WHAT I JUST FINISHED READING

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, which took me about six months to get through. I am a very quick reader, but I just kept laying this novel aside and picking it back up every few weeks to read a page or ten, so it took me longer than it usually would to finish such a small book. I'll try to be as diplomatic as I can about this.......the book doesn't live up to the hype. When it was released it was named one of the best books of the year for 2011. That just shows you how uninteresting the books of last year were.

In all fairness, the author paints a stunning visual picture of the titled circus, detailed descriptions of shows, costumes, meals, and sumptuous Victorian settings are first rate. I just wish she had spent more time and energy on fleshing out the characters and the plot line. The story of a mysterious circus as the venue for two rivals in a mysterious contest intrigued me. But I found myself not caring about the characters and what happened to them. And even though the buildup for the finale is fairly well done, it falls apart at the end, and seems to fly off in all directions with no cohesion.

The movie rights for this have already been optioned. I'm curious to see if Hollywood can do anything to improve it. I say skip the book and wait for the movie.

RANDOM NOTES FROM AN OFTEN ABSENT BLOGGING PRINCESS


I know, I know, it's been a while since you've heard from me.

Sometimes when you're life is really good, it can make for boring copy. The reason crazy authors are so interesting to read is because they're writing comes from their disarrayed, pained lives. I don't have that. I lack a raging drug habit, arrays of broken love affairs with psychotic men who I just can't seem to forget, and I don't much care for alcohol. My milquetoast life is great for me, but boring for my followers.

So today is all about random thoughts, random pics and as I'm typing this sentence I have no idea which recipe will be featured at the end of the post. That's about as seat-of-my-pants, death defying as I get.

My tombstone will read....Zzzzzzzzz.

I'm in a maudlin mood so, let's go with that, shall we?

People move in and out of our lives like books. Hint: If you don't enjoy reading you may want to skip this part. There are some books that once we encounter them they are with us always, and we could not imagine our lives without them. And some books we read, don't care for and so we do not maintain much, if any contact with that book. And then...then. Then there are books we think we are crazy about, and we lose track of them, and then, we find them again, we're surprised that we ever let them go in the first place.

I really don't have a point about the people/book comparison, just a stream of consciousness thing I have going today.

The cinnamon rolls are out of a tube. But I like the pic.

I feel that life is just as much about your failures as it is about your victories (maybe even more so). And in that vein, I am posting this.....

It began as a brownie bottomed cheesecake. It's a great recipe that I have made for Mr. Icequeen a few times before. But it turned into an epic failure. Cheesecake on top, raw, unbaked brownie batter on the bottom. It looked like mashed potato covered motor oil pie. It didn't stop him from eating every bite. I don't know what I'd do without that man. He is the sexiest saint available. ;-)

Life has been very strange. I can't think of any other adjective to use. Turning forty has been even better than I expected. Feeling better and looking better than I ever have. More confident than I ever thought possible. Why can't your 20s be more like your 40s? It would make those early years so much less harrowing.

Anyone who bakes on a regular basis usually has a killer chocolate chip cookie recipe in her/his arsenal. And I am no different. This recipe is so nearly perfect and most importantly, adaptable. The dough makes one hell of a chocolate chip cookie, or can be switched up to contain only nuts and dried fruits, and you can even go down the oatmeal, peanut butter or cinnamon highway, by just throwing in a few extra ingredients. It is the Optimus Prime of cookie dough. The bad thing I can say about this recipe is that, sadly, it isn't mine. Nope, I stole it from Alton Brown. I have taken the recipe, loved it, given it a good home, and raised it up to be a cookie to be proud of. You can always depend on this recipe, it will never leave you in a lurch. It will never force you to run to the supermarket at the last minute for preservative filled substitute cookies. It will hold your hand and be there for you, just the way a great cookie should. Behold....The Chewy.

Do not be fooled by their ordinary facade. One bite, and you will be forever faithful. No other cookie will be good enough for you ever again. Don't take my word for it. Test the theory for yourself. But only if you're ready for serious cookie monogamy.






Ingredients


•2 sticks unsalted butter

•2 1/4 cups bread flour

•1 teaspoon kosher salt

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1/4 cup sugar

•1 1/4 cups brown sugar

•1 egg

•1 egg yolk

•2 tablespoons milk

•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

•2 cups semisweet chocolate chips



Directions

1.Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3.Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4.Chill the dough for roughly 25 minutes, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutesor until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

I'LL BE FORTY

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'll be forty.

Unlike many people who turn forty, I'm not dreading it, I love birthdays, especially my own. My attitude is that I'd much rather have a birthday and get another year older than be dead. Morose, but true.

So often, getting older, and being an adult in general, is underrated. Often I hear those of my generation or older lament that they would love to be a kid again. Reminiscing about a time of no worries, or burdens, nothing but play time, nap time, eating and fun time. I don't recall my childhood as being nearly that rosy. Frankly,  being an adult rocks.

There's a lot to be said for leaving the t.v. AND all the lights on when I leave the room, if that's what I want. I can go to bed whenever I choose (my choice is often 8:00 p.m., but that's not the point). Running through the house with scissors has become an option. I can have cake for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The choice of what clothes to wear and how to style my hair on any given day are mine and mine alone. I am not required to make my bed. And even at the ripe old age of forty, my bedroom floor is often littered with clothes that no one can make me pick up and carry to the laundry room. I don't have to be home by the time the streetlights come one. There's no one to "give me something to cry about!". No more worrying about being tall enough to ride the roller coasters. I can shop in department stores without the employees there treating me like I'm going to steal something.

Of course, many of the perks that I listed come with consequences, if I choose to implement them. Exorbitant electric bills, possible flesh wounds, a shameful waistline. But sometimes, just knowing that you can do what you want, within the reasonable confines of the law of course, is just as good as actually doing them. Just think about it...adulthood wins.

RANDOM FOOD LISTS

Here are a few of my random food opinions in list form...
A Sour Apple Tree's blog does this type of thing much better than me, but I like his blog so much, I've decided to swipe it ;)

Best Hamburgers in the Charleston/Huntington area...

1) The Bear's Den-Downtown Charleston, in the basement of the old Daniel Boone hotel

2) Bobby's Bar and Grill-Cross Lanes (Yes, it's a beer joint, but it's not a scary beer joint, and you'll see lots of people there strictly for the food)

3)Five Guys-Pullman Square (Crusty deliciously messy burgers and fantastic fries)

4) Fat Patty's-Barboursville and Huntington (Wish the fries were better, but hey, this is a burger list)

5) Steak and Shake-Barboursville (Royale Burger, 'nuff said)

Best Hot Dogs in the Charleston/Huntington area...

1) Sam's Hot Dogs-Hale St., Charleston

2) Tony's Gold Dome-Kanawha City (Another beer joint, but the dogs are worth the risk)

3) Sam's Club-Southridge Centre (What? Don't laugh. The weiner is Nathan's brand, the chili is Custard Stand, they're HUGE, and ultra-easy on the wallet)

4) The Leonard's-The Mound in South Charleston (Just simple WV dogs, for WV people who know good food)

Sorry Huntington, you're just not a "hot dog town". Hillybilly Hot Dogs, Stewart's, Frost Top, I'm unimpressed with all of those offerings. But I have an open mind, if any of you want to recommend a great dog in Huntington, just leave me a comment letting me know about it.

DULCE DE LECHE WITH TOASTED COCONUT ICE CREAM

I'm pretty sure that I will be spontaneously combusting at any moment now. Actually, if it wasn't for the tropical humidity that is making everything so wet and steamy, I already would have. It's hot. Inhumanely hot. And in weather like this, a young woman's fancy turns to thoughts of ice cream.

Usually, I'd only make ice cream a couple of times between May and September. But, because of my above mentioned facing of a fiery death on what now seems to be a daily basis, I've already made ice cream three times, all of them crazy good batches.

There was the ubiquitous chocolate, made with a healthy infusion of Nutella (I wish I had two hearts so that I could pledge one of them to Nutella *sigh*). Chocolate is the preferred ice cream flavor of Mr. Icequeen, so it has become required summer (and winter) eats in our house.

Then there was the semi-successful-first-try at a peach flavored quart. Not bad, not great either, but I'd be willing to try making that one again.

But then....oh but then, came the one flavor to unite them all....Dulce de Leche w/toasted coconut. Not only is it possibly the best ice cream I've ever made, it may be (insert booming god-like voice here) THE BEST ICE CREAM OF ALL TIME.  Yep, I said it after the first spoonful, and I stand by it now, even though the last drips of it were finished weeks ago. It's not just good, it's not just great. It's (comic geek alert!) the fucking Batman of frozen treats.  This flavor will now be held up as the standard that all other ice creams aspire to. I'm drooling on my keyboard, just thinking about how great it will be when the ice cream and I are together once again.

It tastes like caramel. It tastes like coconut. Sweet monkey dumplings, it tastes like BUTTER! Smooth, and creamy, with tiny flakes of crunchy, nutty coconut throughout. It was sweet, and just a little salty. I've reached food Nirvana, and it's quite lovely.

DULCE DE LECHE W/TOASTED COCONUT ICE CREAM



1 cup half and half

1 tsp salt


1 Tbs vanilla extract


1 Tbs coconut extract


2 cups whipping cream


6 oz cream cheese, softened


14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

13.4 oz can dulce de leche


2 cups coconut, toasted and finely chopped







In large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until fluffy then gradually add sweetened condensed milk until smooth, then the dulce de leche, beating until all ingredients are smooth. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour the ice cream mixture into a ice cream freezer container and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

MALTED WAFFLES

I may be the luckiest woman in the world. Because of my lifestyle (child-free) and my job (government drone), most of my weekends are lazy, stress-free affairs. Before you start hating me, you need to know that even with all this free time on my hands, I still can't seem to....

Make myself work out on a regular basis
Get to all the backed-up shows on my Tivo
Read all the books and magazines that I have laying around
Get to work on time
Shave my legs as often as I should
Learn a second language
Do as much baking as I'd like
Pay enough attention to my blog.

One thing that there always seems to be time for is the weekend breakfast. You know what I'm talking about. The breakfast that consists of more than a bowl of Corn Pops, or a piece of toast you're frantically shoving down your throat in that futile attempt to make it to work on time.

The weekend breakfast du jour is malted waffles. This is another one of those Baked: Explorations recipes (I'm smitten with this cookbook). These waffles were slightly crisp on the edges, with a very fluffy interior. The recipe requires malted milk powder, which I actually had on hand, and the powder gave it a hint of malty, cocoa like flavor. Me and the hubs were enjoying them so much, that I almost forgot to take a pic for you. The recipe follows the shot.

Malted Waffles




1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup malted milk powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 large egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/4 cups buttermilk



Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center. Whisk the egg in a second bowl. Whisk in the butter and buttermilk. Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until mixed – there will be some lumps. Heat waffle maker as per manufacturer directions and. Brush lightly with oil. Drop batter onto waffle maker and use technique from manufacturer to make the waffles.




Makes five to six waffles.

Up next, Dulce de Leche and toasted coconut ice cream.














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WHAT I'M READING...SUPER SAD TRUE LOVE STORY

In a bleak future where the United States is on the brink of becoming a third world country, and everyone is judged primarily by their credit rating, a poor schlub in Manhattan is just looking for someone to share his pathetic life with.

This is not a chick book. Instead it's a funny, often ironic, look into what could end up being a very real vision of the future, mixed with lots of heartbreak that speaks to the inner loser in all of us.