Why do I always feel like the last to know?

One of the more popular and perennial threads on parenting forums are healthy snacks. I don’t think we do too badly on snacks so I’ve never paid a whole lot of attention. But one blog keeps popping up: Vegan Lunch Box. So I finally decided to check it out.

Well, damn. Look at that. I’m not vegan and I would be thrilled to eat these fun treats! THAT is a mother. Damn.

Looks like there’s going to be a book as well. May have to pick that one up! Again with the inspiration!

I just stumbled across Everybody Likes Sandwiches, a blog devoted to food. The writer has excellent taste. I want to devour everything on that front page.

By the way, yes, it is another night of being up, unable to sleep, so I am instead perusing blogs. Useless, yet fun!

Does anyone else have any favorite food blogs?

I have been attempting to sift through the Fix It and Forget It slow cooker cookbook (which is one of the strangest cookbooks I have ever seen, but anyway) and for some reason the pot roast recipes appealed to me.

I’m not entirely sure why considering a) I don’t generally eat beef and b) I don’t even know what chuck roast IS. I felt like a complete moron at Whole Foods ordering up 3 lb of chuck roast. And when I saw the lump of (amazingly cheap) meat he handed me, I further questioned this recipe choice.

I have to conclude that I don’t think I like it. Well, I would have if it had been in cubes and more soup like. It TASTED like beef stew, which I do like a lot actually, provided the beef is cooked to oblivion, but that lump. Man, I can’t get over the lump. It was HUGE. It’s sitting in my fridge staring at me.

No more pot roast. Note to self: Stick to beef stew or hamburgers whenever you get these wierd beef cravings!

So I made some pumpkin pie. I knew H didn’t like it but I figured Boo might since he’s my child and all.

Well. Seems he is taking after his father in this department. He emphatically does not like pumpkin pie.

Looks like I get to eat all the pumpkin pie myself! Can’t say I’m too gutted over it actually. YUM!

There is a biscotti recipe that I absolutely love. I try and make it every Christmas. I tend to lose it though and I have to hunt it down again, or call my mother and beg her to send it to me for the umpteenth time. I have a friend’s birthday coming up and I thought I might make them some… so lo, the search begins again.

Luckily for me I happened to save an email in a folder intelligently labelled ‘recipes’ so I found it! But I thought I would post it here too to share because it’s so yummy. I don’t put nuts in, but everything else is the same.

I think it’s out of a Southern Living cookbook from the 90s, but no idea which one. Which probably means it’s copywritten, but aren’t recipes all over the internet anyway?

So here tis:

Speckled Biscotti

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 c chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 c semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 3-0z pkg dried cranberries (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp water
• additional sugar

1. Combine first 4 ingredients; stir well.
2. Combine sugar, oil, and eggs: beat at medium speed of a heavy-duty mixer until blended.
3. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
4. Gently stir or knead in pecans, chocolate morsels, and cranberries.
5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
6. Divide the dough into 3 portions.
7. Shape each portion into a 14″ log
8. Place logs several inches apart on a a lightly greased large cookie sheet.
9. Combine egg yolk and water; brush lightly over each log.
10. Sprinkle each log with additional sugar.
11. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
12. Let the logs cool 30 minues on the cookie sheet(This will make slicing easier).
13. Transfer logs to a cutting board, and cut diagonally into 3/4″ slices.
14. Place slices on two ungreased cookie sheets.
15. Reduce oven temperture to 300.
16. Bake at 300 for 15 to 20 minutes or just until firm.
17. Let cool completely on wire racks.
18. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for a month. Yield 4 1/2 dozen