Ama's Army

Back in 2001, I loaded up the Buick LeSabre with my brother and we headed to Northern Indiana from Middle Kansas. Little did I know, I would arrive on my college campus overwhelmed by everything new and develop some of the best friends a lady could make.

I’ve never been to a large state school, but one of the pieces I love about small, liberal arts life is the community. The bond that comes from living with a random group of people: sharing bedrooms, taking classes together, showering in stalls one after the next, eating in the cafeteria and forcing your friends to sit on BOTH sides, piling as many bodies as you can onto a twin mattress. I found my people on the third floor of East Hall.

East Hall in the early 2000s was all female. [Interjection: THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. We have strong feelings about this, mostly based on nostalgia and not on anything practical. I worked as a Resident Director after graduating and I loooooooved working in a co-ed residence hall, but my precious baby East Hall is for the ladies only. Rant over.] I lugged my bags and boxes up the stairs and found myself amongst women from all over the Midwest, the United States, and even from across the ocean.

Now, being a small liberal arts college, Manchester had no Greek life outside of the Psi Chi [the psychology honor society], which I refused to pay dues to and never joined. I was a totally bombass psych major in college. Instead I joined a totally made up sorority we named Apple Pi Omega.

Apple Pi for short.

We’ve been through a lot together. Moves. New degrees. Marriage. Babies. Infertility. Divorce. New jobs. Depression. Engagements. Death. And now we’ve come to something new: cancer.

Ugh.

Ama, was diagnosed with stage 3C invasive ductal carcinoma. Breast cancer. Diagnosis November 1, port placement November 2, a cancelled trip to Egypt November 7, and chemo November 14.

Ama is our Rainbow Unicorn. Not because she's unique and special [she is], but because she is EXTRA. And it's so, so good. She's one of the strongest people I’ve had the pleasure of living life with. She’s wading through all the new information and diagnosis and medications and preparing herself as much as one possibly can. Frankenstein neck. Fewer body parts. New scars. Putting poison in your body to save your body.

Cancer is a emotional blow, a physical blow, a financial blow. It’s a long road, but we’re going to travel it together as much as we can. Ama’s family, friends, and the Apple Pi’s have set up a few ways to raise money to help cover the costs that her insurance doesn’t. We are Ama's Army.

Ama’s Army is our crowdfunding space to leave any money you’d like to contribute to support her.

We’re also setting up a cookie dough fundraiser with orders starting today.

Thank you so much for your prayers, thoughts, and positive energy toward our Ama.

white chocolate peanut butter popcorn

Have you seen the snacks baby? Gets me every time. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SNACKS EVER.

My mom started making this years ago and the crunchy, sweet, salty, creamy delight has always stuck with me. I'm not sure why I haven't shared more of my mom's recipes, but maybe I should do more? Because she's a bomb cook, especially when it comes to getting things done in the kitchen. I will go through 27 steps and trials and errors and my mom is like, "Here's a delicious casserole I made in 20 minutes. I picked the burned bits out of the hamburger." And it tastes amazing and hearty. My mother was notorious for burning hamburger throughout my childhood. She's easily distracted. [Just try to argue with me, Mom.]

Do you know how many heathens out there are opposed to peanut butter? MORE THAN YOU WOULD THINK. I don't know what's wrong with people.

This snack requires two bowls and the ability to microwave. The first bowl needs to be veeeeeery large. Think the giant Tupperware bowl size [at one point in my life I had this, but it's been lost in one of my many moves]. The second bowl is for microwaving purposes.

Before you get started you pop 2 bags of natural popcorn [no butter or any pizzaz, just the plain stuff], once it's popped I methodically remove it from the bags to the bowl where I will eventually be stirring everything together. The reason I methodically remove it from the bags? KERNELS. Once everything is doused in a bath of white chocolate and peanut butter you'll never know those little buggers are in there. Bite down on one and it's all downhill. Be a good friend to your teeth and pick through your popcorn. 

That's my largest soup pot full of popcorn, peanuts, rice crispies, and m&m's.

In your dedicated microwave bowl start warming your almond bark and peanut butter. I do 30 second intervals until it's all melted.

Then you just pour the chocolate mixture into the dry mixture and....mix it. Then keep mixing it. You want every little bit covered if you can get there. Spread it out on wax paper to let it cool.

Sprinkles are optional, but I have a thing for them. And I made this on Valentine's Day, so I was getting some use out of those heart sprinkles.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

-2 bags natural popcorn, popped

-1 1/2 pounds white almond bark

-1/2 cup peanut butter

-16 oz peanuts

-3 cups rice crispies

-2-ish cups m&m's 

In your largest bowl mix the popcorn, peanuts, rice crispies, and m&m's together. In a second bowl microwave the almond bark and peanut butter until it is combined. Coat the dry mixture with the peanut butter mixture. Spread out on wax paper to cool. Once the almond bark has hardened store in an airtight container [or ziplock bags] for up to 5 days. 

pesto pasta salad

Yesterday I popped a frozen pizza in the oven and then proceeded to make ice cream, brownies, coffee creamer, roasted veggies, hard boiled eggs and pesto pasta salad.

The frozen pizza was for my sanity.

Because clearly, I am a special kind of weirdo. However, all those steps were worth it and I'm finally becoming enough of an organized person to clean up WHILE I WAS GOING. I know. Mark the calendars.

And if you're wondering...the brownies and buttermint ice cream were combined into a heavenly sandwich [I'm never going to blog that, but you can make your own from those links]. The vegan coffee creamer may be better than my favorite [I'll work on a recipe].

 

Back when I lived in Durham, my favorite space to spend my days was Parker and Otis, an adorable space to get gifts and coffee and lunch. The Best Coffee! The Best Back Porch! The Best Scones! The Best Grilled Pimento Cheese! The Best Pasta Salad! [Spoiler: I'm about to do a riff on their pasta salad.] If you're in the Durham area, go for me. Please.

SO, this pasta salad. It's not creamy. It's pasta and spinach and peas smothered in pesto sauce. It's refreshing and light and the perfect compliment to a grilled cheese or a burger [if you're so inclined to go in a meaty direction].

PEAS. I HATE PEAS. Or at least I did as a child when I was forced to eat them so I swallowed them like pills just so I didn't have to taste them. Now, I'm not sure how I feel about them. When I wandered off in my vegetarian direction, I started trying all kinds of things and I don't hate peas. Had I been creating a false narrative of peas in my childhood? Did my tastebuds change? DID I GROW UP?

 

 

Pesto Pasta Salad
1/2 - 3/4 pound Rotini pasta [or a pasta shape of your choice]
3/4 bag o' frozen peas
box of baby spinach - tear off the stems
1-2 jars of pesto [or make your own! you do you.]
grated parm [optional]

Cook the pasta in salty [like the sea] water. While the pasta is hot, throw in your frozen peas and stir to combine. Pick the stems off you spinach and add that to the mix. Stir in  your pesto, feel free to go overboard because it will dry out some as the pasta absorbs some of the oil. Add in the grated parmesan last and make sure everything is all jazzed to be together. IT IS JAZZED.

 

Mix it all up and pop it in a bowl. Eat it in the next 2-3 days, the pasta will start to absorb the olive oil from the pesto, but it will still taste good. You can add more pesto or olive oil if you heart so desires. One of my friends at work made this and added tomato and little mozzarella balls [instead of the parm] -- GENIUS! Add chicken. Trade the peas for some asparagus. Make it the same way I did. YOU DO YOU. 

Just eat something lovely and green for the summer, ok? 

granola

I've been making granola for a few years now and IT IS SO EASY AND DELICIOUS. I started with the AB [Alton Brown for those of you who didn't obsess over Good Eats for years before they stopped making it] recipe on the Food Network website. I adjust a few details and measurements, but the cooking time is veeeeeeeery important for drying it out. Just so we're clear: this is a crunchy, loose granola; not a chunky, clustered granola. You can also play with the amount of sugar if you like it a little sweeter or a little less sweet. This isn't baking! Just like with cooking you have more room to play. Let's make granola!

Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 250 for one hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Once you're done, let it cool to room temperature - it won't be crisp until it's cool! Store it in an air-tight container and keep it for up to 2 weeks. I like it on yogurt, vanilla ice cream, with apple and peanut butter, or shoveled into my mouth. Put it in some mason jars to give it away, your friends will love you.

Granola
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups nuts (I like a combo of almonds and pecans)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (you can use sweetened, but you have less control over the sugar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup  maple syrup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla

large bowl: oats, almonds, pecans, coconut, brown sugar

small bowl: maple syrup, veg oil, salt

250; 1 hour 15 min; stir every 15 min

ten things

(1): I CANNOT STOP GIGGLING. [if you don't want to watch the whole thing the first 2 minutes are PRICELESS]

(2): I'm in the process of breaking up with my DevaCurl. I was so happy for so long and now...BUILDUP. I haven't completely decided if we're just taking a break or breaking-up. I'll let you know what I find out, but right now I'm loooooooving a natural product! I've been on an 8-week hiatus and I may just try my Deva again and say "Nevermind! I still love it." But maybe not?

(3): I made a quinoa casserole the other day and did a step-by-step on the Instagram. It in my saved stories if you go to my profile on IG. It's loosely based on this recipe: White Pizza Quinoa Casserole

(4): I'm thinking about ordering this dress:

Thoughts? Feelings? It's so pretty, right? I'm still 100% into all florals all the time.

(5): Today I went to a furniture consignment store, two Goodwill stores, Pier 1, Target, and Marshalls.  AND I DIDN'T PURCHASE ANYTHING BECAUSE I DIDN'T NEED ANYTHING I SAW. Is this what adulting is like?

(6): I've been reading smutty romance novels again, but I found this author named Tessa Dare and I love that she writes historical romance novels where THE WOMEN ARE BOLD AND SASSY AND DON'T TAKE ANY CRAP. Are they historically accurate? Nope. Is the story line making my brain work? Nope. Do I care? Nope.

(7): At the beginning of last summer, I decided I was going to read more and I was going to read books by women. I've been going strong since June 2017. You can see [most] of what I've read in the books tab above.

(8): I'm so excited [and nervous] to get my backyard started with some projects. I feel like I had a pretty good start with my garden last year, but I need to move it to a sunnier area of my yard. This has me debating WHERE exactly to put it. Maybe several smaller plots?

(9): Have you ever built your own garden boxes? I think I'd like to not have elevated beds, but it'll help keep things contained AND help keep Dame Judi out of the garden. What's the best material?

(10): I finally found a utensil holder and I looooooooove it. I found it at Kroger. WHAT? Yup. It's from the pantry by twine line. I bought the large Textured Ceramic Canister. It's so pretty, y'all.

Isn't it LOVELY?

bomb-ass brownies

You don't have to call them Bomb-Ass Brownies if you're opposed to slightly offensive language. You could call them The Dopest Amazing Super-Fudgy Delightfully Glazed Salty Rich Brownies.

But, Bomb-Ass Brownies just fits it all in much more succinctly.

Your choice.

I've been trying to figure out this recipe for months -- MONTHS! My co-workers have been subjected to pans and pans and pans and pans and pans and pans of brownies. It all started when I had the best brownie that has ever crossed my lips. Do you know where I got it? My favorite doughnut shop. WHAT. [sidenote: I think I should make a list of Indy faves because I have so many and someone might want to know, do people want to know?] I walked in to get a doughnut and wound up with a stack of brownies staring me down and I had to buy one. They were begging me.

I broke off a small piece and it was dense and fudgy and sweet and rich and salty and PERFECT.

I was inspired [as I am frequently] and it became a baking focus for the past 3 1/2 months. I'm pretty sure I've viewed every recipe that calls itself a "fudgy brownie" on the internet. Google searches, allrecipes searches, tasty kitchen searches, cookbook reading, on and on and on. I made recipe and recipe and I got really close, but it was never quite right.

Then I found Erin McDowell on instagram and read an insane amount of reviews of her cookbook, The Fearless Baker, which I asked for [and received!!eeeee!] for Christmas. SHE HAD A BROWNIE RECIPE that was different than the others I'd tried. I can talk about sugars and eggs and chocolate or you can either a)trust me or b) read about it in her cookbook. I can't wait to make all the other things in this cookbook.

So here it is, the recipe that makes up these bites o' heaven:

Bomb-Ass Brownies
adapted slightly from E.McDowell in The Fearless Baker
Makes a jelly roll pan or 9 x 13, but halves easily if you just want to make an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. [DO YOU NOT LOVE OTHER PEOPLE?]

8 Tbsp butter (1 stick)
2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs, room temp
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp coffee granules (optional, but SO WORTH IT)
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and melt together at 30 second intervals. Add in the oil and sugars to the chocolate. Beat the eggs and then add them to the chocolate mixture with the vanilla and coffee granules. Gently fold in the flour and salt. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips.

Spread the batter evenly in your prepared pan. Before you put it in the oven drop it from 3-4 inches down onto your countertop a few times. DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET ALL THE AIR BUBBLES OUT.

Bake for 28-32 minutes if your pan is 10x15 [aka a half-sheet pan], if you're using a 9x13 go for 35-40 minutes since they'll be thicker. Let cool.

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa
2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or good vanilla extract)
1/4 tsp butter flavoring (optional, but it just lifts everything a little)
3-5 Tbsp water

SEA SALT

Whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla bean paste [just do your best, it's fine]. Add the water slooooooooooowly. I started with 3 tablespoons water and it made a lump so I added more water until it was thick, but fluid. The goal here is to spread a thin layer of glaze over the cooled brownies. Once your glaze is spread sprinkle the flaky sea salt liberally over everything.

Let everything cool in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Cut your brownies when they're cold if you want neat and tidy cuts, if you don't care about neatness, do your own thing.

**tips**
- use some good chocolate if you want. it does make a difference. I made these with some chocolate chips from Aldi [which is what I generally use for my baked goods] and then I made these with a couple of bags of Ghirardelli chocolate. SO.FREAKING.GOOD. however, the Aldi version was still yummy and edible and not a soul complained, so you do you bargain shopping friend.
-I promise with my whole entire heart that the coffee in the brownies doesn't make them taste like coffee. It just takes the flavors and the depths of the brownie to another level.
-My mom and I made them without the coffee and they were still pretty dope.
-I'd make these in a metal pan mostly for banging on the countertop purposes. It really does get some of the air bubbles out.
-speaking of pans, prepare your pan with a sheet of parchment paper that sticks up over 2 of the edges. after you've measured the parchment, but before you've placed it in the pan spray the exposed two edges with non-stick spray.

-in all my internet research about brownies it was verified that PEOPLE LOVE THE GHIRARDELLI BOX MIX of brownies. if you're not a from-scratch baker, go pick that up [you can get it just about anywhere, they even had it at my Aldi last week] and I think you'll be happy.
-I used a sea salt that was gifted to me after a friend took a trip to New England. WHY DO MORE PEOPLE NOT GIFT SALT? I add extra salt or top most of my sweets with salt and I get the most feedback from my co-workers [you try working with all these lovely health professionals who will eat all sweets like heathens] about the salt! I think it surprises your tastebuds in a great way and enhances and balances all the other flavors.
-if you wanted to give me some finishing salt you picked up on vacation, I would pay you back in hugs and baked goods ♥️