Half-Baked

Okay. One of the reasons I've been out of the kitschen so much as of late is my new diet & exercise regime. Essentially, I've been opting to dance my ass off at Jazzercize [talk about retro, right?] and been trying my damnedest to avoid one more beer, one more cookie, one more carb of choice. Well, Nutella nonwithstanding.

So far, I've been pretty half-assed. Heavy on the Jazzercize, light on the healthy eats. So today, I had an hour to burn, a cute blonde helper in an apron and this recipe from the Cheeky Kitchen for baked pumpkin donuts [you're going to have to click for this one, friends, I'm so annoyed I don't want to take the time to type the recipe - ugh].

I love glaze. I love donuts. I love fruity, spicy squash. What could possibly go wrong when I transformed this delicious dough [and Marge & I ate many small bites of this in the raw]:

Into this flat-ass donut?

[girth DOES matter - such is life]

A chewy, crusty, one-dimensional donut. Where did I go wrong? I did learn a lesson from the first batch and pulled the second go-round out ahead of the timer so I could trade the crunch for a cushion-y texture [and so I could treat my fresh mama friend Lesley to a few]. The flavor of the pastry is tasty, and the buttermilk glaze is to die for in a KrispyKreme way. But next time, screw baked. It's a Fry Daddy for this mama.

Sorry. I'm a little nuts.

Okay. So there are oodles of reasons/excuses for not blogging so much as of late: the kids, balancing the avon/freelance/creative sources of income biz, the weather, books, and my obsession with sneaking spoonfuls of this blissful blend:How do you take your Nutella?

[psst...next week I'll be back. promise. with tomatoes.]

Hard-boiled Brains

I went back to the Bargain Barn last weekend in Nebraska. And picked up a few pocket books. Here's one of the goodys:

[The American Family Cookbook (c)'69]

And here's a freako recipe I found on page 25:

[like a good horror movie, this pic is best served in black & white]

Goblin Eggs
8 hard-cooked eggs
1/4 cup piccalilli [pickled veggie relish - a delish condiment of the 60s]
1/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
16 peppercorns or whole cloves
Green pepper

Cut off part of broad end of each shelled egg. Cut off other end of egg to make a cap for goblin. Scoop out brains [pardon me, yolk] and mash with fork [sicko]; add piccalilli, mayonnaise and mustard. Mix well and refill eggs; replace the top. With paring knife, mark goblin faces into egg white. Arrange peppercorns for [cold, dead] eyes and pieces of green pepper for noses and mouths.

These ought to whet a zombie's appetite for brains. Brains of a clown. On acid.

And I've got to admit. I'm a little scared to try it.

Zoned.

Here's a flashy pic of me & T after the party. Forgot to make a photo opp with my Avon bag. And with the kids. Jeez. Guess we were just having WAY too much fun!

Zombie Land

Tonight the fam has been invited to the annual Halloween bash at Amy's. Nellie Loves Vintage, Amy. Her tricks are nothing but treats. This year's theme? The Legend of Spooky Hollow. This year's costumes for the fam? Zombies. We have a few hours left to throw them together. I'm thinking I'll put a twist on last year's costume. Remember this one?
One hint: ding-dong.

WTF?!? Friday: Haunting Dish

WTF?!? is this putrid pie?
And why?

Whoooo wants Avon?

Just a subtle [or not-so] reminder. Last call for this week's Avon orders! As your ding-dong rep, know that I absolutely appreciate your support. So go ahead, CLICK HERE, retro guys & dolls!!
[retro Avon owl decanter of 'Roses, Roses' cologne, scored at an estate sale last weekend - I think it's a sign]