The Adventures of a Frustrated Baker

I’m sure many of us are craving some comfort foods at this time - I base this of course on the fact that it seems that the baking aisle in every grocery store I have gone into since March 15th has been mostly empty of even the very basic of supplies - flour, yeast, brownie mix…It is getting better but short of going to literally every grocery store from here to Portland which makes me just a tad bit nervous and completely defeats the point of limiting time out in public, there appears to be a very small selection in pre-made mixes; and if I’m being honest, boxed mix is usually my go to for brownies! That being said, luckily I have a selection of brownie recipes I regularly use and like with supplies I normally stock in my pantry. For those of you craving a good fudgy brownie and lacking in mix like me, here is a from scratch brownie recipe that is not only super easy but dirties very few dishes. Enjoy! Fudgy Brownies Recipe adapt...

It's almost time for my favorite time of the school year!  Girl Scout cookie season!!  It comes at the perfect time, far enough away from January that you don't feel too guilty for giving into those adorable little faces in their sharp little uniforms that will greet you at the exit of every major store in your community starting on the 28th.  In effort to help kick off the season, Girl Scouts of Western Washington is again hosting an annual recipe contest, and I have been selected as a finalist!  Be sure to head to their website and vote for me!  Tell your friends! While of course Girl Scout cookies are delicious in their own right, they also can be turned into gloriously decadent treats.  I always have a leftover box or two of most of the flavors in my freezer year round but I especially love to keep some Trefoils on hand because they make the most delicious cookie crumb crusts for any dessert.  A personal favorite of mine is raspberry streus...

So, my family has an obsession with bacon.  Like seriously, an obsession.  I remember once making chili dogs and my daughter looked at me after I placed them in front of her and asked in all seriousness, "What?  No bacon?", as if that was a normal ingredient like salt or pepper.  Now it has become the running joke, that everything I serve must contain bacon.  Most often, I ignore my crazy husband and daughter but occasionally, I give into their wild demand and throw bacon randomly into something that doesn't usually have it. This recipe came about mostly because my husband was hassling me about making his favorite cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip bacon cookies (I featured them on the blog a while back if you want to go check them out here ) and I didn't feel like going through all the effort of making cookies.  I love rice crispy treats, mostly because they are crazy simple and delicious.  This recipe seriously takes 5 , maybe 10 minutes max ...

A few days ago, this blog hit its 2 year birthday and what better way to celebrate than with a ridiculously indulgent cupcake recipe?!  After all, that is kind of what I am all about.  These cupcakes were actually a special request from my boss at Starbucks.  He found the picture and I hunted down a recipe.  I even brought them in as a treat on my last day! I don't know if any of you are familiar with monster cookies, I know I wasn't...I lived a sheltered childhood apparently!  That's okay though, these cupcakes more than make up for a lifetime without monster cookies, though after seeing some recipes for those I think they may make an appearance at our house very very soon!  These cupcakes are essentially peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes, which pretty much makes them perfect, then to make it even more amazing, you top them with a "cookie dough" made of peanut butter, oatmeal, chocolate chips and m&m's!  (I say "cookie...