– I was struck with a need to make gingerbread yesterday. I’m sure something must have set it off, but I’m not sure what. So in between doing other things, I whipped some up this morning. I used this recipe, sorta, except with a handful of changes. I only did half a batch (one loaf pan), subbed in strong coffee for the stout, did half oil and half applesauce, omitted the cardamom — oh, and I didn’t actually boil the molasses mixture, but the coffee came straight from my Bialetti, so it was already hot. I also put in half a cup of raisins (whatever had been telling me to make gingerbread in the first place also wanted raisins in it — weird, right?), but unfortunately, I tossed them into the flour mixture before I stirred it in with the rest of the ingredients, so I didn’t realize how thin the batter would be (very thin!). Needless to say, the raisins all sunk to the bottom, and a lot of them stuck to the pan after baking. Whoops. The flavour combo (of the raisins that DID stay in the gingerbread), though, is just as I had hoped. I’m putting it in the ‘win’ column.
– So, Rio gets the 2016 games. I can understand why it’s exciting for a country/city to host the Olympics… the attention, the boost to the economy, etc. But I find it hard to believe that anybody LIVING in a candidate city thinks it’s a great idea. I mean, obviously, lots of people do, but all I remember about the campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London was complaining. Stratford, which is the main location for the London games, was between where I lived and where I worked in London, and I am soooo glad to have got out before the craziness hit. But, you know, good for Rio.
– I discovered this TV show that I think might really take off: Lost. Have you heard of it? Ha! I’ve been steadfastly refusing to watch for the past five years, or whatever (actually, I did try watching it when it first premiered but couldn’t get into it). And I had been tempted to check it out when they put it on Hulu, but I wasn’t ready to travel down that rabbit hole. Well, I finally bit the bullet, and it’s sucked me in. I’m a Mac user; I’m watching Lost — what’s next on the list of popular culture that I’ve been denying myself? Will I go out of the house wearing leggings and no skirt? (Answer: NO.)
– Back to the gingerbread: it’s funny how, as it was baking and the aroma was filling the house, I skipped over autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving and immediately jumped to feeling Christmas-y. Molasses and ginger are powerful ingredients! I still can’t believe we got gypped of pleasant, mid-60F weather, though. The high today is in the 40s. I might as well start singing Christmas carols, I guess (as if I ever stop).
I’m kind of disappointed with the selection of Rio. They’ve already got the 2014 World Cup, do they really have the infrastructure and money to host the Olympics two years later? Seems like a bad idea to me. But whatever, good for South America getting the games.
I think leggings and a skirt are okay, but no skirt is RIGHT OUT. I’d hoped maybe we were done with that, but I’ve already seen students wearing “long” shirts and two pairs of nylons (nylons! Not even leggings!) as pants, so… *shudder* Evidently it’s not over yet!
i was craving christmas last night, but making soup & pumpkin cardamom rolls will fix that.
and I was the same with LOST, my fingers are grateful they have until January before I start gnawing on them again.
i was having a gingerbread cookie craving today. and then trying to decide if really gingerbread would be better..with some sort of whipped topping..and then nibbled on some digestive biscuits and started contemplating how well they’d hold up as a cheasecake crust..then returned my focus to stoneflies and chironomids…
I am so happy it’s fall, because fall means the return of my secret / guilty pleasure: frosted gingerbread topped with crystalized ginger from (gasp!) Starbucks. I hate myself for patronizing that coffee-slinging corporation. But their gingerbread quells my self-hatred.
Now I need to make gingerbread, too! It’s my favorite fall/winter kind of cake.
Glad you discovered Lost. I was late to that party, too, but it’s great.
I second the no leggings thing.
Have a grand weekend.
you sound like me! i was purposely not a mac person. but then about 3 years ago i got a macbook and then iPhone and have never looked back.
as for lost, you will find yourself spending a whole day indoors catching up before the new season begins. i was a late to the game on the show too and now i’m hooked! enjoy, it’s one of the best shows out there.
I think it might be Christmas in a minute. Yesterday, for the first time since last winter, there were mince pies in my local supermarket. (But they didn’t say ‘LUXURY mince pies’ on the pack, so I didn’t buy them.)
regarding the leggings… it seems like every new batch of college freshmen believes that they invented leggings and wear them with everything [except of course, butt covering dresses] in the fall. come spring they learn the errors of their ways, only in time for them to leave [boston at least] and the next batch to come in all hot on leggings.
sheesh.
The first episode of Lost is amazing. It’s all downhill from there. I had to stop after season two. I realized I hated all the characters, especially the ones who were still living; I wanted the remaining ones to die, too. Is that mean?
Yay for Lost! Season 3 it kind of treads water but the rest are great – glad you are getting into it. Plus, leggings are really not all bad – very practical and warm, if you ask me!