Not much smells better than almond extract.

I did that whole baking thing again tonight. E even helped, if you count helping as him being the best bebe on the planet, patiently waiting to be fed a bite of sweet potato in between each ingredient I added to the bowl.

He's awesome, if I haven't mentioned that before.

This really is the same recipe as one I've posted before, but this time I decided to test the orange extract I bought for a to-remain-unmentioned-because-it-failed-miserably recipe, and and use the sliced almonds I had in the fridge rather than spend the time chopping walnuts. Like I said, I had a hungry baby directly affecting my multi-tasking abilities. And if he's borderline happy, I'm not about to push it.

As usual, I waited for the hubby's review. Because let's face it—if I spend the time making it, most of the time I'm going to happily eat it. Whether it's blog-worthy or not, however, requires a more critical tongue.

"Is it good?" he asked, as I handed him a healthy slice. "It's good," I assured him. Five minutes later he was cutting a second (even healthier) slice. "Uh, yeah," he said. "It's good. Too good."

And so here you go.

Banana Almond Bread
2 very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1.5 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sliced almond

Heat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until just mixed. Pour into greased bread pan and cook for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. If it gets brown too quickly (check after 30 minutes), throw a piece of aluminum foil lightly over it.

Let cool before removing from pan and slicing.

Ok, I'm done. The oven needs a time out.

I'm hoping this is it for the baking for awhile..I'm out of flour, and besides, my ass definitely does not need any more cookies. Breastfeeding or not, I need to cool it on the junk and get back into shape.

But that's next week. I'm not supposed to work out until I get the doc's go ahead, so let's pretend that's a carte blanc for fatkid atrocities in the meantime.

Chocolate and Butterscotch Chip Cookies
1 cup and 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 375.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. In large bowl, mix butter, sugars and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg. Add in flour mixture a bit at a time until well combined. Stir in chocolate and butterscotch.

Drop small mounds of dough onto cookie sheet with spoons or your fingers. You should fit a dozen on each tray (makes two dozen). Cook at 375 for 10 minutes or until golden brown at edges. Let cool on a wire rack.

It's getting out of hand here.

Two more bake sale options for you this week...I volunteered to take some cookies to a picnic this weekend (and I don't buy things for potlucks unless I'm forced to) plus I have a very pregnant girlfriend who has moved past her ice cream addiction and onto cookies in her last few weeks, so I figured I'd kill two birds and bake enough for both.

You can substitute regular chocolate chips for the butterscotch if you want, and use whatever granola you like (including with fruit/nuts). Just keep the pieces small.

Granola Butterscotch Cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granola, small pieces (I used Quaker natural granola with almonds)
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

In small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.

In large bowl, combine sugar, butter and vanilla, and mix well until creamy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture a bit at a time until combined. Stir in granola and chips.

Drop by small spoonful (or fingers) onto cookie sheet. Should make about two dozen.

Bake at 350 for about 12 min or just turning golden. Cool a bit and move to wire rack. Store in Tupperware or ziplock.

Sleep when he sleeps, my ass. I've got shit to do.

I so hate to brag, but I'm writing this with one hand. Because you know what's hard to do while holding/feeding a four week old?

Everything.

So you know what else is amazing? In the past 36 hours I've:

• Done three loads of laundry (and even folded/put away one of them...so far)
• Taken two showers (one with shampoo and a blow-dry)
• Put make-up on (once)
• Gone to the post office
• Bought coffee at 7-11
• Gotten Lil' E in the Bjorn all by myself*

• Gotten five freelance jobs prepped and ordered
• Bought cereal and wine at Fresh & Easy
• Picked up my paycheck (my 'leave'check, I should say)
• Eaten one meal while it was still hot
• Kept the bear cub fed, alive, bathed and mostly** dry
• Oh, and most importantly***, I baked Snickerdoodles

Normally, I could probably do all of these things during, like, an episode of Desperate Housewives. Which, that reminds me, I actually watched while feeding the cub one of his 13 meals yesterday.

*Photo actually taken 2 weeks ago on our first outing, but my mom says I look rested and pretty. I call that "sunglasses." This is actually today. How is he that much bigger in 2 weeks??

**I cloth diaper part-time. They do not keep him dry. I imagine it's like sleeping in a warm, wet towel. Nasty.
***Ok, maybe this shouldn't take precedence over my child's well-being. But you don't know how badly I wanted a cookie. Also, it's baking. It's gross how much I've been doing this lately.

Did everyone but me realize that Snickerdoodles are just butter cookies rolled in cinnamon and sugar? I've always loved them, but never thought to make them. I thought they'd be more of a hassle than they were worth. I was wrong.

Snickerdoodles
1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour (I mixed white and wheat)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
! cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp or so of vanilla
1 tsp or so of cinnamon
1/4 cup or so sugar

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

In a larger bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating until creamy. I used a hand mixer and it was a pain in the ass. I imagine you could also do it by hand or in a stand up mixer. Whatever gets it done.

Add egg and mix in completely. Beat in vanilla, then add flour mixture a bit at a time until dough is combined. It should be really thick and fairly hard. Cover with plastic wrap and stick in the fridge for an hour of so.

Heat oven to 375.

Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon on a plate or shallow dish. Pull off small pieces of dough and roll into small balls (an inch or so across) with your hands. Roll each ball in the sugar mixture and place on cookie sheet. A dozen should fit on each sheet-recipe makes 2 dozen.

Using your hand, the bottom of a glass or a spatula, press each ball down to flatten out a bit. Cook at 375 for 10 minutes. Cool a few minutes before transferring to wire rack. Or just eat them all hot, either way.

Oh god, I'm a mother who bakes.

To be honest, I mostly decided to make banana bread because when I mentioned it would be a good use of some old bananas, my mom snorted a little and claimed I wouldn't do it. Don't dare me, Ma. I'll do it.

The rest of the reason was that my man Lil' E (his gangsta name) was sound asleep and I was dying to get off the couch and do something different. Plus, I have a gorgeous new oven and hadn't gotten to use it yet.


This is pretty much the easiest banana bread ever, by the way. Throw it all in at once, mix, and cook. Which, as we know, is really the only way to do it in my book.


Banana Bread
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1.5 cups flour
1/4tsp salt
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Heat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until just mixed. Pour into greased bread pan and cook for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Let cool before removing from pan and slicing.

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.