I'm Reading Comeeks

I know in that Fail post I made on the 1st, I said I'd update with a new challenge, "later in the day."  Well, obviously that didn't happen.  I came up against some obstacles (Already!  I know!) in my new plan and had to re-think.  

The basic idea is this, in addition to the comic books I read, I also check out a ton of crafty books (cookery and writing mostly).  Some of them have really awesome recipes or projects that I gaze at and think, I could do that!  Of course I usually don't follow up.

So, I thought this year I would challenge myself to create something each month from one of the craft books I check out.  I had initially planned make the first post of the challenge with pictures of what I'd done, thinking that I had the supplies all set and ready to go.

I didn't.  What I thought would be a quick search turned into an extensive excavation which didn't ultimately turn up the supplies I know I have somewhere.  I almost caved and went out to buy more stuff...but part of the whole point of this is to use up stuff I have, so I've been continuing to search, clean and clear out crap...which is a good thing to do anyway.

So, I hope to have the first project ready sometime this month, but I don't know exactly when.

Above are pictured some of my favorite cook books, which I use fairly often, most by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, who is amazing (I was lucky enough to grab one of her homemade cookies at a signing once)!  I have made her East Coast Coffee Cake from the brunch book more times (with more variations) than I can count.  The pic below of the cupcake with a strawberry on it is her recipe, Lemon vanilla cupcake with lemon frosting, and is probably the best cupcake I've ever made (pictured with a carrot/orange/raisin cupcake frosted in either almond or chocolate).  The other picture is the second best, a chocolate cupcake with a mocha frosting.  I shared them with the folks at my local library branch who have to process all those hoards of comics I order.  Always thank your library staff!  (I speak as a cake loving librarian...)

I picked up the Vegetarian Epicure (book 2) at a library book sale once and have cooked a ton of recipes out of it, including a really awesome recipe called, "Smothered Potatoes," which I could eat as a meal any day, so good.  Basically it's just potatoes, covered with a spiced yogurt (including cumin, garam masala, tumeric, bay leaves, red pepper flakes) and baked.  So easy, so delicious.

My favorite thing in the world pumpkin whoopie pies, I got from the Chole's Vegan Desserts book, I also made her Lemon Olive-Oil Bundt, delicious with a lemon glaze.

So, I'll keep clearing out and hopefully have something interesting done by the end of January to share.  Until then, enjoy this recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies you can see in a google preview here: Whoopie!