DC Earthquake- I'm All Shook Up

This one time, there was a magnitude 5.9 earthquake in DC.


While I was at work.


Oh yeah, that was yesterday.


People are joking about how it was really not a big deal but, as I was in the city when everything started to shake, glass started to crack, bricks topple into the street and onto cars... it seemed like an attack had happened somewhere in the heart of the capital. Which caused me to have a heart attack before I realized, of all things, that it was an earthquake on the east coast. 


Really? Really?!


After calming down and realizing it was just a natural disaster not a national disaster, I waited out the vibrating and then was evacuated from my building with the rest of my coworkers. 


Came home to where my dog was soundly sleeping as though the house hadn't shaken, roommates all home and a flutter with earthquake talk.


Needless to say, it was a big deal. At least conversationally, ha.  So, where were you when the earthquake struck? I was in my office having a panic attack. But otherwise! Good times?


Also, the following conversation really happened to me this morning. My co-worker can back me up if you don't believe me.

B.L.T. Dip: Worth Killing For

So. This is pretty much the best dip ever. 


Seriously.


My roommate, Em, is in love with this dip. Spread on rye toast, wheat thins, triscuts, and bagels.... it's addicting. I even made it into chicken salad by using tablespoons of this dip instead of mayo. And look how pretty it looks.

See! Look how pretty! 


And it tasted EVEN BETTER!


Seriously.

So, pretty much you must make this dip. Because it is delicious. Pure pure delicious.

Go now, my loves. It WILL change your life.

B.L.T. Dip

-1 cup mayo

-1 cup sour cream

-1 cup (cooked) bacon, diced

-2 ripe tomatoes, diced

Combine all ingredients, chill for an hour. Serve with crackers. 

Pizza Throw Down

So, my friend and I had a cook off: who could make the best pizza. Our friends judged us- not something you usually want. However, in this case it was all in good fun.

And fun it was! Julio is an exceptional cook- while I blunder around the kitchen and the results are messy but, usually successful, he is strictly talented and competent in the kitchen. Therefore, our cooking styles in an improvised competition were well suited for the entertainment of our friends and competition.  

Messy vs. competent. Both results delicious, just with various amounts of dishes left over, as well as diverse flavors.

I of course had to make some of my Chicago deep dish.

Julio made a greek pizza- with lamb sausage and feta.

I mean... holy yum!

We each also made a second pizza. I made my favorite, an Italian inspired pizza that always goes over well, he made a Duck pizza with fig jam.

There's that greek pizza again...

My deep dish pan was new and too big for my crust amount. Plus, I balanced it poorly. The middle of my pizza was therefore a soggy soggy mess. A devastating blow in a competition. Luckily, my other pizza performed well!

Julio thought his Duck and fig pizza was too sweet. He was happy with his greek pizza though (and I thought both were amazing for the record)

All pizzas were in! The judges went into my room to calculate their decision and it was: 

Julio! By 1 point.

To be honest, just LOOKING at the pics, I think you guys can agree, he totally deserved the win. If you had been there to try one of each, I KNOW you'd agree. My first pizza was Chicago Pizza goo, ha. Not enough to keep me in the game. The fact that I lost by only 1 point was pretty much amazing in itself, I'm pretty sure it's just because the judges both happen to be my best friends.

Hey, I'll take a biase though ;)

We have already had a second throw down in the new house this past weekend! I am sure you'll be getting recipes and pictures for this newest round. And stories to boot.

In the meantime, you have GOT to try some of Julio's pizzas. They are TRULY amazing- I can't say enough how awesome all these flavors are. Give them a try for yourselves and post back any positive results! And if you guys start to have your own throw downs, I'd love to see those pics and recipes too! 

Love you all and Happy Cooking!!

Julio's Winning Pizzas:

#1

Crust

Garlic Thyme Duck Confit

Fresh Thyme

Goat Brie

Fig jam (which in Julio's opinion/the opinion of some tasters was way too sweet, suggested you cut it with tomato juice. However, I just want to say I thought it was amazing)

#2

Crust

Ricotta

Feta

Lots of olive oil

slices of lamb sausage

kalamata olives

Fresh thyme

Oregano (not fresh)

Last shot of our old kitchen! Will have to take some pics of the new kitchen at the house...

City Life vs. Wheaton Life

I can’t believe it but, it’s almost been a year since I moved to Washington DC. I’ve really just got to say, this city is amazing.

I had never been here before moving. Which was quite the experience, by the by, moving to a city I had never SEEN at the drop of a hat. However, my life shifted, entirely. I got this totally wrong for me but totally amazing job offer, seemed to FEEL called to take it even if it was what I never wanted, and so it was all I could do to shift with the new turns of my life. Even if, as I can assure you they didn’t, the paths I was being pulled toward didn’t make sense to me.

And I am now so glad God presented such a path. That my family supported it and worked it out for me, that everything has been so spectacular for me here, so RIGHT for me here, since I moved.

I digress. Sorry. I am just pretty much ecstatic with how my life bloomed into something I couldn’t imagine. Life’s funny like that, huh?

Prior to living here in DC, I lived in a smaller suburb of Chicago. Accent on the suburb.  Wheaton is my home, despite the other cities I’ve lived in, residences I’ve taken up, and places I’ve worked- Wheaton is where my roots end. Florence, Dublin, DC- they all have pieces of my heart, have been a home to me in some way. However, Chicago is the place that comes to mind when I think “Home”.

Going from my life in the suburbs to living in a big city is always an adjustment- the comparisons often being jarring/hilarious.

Frosting for the Cause: Pineapple Dump Cake

I don't know if you know about Frosting for the Cause but, it's amazing. It's a truly amazing group of food bloggers- organized by one REALLY amazing food blogger- Paula. I did this post, the following post for her site and wanted to share it here on my page as well. I waited a month before doing so in order to not steal the thunder of Frosting for the Cause by sharing the recipe here. I hope you guys enjoy it and will go join Frosting yourselves. Love to you all:

I had several options to choose from while writing this post as to an inspirational person in my life who suffered through cancer as I have had several loved ones go through the very particular horrors of the disease. While most were surviving, not all were so lucky. As I sat down to begin outlining this post, I found myself struggling to pick the story of just one, a single person I love, a single person who fought what always seems like the losing battle, just one person who won, or who lost, who inspired me.

As I am sure many of you know, choosing one story can be difficult. Especially if you are so deeply entrenched in the lives of so many amazing survivors or loved so many who are no longer with us. This was my exact pondering as I scribbled in a notebook a little over a month ago trying to come up with the story I wanted to tell. Oh yeah, and a recipe to go along with it.

You guys all make it look so easy ;)

However, I was seriously struggling. I had a lot of stories to tell but, none stuck out in that moment. Couldn’t I just tell them all? Write a novel for each one? That’s what my Grandpa Moylan, Aunt Karen, Aunt Peggy, Kendal, Kara, and John deserved. So, I sat. Scribbling in a notebook on the DC metro. (Read, drawing comics aimlessly and worrying about what to write). On my way to some dinner thing my coworker helped put together. A benefit, you know the type. An auction and fancy cocktails followed by some speakers with a dinner.  

At the time, this meant I had worn a dress to work and that I had to wear my work heels for approximately 4 more hours than I normally like to. Little did I know that what it would come to be the inspiration for my post that I had been searching for.

The benefit was a sponsored Camp Kesem event. I had never heard of it either, no worries. George Washington students organized the “Camp Kesem GW’s 2011 Share the Magic Benefit Dinner” and raised $11,000 in just that one evening auction and meal as they told one of the most inspiring stories I had ever heard.

 

Just to be clear, these are students, guys. I was a student not to long ago. While in undergrad, I worked two jobs, worked toward my two hard earned degrees, did a LOT of goofing off, volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, did Relay for Life committees each year, and probably spent 1/3 of my life on Facebook. Things I never, ever, even kind of did? Threw benefits. Organized expensive events. Wrote to speakers for their time. Got donations. Organized, marketed, publicized, and budgeted entire summer camps.

If you ever want to feel like a slacker, talk to these students at GW and so many other campuses who are a part of the Camp Kesem Summer Program.These GW Students worked so hard on this event and SO MANY OTHERS to raise money to have a summer camp for the children of cancer patients.

Did I mention? It’s for free. A week long summer camp, entirely free to the families and child. $0.  For as many kids they can get to sign up. I mean, that’s insane. That’s a LOT of fundraising. Not to mention work. And yet, this students work like dogs throughout the entire school year to provide a week of summer paradise to children they don’t even know but who are dealing with cancer in their family.

Cue inspiration flowing freely through my notebook.

 

I found myself moved to tears as a young camper who’s camp nickname was “Pasta” described what it meant to her to have that week every summer with kids who were all going through the same things. Kids who understood. What it meant to have some time to be a kid and goof off at a camp, away from the hospitals and worry for her parent, but also a place where she could talk about those exact fears and have a group who understood and could laugh with her,  pray with her, for her, and above all be there for her.

Harry Potter's Magical Menu

It is both amazing and heart breaking to see such a spectacular series come to an end... Harry Potter may not be your thing but, the book series that swept the world is without a doubt one of the most enchanting ways kids have been brought back to reading. 

And if I love two things, they're magic and reading. 

It was established a LONG time ago that my roommate, Em, and I would throw a Harry Potter party in celebration of the final movie coming out. As fate would have it, things timed out so that it also ended up being a celebration of the final party in our apartment. We moved just 5 days after throwing our Potter Party, from our first big girl apartment in the city to a house 10 minutes away with even more of our friends.

Which will be/so far has been COMPLETELY stellar! But as the movie series coming to the same end the books did was bittersweet, so was our move. Luckily, these Harry Potter treats got us through the hard times. Plus, Alcoholic Butterbeer and Spiked Pumpkin Juice. Hope you enjoy these recipes and the Potter theme as much as we did!

First item on the wizard check list! House Themed Iced Sugar Cookies. I used the same recipe as I did here and simply used canned icing. I dyed it blue and had some super amazing ladies help me with the plain iced ones while I worked on the seal. It's a combination of chocolate and icing that I drew/molded until it represented all 4 houses cheerfully. 

My Favorite Unnoticed Recipes

Two posts in one day, what madness is this?! How fun! How strange! Why?!

It's actually stemming from some foodie insecurity. We'll see what you guys think. Also, before I get all ranty: please note recipe updates are on Friday now as that just makes more sense for my new work schedule. This Friday I have for you Harry Potter's Feast! Get excited.


I had a follower comment they were leaving today, meaning no longer following, in response to my recent post- I am guessing due to the fact that it wasn't food related/I haven't posted anything in a long time due to my life getting restructured/out of hand. It was one of my comics, one that I had really rather enjoyed writing. The fact that they had let me know why they left makes me wonder if more of you guys are struggling.


"Okay, bye, bye, klutzy cooking. Can't follow this anymore."


Don't get mean, or defensive, for me, (unless you want to point out that it's Clutzy Cooking, which is a fair point). It is understandable of them to leave! Fair even. I can be a confusing person, I understand. I am just hoping I am not a confusing blog. I wanted to know if anyone else was to the point of leaving due to post whip lash. I try and keep things organized by tabs and also by tags. I also aim to write a dern good food blog and don't want you guys to back off because I have some other topics mixed in. 


So, this post is a question: should I attempt to break my blogs up again? Or can you guys tolerate them together? It is just SO much easier for me to keep them together... I am not asking if you like it, you don't have to like the comics or love the layout but, can you handle it? Is it okay? Sometimes enjoyable to have non food topics pop up?


I only post comics twice a month. And crafts maybe once a month. 


Let me know. I love you guys and don't want to lose ya. 
And now! Some food. I feel insecure that my blog is getting too far off the "foodie" track but also, these recipes have been demanding more attention for some time. Please check them out- they are some of my absolute favorites but have been passed over many a time in the past:

Blackbeery Yogurt Cupcakes

K-Bars

My Mom's Lemon Squares

"Legit" Carbonara 

Cheesey Bagel Toasties

Sweet Brie Bites

Simple Homemade Applesauce

Pudding Cookies

Homemade Tagalongs

Paella

Bruschetta

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

  

Online Dating

Hi! Remember me? This is lil cartoon me- remember?

She sometimes appears when I blog about things outside of cooking. Back when I use to blog at all. Sorry I disappeared on you guys. This is one of those times when things stink to crazy degrees for having time for a blog- so, sorry I have been neglecting them with such fervor lately. My life has exploded. Much like my system was exploded with germs before. I was sick over the holiday weekend and then I got back and had this… well,  I’m moving this week and just had a huge themed going away/Harry Potter party (pics and recipes to follow SOON!) and then I also have Mack living with me now (the dog, my dog) and as I said already I was sick/am sick/feel like I may always be sick.

Which is why it was the perfect time to go to Seattle for 4 days. It was one of my best friends weddings and totally worth it (PS, no one ever told me how kickin' Seattle is!), but it wasn't helpful to rush to unpack and pack up to go across the country. Washington to Washington is no joke, guys.

Anyway. My life exploding is not the point.

Although, that explosion looks cool. The point is, I love this blog even if I don’t always do it justice. So!  Back to the purpose of this comic: Online Dating. I have this friend who told me to try online dating. And I said ‘sounds fun!’ and then she said, but ‘I mean seriously, Meaghan’.

And then I had to inform her that I don’t take many things (anythings) very seriously. That I am the kind of grown up who still is afraid of dry cleaning and doesn’t always know what her bank balance is up to. And then she reminded me we were talking about online dating and then I reminded her I had changed the subject on purpose and then she told me it was time for me to Date seriously. Again with the seriously. And also, Date. With a capital D-Date, not the lowercase d-date like I have been doing to this point. And then a debate erupted from this.

And then she passed out...

Today I woke up with a tiny headache. I took some advil (AKA sugar coated joy), ate a granola bar, hopped on the metro and got to work. While at work the tiny headache evolved to blinding pain, the blinding pain evolved to dizziness, and then the nausea hit.

I found myself cuddling with a recycling bin in my cube. I made it through the day by pure luck. I have no idea what happened, it was like an avalanche of germs.


My body seriously never saw it coming. This was me.

Also, if you Google "sick" that may be the first image to come up. I thought about drawing a sick, dying, green cartoon me but... that requires a lot more energy than I could possibly muster.


I came home and promptly pitched myself back into bed. And slept. And slept. I woke up and realized that I never finished:
1) my recipe post for the week
2) my illustrations for my comic 
3) taking off my shoes and coat


So, I'm updating this here to let you know that, should I not survive this random illness, you all are super great. And I've always appreciated the fact that you didn't spaz at me for not always sticking to my word about when I'd post. And the way all of you supported me through the many MANY times blogger failed me. In conclusion, you guys are awesome.


I am now going to go medicate and sleep again. A new comic and shiny new recipe will be posted upon my survival. 


Goodnight.

Cake Batter Pancakes

Seriously. You think I'd learn.

Blogger = Evil. Do not plan to schedule posts. Check and make sure all posts are up and running. Don't count on things to just work as they should. And yet. This was supposed to be up last night at 12:01. And it clearly was/is not. I miss the days when my blog was all organized, all the posts lining up on Mondays at midnight. Or at least on Mondays. Maybe I'll try posting Sunday's at 12:01 again, that way it's actually updated on Mondays and all.... Anyway, I'll figure that out. I bet you just want to know what that delicious picture is portraying. Let's talk pancakes.

So. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pancakes got me in a griddle place.
And then I was grocery shopping. And I found these.

I mean, seriously! We make cupcake CEREAL now!? So proud, America. So very very proud. It was clearly a sign. Cupcakes for brinner (which is, for those who don't know, breakfast + dinner). Which brings us back to this recipe.

Just so fun. On every level. Even the batter is fun. Look at all these sprinkles! How awesome is that??

Prettiest batter ever. Probably. I made two kinds of topping for these cake-flavored pancake gems. One was chocolate ganache with almond extract. The other was vanilla ganache with raspberry extract. 

Both were AMAZING. Gosh, these pancakes were like a dessert. But a dessert that's allowed all the time! They were really rich though, probably shouldn't eat more than 3 or you may get sick. (Like I definitely did. Carrots and water for the rest of the day to kick the sugar out of my system.)

Cake Batter Pancakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup yellow cake mix

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 cups milk 

assorted sprinkles- LOTS!!!

Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix. Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth and proper pancake density. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed. You don't want runny pancakes that spill everywhere and are too thin, nor do you want thick, paste like ones. Find a balance for pancake nirvana. 

Heat your skillet or griddle. I used an electric griddle at 350 degrees but, I'm a pancake professional (that's such a lie, I burnt myself 5 times. Be careful if you decide to use a hot skillet like idiot me). Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more.

Serve with frosting or glaze or what have you. Syrup'd or plain or iced- these babies are divine.

Make and enjoy :)