepan over low heat while yeast is proofing. Add warmed milk, buttermilk, 3 T. sugar, 2 T. butter, and 3 ½ c. flour, and salt to the proofed yeast. With a paddle attachment, mix on low speed until combined then increase speed to high. Beat for 3 more minutes.

Switch to the dough hook and add the remaining 1 ½ c. flour. Mix on low speed until incorporated, then increase speed to medium. Mix for 5-7 minutes, or until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic and let dough rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. Butter two 9” square pans.

Soften ¾ c. butter for the filling in a bowl in a microwave for 30 seconds. Use a hand mixer to blend in the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Do not chill.

Once the dough has risen, hook your fingers under the edges to release the dough from the bowl. Scrape it onto a well-floured surface. Sprinkle flour over the top, and press gently to remove air bubbles. Divide the dough in half and roll one portion into a 10×16 rectangle.

Spread half of the filling onto the dough, leaving a 1/3 inch border. Starting at the shortest edge roll the dough jelly roll-like into a log. Repeat rolling and filling with the second piece of dough. Transfer log to a baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes.

Slice each log into 6 rolls and arrange them in the prepared pans. Cover rolls with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover rolls and bake 25-30 minutes or until browned. Cool rolls in the pans for 10 minutes then remove and frost with Cream Cheese Icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
Beat together:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 ½ c. powedered sugar

¼ c. heavy cream

1 t. orange zest, minced (I omitted this)

Have I mentioned that I haven’t been feeling myself lately?  Exhausted?  (A tired I have never known!) Not cooking?  Not really eating?

I think by now you are on to me.  You guessed it.  I’m with child!  Husband and I will have a sweet little August baby.  An August baby myself, I’m quite pleased with this birthday month.  I don’t want to offend anyone, so I won’t tell you the months I don’t think are preferable having a child in.  Have you ever ranked the months in order of birthday preference?  Maybe I’m the only crazy one.

Well I’m on the road to feeling better, so I haven’t needed my go-to stomach soother, ice cream, as much.  But here is a great recipe for vanilla ice cream, it’s so creamy.

Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream
makes 1 quart
adapted from Cuisine at Home Magazine, August 2008

3 egg yolks
2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Whisk yolks in a large bowl
Heat cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low until steaming, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes.  Temper 1/2 c. cream mixture into yolks, then whisk yolks into remaining cream mixture.

Cook custard over medium-low, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 3 minutes; add vanilla and salt.  Return mixture to a bowl and col in an ice bath for 8 minutes.  Remove bowl from ice bath, cover with plastic warp, and chill custard at least 4 hours or overnight.  Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

January 2009 came, and I will always remember it as a month of restoration.  I’m a bit embarrassed to admit (I come from “hard working stock”) that I was extremely lazy.  I did absolutely nothing this month.  I became one with the couch.  It was great, and obviously just what I needed.  I start working again next week, and I think I’m ready.  There is life in me again.

Because of my “mini life crisis” I wasn’t cooking, and therefore wasn’t blogging the last couple of months.  After this time off, it seemed like a good time to switch blogs.  This one will still mostly be about the food in my life.  Let’s face it, it’s the most exciting thing I’ve got going, and I enjoy it.  But, I’d like to give myself freedom to post about other things as well.  For example, I really wanted to show my readers the stockings I made at Christmas time out of old wool sweaters.  They are adorable, but trying to get a good photo of cookies with the stockings in the background just didn’t work, so there was no post.  After all, I had a food blog, not a craft blog.

I will still keep tabicakes.vox.com active.  So if you need to look up a recipe you had wanted to try, it will still be there.

Welcome!