Just Baking

Breakfast has a precious place in my life. I can’t imagine a single day without it. I just can’t, both for the good sake of my body and my mood. I can’t leave my house without my breakfast, even when the purpose of my outing is to have breakfast. (Got it?) Until now nothing to […]

 
Sweet, savory, and tangy with citrus — this is one of my favorite ways to prepare carrots as a side dish, and, not coincidentally, it’s also one of the easiest!
Try this alongside any kind of grilled meat or poultry, and if you have any leftovers, dice them up and add them to a batch of couscous or rice […]

 
Biscotti is a large-coffeehouse-chain staple. Everywhere you go, there are those huge glass jars layered with these perfectly identical Italian cookies ready to be dunked into hot beverages across the country. I never really enjoy these commercial biscotti because I find them more rock-hard than crisp and dry as they should be. Perhaps because of […]

Seized with a burning desire to tell us about what’s coming out of your oven these days? Don’t hold back! If you love to bake (cakes, cookies, pies, souffles, tarts, casseroles, quiches, roasts, vegetables, custards, game, breads, whatever goes into the oven!) and have some writing or blogging experience, why not consider joining the Just […]

Imposters!
I came up with the idea for Wannabe Portuguese Egg Tarts after seeing many pictures of egg tarts around the Web. I’ve never eaten an authentic egg tart — heck, I’ve never even seen one in person. These were my attempt to get something in the ballpark of what an egg tart would taste like. […]

 
This week, our school is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week. Every day this week, parents are encouraged to send in a little something for the teachers — a note of encouragement, maybe some home-baked cookies, whatever. And every morning in the teacher’s room, a continental-style breakfast awaits, supplied by parent volunteers. This year, my contribution was […]

This morning my six-year-old woke up and was moping around before school, claiming “my tummy hurts.” He wasn’t running a fever, he ate a good breakfast, and was feeling good enough to torment his sisters. We walked up to school, I kissed him good-bye, and all was well. All was well except for the small […]

These are the cookies for when you need something dense, chocolatey, and brownie-licious — in cookie form. Keep a box of brownie mix on hand (my hands-down favorite mix, store brand or otherwise, is Wal-Mart’s Great Value. Really!), and when the craving for chewy, dense brownies strikes but you don’t want to wait for them to bake […]

Need a side dish for a steak or burgers? These oven-roasted potatoes come together in minutes, can be adapted to feed a crowd, and are a healthy alternative to French fries.
Oven-Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary

4 russet potatoes, skin left on, well scrubbed and dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled (or 1 tablespoon […]

Baking cookies is the best way to placate yourself and your kids, and for me, it’s also a favorite pastime! What I love about cookies is that they can be simple and festive at the same time. I had thumbprint cookies on my mind for a long time. The name “thumbprint” comes from the fact […]