Daily Loaf

Let me start right off by saying that no, that is not the official name of these cookies – but it should be.  They are actually called Peanut Butter Corn Flake Balls. That’s a decent enough name. It is accurate and descriptive. However, it comes nowhere close to describing the flat out, mind-blowing awesomeness of these sticky, gooey, creamy, chewy little blobs of edible bliss! How did they end up being called HolyCrapTheseAreAmazing Cookies, you ask? Well, I’ll tell you. It’s because that is pretty much what everyone says the first time they bite into one of these decadent little guys.

The first time I ever ate one was when my daughter was in the second grade. Each year, from the time she was in kindergarten through the fifth grade, I had the dubious distinction of being the Room Mother for her class. A Room Mother is a mom who is in charge of taking care of all of the “extras” for the class that the teacher doesn’t have the time or inclination to do, like collecting for the teacher’s gifts, lining up chaperones for field trips and, of course, organizing class parties.

Anyway, that particular year, her class had a Halloween party, and one of the moms brought these cookies.  Now, being a Room Mother often requires you to make certain sacrifices, one of which is taste-testing all of the snacks, just to make sure that they are okay for the kids to eat.  Really!  It says so in the Official Room Mothers’ Code of Conduct. Okay, I made that up, but if there was an Official Room Mothers’ Code of Conduct, I’ll bet the whole “taste-testing” thing would be in there.

So, I ate a cookie. As my eyes were rolling back into my head, I groaned out loud and spontaneously exclaimed: “Holy crap! These are amazing cookies!” From then on, they have elicited the same response from everyone I’ve served them to. Read the rest of this entry »

VINYL:

Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty
Now available on HQ-180 gatefold double vinyl.

Fugazi – End Hits
Fugazi – Steady Diet of Nothing
Remastered reissues, with each containing a bonus download.

Mudhoney – Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge LP+MP3
Mudhoney – Mudhoney LP+MP3
Mudhoney – Superfuzz Bigmuff LP+MP3
Reissued on HQ-180 vinyl with MP3 download..

Willie Nelson – Phases and Stages
Nelson’s first “concept album,” the Jerry Wexler-produced (at Muscle Shoals) Phases and Stages, provides both a man and a woman’s viewpoints on a crumbling marriage.

Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band – Between My Head and the Sky
Between My Head and the Sky is resplendent with mind-melting blend of styles and sharpening themes while, like its forward-thinking author, plunging into the always-mysterious future.

Pearl Jam – Backspacer
Available on deluxe double vinyl.

Various Artists – Wheedles Groove: Seattle Funk & Soul 1965-1975
On the quality Light in the Attic label.

CDs:

Basement Jaxx – Scars
They have remixed the likes of Justin Timberlake, Missy Elliot, N.E.R.D, Daft Punk, and are back with a new album.

Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty
Digitally remastered. The CD includes a bonus disc of B-sides and rarities including seven never before released tracks. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s nothing better than a warm slice of banana bread for breakfast slathered with some butter, and maybe even jam. Or peanut butter. I love the two tastes together in a sandwich, so why not put them in bread form? I decided to go a little nutty and combine the two for this quick bread concoction.

Quick breads (like this one) are very versatile and super easy to make, even for you novice bakers, and for those, like me, who are lazy and hate to measure out a jillion ingredients and wait for dough to rise, etc., etc. They also make a great treat for breakfast or a snack.
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I’ve really been in the mood for popcorn lately but I want to try something different than your run-of-the-mill butter flavor. I could take the cheat approach and just buy one of the fancy new toppings that are available now at the grocery store, but I believe that when you make something yourself from scratch (well, almost, in this case) it is so much more satisfying.

I set out on a quest to find some fun ways to spice up my popcorn and found some tasty-looking recipes, from savory to sweet, with all sorts of interesting flavor combinations. Now my only problem is that I can’t decide which one to try first…

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Broccoli here, aka John K. I am not going to start a rant with my first blog, but I can’t take CNN anymore (or FoxNews, for my righteous right wing friends out there). Frankly, they both constantly blather on about more jobs lost and how politicians can’t figure out where to stimulate the economy (anywhere, please).

So, my partner, Eggplant and I feel the crunch. We are in the hospitality industry and yup, it is tough right now. I will NOT give any of my money to a commercial fast food operation though.  It is inconceivable to me that in this downturn Mc (insert expletive here) Donalds is posting a profit. Read the rest of this entry »

Poor Alberto Gonzalez. He can’t seem to find a job. What a shocker after the bang-up job he did as Attorney General.

• You win some: Obama signs SCHIP expansion into law.
• You lose some: The stimulus package wrangling continues …

Much more news after the jump.

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The number of products affected by the salmonella-tainted peanut butter coming out of a Peanut Corporation of America plant in Georgia has expanded. Again.

Federal investigators found roaches, mold, leaky roofs and other sanitary problems at the PCA plant, which provides bulk butter to the manufacturers of hundreds of peanut containing products. According to the AP, managers at that plant also continued to ship peanut products even after they were aware of the salmonella problem. Read the rest of this entry »

Cooking or baking for someone is my favorite form of gift giving — it’s personal and heartwarming. I was throwing a surprise party for a very good friend of mine recently and decided to bake cupcakes as my gift.  Being the avid foodie and culinarian that my friends know me to be, I also thought it would have made me look bad if I had shown up with store-bought treats. Little did they know that the party wasn’t the only surprise that night.

As I was brainstorming and perusing my usual foodie sites for flavor ideas, I remembered an interesting flavor combination I’d come across a few months ago: chocolate and bacon. Yep, bacon. My friend loves bacon! I also recalled our shared love of pork products and popcorn mixed with chocolate at the movies. It’s the same concept, right? Read the rest of this entry »

To get you geared-up for the big moment, here is an excellent AP short on how far we’ve come “From Emancipation to Inauguration.” Also, be sure to check out our live blogging of the even over on PoHo. Oh, and W.: Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

• Dick Cheney to attend inauguration in a wheel chair. I have no comment.
• Jill Biden reveals to Oprah that Joe had his choice of jobs, VP or Sec. of State. Gulp.

Click below for more news.

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