De Baking Psychopath

Wow, I somehow let 2015 go by without a single post. I guess I have some excuses, like a baby, moving, first year of residency, etc. And I suppose in the whole Internet world, I've seen many well-loved blogs peter out due to changing priorities and modes of communication with the intended audience. But, despite the life changes, I do want to keep this space open and return to it one day. Probably when my core clinical training is finished and I return back to the research world more full time, I will be able to see whether I can fit this back into my lifestyle. For now, greetings from a new home and a new phase in life. Shrimpy is now almost 17 months old, and she is as feisty as we could have expected from her in utero exploits. She's got a full-time daddy to take care of her for the time being, and for that I am eternally grateful. I am 8 months into my first year in pathology residency, and it's been fun but challenging. Gus is still alive too, and if nothing else co...

What to do when you're sitting around waiting for your full-term baby to come out? As far as "nesting" goes, we've already done everything we can possibly do for the baby's arrival. A full complement of baby clothing/linens/blankets/etc. is all washed, folded, and in their proper places. The "go-bag" has been packed and repacked and is ready-to-go in the car. The car seat is installed. We have all the baby gear (stroller, carrier, bottles/pumps, etc). We've celebrated with friends and co-workers the incoming bundle of joy (thank you all!). My mother has arrived from far away and is settled in. I've finished all my academic obligations, including all my required medical school rotations, residency applications, and licensing exams needed for graduation.  So last week, at the beginning of my vacation/maternity leave month, I decided to stock the freezer with baked goods see if I could make myself busy enough to kick the baby out of dorman...

Hello, I've emerged from the dark vortex that is medical school! I've finished all my required third year courses, and except for one more time-consuming required course in June, I will be coasting with some elective courses for the rest of the year! Yay for almost being a doctor! It has been a fun and rewarding year, and the patients were all so generous and patient. I am planning to apply to Pathology, however, and help take care of patients from behind the scenes. I am hoping that this next year will afford me more time for blogging and baking! I say "hoping" because while medschool is winding down, we are awaiting the arrival of other chaos and mayhem, in the form of a little bundle of joy! Yes, "Shrimpy", our little one, is coming in early October! We're super excited that we were able to have the timing work out well and that our baby seems to be healthy and developing well. I'm 16.5 weeks along, and we're just starting to feel it k...

"Necessity is the mother of invention," the saying goes. In my case, necessity usually comes in the form of needing to get rid of some ingredient that I've hoarded. In this case, the culprit is raisins. I'm not a huge fan of raisins; they tend to be tough and get stuck in teeth, so the only way I accept them is when they are cooked or baked so they are plump. I had been itching for awhile to try a cinnamon raisin bread sometime for the reputation of the glorious toast, and finally I decided to take the plunge! This recipe from Dorie Greenspan's book does not disappoint! The dough is plush, soft, and stretchy. The crust is buttery and crisp, the raisins juicy, and the cinnamon gives it such a wonderful smell and flavor. And yes, the toast was phenomenal! The peanut butter and marmalade sandwich made with this bread was probably the best PB&J I've ever eaten. I definitely will put all those raisins to good use with this bread. R...

Michael's birthday request: British Meat Pie . I used bacon fat for the crust. Best. Crust. Ever. Bake or Break always has the best recipes. This cream cheese and blueberry coffee cake was no exception. Another Bake or Break recipe: Pecan Cake . Fabulous. I used Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk and the cake turned out delightfully springy in addition to moist and nutty. Chocolate frosting was optional but delicious. I picked up some fresh figs from Trader Joe's and tried this fig and olive oil loaf cake from Tracy Shutterbean . It was dense, nutty, and delicious!