#thegoodlist

Last summer my husband and I sold our Atlanta home, packed up, and headed west to Boise ID. The reasons for this move were many, but primarily we wanted to simplify our lives and make more time for our children and for each other. Despite careful planning and thorough goodbyes, the move was extremely hard.

Somewhere between arriving in Boise and finally buying a home here, I fell into a deep depression. Depression is not uncharted territory for me and I've created a sort of tool box that includes everything from taking care of my diet and exercising regularly to seeking professional help. For months after moving, even with support, I still felt a lingering heart ache. Around that time I started posting a daily "Good List" to Instagram stories. Gratitude and paying attention to the things that made me feel good — not healed or cured or even better but just good — each day became a prayer at the end of season of sorrow.

So many people have reached out to say how much they love the lists, or even just some thing from the day's list and that helped me feel connected in a way that social media had never made me feel before. Some of you have asked if you could play along. And a few have asked what the hell #thegoodlist is even.

To answer? #thegoodlist is a tiny but mighty hashtag by Erin Loechner at Design for Mankind. Erin posts her own good list to her Instagram feed, but as she says "The practicing is the good stuff.
The publishing? Entirely optional", which is really to say that there is no wrong way to create your own good list. I post mine daily to stories where it lives for the day and then disappear because I like that the lists, like the feelings inspired by them, aren't lasting. 

And thats the point entirely, no day or season is perfect but there is always some good to be shared if you pay attention. 

You can find me @stirandscribble on instragram any time you want to see the days list or share your own. 

I quit.

photo c/o Jessica Joan Pinkstone

"Hello. It's me. I've written this post a thousand times and then just pressed delete." - If Adele was a blogger.

I've been writing this post for close to two years. Some days just in my head, on a few occasions I even wrote it down. One brave day I even typed the post up in blogger. My life changed a lot in between those times and somewhere I pressed delete.

Stir and Scribble was created as a safe place for me to practice writing and food photography. Very few readers will remember that it was once a Tumblr page, but, before Tumblr was a thing. I look back at most of the old posts and cringe. The writing was bad, the photos were silly. But it was my lovely little corner of the internet anyways.

I got it in my head that blogging full time would be the next step in my career.  I had already spent the better part of a decade working for Alton Brown, and honestly I'm still not really sure what the 'next step' from that kind of work might be, but blogging was going to be the thing.

I took every class. I attended every workshop. I rebranded. I moved to wordpress. I tweeted, I pinned. I did all the things that the good, big bad bloggers do. And a terrible thing happened: I lost my voice.
So much time was spent trying to catch 'some big break' as a food blogger, so many hours wasted on pin-able images, that I lost sight of the whole thing.

The silliest part, of course, is that I basically had the dream culinary job already.  I worked full time for one of the biggest names in food media. I worked on New York Times best selling book series. I got to write recipes, cook, talk about food, and occasionally take pictures at my day job. 

In the last two years, in between all the drafts of this post - the written and unwritten - I've learned a lot. I stopped working for Alton full time. I had another baby. I freelanced as a food stylist and some times copywriter. I went back to work for Alton. And I've pulled back from this place.

I'd like to get back to where I started. I still need a place to write awkwardly, to take crappy photos, and to find my voice. Frankly I'm tired of being another white-brunette-lady-food-bloggers who is equally earnest and witty. I need more deep conversation, more interesting images, and I think the internet might need that too. I'm not quitting this space, I'm just quitting this photo, text, recipe formula familiar to blogs.

Fair warning that I'm about to delete a bunch of old posts and things are going to get awkwardly bad around here again while I try to figure it all out. Hope you'll join me.

Thirsty Thursday | Watermelon Hibiscus Aqua Fuerte

Pink drinks have become a thing for Stir and Scribble: There was the Dirty Shirley, the blood orange Salty Dog, pink milk, a Strawberry Shrub, this Rhubarb Margarita, and a Watermelon Punch. Hell, even this Shandy is pretty in pink. So do you really need another rosey refreshment from me?! 

Yes, yes you do. 

Hear me out here: This Watermelon Hibiscus Aqua Fuerte is summer fruit, iced tea, and TEQUILA. It is pretty much perfect for sipping on a patio, by the pool, or in a hammock. It has margarita vibes without all the sugar and way more personality. 

Hibiscus tea is brewed from the dried leaves of the hibiscus flower and can be enjoyed hot or cold. Its sweet tart flavor is loved around the world but is popular in tropical climates where the flowers flourish. Dried hibiscus flowers can be found at your local Latin market or online. 

Watermelon Hibiscus Aqua Fuerte 

makes 8-10 servings

adapted from Jim Meehan | Tasting Table

2 cups water

2 tablespoons dried hibiscus flowers

1/2 cup light agave syrup 

1 small seedless watermelon, about 5 pounds

3 cups tequila blanco, preferably Gran Centenario Plata

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving 

2 cups club soda

Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat, add the hibiscus flowers, and steep for 15 minutes. Add the agave syrup and stir until dissolved. Strain the hibiscus tea into a pitcher and refrigerate until cold. You can use the spent hibiscus flowers to make ice cubes by placing the leaves in an ice tray covering with water and freezing until solid. 

Chop the watermelon - discarding the rind - then puree the melon in a food processor or blender. Strain the watermelon puree, add to the hibiscus tea, and refrigerate until cold. 

Before serving add the tequila, lime juice, and soda. Serve over ice. 

Six First Foods for Baby (that aren't cereal)

That little chunk is six-months old this week. The time with baby number two is flying by in hyper speed. Breast feeding was way more successful for me with my second, but he seemed to be growing so fast that at his four month appointment I asked the doctor about starting real food. A lot has changed since we started our first on solids almost 3 years ago. The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending that parents wait until their babies are 6 months old before introducing food. They're also changing some recommendation of what baby's first foods should be. Rice or oat cereal was the norm just a few short years ago. 

As we work on changing our diet as a family - the idea of feeding Emmett super processed rice cereal became less and less appealing to me. We talked this out with our pediatrician and she supported us taking an alternate route. As with anything baby related - this is just what we decided would be best for our family and we sought the advice of professionals along the way. Emmett's first meal (at about 5 months, again with the support of our doctor) was a smashed avocado. Since then he has tried a variety of vegetable and fruit purees - and even homemade cereal:  

Avocado: Full of healthy fat, protein and fiber, Avocado is arguably one of the worlds most perfect foods. It doesn't even have to be cooked to give to baby. We smash our by hand with a little bit of water to thin it out enough for baby. 

Banana: Another easy to prepare first food, bananas are high in potassium and just sweet enough. Again you can smash a super ripe banana with a fork or puree it with a little water for baby. 

Sweet Potato: We love love love a sweet potato - they are high in beta carotene, fiber and a good source of carbohydrates. Its super easy to throw a couple sweet potatoes in the oven to roast on a Sunday and then puree the 'meat' of the potato after it has cooled. 

Apple: Steamed and pureed apples are a favorite in our house. Our three year old even loves to eat this apple sauce.  

Zucchini: Zucchini is such an awesome starter starch for little ones - the taste is slightly sweet, not too 'green'. I love to roast them before pureeing with a little bit of water. 

Oatmeal: Not all cereal is bad! Oats are actually a pretty awesome, but stay away from instant oats and try to buy gluten free oats if you can. Here's a simple oat cereal recipe perfect for baby: 

1/4 cup rolled oats

1 cup water

Pour the water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium high heat. Grind your oats into a fine powder, a food processor or high powered blender will do the trick. Gradually whisk these into the boiling water, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. 

Cool and serve.

If you're looking to improve the eating habits of your whole family - from your littlest bits to your meat-and-potatoes husband - look no further than Prescribe Nutrition's Kids Rule Program! I'll be playing along and you can get 30% off with the code STIRANDSCRIBBLE. 

White Chicken Chili + Prescribe Nutrition

You guys, this week has been like whoa. Two shoots, a baby shower, four batches of chocolate cupcakes, and everyone on spring break. Bouncing between stay at home mom, work at home mom, and work away from home mom has got me in a perpetual game of catch up. I am so glad that I have nothing on the schedule next week, because I need to get back in balance. 

I haven't been great about updating the blog regularly, but hopefully you're following Stir & Scribble's adventures on Instagram? The last couple of months have been a fun journey into eating a more whole foods based diet. If you've been a follower for very long - you might have noticed that I've had many false starts and stops at feeding my family a less processed diet. This time though I've had help. 

In February, I signed up for a program with Prescribe Nutrition. Prescribe Nutrition is a team of incredible woman with one incredible goal - to get you to give up a 'diet' in favor of eating real whole food. There programs are designed to shake you free from the standard American diet in a fun, approachable way with a ton of support and community. I loved my Prescribe experience so much that I shared my story over on their blog this week - you can read all about my disdain for diets here.

This weekend I'm jumping into another program with the Prescribe Nutrition team - Prescribe Balance. Prescribe Balance is perfectly timed to kick off spring. Twenty days of digging deeper into eating whole foods, getting some exercise, and daily cleaning rituals with the goal of getting everything back in balance.  I couldn't need it more right now - care to join me? Use the code 'stirandscribble' for 20% off! There's still plenty of time to sign up!

White Chicken Chili
serves 6 to 8
recipe courtesy Prescribe Nutrition

This Chili is one of the recipes from Prescribe Balance and a great example of whole foods meets comfort food that is typical of the Prescribe Nutrition team. We scaled back the spice for Ella and served it with a ton of lime and avocado. Its the perfect Sunday supper (and great for lunch leftovers).

1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
1 large white onion, peeled and chopped
1 poblano, pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped*
1 anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground chili powder*
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
32 oz (4 cups) organic veggie or chicken broth
2 (14.5-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups (about 2 lbs) cooked, shredded chicken**
Juice and zest of 1 lime, + extra lime wedges for garnish
1⁄2 cup full fat coconut milk
1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro leaves + extra for garnish

*only include if you prefer some extra spice in your chili!

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom pan or dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the onions, peppers, cumin, coriander, chili powder, paprika and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.

Pour in the broth. Add 1 can of the beans and, using a potato masher (or a handheld blender), mash the beans in the pot, creating a thicker texture.

Stir in the remaining beans, shredded chicken, lime juice and zest and bring to a boil. If you prefer a chili with more broth, add 1 - 2 cups of water. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and keep on a low simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately with additional lime wedges and cilantro.

Thirsty Thursday: Winter Citrus Shandy

I want to shout: "I'm back bitches!!" at just the hint that I can drink cocktails again, but alas, drinking hard liquor while breastfeeding is sort of frowned upon. So I'm easing my way back into the adult beverage business with a light and lovely beer cocktail usually reserved for summer sipping - the Shandy.

Shandies are a mixture of beer, lager or pale ale, and lemonade or ginger ale. The low-alcohol, high flavor drink has been enjoyed for hundred of years. Usually shandies are enjoyed in hot weather when you need something light & refreshing, but I've always wondered why summer time gets all the lemonade love. Winter is prime citrus time. And who couldn't use a glass of sunshine when there are 6 more weeks of winter left?!  I've started juicing all the citrus and mixing it with a little maple syrup and water for a wintry lemonade that is a perfect 3 pm pick-me-up. Add a little lager and you've got a darling little drink.

Shandies are also great for breastfeeding mamas because they are low alcohol. There are anecdotal reports that beer drinking (in moderation) can help support milk supply. In fact, our lactation consultant prescribed non-alcoholic beer when I was struggling to breastfeed Ella, because brewers yeast is good for milk production (as seen in these cookies)! But honestly, I just don't enjoy drinking a O'Douls the way I enjoy a cocktail. There is a certain ritual missing. And while I'd recommend waiting until your breastfeeding routine is well established before imbibing, I do think an occasional adult beverage is beneficial, because mama needs to relax a little.

Making your own lemonade is the key to this Shandy. I like a mix of 50% lemon juice and 50% other citrus. Cara cara and blood oranges give the juice a sweet pink hue, while clementines will lend a sweeter sip. Grapefruit juice is ridiculously delicious in a shandy made with a not quite pale ale.

Maple Winter Citrus-ade
makes 1 quart or 8 servings

1 cup fresh citrus juice - I used 4 lemons, 2 cara cara & 2 blood oranges (or about 8 lemons)
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup maple syrup

Combine the citrus juice, water, and syrup in a pitcher. Stir to combine, chill until ready to serve.

Winter Citrus Shandy
makes 2 drinks

Ice
1 cup Maple Winter Citrus-ade
12 ounces chilled Lager or IPA

Fill two rocks glasses with ice and divide the Citrus-ade between the glasses. Top with beer and stir gently to combine.

More Shandy Facts & History from NPR
More on Breastfeeding & Alcohol

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

Binge, bender, jag - I get on these kicks, these I-can't-stop-obsessing-on-this-thing kicks. For instance, we ate this salad once a week, every week this summer and often times I also ate the leftovers for lunch. Its not just recipes either - I'm currently binging on books. I can go a few months without reading more than a magazine and then I get on a book bend and - poof - I'm gone. I've read three books this week and I'm trying to decide what to read next. Suggestions welcome.

I've also got a bit of a bread bend going. If you follow me on Instagram you know I'm currently on a quest for my ideal sandwich bread recipe. Last week I made a batch of soft pretzels just because it was a grey drizzly day. And muffins, I've come down with a case of the muffins.

In culinary school, there was kind of this running joke amongst us baking-and-pastry folks that muffins are kinda like the medicore back-up singers of the pastry world. I mean, they're no cupcake! Muffins are fine and lovely, but when you choose a muffin for breakfast what you're really saying is - 'I wish I was having a cupcake'. And let's be honest, muffins aren't really that much healthier than cupcakes. Sure, they usually have some fruit thrown in, but they're still full of sugar and fat.

I had forgotten how lovely a really good a muffin could be! I made a version of these muffins for Ella's preschool birthday treat with chopped strawberries and mini chocolate chips, which we all adored. I didn't want to sugar-load a bunch of 3 year olds with full sized cupcakes, but a muffin is sweet enough to feel like a treat, without too much sugar, plus like I said before, there's fruit in there! I've made another batch with diced pears. Today I needed to use up some blueberries that had been in the freezer a little too long. You can basically use any fruit you want here.

And easy, muffins can be thrown together in less time than it takes Ella to watch an episode of 'My Little Pony' - which is important because those 21 minutes of peace are more precious than gold.  My secrets to a really delicious muffin are yogurt instead of buttermilk in the batter and streusel on top. Streusel makes everything better*.

Some tips for muffin baking:
Do not over mix - Whisk together your dry ingredients, stir together your wet ingredients, and bring them together gently or you'll end up with a tough muffin.

 Use an ice cream scoop or fisher to make each muffin exactly the same size. Bake your muffins in a rising oven (I actually learned this from biscuit baking)

Preheat the oven to 375 degree fahrenheit but crank it up to 400 when you put the muffins in.

Cool the muffins in the pan for a few minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

*actual fact

Blueberry Streusel Muffins
yield: 12 muffins

streusel topping:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

blueberry muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup greek yogurt (or buttermilk, which I never seem to have on hand)
1 large egg
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen,

Heat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Line a 12 cup cupcake, er, muffin pan with paper cups.

Make the streusel: Stir together the 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Work the butter into the flour an sugar until it resembles coarse crumbs and holds together when pressed. Refrigerate while you prepare the muffin batter.

Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, oil and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Batter will be thick. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups - about a 1/2 cup of batter per cup. Sprinkle streusel over the top.

Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Bake for about 20 minutes until the topping turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for about five minutes, then remove muffins from trepan and cool on a wire rack.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lactation

Brace yourselves friends, I'm going to talk about breast feeding again. Just over three years ago I shared my choice to stop breastfeeding Ella when she was just 7 weeks. At the time, it felt like such a hard heavy decision and disappointment, but now that she's basically a grown up (as in she turned three last week) it seems so silly to have cried over breast milk. 

I was exclaiming to a friend recently how different the second baby experience has been than the first, to which the friend replied "Of course, its different. You're a whole other person than you were 3 years ago!" Duh. Being a mom to Ella prepared me to be a mom for Emmett. My breastfeeding experience with Emmett has also been tremendously easier. 

One thing I learned between Ella and Emmett is that there is a whole list of foods that are actually reported to increase a mother's milk supply naturally. Galactagogues are foods that naturally promote breast milk production. While little scientific data exists, anecdotal evidence suggests that consuming food such as fennel, chickpeas, or papaya will help breast feeding mothers. Oats and other whole grains and beer are also reported to have the same affect. 

There's a small niche of food companies working to full fill the needs of nursing mother's and I actually stumbled upon the idea of lactation cookies through Amazon (which has saved me too many times during these "new mom of two" times). I tried a few pre-made cookies as well as some mixes for "milk maker" cookies cookies. Whether they actually worked or there was just a placebo affect - I decided to create my own cookies.

These 'lactation' cookies are a hack of my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. Oats are regularly prescribed to nursing mamas for milk supply. Flaxseed meal and brewer's yeast are added for the same reason and both were easily found at my local Whole Foods Market (you can also order both on Amazon). I've decreased the chocolate (which can some times upset tiny tummies) and messed with the sugar ratio a bit. 

I wasn't even planning to share this recipe, but this is seriously the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever had. The edges are crisp but the rest of the cookie is pleasantly chewy, there's just the right amount of cinnamon and chocolate. And here's the thing - you can't taste the flaxseed or brewer's yeast - so unless you tell them no one would ever know that this cookie helps with lactation. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for Lactation 
Makes 3 dozen cookies

These cookies are designed to help breast feeding mamas increase their milk supply. They will not introduce lactation in Dads, kiddos or neighbors - so feel free to share. If you just want to enjoy these as the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies - omit the brewer's yeast but leave the flaxseed meal and be sure to refrigerate the dough as directed below.

1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Combine the water and flax seed meal in a small bowl and set aside. Beat together the butter and sugars in until lightened and fluffy. Add the water-flax mixture, eggs, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add the flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and stir to combine.  Finally add the oats and chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.

Scoop the dough into 2 tablespoon sized rounds and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 12 cookies at a time on parchment lined sheet pans for 8 to12 minutes. The edges should be golden brown and the middles should look slightly damp still - cool for 2 minutes on the pan. Then remove to a cooling rack.

Sugar Cookies with Shop Sweet Lulu

Oh hey! Also in case you're baking up cookies this weekend (and don't follow stir & scribble on instagram) I shared all my tips and tricks for sugar cookies over on the Shop Sweet Lulu blog. Happy Baking! 

Perfect Sugar Cookie Dough 

Decorating Sugar Cookies like a Pro & A Royal Icing Recipe 

5 Cookies with 1Sugar Cookie Dough 

Toasted German Chocolate Cake

I never forgot about the cake I promised back in September. And here we are in mid-December, with days until Christmas and I'm not wrapping presents or addressing cards because, well, let me be honest, I just order everything from Amazon this week. I have a really great excuse though: 

Meet Emmett, the newest addition to the Splawn family. He eats up every moment of my days and some of my dreams too. We're adjusting to life as four during the busiest, most joyous time of the year. My heart is crazy stupid full and so I, kind of, don't care that we didn't all the decorations put up and that my Christmas cards will probably be late, kind of. 

Here's to finally fulfilling my promise of cake, to filling your holiday with the things that make your heart full, and a some good ole procrasti-baking - from my crazy heart to yours. 

Toasted German Chocolate Cake

Makes one 9 inch layer cake, 10 to 12 servings

You can make the cake several weeks ahead, wrap them well in plastic wrap, and freeze. The buttercream, caramel, and toffee can all be made up to a week ahead. I made the parts of this cake over the course of one week after work and did the final assembly the day of. 

Presuming you have just one full day to prep this cake – it could be done all at once. Bake the cake first so that it has plenty of time to cool while you prepare the other ingredients. Make the caramel and let it cool while you toast the nuts and coconut. Make the buttercream while the cake cools and skip the toffee if you run short on time.

Coconut Pecan Caramel Filling

Makes 3 cups filling – enough for 1 triple layer cake

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 cup full fat coconut milk, at room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup toasted coconut flakes, finely chopped

½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Combine the sugar, water, and, corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Attach a candy thermometer and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden amber and is approaching 320˚F. 

Immediately remove from the heat and add the coconut milk, vanilla extract and salt. Return to medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 230˚F. Pour the caramel into a heat-proof bowl and cool for 20 minutes. Fold in the coconut and pecans and cool completely before storing in an airtight container. The finished sauce can be made up to a week in advance – store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before assembling the cake.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Makes 6 cups of frosting – enough for 1 9-inch layer cake, with extra

1 cup egg whites, approximately 5 large

1 cup granulated sugar

5 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extra

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Fill a 4-quart pot about half way with water. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat.

Combine the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the mixer bowl over the simmering water (the boil should not touch the water) and whisk the egg whites and sugar until the sugar has dissolved completely, the eggs are foamy and the mixture is warm, approximately 5 minutes.

Set the bowl on the stand mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and sugar on high until they reach stiff peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch, approximately 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds on high in a microwave safe bowl. Stir the chocolate and return to the microwave for an additional 15 seconds to melt the chocolate. Set aside the cool while the egg whites whip.

When the egg white mixture has reached stiff peaks begin adding the butter in 4 tablespoon pieces (about a half a stick at a time) with the mixer on low speed. Be sure that each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next. Once you’ve added about three-quarters of the butter – there will be a moment of panic – the frosting will look as though its curdled or separated. Be persistent and continue whipping and adding the butter. After the final addition of butter turn the mixer to medium high and whip for 1 minute.

Return the mixer to low speed and slowly add the melted chocolate followed by the vanilla extract and salt. Mix for an additional minute and remove the frosting from the mixer. Store the frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days before assembling the cake.

Dark Chocolate Layer Cake

Makes three (9 inch) round layers

2 cups granulated sugar


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour


3/4 cup dark cocoa powder, plus extra for the pans


1 teaspoon baking powder


1 teaspoons baking soda


1 teaspoon kosher salt


2 large eggs


1 cup whole milk


1/2 cup vegetable oil
, plus extra for the pans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1 cup boiling water

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease three 9-inch round baking pans. Dust the pans with extra cocoa powder and knock out any excess. Set aside.

Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Mix in boiling water. The batter will be quite thin. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of each cake comes out clean.

Set the pans on wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Then, lightly run a knife around the inside of the pans to help the cake edges release. Flip the cake pans over, one by one, and tap firmly with the palms of your hands. Carefully lift up the cake pan; the cake should release easily. If it doesn't drop right out, drape with a warm wet towel while continuing to tap.

Cool the cake layers completely before frosting.

Assembly

Gather the cake layers, filling, buttercream, toffee, a cake stand, an offset spatula, a piece of parchment paper, a zip-top bag, and a pair of scissors. A clean kitchen towel is helpful too.  I prefer to frost cakes at my kitchen table rather than my counter – its just a little bit more comfortable.

Prepare the cake stand by cutting the parchment paper into a few thing strips and place them around the edge of your cake plate (this will keep the plate clean while you frost).

Put a dab of frosting in the middle of the cake plate and center the first layer of cake on top of it. Fill the ziptop bag with about a cup of the buttercream and snip off one corner. Use the bag to pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the first cake layer. Fill the buttercream boarder with half of the filling. Top with the second cake layer and repeat, using the remaining filling. Top with the final layer of cake.

Apply a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake – don’t worry if it is messy – this step is affectionately referred to as the “crumb coat”. Professional bakeries refrigerate their cakes after the crumb coat for about an hour – I find about twenty minutes set the thin layer enough to finish frosting the cake. 

Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream: Pile the buttercream on top of the cake and use the off set spatula to smooth the top of the cake while simultaneously pushing buttercream over the edge of the cake onto the sides. Smooth out the sides of the cake.

Press handfuls of the toasted coconut onto the sides of the cake. Remove the parchment paper and top the cake with broken toffee pieces. Enjoy.

Coconut Pecan Toffee & Coconut Caramel Sauce

There will be cake. It may take me a few weeks to share the recipe with you, but I promise there will be cake. Consider these your warm-up recipes - a rich Coconut Pecan Toffee and a Coconut Caramel Sauce with no dairy! Also tips for toasting nuts and coconut. 

I've been a little MIA here and on social media and even a little bit in real life. We've been traveling and working, preparing for a kitchen update and for bringing home a new baby in mere weeks. Weeks, you guys! I'm completely unprepared for a new baby and blogging seemed like reasonable enough procrastination from putting the crib back together.

Truthfully, I'm not sure that I will get back to blogging here regularly until next year at least, or honestly  ever. I have no idea what having two kids, working freelance, and still being a normal human will look like so I'm only promising you cake at this point. A one-bowl-rich-and-moist-chocolate cake, no less. Let's call it Denial Chocolate Cake.

I've been sitting on these recipes for a while, because they didn't seem appropriate for the spring or summer. The weather in the South has finally decided to be fall, which has me ready to bake, carve pumpkins, and find some new boots - basically any fall activity that helps me avoid putting the crib together or crying over tiny baby socks.

Coconut Pecan Toffee
Makes 8 ounces toffee – enough for garnishing one 9-inch cake, plus extra for nibbling

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup toasted pecans
½ cup toasted coconut flakes


Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved and bring to a boilAttach a candy thermometer to the pot and continue cooking until temperature reaches 300 degrees F.

Remove saucepan from heat and quickly stir in butter, vanilla, and baking soda. Immediately add the coconut and pecans.

Pour onto prepared baking sheet and use a silicone spatula to spread the mixture into a thin even rectangle.

Cool completely on a cooling rack.  Snap the brittle into pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Brittle can be made up to a week before assembling the cake.

Coconut Caramel Sauce 

Makes 3 cups filling – enough for 1 triple layer cake

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 cup full fat coconut milk, at room temperature  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

½ teaspoon kosher salt 

optional additions

½ cup toasted coconut flakes, finely chopped 

½ cup toasted pecans, finely chopped

Combine the sugar, water, and, corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan. Attach a candy thermometer and cook over medium heat, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden amber and reaches 320 degrees F.  

Immediately remove from the heat and add the coconut milk, vanilla extract and salt and stir carefully. Return to medium heat and cook until the mixture reaches 230 degrees F. Pour the caramel into a heat-proof bowl and cool for 20 minutes. Fold in the coconut and pecans and cool completely. The finished sauce can be made up to a week in advance – store in the refrigerator in an airtight container and bring to room temperature before assembling the cake. 

Toasted Coconut Flakes
Makes 12 ounces toasted coconut –enough for the Coconut Pecan Caramel Filling, the Coconut Pecan Brittle and garnishing the finished cake

1 12-ounce bag unsweetened coconut flakes

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the coconut into an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Stir the coconut and bake an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container. Coconut can be toasted up to 2 weeks ahead of assembling the cake.

Toasted Pecans
Makes 1 pound toasted nuts – enough for the Coconut Pecan Caramel Sauce and Coconut Pecan Brittle

1 pound whole pecans

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans into an even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Stir the nuts and bake an additional 2 to 5 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and just begin to brown. Remove nuts from the baking sheet to cool completely before chopping or storing. Store pecans in an airtight container. Pecans can be toasted up to 2 weeks ahead of assembling the cake. 

Blondie Swirled Brownies

I read about motherhood a lot. Not just because its relevant to me, but because I find modern motherhood to be particular enthralling. Never before have we had so many choices as mothers - breastfeeding vs. formula, to vaccinate or not, stay at home vs. working mother, exposing our children to technology. And these choices are continually hyped by the media. We're suppose to lean-in, cry it out, find balance, and put a tidy little label on it. 

The last 60 days of my own adventure in motherhood has been challenging. I left full time work in preparation for baby number two, but also to find a better work/life ratio. I won't call it a work/life balance, because 'balance' is a beautiful, mythical unicorn. Anyway, I thought that being a full time mom and wife might be better for our family. The first week I was so gun-ho: making a cleaning schedule, committing to a summer reading program, trips to the library, the park, and potty training (!!!). Basically I was a SUPER MOM. I was also really miserable. I found my threshold for pleasant homemaking, creative toddler activities, and reading Fancy Nancy with enthusiasm is about 4 days. 

A creative person, like myself, with no outlet can be kind of ugly. I spent a lot of time and money on finding curtains, of all things, and maybe I irrationally cried about laundry once. Luckily my husband is incredibly supportive (or terrified of me) - so I started taking freelance work. Recipe development, food styling, and a little project management for good measure. The pendulum quickly swung the other way and I was busier with work than I had been with a full time job and I was still trying to do the SUPER MOM thing. It was silly. 

The struggle, my struggle, was I felt like I needed to be something - if I wasn't a "working mom" then I had to be "stay-at-home mom", right? When I reach these questions I ask myself - "What would I want my daughter to believe"? And I realized something so stupidly simple, something that should be so apparent already (and maybe it is to everyone but me?!) If Ella wants to be a mom, start a family, have a career, become a CEO - I want her to know - she doesn't have to label it. She doesn't have to put her head before her heart just to fit into a tidy little box. She doesn't have to choose between being a homemaker or being a boss. 

I'm still finding clarity on what I am now - I'm still working (at home and sometimes not) but I don't check into a desk each day, and I have the flexibility of taking Ella on a donut picnic anytime I want to. Ella will continue to go to preschool 3 days a week, because I now understand what I need my work/life ratio to be - even if I don't know how to label it. 

Our challenge as modern mothers will be stepping away from clean profile labels and the ever-widening exposure of motherhood to understand ourselves without comparison. We will be stronger mothers without comparison or labels when we can each tell our own stories in real conversations (hopefully over lots of wine). 

These blondies meets brownie bar mash ups are much less about 'not having to choose' than they are about my  procrastination, because I would, of course, feel inspired to bake and write a blog post when the thing I need to be doing is packing my daughter and I up for a ten-day trip. I may take a few of these as gifts of thanks, bribery, or apology for our fellow travelers. Two and 3/4 years old is a very emotionally erratic time, so it either going to be smooth sailing or a complete disaster! Wish us luck. 

Blondie Swirled Brownies
Makes 28 bars

This bars are inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Chipster bar, which is basically a brownie with a chocolate chip cookie baked on top. I was feeling too pressed for time to make a batch of cookies and blondies are always the perfect solution for that! These are rich and sweet, loaded with chocolate and you are absolutely going to need a glass of milk or a strong coffee on the side!


for the brownie layer: 
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 ounces unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour - I used white whole wheat
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped

for the blondie layer:
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour - again with the white whole wheat
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup milk chocolate, chopped or semi-sweet chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large microwave safe bowl using 30 second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each. This should take about a minute and a half. You can also melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler.  Beat in the sugars. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. Fold in the flour, salt, and additional chopped chocolate and pour into the prepared pan.

Melt the remaining butter in another microwave safe bowl on high in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Beat in the brown sugar, followed by the egg, flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the chopped chocolate.

The blondie batter will be slightly thicker than the brownie batter, so I like to scoop the blondie batter in 2 tablespoon scoop over the brownie batter and then swirl with the spoon to incorporate.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pan comes out mostly clean. Cool for about 30 minutes in the pan before removing a slicing.

Grilled Teriyaki Spareribs & Crunchy Napa Cabbage Slaw

Growing up in the Seattle area you take a few things for granted - the incredible sushi, the lack of a need to wear sunscreen, and teriyaki joints on every corner. You might say that teriyaki shops are like barbecue shacks in the south, they are everywhere and you can get a decent meal at any of them (even if you have just one you're loyal to). Typically you get a few pieces of slightly charred crispy, teriyaki sauce glazed chicken thighs over white rice with a small iceberg salad. Simple food at its finest. 

Whenever I feel homesick teriyaki is the thing I crave. When I started helping my mom cook 'chicken teriyaki' was one of my go-to dinner meals. It wasn't very glamorous - just chicken breasts slathered in store bought teriyaki and served with some veggie over rice.  Lately I've even been craving teriyaki A LOT and so I started tinkering with making my own teriyaki sauce

I finally dusted off the grill this week (I know - its already the middle of July), which I think might be just the thing for perfecting the teriyaki joint style chicken, but ribs were crazy on sale post 4th of July - so I gave both spare ribs and baby backs a lick with my now-go-to teriyaki sauce. The spareribs won by a long shot for me - I think they're fatter nature made kept them juicer and gave more room for saucing. 

Rib purist might contend that you should grill or smoke the ribs first and then finish in the oven, but I find the technique below easier for a week night dinner or entertaining with kids. You can do a lot of the work the night or afternoon before and then just it takes just a few minutes to finish the ribs on the grill.  

Grilled Teriyaki Spareribs 

makes 4 to 6 servings 

2 tablespoons kosher salt 

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon garlic powder 

1 teaspoon black pepper 

5 pounds spareribs, sliver skin removed

 

Combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, be sure to leave enough overhang to wrap the ribs. Rub the ribs evenly on both sides with the salt mixture, cover with the aluminum foil, and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roast the ribs for 11/2 to 2 hours or until they are fork tender. While the ribs are cooking prepare the teriyaki sauce. 

Teriyaki Sauce*  

makes about 2 cups 

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, grated 

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic and ginger in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced by 1/3 and slightly thickened (it will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from the heat and cool while preparing the grill. 

Heat a grill to medium high heat. When the ribs are tender, remove from the oven and cool for about 30 minutes before slicing. Grill the ribs for 2-3 minutes per side and bast with teriyaki sauce as they cook. The teriyaki sauce will caramelize on the ribs, so don't be put off by the dark color of the finished ribs. Serve with additional Teriyaki Sauce and sesame seeds, if desired.

Both the rib roasting and the sauce making can be done up to two days in advance. Cool the ribs before refrigerating and slice just before grilling - the heat of the grill will be more than enough to reheat the ribs. 

Crunchy Napa Cabbage Slaw 

makes 4 to 6 servings 

for the maple-soy dressing: 

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons maple syrup 

1 tablespoon sesame oil 

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger 

for the slaw: 

1 small head of napa cabbage, about 1 pound, thinly sliced 

4 medium carrots, sliced into long strips with a vegetable peeler

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leave 

1/4 chopped chives 

1/4 cup sesame seeds 

2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted  

My friends at OXO sent over this Little Salad Dressing Shaker and I'm kind of obsessed with it. You can measure dressing ingredients right into it and the spout is perfect for dressing this Napa Cabbage Slaw.

Combine the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and ginger in a small lidded container - such as OXO's Little Salad Dressing Shaker or a canning jar - and shake to combine. Taste and season with additional salt, as desired. 

Toss cabbage, carrots, mint, chives, and sesame seeds together in a large bowl. Add about have the dressing, toss, and taste. Let the slaw marinate for about 30 minutes before serving. Add the almonds just before serving. 

*You can absolutely use store-bought teriyaki sauce for this recipe - you will need at least 1 cup for basting. 

**OXO provided products for this post - including Little Salad Dressing Shaker, the Silicone Basting Brush, the 16" inch tongs (which are killer for the grill BTW). For more on their #What a Grill Wants series be sure to follow OXO on twitter. All opinions are my own.