Strawberry Milk

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Strawberry Milk

Strawberry Milk

I've always had a deep love for milk. As early as I can remember, I viewed milk as a special treat. It didn't matter that it was always in the fridge or that I drank it at every single meal—it was still special. It was almost like getting dessert before the end of dinner.

When I was in my teens, I could go through a quarter of a gallon in a day. Milk was my water. I was, for all intents and purposes, a milk addict. 2% was my drug of choice. It wasn't until I discovered these dreadful little things called calories did I realize that maybe drinking so much milk wasn't doing myself any favors. About the same time, I realized I could eat more cookies if I drank less milk; a trade off I could definitely consent to.

Strawberry Milk

My sister was just the opposite. You couldn't get her to drink a glass of milk even if you threatened her with no dessert. We told her she wouldn't grow up big and strong. We told her she would never grow tall. We told her these things and she still refused; she meant business. My sister was so drastic that she would refuse to have milk with her cookies. Believe it or not, she would dunk her Oreos in water instead (which she still will do, much to the chagrin of those watching).

Even with so much milk in the house, flavored milks weren't a part of my childhood. Occasionally my mother would buy chocolate milk to serve for dessert, but those occasions were few and far between. It wasn't until I was older and buying my own groceries that I noticed them in the stores. I was always tempted to try them, but with so much sugar, preservatives, and the lack of real fruit, I couldn't bring myself to do it. It wasn't until I saw a post from The Kitchn on making your own strawberry milk did it occur to me that I could make my own. The results were definitely worth sharing with you.

Strawberry Milk

This strawberry milk is subtly refreshing. The milk is lightly sweetened (there is just a hint of sugar), but you could add more sugar to adjust to your own tastes. The strawberries stand out in this drink, making it a perfect substitute for the store bought version. Drink this chilled for breakfast or dessert.

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Lemon Thins

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Lemon Thins

Lemon Thins

I have a confession to make. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to cookbooks. I don't judge the book by the cover or even the content. I judge them by whether or not they have an extraneous amount of pictures. I need pictures. I eat with my eyes before I eat with my mouth. The best cookbook ever written may hold all the secrets to the baking universe, but if it doesn't have photographs chances are I'd never give it a second glance. If the cookbook doesn't double as a good old fashioned picture book, I'm just not interested.

I told you I was a bit of a snob.

Lemon Thins

Despite my prejudices, I took it upon myself to make a recipe from a cookbook without a photograph this week. I figured cookies were pretty self-explanatory, especially in terms of what I was aiming for. Easy, right?

Wrong.

The first batch came out of the oven looking exactly like they did going in—not exactly what I was going for. They tasted delicious, but looked terrible. Is this what they were supposed to look like? Without the cookbook's illustration, it very well may have been. I should have never strayed from my picture prejudice.

I changed up the method and the second batch came out looking marginally better. I fixed those mistakes with the third batch and finally achieved the cookie I think the cookbook wanted me to make. Nevertheless, a simple photograph could have prevented my lemon cookie nightmare. To prevent any nightmares for you, here are several photographs to show you the way of this elusive lemon cookie. If only I had these to begin with.

What is your favorite cookbook? Do you also need pictures or are you brave enough to go without?

Lemon Thins

These lemon thins are light and delicate. The cookies are flavored with both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice, yet the flavors remain subtle and do not overpower. This recipe yields small, yet tender cookies. These lemon thins are the perfect complement to a cup of tea (if adventurous, you could even dunk them).

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Roasted Pineapple

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Roasted Pineapple

Roasted Pineapple

Would you believe I bought a pineapple for the first time this week? The only pineapple I've eaten up to this point has been canned, buried somewhere in a Jello salad, or served pre-cut at a potluck. While these are certainly not bad ways to enjoy pineapple, sometimes you just need the real deal staring you in the face. Even if it is intimidating.

And it's sharp. With spiky hair reminiscent of a troll doll.

Roasted Pineapple

I'm afraid to let my kitchen inexperience show by telling you I spent nearly 15 minutes trying to figure out how best to cut a pineapple. As someone who enjoys food and likes to call herself a decent cook, I feel there are some things I should inherently know in the kitchen. Boning a chicken, properly braising meat, and cutting a pineapple all fall in this category. Do I actually know how to do any of these techniques? Well, no.

Then again, I've always been more of a baker.

But in my defense, I've watched someone bone a chicken (does that count?). Someday I plan on actually learning what the term braising means (it's good to have goals, right?). But as for the pineapple? I think I can finally cross that one off my list.

Roasted Pineapple

This Roasted Pineapple is fresh and pleasant. The pineapple is cut into rings, roasted, and sprinkled with brown sugar, which brings a deep, well-rounded flavor to the pineapple. For a twist, I added a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper. It adds a subtle, unexpected kick to the pineapple and surprisingly complements it well. Although unusual, I recommend you give it a try; it turns this simple dessert into something really special.

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