Monthly Archives: May 2012

Cherry Pie

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Julie • 5 Comments

“But like a dream I’m flowin’ without no stopping
Sweeter than a cherry pie with Reddi-Whip topping.”
-Adam “MCA” Yauch

When I heard the news of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s passing, I was truly surprised by how deeply it shook me. It is a strange feeling, grief for someone you’ve never met, and yet I’ve been kicking the ground and shaking my head for the last week.

I haven’t always liked their music. I have vivid memories of hearing Licensed to Ill as a pre-teen and, obviously, just not getting it (I don’t think pre-teen girls were really their target audience back then). I didn’t know what dust was or why one would smoke it. In my world, aluminum bats were for playing in the backyard, not hitting people. And they didn’t seem to hold women in very high regard. So the B-Boys, and their music, weren’t really relevant to me.

But then they grew up.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Desserts, Personal, Vegan

Mexican Stuffed Peppers

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Julie • 0 Comments

For some reason, I always think that when I come back from a business trip, everything is going to settle down. I’ll arrive home at 5:30 with plenty of time to make a nice leisurely dinner, follow it with an evening run or bike ride, and still have time to get to bed early.

And for some (presumably related) reason, I appear to be completely disconnected with reality, which generally goes a little more like this: finish work at least an hour later than planned, leave bike in the office because I still haven’t fixed the roof rack on my car, remember that I have to stop at the grocery store for something or the other, fly in the door around 8 with dinner barely a tadpole of a thought, cook, scarf it down, conveniently disappear while Nor does the dishes, finish up extra work stuff, and run around like crazy trying to get into bed before it’s officially tomorrow.

If any of that sounds familiar, you probably appreciate a quick and easy meal as much as I do. These stuffed peppers are a lifesaver on hectic nights – even more so if I remember to make the filling over the weekend (I usually don’t). They also aren’t baked like many stuffed peppers – and with summer on the way and the thought of firing up the oven getting more unpleasant by the day, that’s a total bonus.

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Main Dish, Quick & Easy

Blue Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Julie • 7 Comments

I’m hanging out in St. Louis this week!

Okay, I’m not hanging out. I’m (sigh) working. But that’s okay! I’m lucky enough to have a job that occasionally brings me to new cities – St. Louis, I’ll admit, was a city I was less than enthusiastic about, but then I got here. The people are friendly, the food is good, and they have a hockey team in the midst of a playoff run. Their Blues are down 2 games to 0, but not out, and the enthusiasm in the city is infectious. “Let’s Go Blues” signs hang on every beautiful historic building, the most tightly wound professionals are flaunting temporary Blues tattoos, and the streets near the arena (right next to my hotel) have been teeming with eager, hopeful fans in the throes of playoff excitement.

So, is there a better time than now to share a blue recipe? The team had a tough loss last night, but today I’ll share a recipe that I hope will bring good juju back to them, for the sake of these enthusiastic, friendly fans. I made these cupcakes a couple of weeks ago for a little guy’s baby shower, and paired with coconut cream cupcakes, they were warmly received. This is a classic red velvet cake turned blue – the taste is absolutely identical, and there is no need to color the frosting unless you’re looking for a paler blue somewhere in the mix, since the cake gets pretty dark. With the light cream cheese frosting, the hint of chocolate in the cake, and the lovely slate blue hue, these are a guaranteed hit for a baby shower, St. Louis hockey party, or David Lynch theme dinner (I’ll admit the latter two may be fewer and farther between than the first).

… [click for recipe and more]

Filed Under: Desserts