Versatile Blogger Award

So I got nominated for this award by the lovely Amanda over at Auntie Treats! This was really surprising and I am so flattered by it! Thank you so much Amanda! I can’t even believe anyone at all even reads my little ol’ blog so this was really exciting. Since I started up this blog in January and joined Tuesdays with Dorie and French Fridays with Dorie I have been introduced to so many inspiring and fun blogs and people. I could probably spend all day on the computer and not get to all of them. Seriously.

So I guess the rules are these:

1. Add the award to your blog
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you
3. Mention 7 random things about yourself
4. List the rules
5. Award to 15 bloggers
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blogs or on Facebook

It is so hard to choose because there are so many blogs I LOVE, but here are my 15

1. The Little French Bakery

2. Crumbly Plum

3. Hon, Please Take Me to Paris

4. Lights on Bright No Brakes

5. One Expat’s Life

6. Emmy Cooks

7. Eat.Live.Travel.Write

8. Necessity is the Mother of Invention

9. Baker on the Rise

10. Thursdays with Granny

11. This Bountiful Backyard

12. The Not So Exciting Adventures of a Dabbler

13. Bean and Pie

14. Oven Chaos

15. Loaves & Stitches

I’ve really enjoyed reading all of your blogs and if I’ve never commented it’s because my computer/Wordpress account don’t like to play nice with others sometimes. I don’t really get it but sometimes I can get it to work and sometimes I can’t, it’s weird.

7 Random Things About Me – hmmmmm this is difficult but I’ll give it a go.

1. I have 2 miniature dachshunds who I love to death

So this handsome devil on the left is Theo and on the right we have the cute but very mischievous Dillon.

2. I have never been in a tanning bed. I was just talking to a relative this weekend about this fact which is why it’s at the forefront of my mind but I just don’t get tanning beds. It seems like a hot coffin. I don’t know why anyone would want to get in there.

3. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is and forever will be my favorite show of all time. If you’ve never watched it, give it a try. You kind of just have to get through the first season but it really hits its stride at the end of season one and then it’s just pretty much non-stop gold all the way through. It’s the best, the end.

4. As a child (and still) I was a voracious reader to the point where I would hide a book on my lap and read during most of my classes at school. At the time I thought this was no big deal because I really didn’t care about math and the sciences but now as an adult I think it was a really dick move on my part. Teaching is hard work and I was one of those little shits who wasn’t paying attention. I’m taking this opportunity to deliver a big fat apology to all my teachers than I tuned out over the years. I’m sorry guys.

5. I have two nieces and one nephew (and another one on the way – sex to be determined!) and I love them to pieces. They are the cutest little kiddos and I’m so happy every time I get a chance to see them.

6. Probably as a direct result of #3, I am kind of a vampire junkie. I seem to really like them. I even started watching The Vampire Diaries on the CW just to prove to myself that I don’t like all vampire-y things but goddamn it all to hell if it isn’t a good show. I love it. We’re almost at the end of season 3 and I’m still watching. I guess that plan backfired.

7. Though I live in a very picturesque location with lots of natural wonder and splendor to behold (or so I’m told) I am just not outdoorsy. I never have been. I like a campfire sometimes, but then I want to go back to my house and sleep in my bed. Camping & hiking and the like are not for me. Sitting in my three season porch and reading with a cup of coffee while the wind gently blows the leaves in the trees outside is about as much as I like.

So there it is – the 7 Random Facts. I hope you still like me after reading them. And don’t worry the next post will have lots of food and lots less about me. Let’s get serious, we’re all here for the food, aren’t we?

French Fridays with Dorie – Coconut (& Mexican Cocoa) Friands

So I will be the first to admit that I was not too psyched about this recipe. You know the jingle for Mounds & Almond Joy and how it goes “Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t!” Well I was always like “How about I never feel like either of those because they’re disgusting!” I mean coconut and almonds, those are my choices? Ew! Whenever I would get either of those candy bars when trick or treating I would always remember those houses and try not to go there the next year because seriously, that’s the candy you choose for Halloween? How about some Snickers or Twix or Skittles or something remotely good!?

Anyway I guess this is my roundabout way of saying that I am not a coconut fan. Never have been. I like the flavor, like in a cocktail, but the texture of shredded coconut is just not good for me. But after my serious failure with sardine rillettes, I was determined to give this a try the traditional way. I wanted to be sure to actually like some of them though, so I divided the batter in half and made the requisite coconut friands plus some yummy cocoa-y cinnamon ones! This was another “no stand-mixer” recipe and I have to say, Candy was giving me some serious puppy-dog eyes from across the kitchen. She is getting so lonely and since our next few scheduled recipes don’t seem like they’ll need her assistance, I’m going to have to intervene and do some off-schedule baking of my own. Anywho, the recipe said that the batter would have a satin-y sheen and I was really surprised by how apt a description that was. Check it out!

Okay I guess it’s kinda hard to tell from this picture, but it was satin-y like the sheets in a Madonna video! I split it up before I added the coconut, adding 1 1/2 T of cocoa powder and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon to one half, and a shocking amount of sweetened shredded coconut to the other. I only had sweetened on hand (purchased for a granola recipe I never made for Tristan) and I figured a little extra sugar might help me like the coconut more.

I borrowed a mini-muffin pan from the store kitchen and got out my trusty ol’ cookie scoop and these babies were ready to go. Super easy! Turns out that the day I made these was our 2 year wedding anniversary and both Tristan and I had kind of forgotten it until the day before hence, no presents for or from either of us. Whoopsie! So I did this to add a little romance to the day

It kind of resembles a heart right? Don’t feel too bad for me about the anniversary, we’ve never really made a big deal of them. Is that sad? Sometimes I wish we were a little more traditionally romantic, but really it’s not as if I had some big thing planned either. What’s that saying about throwing stones? Well, whatever it is, I can’t throw them. But back to the recipe – I surprisingly really liked them! Even the coconut ones! I ate one of the coconut-ers when it was still slightly warm from the oven and it was pretty magical. I really liked it. I’m not going to lie, I liked the cocoa ones more but that’s not surprising.

I think I’ve mentioned before that I don’t speak French so my pronunciation of friands is no doubt completely wrong so I think when I make these in the future I will just call them Frenchy mini muffins. I think that still sounds pretty cute, don’t you?