What day is it?

So, apparently it's Friday, although I woke up thinking it was Thursday.  This is crazy because last night I watch Community (amazing show, go set your DVR) and Community is on Thursday nights!    I must have forgotten this fact as soon as the show was over, because I neglected to write a post for you today!  Here's the plan.  Today I'll take care of some blogging business, then tomorrow I'll send out a new amazing recipe (it really is good!).  Sound good?  Well, let's get down to business!
Recently I have been the recipent of the Stylish Blogger award!  So thank yous go out to not one fabulous blogger, but the six bloggers who thought I was stylish enough to deserve this award!  Thanks go out to...

The Mom Chef - She is currently cooking her way through Cooking Light Magazine, it's so much fun!

Fit Foodista - She has some pretty amazing recipes and they're healthy too!

Big Fat Baker - The desserts being posted on this blog are droolworthy!

Amy Bakes Everything - One word - hilarious.  I love reading every post.

Cookbook Archaeology - Loving following along on her journey of curing meat :)  So jealous of her summer in Pompeii!

Little Kitchen on the Prairie - Great looking recipes and stories written from the heart, love her!

Secondly, I am supposed to share some fun facts about me!  I'll share some different fun facts from the last time I recieved this award...

1. I am currently running an acetate cleavage in my hood.  (Chemists, enjoy my nerdiness, everyone else, giggle at my nonchalant use of the word cleavage)
2. I've been making a lot of candy recently, my kitchen floor is getting very sticky.
3. I will wear my winter coat until the temperature rises above 55 degrees.
4. I am excellent at navigating, I do not own a GPS.
5. I secretly compete with the people on the treadmills next to me.  I must outrun them!
6. My car is gold and it's adorable, no matter what anyone else says.
7. My apartment is so small, I didn't have to turn on the heat once this winter.  Remember, I live in CT.

Now wasn't that fun?  Some very useful facts about me!  Thirdly, I've got to pass this award along to some well-deserving bloggers!  I've recently discovered so many fun new blogs, here are a few, go check them out!

Lulu's Sweet Secrets - A new blogger with some amazing pictures

Delicious Inspiration - Some amazing desserts from a girl in my home town!

La Mia Vita Dolce - Delicious looking recipes that make you want to lick your screen

Honey and Soy - I wish my macarons were as beautiful as these!

Ingredients of a 20 something - A girl with a cupcake addiction to rival my own!

There we are!  Some of my new faves!

On another note, have you ever wondered where I got that pie plate, my cake stand, that handy dandy tool?  Check out the link on the right, you'll find all of my favorite tools, equipment and foods! 

See you tomorrow!

English Muffins

Has food ever surprised you? Like, you always wondered how they made gummy bears. Then you were totally surprised that they were molded in cornstarch? I was so amazed when I discovered how those little pictures were made inside of taffy (they start with a really big picture). Maybe you were amazed at how Hostess got the cream inside of a Twinkie, or how Tyson made chicken into little dinosaur shapes. Okay, maybe no one wants to know how Tyson does their magic.

On my current goal to complete the Bread Baker’s Apprentice challenge, I’ve been learning a lot of things I didn’t know before. Like patience. Lots and lots of patience. Why is yeast so slow at doubling in size? You know what helps? A DVR filled with Doctor Who episodes. Nothing like watching David Tennant run after monsters to pass the time. (I like you too Matt Smith, but your episodes aren’t running right now).

I’m also learning to measure. How can I tell when it’s exactly doubled? Luckily I’ve found something that really helps with my measuring problem. Granted I got mine in Interlocken, Austria and therefore my measurements are in metric, but it does the trick. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to bake a lot of bread.

Recently, I’ve learned about English muffins. I’m a big fan of English muffins. Toast them up, add a layer of peanut butter or jam or add some egg whites and a slice of good old Kraft American and you’ve got a meal. I had never considered baking my own English muffins, they always seemed so perfect. Even the commercials touted Thomas’ years of practice to obtain the ideal nook and cranny filled muffin. How could I make something to rival that which took the Thomas people centuries to perfect?

You know what, it’s all in the grilling. That’s right, I said grilling. Before my beautiful little orbs of dough were baked in the oven, they were cooked on the griddle. That’s it! That’s the secret! The curtain has been pulled back and the wizard is nothing but a square griddle. No magic, no special machine, just smoke and mirrors. But you might be asking, “How do they compare to the famous Thomas’ English muffin?” You know what? I’m never getting store-bought again.


Look at those nooks and crannies!



Homemade Butter Finger Bars

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I know that I’m a little late in the day, in fact it’s only still Valentines for the Western hemisphere. It’s plain old February 15th in Europe right now. Good thing that I’m giving you a non-Valentines specific treat! I spent the first half of my Valentine’s Day flying around the country. It’s a very exciting month in the Wilde household!

This weekend I spent packing up boyfriends house for his upcoming move to the east coast. We spent hours going through bins and bins of toys. Fabulous 1980’s toys! Everything from Ninja Turtles to G.I. Joes to Batman. It was a very Toy Story 3 kind of weekend, deciding what would move and what would be sent to the big Thrift store donation truck. Packing up old toys is hard! You get distracted and find yourself setting up the G.I. Joe base, when you should be deciding whether astronaut Raphael should be donated or not (donate).

So, while you may have spent your weekend heading to a romantic dinner or cooking something delicious for your favorite person, I spent it in a basement, playing with toys! Boyfriend was able to pick and choose his favorites and we set aside a big box (okay, five boxes) to take to the collection center. A big box (5) of G.I. Joe trucks and Batcaves, ninja turtle action figures and micro machines was on its way out of the house, so sad.

Fate intervened and a text message came to boyfriends phone. A friend saw us driving around town and was harassing boyfriend for ignoring him. A friend, with two kids. Kids who like toys! Perhaps boyfriends friend would like the toys? The return text message… Yes! Friend would love the toys! Hooray, the toys will have new kids to play with them! Such a Toy Story ending, everyone is happy. Except boyfriend, who wants to break open the boxes we packed and play with the toys.