desserts and misc.

These milk chocolate cookies are from that cookie book. They were divine. Not my first choice, but the girls wanted them, so we made a batch and I was surprised at how good they were. They were like cookie brownies. I was thinking about getting all crazy sick with these and putting ice cream between 2 of them and freezing them—but I think it would kill me. Still, it's a good idea. The extra cookies went to Pete's office because of my sugar thing. The girls don't really care, they are much more about salty foods.

Here's my favorite dessert right now. Pineapple and orange with a few cashews and a little coconut.

Middle child loves it too. So, significantly reducing sugar in my diet has been awesome. I have a nibble of something sweet on the weekends, and an occasional maple-syrup-on-yogurt type breakfast, but the random sweet thing I really don't miss. I do, however, need to bake so Pete's office (and friends and sometimes the random person at the door) reap the benefits.

Random things:

-I was alerted to the errata page for the Artesian Bread in 5 Minutes book I keep posting about. (Thanks Mari!). Yes, indeed, get on over there, 'cause it's 2 packets of yeast, not 1 1/2,  and sometimes a 40 min rest should really be more like 1 1/2 hour.

-We are thrilled that our almost 10 month old Liddy is now playing the games we had forgotten about that were so loved by our other children, games such as I'm Gonna Put This On You, I'm Gonna Put This Behind My Head, and the old standby, This is My Hat. Hysterical. She might be our funniest baby yet.

-Um this shoe site 6pm, sister site to the dangerous Zappos is haunting me. Watch out and don't do what I did, which is buy euro kids shoes super cheap (and pay shipping) and then have them not fit the kids (and have to pay shipping to return them) yeah, I suck. But, for adult non-growing feet, it could be awesome.

-In my continuing research of Blackwork inspiration, I found this great shop, Pinpals, where I snatched up this delightful pin. I can't get out needle and thread right now, but I can shop! Click, click.

Comments

[lynne]

I so admire your sugar cut back, especially since I just finished my terrible breakfast of fruity cheerios and 2 chocolate chip cookies. I really need to be better.

[inga]

thanks for the info on the book ( I bought it right after your post on it)))
I wish I could cut back on sugar the way you did...((
Our 11-month old is into "I'm going to pull your hair" and "I'll poke you in the eye even if you don't want me to". And the 4-year-old thinks it's hilarious :D

[Morgan]

Amy Im going to pretend that the ice cream sandwich part of this post was secretly dedicated to me. For I emailed you about a month ago to see if you had any good ice cream sandwich recipes, but figured you wouldnt be doing that sort of thing with your suger cut back. Anyway thanks a ton. Im totally going to gross myself out and make those cookies into ice cream sandwiches. You made my morning.

[Darlene]

Those cookies were going to be made tonight. Might have to grab out the ice cream!
BTW - have you tried Piperlime for shoes. No shipping either way. So it's really no big deal if the shoes don't fit.

[Jenn @ Frugal Upstate]

Thanks for the Errata info. I got the book out of the library (due to you) and enjoyed making my first batch, but the loaves all came out gummy on the inside-and I was getting frustrated since I followed the recipe EXACTLY. Probably another 50 minutes of rising time would help with that!

[Lynne N]

You may have found this in your research already, but I've found that www.blackworkarchives.com is one of the best sites for blackwork instruction and free designs. Get ready!!! Once you try blacwork, you may be hooked. I have been for many years!

[Kirstin]

I think you are going to freak out about this citrus salad recipe with CARDAMOM, which is a great salad over some crisp Romaine or makes an excellent low-sugar dessert, in my opinion. We use the extra juice to spoon over our morning grapefruit if we're lucky enough to have any around:
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001718cardamom_citrus_fruit_salad.php

[Kirstin]

fruit_salad.php
is what is missing from that URL. :)

[kathy]

Thanks for the errata posting. I thought that the rising time was a little short on some of my loaves. I am loving the book, though and I have you to thank for telling us about it!
:)

[Sarah]

You have confirmed the family birth order theories that the third child is the comedian. I have one of those, too, and as he has gotten older his sense of humor is both subtle and spot on! Love it!

[melissa s.]

ahh, we know the "this is my hat" game very very well and our youngest is also the comedian of the family. I'm going to stay away from those evil online shoe shops, but will try that yummy looking dessert!

[heather t]

Wow, that is some errata! Makes me wonder if they did enough test baking. I have the book from the library (trial run before purchasing!) and want to make a batch this weekend, so good timing!

[amy]

ok, a million thanks for the errata page from the book - i was wondering why my baguette was SO dense!

[Molly]

Oh! Stinkin' cute pins by Pinpal!

[amy h]

Yeah, I came across that 6pm site a while back -- it's crazy! Some things were so cheap I thought it was a scam.

[MB]

Hi Amy,
Oh that desert is a great idea and looks delish!

Below are 2 places i have ordered shoes for my g-babe and been very pleased.

http://www.tinysoles.com/index.php

ENDLESS.COM- free shipping and return- recieve shoes the next day

Namaste,

[Sarah]

So glad to see the errata! I'm loving that book. My first batch came out pretty well, but I felt like they could have puffed up some more. Thanks again.

[Sarah]

So glad to see the errata! I'm loving that book. My first batch came out pretty well, but I felt like they could have puffed up some more. Thanks again.

[katie]

thanks for the errata link. i too went out the next day and bought the book after you mentioned it. i love it!!

[gillie]

They look delicious, but I too am on low sugar (it sometimes feels like low everything but the hips are shrinking so i will persevere!) so had to LOL at the random giving of baking - I love to bake and can't give it away fast enough. Perhaps the postman would like some, I'll try him next!

[justJENN]

Amy, your pictures are wonderful as always.

[Alice]

If you do get obsessed with Blackwork you really need to get Marian Scoular's 'Why call it Blackwork' or Rosemary Drysdale's 'The Art of Blackwork Embroidery'. These women are incredible embroiderers and their books include work that is way outside the box without forgetting a good grounding in the basics.

[Mary Beth]

Amy, I've been thinking about this post the last few days, wondering if I could cut way back on sugar as you have. You are really inpiring me! I too get all crazy about sweets and I have found your down to earth posts super refreshing. Thank you!

[Jana]

I just received my copy of your book in the mail from Amazon.com today (along with The Creative Family by Amanda Soule)and wanted to thank you for creating such a lovely book!

It was like opening up a beloved picture book when you were a little girl, but even better because there were directions on how to create the pretty things~!

Blessings to you and your family, and thank you for sharing your gifts and talents with everyone!

[Cherry]

Aw, I LOVE "I'm Gonna Put This Behind My Head!" My girls played it, too.
My 14-month-old is currently into "Standing On My Head with My Butt and Hands Up In the Air".

[clea]

thanks so much for the point to the errors page on the bread book. i too have been baking out of this book regularly, i wonder how these adjustments will change my bread?! it's honestly been fine, better than fine actually, delicious, but i have been using 1 1/2 packets of yeast, not 2... oops!

[magpie ima]

"This is my hat"--I so loved this stage. The original joke, really. And a sign of a healthy sense of humor, one of life's most important gifts.

[Knitsational]

Ooo! Those cookies look so good. Now I'm gonna have to go bake!

[sara]

Hello, your pineapple desert sounded so good that I went home and immediately monkeyed with it (because for the life of me, I can't seem to follow the simplest recipes without twisting). I added a spoonful of sour cream and macadamia nuts. While it was not calorically virtuous, OMG, so good! Thanks so much for the fantastic and low sugar dessert. Do you have any others?

[Cheryl]

Do boots count as hats? My 22 month old currently thinks so - as she trails around the house with her red rubber boots saying "hat" as she tries to keep them on her head.
I can say the oatmeal applesauce cookies are quite yummy, but if you are cutting sugar, you may want to skip the icing entirely or halve the recipe for the icing. The double chocolate coconut ones are also quite tasty. Graham crackers are our next endeavour here.

[Anna McAnthony]

I like your idea about putting ice cream between the chocolate cookies and freezing them. It sounds like my kind of treat. Thanks for the idea.

[beauty skin]

We wanted to say a million thanks for the errata page from the book :-)

[Stephanie]

one more thing to add to the errata page of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes. The author makes mention here: http://www.startribune.com/video/11967361.html
that the book should have said to put the bread on the middle not lower shelf, but the funny thing is, as he says this, in the video, it looks like he is putting on the top shelf.