PB Mocha Muffins and the Sniffles

So I have quite a case of the sniffles. I know, I know. You care very much and would love nothing more than for me to talk about that at length.

But you know what, blogensteins, I'm not going to dwell on my sniffles.

Instead, I'm just going to show you these muffins, tell you where you can find the recipe, and then leave you to it.


Now just a word of warning. You will only like these muffins if you like coffee, chocolate, and peanut butter.

Secondary warning: If you don't like any one of those three ingredients, then you and I will need to re-evaluate our friendship. Just sayin.


One way you might get back into my good graces would be to buy me a regular sized cupcake pan. So I don't have to do things like this anymore.

Anyway... the recipe. You can find it here at Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. And, yes, we hate her, as it is almost as upsetting to be skinny as it is to be wealthy and happy. But she makes a good muffin, so we're working on forgiving her the unfortunate blog title.

And now, I'm going to finish watching Never Been Kissed and then go to bed. Yes, being sick sucks. But sleeping a lot without feeling like a lazy bum? That's not bad at all.

Back in the Day Bakery, Savannah

I really should have titled this post, "BEWARE the eerie cell phone pics!!!" Consider it so titled.



Anyway... a story for you.

Last week three young, attractive, meeting-weary composition instructors found themselves loosed on the sidewalks of Savannah. After working off a comforting Irish pub lunch with some disheartening window shopping, the girls needed some sweet. Insert a smart phone, a rainbow costume, a parking citation, one boyfriend on a bike, and a set of keys locked in a trunk, and cupcakes were the only logical fix.

With a little help from that smart phone, the girls made their way across town to Back in the Day Bakery. There they were greeted by another trio of ladies sporting skirts and aprons and offering cupcakes, breads, sandwiches, and all manner of hot and cold beverages.


The take? Red velvet and cappuccino (not pictured), Chocolate Heaven and hot chocolate, and Milk Chocolate and milk.

One of our ladies realized too late that the combination of a Chocolate Heaven cupcake and a poured version of the same was far too sweet an undertaking. Another left behind her milk chocolate icing when not even a full glass of milk could balance the sugar.


Our third miss powered through her red flavored (eh...) cupcake by taking frequent breaks and long sips of her piping hot cappuccino.

Though perhaps unprepared for the magnitude at which their call for sugar would be met, the girls left Back in the Day feeling full, contented, and slightly buzzed. A good time was had by all.

Moral of the story: Be careful what you wish for. But... if you wish for a sweet, all-American, buttercreamed cupcake... and you're in Savannah... go to Back in the Day Bakery. The ambience, friendly service, and tasty treats will not disappoint. For the record... the rosemary focaccia is excellent for cutting the sweet, so I have to assume their savory sandwiches are equally good.

Oh, and keep an eye open for Paula too. She's got to be around there somewhere...

A Day in the Life

So... I don't know if you know this, but I aim to please you guys. Sure, I blog endless cakes because I like to bake and I like to write, but... really... if I'm being honest with myself, I know that I blog all kinds of tasty treats for y-o-u.

And though this blog is now pretty much devoted to food stuffs, it didn't start out that way. I started this blog completely without capitalization or a theme of any sort. I blogged about my day or someone else's. I blogged about moving away from my friends two years ago and I blogged about why I liked blogging. As you might assume, I didn't have many readers at that point. I'd say there were probably 3. And that's being generous.

I guess I had been blogging about a year when I wrote my first post about food. From that point on it's a long and probably uninteresting story, but I'll just say that it seems that you guys most enjoy posts about food.

BUT...

Recently some readers have asked me to post about my personal life and to include pictures. Of me.

So here we go... a post about me. Completely free of dessert.

A (Semi)Normal Day for Amanda, Summer 2009

Monday mornings start with Wilton classes, so those mornings are quite hectic. There is a lot of running, flailing, and general messing about the kitchen before I shower in a frenzy, throw on some clothes and run out the door, having forgotten at least one thing.


All other mornings, though, start with bad hair and cereal.

After a glorious bowl or two of something fantastic (this morning it was Island Vanilla Kashi), I shower and debate over the perfect costume for today.


I don't usually take a myspace quality mirror pic, but... for you... anything.


This day, like many, I headed to my favorite little coffee shop and sat down with coffee and the current read. However, there were a couple of things that went down a little bit differently than usual. First, I drank iced coffee instead of hot. Second, as I was pouring skim milk into my coffee, a twenty-something there with her boyfriend told me she liked my "really cute outfit" and as a result, I ended up spilling a bit of milk on the counter. Typical reaction.

Other than that, the coffee shop visit was same as it ever was.


I left the coffee shop for the grocery store where I bought another strange collection of things needed for a baking project. Pina Colada mix and three boxes of pudding-free yellow cake mix... and apparently the face that those ingredients require. :)

About 5:30 the family starts trickling in and then the day is no longer my own. I don't remember what we did for dinner this night, but it doesn't matter since I promised you a food-free post anyway.


This pink t-shirted night I, very untypically, ended up at a karaoke bar where I was blessed by the song stylings of a fellow named Cookie. (Click through if you dare, but don't say I didn't warn you.)

This summer, regardless of whether I spend my days on the beach, in the coffee shop, or stressing over job applications and the like, my nights end pretty predictably. Without an ounce of regret, I can tell you that I spend my evenings with four of the hottest ladies in Miami.


Tonight Dorothy got married. Again. And she wore the most structurally devastating dress I think I've ever seen. The toilet paper roll deep-V is really something, isn't it?

And now... before Rose and Miles finish their conversation about moving on after previous marriages, I'm going to turn in. It's been a long day.

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have been drooling over this recipe for a few weeks now, and I decided that these would be a nice way to welcome the family to Maine tomorrow.

However... when I told my mom that I was making these today she said "ew!" like I had discovered a way to incorporate sardines into cupcakes.

I hate to say this so close to Mother's Day, but Mother is not always right. These muffins are ab fab.


The crumb is perfectly muffiny and light and the flavors are magic together. The espresso would probably go unnoticed (my mother will be happy about that) but it really kicks up the chocolate punch of the chips.

The muffin tastes like the way I always wished banana bread would. I'm not a fan of nuts or big chunks of banana in my bread, and neither are present in this muffin. The addition of chocolate chips only made a good thing better.

I give this muffin a standing ovation for so many reasons. If you want to make this muffin, you can find the recipe in Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. You can actually find a bunch of Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffin recipes online, but they are each a little bit different. I substituted plain yogurt for the whole milk, but otherwise I followed the recipe to the letter.

Happy Baking!

Hmm... maybe I should have another muffin before I get back to cleaning.

An Ode to Soy Milk

I love love love soy milk.

When I first became lactose intolerant, I tried to have soy milk with my cereal and I just couldn't do it. As much as I love the creamy goodness of soy milk, I just see it as its own treat. So I very rarely buy soy milk for myself.

I usually only have soy at... Starbucks. If you've been paying attention, you know that I am no longer purchasing Starbucks coffee. And now I miss soy!

Well... I did. I bought myself a 1/2 gallon of Light Vanilla Soy Milk the other day. Since then I've been trying to create an at-home soy latte without the benefits of an espresso machine or foamer. I've been using instant espresso and just kind of heating the soy milk on the stove.


It's... okay.

Last night I made soy hot cocoa and it was so decadent and lovely. But hot cocoa has so much sugar in it.

So what's a girl to do?! I love soy milk and drinking it cold is fine, but I want to be able to make amazing hot drinks that I can pour into my thermos and tote to campus.

Do you guys have any suggestions?! I need help!

I Left My Heart In...

That's right.

My love affair with Dunkin Donuts is only getting more serious. Since I realized that switching from cream to skim milk would remove all fat from my medium coffee, I've been inconsolable.

I believe I've had coffee each day of this spring break, and I can tell you that because for each of the last 3 days, I've gotten a headache shortly before my DD trip. And I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Especially when it lands me in the comfort of a righteously hot cup of guilt-free coffee.

I think I'll write an essay on the Dunkin Donuts cup of life. It will be the companion piece to the 101 paper on the Coke cup of life.

Anyway... my feelings for the pink, brown, and orange princess of java deepened yesterday. I decided to step out and try the Latte Lite. It was okay, but look at the special packaging...


Gorgeous, right?

And it's informative!


Until I read this sleeve, I had no idea of the difference between a latte and a cappuccino. Now I know.

And the lid is cute!


It's like a triclops. (Is that a thing?)

So, I know that this is kooky and commercial and capitalist, but Dunkin Donuts has won me over. There are worse things to enjoy.

Now, you'll have to excuse me, I have a hot date tonight.

Non Sequitur(s)

According to Wikipedia, "A non sequitur (pronounced [ˌnɒnˈsɛkwɨtɚ]) is a conversational and literary device, often used for comical purposes (as opposed to its use in formal logic). It is a comment which, due to its lack of meaning relative to the comment it follows, is absurd to the point of being humorous or confusing. Its use can be deliberate or unintentional. Literally, it is Latin for 'it does not follow.'"

Just thought that was a fun explanation.

I left the apartment today! I ended up going to Starbucks and reading Beautiful Losers, the latest in the punishment that is my Canadian lit class readings. I sat in a comfy chair by the fireplace, and I drank nice coffee. From Dunkin Donuts.

This time the Dunkin Donuts girl actually used the phrase, "Sure, no problem!" when I presented my Starbucks mug, but she did come around to the question and answer part of the show before I was out of there. Echoing her friend in the Bangor branch, she queried, "Starbucks?" The difference between her and the Bangor gal is that today's lady was smiling and very much jokey about the whole thing. She's my new favorite.

And now a note on chivalry: On Frasier today, Frasier realized that his girlfriend would not touch a doorknob with her bare hand. He lamented that it took him 30 days to see this because of his "natural chivalry." As I was leaving DD this afternoon, a middle-aged man came through the outer door on crutches. I hustled over to the inner door to open the door for him and instead of letting me do that, he awkwardly placed himself so that the only thing I could do was walk through the door he was then holding open for me. Realizing this was not the ideal situation or the one I intended, I moved through the door and tried to get it from the back. He was still in the way, so I just asked if he had it. He assured me he did and then he ran into the door, struggled, and had the door hit him on his left side. I just grabbed the door at that point. Really, guy? Really?

I cleaned out and reorganized the pantry today. Our hallway went from this:

to this:

while I listened to Martha Stewart talk about starting a garden.

Throughout middle and high school, I was very strictly unimpressed by rap and country music. My answer to 'What kind of music do you like?' was always, "Everything but rap and country". Now I realize that answer is very much not true because there are many things that I do not like that don't fall under the categories of rap or country. Enter Weird Al. And David Archuletta. Anyway, I've really fallen hard for a country girl.


I <3 Taylor Swift.
(I just cringed a little bit. But when I see her or I hear her on the radio, I get weak...) And it's not just 'White Horse' or 'Love Story', I've secretly loved 'Teardrops on My Guitar' and 'Our Song' for a quite a while now.

Shoo. It's nice to get that off my chest.

Even though I kept myself out of the kitchen all day, I spent about 2 hours on dinner.

Recognize those noodles?

Jason Mesnyck (The Bachelor) is a disgusting individual. ABC is a predatory organization for showcasing heartbreak as primetime entertainment. Neal Gabler is right about everything. I hate myself for investing so much time in this show. And, I wish Melissa would call me. I have some things to say about Jason that I think she would like to hear.

I've been watching an episode of The L Word each night for the last couple of weeks. The sixth season, and the show for that matter, is going to be done for good in another week. I'm planning quite the send-off. We'll see if it actually happens.

If this post were a 101 essay, I would ask what point the author was trying to convey. So, here's my point:

It's a blog. Relax.

Dunkin' & Deceivin': The Third Tier

I don't have a picture, sadly, but today I stepped up the coffee game.

I walked right in and asked the Dunkin' Donuts girl to fill my Starbucks coffee mug. Our conversation was... expectedly awkward.

Me: "Hi, can I have a coffee with skim milk and sugar?"

Her: "What size?"

Me: "Can I get it in this mug?"

Her: "Oh. Okay."

At this point she fumbled the lid and kind of shot it across the counter. Next time I'll make it easy on them and handle the lid myself. Beginner's mistake.

Her: "Starbucks, ay?"

Me: "Yeah. Your coffee is better."

Her: "Oh. I don't like coffee."

Me: "Fair enough."

We then had a short reprieve while she poured the coffee. Our conversation resumed while we waited for the cash register to do its thing.

Her: "So, do they like write your order on here and then wipe it off?"

Me: "Honestly, I've never used the mug at a Starbucks."

Her: "Oh."

The cash register drawer opened up at this point and the girl slammed it shut again with her hip.

Her: "Have a good day."

Me: "Thanks, you too!"

That conversation will go down as one of my favorite Maine interactions. Nothing particularly Maine about it except, well, everything.

Here's the coffee kicker though. My roommate wasn't in the mood for the Starbucks atmosphere today, so I drank Dunkin' Donuts coffee from a Starbucks mug while sitting in the Border's cafe.

Dunkin' & Deceivin': Done and Done

My day started very slowly.

I struggled quite mightily to actually start grading papers and reading
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.

However, when I did get going, I got 9 papers graded and about 50 pages read. Not too bad.

But here is the real accomplishment of today:


I found the perfect Starbucks mug, and I successfully drank Dunkin Donuts coffee while I graded student papers in Starbucks.

It was... blissful.

The next step in the Dunkin' & Deceivin' plan is to gather up all my chutzba and ask the Dunkin Donuts people to put the Dunkin Donuts coffee directly in the Starbucks mug.

I mean, it's the way Al Gore would want it done.

And, furthermore, my Dad thinks that they will do it, and I'll actually only get charged the refill price.

Result = My three Dunkin Donuts gift cards will last forever.

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Coffee Conundrum

About a week ago, I was wasting time in the office by complaining about my blog. The blog wasn't the problem really, it was the clear lack of comments that I felt I was due.

I came up with nothing that needs repeating, but I did stumble upon No One Cares What You Had for Lunch: 100 Ideas for Your Blog. And as I was nosing around the reviews, I caught one of the 100 ideas. One of Margaret Mason's tips for interesting blogging is to conduct unnecessary experiments and then (duh) blog them.

And this is where I will tell you about my current experiment.

BUT I will first tell you that I completely planned this experiment before I ever thought about blogging it.

AND it's not at all unnecessary, but I guess you'll find that out momentarily.

My plan is so far unnamed, but I have some possibilities:

Operation Coffee Deception
Project Java Confusion
Dunkin 'n' Deceivin

Here's the dilemma. I have about $72 worth of giftcards for Dunkin' Donuts. Dunkin' Donuts makes spectacular coffee.

Okay... I see the problem; so far there isn't one.

Starbucks has a wonderful cafe ambiance. Dunkin' Donuts does not.

Ambiance?

Good, free coffee?

Why can't I have both?

Here's my plan to get both. I'm going to buy a Starbucks mug. I'm hoping for this one:

I need the mug to be very overtly Starbucks.

Once I buy the mug, I will then buy the oh-so-tasty Dunkin' Donuts coffee and classily pour it into the Starbucks mug. Then, I'll drive to Starbucks - mug in hand - and sit, happily sipping, and grade student papers.

See?

Foolproof.

If I'm ever approached, I'll blame the economy and they'll just have to assume that I brewed my Starbucks coffee at home.

However, there is a hitch in this plan. When I went to Starbucks tonight, they didn't have any of the super-Starbucks mugs. Hm. I'll find one though, don't you worry.

And... to keep Ms. Mason happy, I'll update you as the project progresses.

Coffee Conclusions

I need no overcoat. I’ve got my love to keep me warm.

And by “love” I mean a Starbucks Grande Soy Caramel Macchiato.

Yes, a grande. I hope this drink alone causes me to visibly gain weight.

At least I won’t have to double-cup like Twiggy at the condiment counter. If I ever become so temperature sensitive as to complain about both the chill in the room – that no one else feels – and the mild heat of my coffee cup – that everyone else enjoys – please reintroduce me to the cheeseburger.

Please also remind me that even though I paid a meal-sized fee for it, the fancy coffee in my hand is, in fact, not a meal.