I do love my kitchen. Although it’s not really my kitchen anymore, I haven’t properly lived in this house for a year plus (weird) and there are utensils and coffee cups I don’t recognize, I love it still. I’ve flopped on the wood floor many a time, exhausted by another afternoon of ballet, lying on the cool floor with the stinky lovey dog. I’ve baked awful cookies and made ten thousand packets of ramen. I ate almost every dinner and breakfast at the kitchen counter for eighteen years. I like my little dorm half-kitchen, but I love this one best. Some winter break kitchen bits:

We’re banana bread lovers here. Bought some random “Teen Cooking!” book at a junior high book fair, it led us to the worst ravioli ever made, but also the best banana bread recipe on earth. Dense and crusty-topped and way freaking better than anyone else’s.

I know I’m getting old and lame because I really like brussel sprouts. It’s so lovely to have real dinners (leg of lamb with brussel sprouts and salad) rather than my too-lazy-to-use-more-than-one-pan rotating-ingredient stir fry. (Also kale chips, I love thee dearly.)

Made a ton of cookies for ski-fuel. Molasses-y ginger snaps and peanut butter-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies. PB-O-CC are definitely going in the “Make Again” folder. Trifecta of good stuff. Even better eaten on a ski trip, when sliding around in the cold for a day justifies truly immense over-eating. For example, my pre-ski hotel breakfast included yogurt, toast, muffins, fruit, eggs, bacon, potatoes, more toast, a couple glasses of juice. “Carbo-loading.”

And a big ol’ (un-photographed) chocolate Guinness cake for Pa’s birthday. Four layers of slightly stout-y cake interspersed with this mad insane rich whipped cream. 800 calories a piece, at the very least. Yahoo. Christmas power-feed (crab, prime rib, …pumpkin bourbon cheesecake) retelling to come.

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