• Aug
    2017
    24
    2017 / Aug / 24

    Vegan Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

    This recipe was born of my sourdough starter threatening to gain sentience and run away with one of the backyard squirrels if I left it alone any longer, and my sincere belief that I could not refrain from stabbing myself in the face with a railroad spike if I had to make another banana chip. read more

    1 person read this post.

    Unread
  • Aug
    2017
    09
    2017 / Aug / 09

    Why I Post Outtakes

    Once upon a way back when, in the early days of the website, I created a section called The Gallery of Goofs, Spoofs, and Outtakes. Later, this gallery spawned The Terrible Tues(days) over on Ye Olde Facebook Page. You have probably guessed by now that both of these exist to showcase just a few of the many things that do not go according to plan during any given photo shoot. read more

    4 people read this post.

    Unread
  • Mar
    2017
    30
    2017 / Mar / 30

    The Random Crap in My Kitchen Bundt

    Imagine it’s November 2015, and you are someone who, for the previous four years, has baked an original recipe Bundt cake in observation of National Bundt Cake Day, which is November 15.

    Now let’s fill in some imagine-time details. Close your eyes, and picture a calendar showing November 17. Picture your kitchen counter, showing no sign of any remnants of the cake you baked two days before, because you didn’t bake one. Picture a bunch of odds & ends in your refrigerator and cabinets from various other baking you’ve been doing. Picture yourself just done with the whole idea of ever baking anything else ever for all ever time again ever because you are seriously over carbs and sweets and frosting and you’re already dreading all the Christmas baking you’re going to start in a few weeks. Picture your doneness, your sorrow, your angst, your dread. Now close your eyes a little harder, and picture what you know in your heart will make all of that better. read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread
  • Nov
    2016
    15
    2016 / Nov / 15

    The Harvey Wallbanger Bundt

    I have been celebrating National Bundt Cake Day by baking an original recipe Bundt every year since 2011. 2015 was not an easy year, the streak almost came to an end, but I persevered and in 2016 headed into November with not only a perfect record but actually prepared. As in, thanks to my phone making notes for me 10 months in advance, I was reminded on November 8th that I needed to shop for the unique ingredients necessary to make the cake a friend on my Facebook page had suggested, a Bundt version of a Harvey Wallbanger. read more

    1 person read this post.

    Unread
  • Jun
    2016
    17
    2016 / Jun / 17

    How I Became a Doctor in 23 Seconds

    A few months back, I was setting up a new iPad, and had to create an account in order to complete the setup.  They didn’t ask for terribly much information, but they did ask for one piece of information that I was not able to provide.

    They asked for my “title”.  It was a required field, my choices were

    Mr.
    Mrs.
    Ms.
    Dr.

    and it would not let me continue setting up the account until I had selected one of those.  Which, for me, was a problem.
    read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread
  • Apr
    2016
    04
    2016 / Apr / 04

    An Open Letter to Home Depot

    Earlier today, a friend posted this photo on Instagram

    Now, the fact there is an Instagram that exists, on which my friends can post these things, that is found on the Internet, told me my initial suspicion was correct, but I glanced at the upper right corner of my 27” iMac just in case.  Sure enough, it’s the year 2016.
    read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread
  • Mar
    2016
    21
    2016 / Mar / 21

    Why Boaty McBoatface is a Really Good Idea

    There are not many nice ways to say this, so I’m just going to say it as simply and directly as I can; science has a tendency to get a little up its own ass and consequently suck at PR.

    Not to say that isn’t an understandable thing.  When your job is to figure out what could be, the tendency to distance yourself from what is becomes a necessity.  Case in point, Nikola Tesla.  When your head says “I know how we can pull electricity out of the air and make it free for everyone” while the world around you is saying “This person is going to die from a minor flesh wound because Neosporin hasn’t been invented yet” chances are good you’re going to fall in love with a pigeon.  There’s only so much the human brain can do as far as coexisting between The Is and The Possible before something has to give. read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread
  • Dec
    2015
    20
    2015 / Dec / 20

    Mason Jar Gifts For & From Guys

    Last year, as I was putting together a few last-minute things for the holidays, these happened:

    Yes, I jumped aboard the Mason jar gift trend train, whipped up a batch of just-add-water microwave mug cake mix, added some festive fabric and ribbon and a cute little instruction card, and just like that, three gifts done.  For women.

    And that’s where I paused.  For women.  It is so easy to do this sort of thing for women.  We love cake that happens in 40 seconds.  We love cute.  We love the little glass Universe of infinite possibility that is the Mason jar gift.

    So I said to my best friend, who happened to be nearby and happens to be a guy, “We should do stuff like this for guys.  Guys like stuff in containers, right?  We should do Mason jar gifts for them.” read more

    2 people read this post.

    Unread
  • Apr
    2015
    02
    2015 / Apr / 02

    Drought-Friendly Beauty Tips

    It’s no secret that California is in a permanent state of not-enough-waterness, but now, it has reached serious bad times.  Shit, as the kids say, just got very real.

    “California Imposes First Mandatory Water Restrictions”

    The basics, from not watering your lawn and flower garden to wearing your clothes more than once before laundering and, to put it delicately, letting things mellow, are no longer sufficient to keep California running.

    (And before you say “well I don’t live there, so it doesn’t matter to me” allow me to point out that yes, it very much does matter to you.  The California Central Valley, on less than 1% of the nation’s farmland, produces 8% of the nation’s agricultural output.  And 90% of the nation’s avocados.  So if you ever want to see your guacamole again, you’ll help us out.)
    read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread
  • Jan
    2015
    24
    2015 / Jan / 24

    O (Miss) Canada

    This morning, a friend posted a link to this article on my Facebook page, the whole point of which is, clearly, this photo of Miss Canada decked out all to hell and back for the Miss Universe pageant.

    read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread
  • Nov
    2014
    20
    2014 / Nov / 20

    Why You Totally Need Facebook’s Newest Post Scheduling Feature

    Recently, I noticed another round of the sluggishness, inconsistency in performance, and general nonfunctional bullshittery that always accompany Facebook working behind the scenes in preparation of rolling out new “features”.  Facebook’s definition of a “feature” is “OMGHOLYWOW new thing you didn’t even know you wanted until we gave it to you you’re welcome enjoy!” whereas the rest of us tend to define Facebook “features” more in terms of “major drawback and hindrance to basic functionality and could you seriously please just fucking stop changing shit on pages because you’re not doing anything anybody really wants done and this is not how you’re going to encourage us to actually start paying for this service okaythanksbyenow”.

    But this new feature could very well be the best thing that has ever happened to anyone.  Because where last week you could only schedule things in advance to post to your page, now you can backdate things that you post on your page. read more

    1 person read this post.

    Unread
  • Nov
    2014
    16
    2014 / Nov / 16

    The Bourbon & Butterscotch Zombie Slayer Bundt

    This is my fourth year observing National Bundt Cake Day by baking an original recipe cake, and as there has been in the three years prior, there is a near & dear emotional tie to the cake I’ve chosen.

    The first year saw my Tiramisu Bundt, a farewell baking as one of the last things I made in the tiny apartment kitchen that was home for almost fifteen years before we bought a house.  The second year gave me the Avenging Dark Chocolate Bacon Scourge Bundt of Doom, vengeance for a wrong done to a dear friend by a food blogger during the previous NBCD festivities, and also to vent some of my frustration at the 2012-13 NHL lockout.  Last year, I honored through Bundt a precious girl who I only knew for a short time but who will live in my heart forever, Chiquita the Pitbull.

    This year, I had no idea what I wanted to bake, so I put out a call on my Facebook page for suggestions, requests, etc. read more

    I was here and read this!

    Unread