Plum Fruit Leather

I’ve gotten into a show called Sweets Made Simple on BBC Two. It’s a show where a quirky married couple makes candy. I want to make everything on that show. Boozy chocolates, rose flavored turkish delight, salted caramel! They recently made fruit leather and I was so excited. I love fruit leather.

Fruit leather also makes me feel a little nostalgic for back to school and my colleagues at Live It Learn It who are back in the US. My coworker Erica and I were a little crazy for fruit leather at the end of last school year. It was our snack of choice during the many meetings we were having. She’d have a big stash in her backpack and I’d peak through and pull out my favorite flavors. Snacks are always a nice way to pep up the workday. 

Popeye Muffins

I have three things to say about these crazy delicious green muffins.

First,  if there is a way I can put more vegetables in my food, I will do it. I know people who are anti-hiding vegetable – but not me. I’m always trying to find a way to get more veggies in my diet. I like green smoothies and these zucchini chocolate chip cookies from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and I like today’s muffins. When I saw a picture called “spinach Popeye muffins” on Pinterest, I knew it was something I had to try. I mean, make me strong like Popeye and they taste good? Yes please. Try not to be put off by the green muffins. They are fun looking and taste like banana bread. 

Raspberry Honeycomb Ice Cream Pie

Recently I bought delicious and BBC Good Food, two UK based food magazines. I thought it would be nice to have some recipes and not have to constantly search for conversion. My oven is in Celsius and everything I buy in the grocery store comes in milliliters or grams. But I’m used to Fahrenheit and ounces and tablespoons. So, I pulled out tons of recipes and the first one I chose to make doesn’t really require too much conversion anyway.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Reese’s Pieces Cookies

I’m moving to London later today. Officially and for real. The last week or so has been really busy and fun as I said goodbye and prepared for this move. Let me tell you about my last few days and then at the end I’ll give you a cookie recipe.

My 29th  birthday was a little over a week ago! I went to New York to have a last hurrah. I actually hadn’t been to New York since my graduation, and I was excited to go back and see the city one more time. On Friday (the 20th) I went to Staten Island and stayed with my friend Inga (who also has the same birthday as me). It was so great to catch up with her. She and I were roommates years ago when we studied abroad in Rome. Visiting her, I got to see her new house, meet her  beautiful daughter, and celebrate our birthdays. We had sushi and cake and it was wonderful.

Banoffee Pie

Photo from Bullycomics

Have you ever seen Love Actually? I have. Many times.

Do you know that scene when Juliet (Kiera Knightley) goes to Mark’s (Andrew Lincoln) apartment? She goes there looking to see if he has good video footage of her wedding. When Mark opens the door, she offers him banoffee pie. “What the heck is that?” I’ve thought to myself. So I googled it, and I immediately wanted to have some. And simple as that, I decided to make this pie for myself.

Banoffee pie is banana and toffee pie. Get it? Banana+toffee=banoffe. Doesn’t that sound delicious!?! I really liked this pie. The texture is creamy and silky. It’s cool, delicious, and both indulgent and refreshing.

Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

When I get back to London, I want to have tea. Obviously I’ve had tea before. Ryan and I made it in our apartment and I even had tea and scones with some friends at the Victoria & Albert Museum. But I think you know what I really mean.

I bet you have some idea of the ridiculous picture I have in my head. Imagine: a restaurant, dressing up a little bit, a fascinator hat, pinky in the air, and a three-tier tray with tiny sandwiches and sweets. I know it’s not really going to be like that and my little fantasy is probably closer to a stereotype than anything else. Regardless, I still want to go to tea and Ryan and I have been collecting a few suggestions for where to go.

Confetti Cookies

I feel a little guilty that it’s been over a week since I’ve posted, but the truth is I haven’t been cooking much. Since I’ve been back I’ve gone out, I’ve had pb&j, grilled cheese, and teriyaki chickpeas. Ryan, on the other hand, has been killing it. He sent me beautiful pictures of the ingredients for pasta, homemade tomato sauce, and cheesy garlic bread. Cheesy garlic bread! I wanted it. It looked gooey and buttery and amazing. Also, he is having great adventures. He recently went to Greenwich and saw the Naval Museum and Royal Observatory. The pictures are impressive – check them out below. Gorgeous architecture, amazing painted ceilings, and beautiful scenery!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Our flat is starting to feel more like a home! On Friday, I baked peanut butter cookies and it made the apartment smell wonderful. Baking, the yummy smells, and having home made food made the apartment feel more like mine. We’re also starting to get settled by putting our knickknacks out and decorating our place.

We can finally start decorating because on Saturday, our landlord came and furnished our apartment! Yes, to answer your unspoken question, we’d been living in our apartment for a week without furniture. Now, it’s starting to feel more like a real place to live because we can put things away and actually sit and relax other places besides the air mattress.

Going Away Party

No recipe this time, but don’t worry, this post is mostly about food.

My mom and Ryan’s mom organized a going away party for us this weekend. It was wonderful to be surrounded by many of our family and friends. I felt so loved and was really touched that people made the trip out to send us off. And I liked having so many different groups of people together. I felt warm and fuzzy, but I also got a bit weepy. With so many people supporting and encouraging us, what can’t we accomplish, even if we are far away? But, being far away… I will miss so many things and so many people. So I cried a bit. But not too much.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Caramelized Apple Topping

Apparently there aren’t pancakes in London.

Last week a few of Ryan’s soon-to-be British coworkers were in town spending a few days in the D.C. office. We went out to dinner with them one night and we started discussing the things Ryan and I might miss once we cross the pond. We said baseball and Mexican food. They said we could watch cricket and that there is Mexican food in London but it’s not as good as stateside. They also said the hot wings aren’t as good (sigh, add that to my D.C. bucket list). And they said we wouldn’t be able to find American style pancakes.

Well that’s fine, but “can’t I make them at home?” I asked. They said no. We couldn’t get a straight answer as to why I couldn’t make them at home. We’ll see if I can figure out the answer once I’m there. But until then, I need to make sure I eat pancakes.