#roadtrip

I spent the last three days driving from New York to Colorado.  I just got back a few hours ago, but I felt compelled to write down the story of my road trip before the immediacy wore off.

New York.  I began my trip mid morning Wednesday, in attempts to dodge most of rush hour.  So I hugged my roommates extra hard and took my leave.  I failed at missing rush hour, but I took a final drive through Chinatown in Manhattan and marveled at all the motion and life.  Instead of feeling as though I was missing out on potential opportunities by leaving, I looked forward to my next visit.  It was a great feeling to leave New York with.

New Jersey.  My trip through New Jersey was short.  I was out of it before I realized it.  If I have any New Jersey readers, then I am very sorry for what I'm about to say:  I hate driving (or doing anything) in New Jersey.  The fact that it went by in the blink of an eye only improved my already positive attitude.  

Pennsylvania.  PA and I had a little love affair.  Spring was in full swing, the sun was shining, I was surrounded by wildlife.  From enormous and intricate rock faces, to miles and miles of trees, the images of my drive through Pennsylvania won't leave me for some time.

 Ohio.  Ohio was also deeply into Spring and the driving was easy.  I stopped for the night in Toledo, where my father was raised and my grandmother is buried.  The town holds incredible meaning for me.  We spent high holidays, Thanksgivings, and special visits there throughout my childhood.   Toledo was everything I had remembered it to be and more, with friendly people and adorable, colorful little houses.  I ate some truly spectacular Chinese food, drank a couple beers, and, after checking in with my best friend, slept soundly through the night.  I woke up the next morning feeling so incredible and thankful.  With a waffle in my belly, onward I went.

Illinois.  Every road trip has that moment where a great attitude turns slowly into contempt for all drivers on every road in America.  This happened in Chicago.  In hind sight, I shouldn't have gone through it.  As soon as I crossed into city limits the drivers became erratic, rude, and frustrating.  It took too long to get out and the rest of Illinois was not spectacular.  I wished that I could fast forward time and be in Colorado.  I tried to remind myself to see the positive in this portion of the trip, but my bad mood wasn't budging.

Iowa.  This state was the most exciting, that's for sure.  I know that sounds like sarcasm, because who would think that Iowa is exciting?  Well, no sarcasm here, ladies and gents.  I passed the Kellogg Museum (yes...the cereal), the RV and Mobile Home Hall of Fame, and like, 37 Jesus-themed billboards.  Iowa was also being overtaken by a snow and rain blizzardstorm thingy named Achilles.  I drove directly into and through it.  The wind was insanely strong and I thought seriously about pulling over.  This was the crying portion of the trip.  For days, I had been craving vegetables, but they were in short supply on I-80 through the Midwest.  So I found an Arby's, got the simplest salad possible and devoured it.  I instantly felt better and soon after that I made it through the storm to perfect weather on the other side.  My mood was completely transformed.

Nebraska.  Oh, Nebraska.  I worked so hard to get to it that it's plains and monotonous landscape were nothing but pure joy.  I passed through Omaha and felt a surge of affection for the state and all of its residents.  I speculated on what I thought their lives were like and remembered Rilo Kiley mentioning it's budding music scene in a song of hers.  You guys, I loved Nebraska.  Hey, Nebraska, I love you.  I stopped in a town called Kearny, got a delicious salad from the Ruby Tuesdays salad bar and brought it back to my hotel room.  Oscar curled up so lovingly next to me that I am having a hard time remembering a more content moment in recent history.

Colorado.  Kearny is only a few hours from Louisville, so today was a short and enjoyable day.  I woke up very early, despite not setting my alarm to let myself sleep in.  Ben immediately popped into my head and both Oscar and I were up and out the door in the blink of an eye.  We filled up with gas, grabbed a coffee at a coffee shop in someones home off of I-80 and onward we went.  I tried not to get Oscar riled up too early on even though I was bursting with excitement the whole time.  After I crossed the border into Colorado and saw the mountains appear distantly over a hill, I cried again.  I missed those mountains.  Those mountains and me?  We're meant to be together.  I finally pulled up to Ben's house in Louisville and Oscar LOST IT.  He recognized the house and began whimpering and barking at the same time.  I opened my door and he BOUNDED over me and into the house.  He and Diego (Ben's dog) played in the backyard for the next hour.

Not only am I so incredibly grateful to be back here with my wonderful boyfriend, but also for the drive here.  What could have been a huge burden was a meaningful and satisfying journey.  

But that's enough sappy crap from me.  What have you guys been up to?

L

pancake's picks: house dreams

An adorable pair of twin beds.  Now I just need two kiddos to tuck into these.
There is nothing more eclectic and homey than a lit-up sign.  This one is fantastic.
I am in the market for a brown leather club style couch.  This is a must have in our new place.
Cubbies?  I'm always game for cubbies.

Just a few things that I would love to have in my home.  Speaking of home, I am leaving for Colorado very soon!  I'm going to try to stop at least once for some antiquing, but with a pup in tow it will have to be masterfully planned and executed.   Oscar would be excited if he had any idea what was going on.  As of right now, he is probably just wondering why all of our stuff is in boxes.

Oh, also, road trips mean one very important and exciting thing: Cinnabon.  You know you're jealous.

PS: If you guys have any music suggestions for me to download before I leave, tell me!

Talk to you pretties later.

LP

cinnamon swirl bread

Here is the secret no baker wants you to know: Bread is easy to make. Don't be intimidated by it needing to rise twice and everything else that goes with it.  I am fully confident that you can do this.

In fact, you shouldn't be buying bread. It is way cheaper and healthier to make it yourself. It takes almost no time or effort at all once you're in the habit of doing it every week.  That's the end of my sermon.  On to this recipe.  (That is easier than you think)


Here is the basic idea.  You combine warm milk with yeast, let the yeast wake up.  Mix your ingredients together (we'll cover the order in the recipe), put the dough in a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise.  It will double in size.  Then roll is out into a rectangle, cover in cinnamon sugar and roll into a log.  Place that log in the bread pan and cover it and let it rise again.  As you can see below, it doesn't get much bigger in the oven after it rises for the second time, so what it looks like after it rises is roughly the size it will be.

Here are some tips I use to make a good loaf of bread:

Once you put it in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap, put it in your microwave to rise.  A microwave creates the perfect moisture and temperature for your dough to rise.  If you don't have a microwave (like me) put it on top of your stove.

Warm the bowl with hot water before you put the dough in.  A warm bowl will facilitate quick and thorough rising.

Make sure your bread is completely cool before you slice it for a clean cut.  I did not do this, which is why my bread looks the way it does.  Still delicious, just not as pretty.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup milk

6 tbsp butter

2-1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

3-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

4 tbsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter with milk. Heat it over medium heat so it doesn't boil. Allow to cool until it is luke warm. Put your yeast in and stir it in gently.  Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the flour one half at a time and beat on medium speed until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl with hot water so it's warm. Drizzle in a little corn oil, and coat the dough in it.  Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set aside to rise.

Turn dough out onto the floured work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you're going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long.  Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over lightly butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. 

Cover loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake until golden brown!

Now go.  Go make bread.  You can do it.

LP

colorado or bust

I'm bad at giving big news, so I'm just going to blurt it out.  I'm going back to Colorado!

"But Lizzy, you just moved to Brooklyn 4 months ago.  Why so soon?"  Well, dear reader, I'll tell you.

Sometimes we think we want things.  Sometimes we build things up in our heads and create perfect little lives out of hopes and wishes, and then reality comes knocking on your door.  "Oh, yeah.  You thought you could do that? Sorry to the bearer of bad news...."

That was reality speaking.  I'm sure you got that.

Brooklyn is great.  There are fantastic shops and bakeries and restaurants and neighborhoods.  It's all wonderful.  Thing is, if you don't have the money to enjoy any of it, it can become very frustrating.  That's why, after nailing down a very exciting job in Boulder, I'm headed home.

I'm so excited for sunny days, mountains to the West, and good beer.  I'm excited for long walks through open space, good fish tacos, and rich art culture.  But you know what I'm really excited about?


Seeing this guy.

Life is crazy and if you let it, it will take you in all sorts of random directions.  The best thing you can do is keep the people you love close.  That's a decision you won't regret.

Colorado here I come!

LP

hummingbird cake

If you haven't gathered yet from my previous posts, my boyfriend and I are long distance.  There are days where I think about him all day long and threaten to start driving West - and those are the good days.

My point is, sometimes I need a pick me up.  Some days, a delicious cupcake is the only thing that can pull me out of a missing-my-boyfriend spiral.  Why not eat a cupcake named after the cutest of all birds, hummingbirds?  Hummingbird just seems like a happy word.  It makes me giggle.


Hummingbird cake is a classic Southern cake.  It is moister than most cakes and is usually paired with cream cheese frosting.  I added a little something to the classic recipe by including coconut extract both in the cake and the frosting.


INGREDIENTS
for the cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 8 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped bananas

for the frosting
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 cups of confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl, add eggs and oil, stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened.  Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup walnuts, and bananas.

Pour batter into lined cupcake tins. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks before you frost them.

Spread cream cheese frosting (made by beating together all the frosting ingredients) on top of your cupcakes.  You can also sprinkle some walnuts on top for garnish if you so please.


There it is.  A ridiculously easy cake named after an ridiculously adorable bird.  How's that for a mood lifter? I hope you make this Southern charmer for your favorite people.  (That includes yourself)

Heart you guys.

LP

chocolate chunk cookies with pretzels

Let's cut right to the chase.  We all know there are several different types of chocolate chip cookies.  There are thin and crunchy ones, mushy soft ones, and these: crispy around the edges and so perfectly soft and chewy in the center.  These are the best.  No one argue with me cause it's my blog and I get to say whatever I want.

That's why I started a blog, you know.


Just as important as the consistency of the cookie is the quality of the chocolate.  I used the best bittersweet chocolate I could afford and broke it up to place on top.  To make it extra chocolatey and not extra expensive(y), I bought Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips for inside the batter.  As for the pretzels, I went with Utz buttery ones.  The only thing that can make a baked good better is more butter.

Another very important part of baking the perfect cookie (in my opinion) is knowing when to pull them out of the oven.  Typically, my instinct is to wait until things are browned on top.  For the perfect crispy outside and chewy middle, you have to take them out when they reach a golden brown color only around the edges.  The middle will seem undercooked.  That is ok!  When it cools it will be perfect.  I promise.


INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter, cubed and softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 oz. of Nestle semisweet chocolate morsels
1 8 oz. bar of best quality semi sweet chocolate you can afford, broken up into small pieces
2 cups coarsely crushed pretzel sticks

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer or hand mixer until creamy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, beating until completely blended.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Use a spatula to stire in the chocolate chips. Roll tablespoonfulls into balls and place 2 inches apart from each other on a buttered baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 10 to 14 minutes or until edges have browned. Move to wire racks, and cool completely. Or don't. Eat them hot and mushy if that's your jam. (Sometimes that's my jam).


So, to summarize.  Pancake's just gave you a recipe to the world's best chocolate chip cookies.  Nod and smile.  That's it.

LP

mini lemon poppyseed scones

You guys.  These scones.  Erhmergherd.

They are buttery and bright and delicious and erhmergherd.


Now that Spring has started in earnest, everything seems better.  Oscar and I go on more long walks, the birds chirp, iced coffee is actually a good idea (although that doesn't stop me from drinking it all year round), and lemon.  Lemon everything.

INGREDIENTS
for the scones
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup whipping cream

for the glaze
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix together flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Add the butter and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Whisk egg and lemon juice together in a small bowl really well, then add to the dry ingredients. Mix until it forms moist clump, but is not completely combined.  Then add the whipping cream and mix until it is just completely combined.

Using floured or wet hands, gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a 4x4 inch square on a lightly floured surface with your hands.  Cut the square into three even rows and three even columns, forming 9 smaller squares. Cut each square in half diagonally to form two triangles, making a total of 18 triangles. If you can't get sharp corners, make due as best you can.  This happened to me (see the picture below).

Place the triangles evenly across the baking sheet, and bake in the oven until scones are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice until a pourable glaze forms. Once scones have cooled, dip the scones into the glaze, let the excess come off and place on a wire rack to firm up a bit.





You guys seriously need to make these.  If you only bake one recipe from my blog, make it this one.  And all the others.

I hope you're all enjoy the crap out of Spring.  It is so fleeting - get out there and go on a walk or bike ride.  Or eat these outside.

LP