Lately I feel like I’m on the verge of becoming the stereotypical crotchety old lady.  The one who mutters under my breath about “kids these days” and “hell in a handbasket” and then wonders why people avoid making eye contact with me as they pass by.  All I need to complete the transformation is a housecoat, hair rollers, and a coffee mug full of gin as I sweep my porch.  Ok, maybe that is a bit of a stretch.  Because anyone who knows me knows that my coffee mug would be hiding vodka or wine….never gin.

Who knew that I would feel so old and tired at 42?  But when you’re young and daydream about what the future holds, you totally gloss over the unglamorous parts of being an adult.  Things like pulling weeds, taking out the trash, paying bills, and navigating the tough patches in relationships.  What you think about is the freedom of being an adult when you get to call the shots.

You certainly don’t imagine what it will feel like to work a full day, slog through rush hour traffic with a cranky toddler as your backseat driver, and arrive home to discover hair balls and cat vomit deposited throughout your house.  Or as I like to call it, Wednesday.

Oh, and when you do finally get in the door, clean up the vomit, change a diaper, and set the toddler up with enough toys to stock an aisle at Target, you are expected to make dinner magically appear.  After dinner there are dishes to wash, clothes to fold, emails to return, bed time for the toddler, lunches to make, and deep breaths to take.  Glamorous, right?

Some days I handle this with more grace than others.  And on my best days, I have dinner mostly prepped and ready to go in the fridge.  Because let’s be real, if I didn’t we would have cereal for dinner as often as we have cereal for breakfast.  And as glamorous as that may sound when you’re young, at 42 I can tell you that it’s really not.

Chilled Avocado Soup with Shrimp
Adapted from Cooking Light Good Mood Food

BAH Note:  Cooking Light calls for low fat sour cream.  I got feisty and used regular. Let your conscience (and your waistline) be your guide.  Yes, this dish has several components.  But they can all be made ahead of time.  When you’re ready to serve, just put all the pieces together.

Soup:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1⁄2 cups diced peeled avocado (about 2)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

Lime Cream:

• 3⁄4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Shrimp:

• 1 pound shrimp, unpeeled
• 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup corn kernels (about 2 ears if using fresh)
• 1⁄4 cup chopped red onion

To prepare soup, place chicken broth, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Cover and chill.

For lime cream, combine sour cream, cilantro (if using), lime juice and zest, and salt in a bowl.  Stir until combined and add additional lime juice to get the consistency you like.

To prepare shrimp, heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.  Spread the shrimp into a single layer on the sheet pan, coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.  Roast for 8 to 10 minutes or until the shrimp is firm and cooked through.  Allow to cool thoroughly before peeling.

While the shrimp roasts and cools, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until the onions begins to soften.  Add the corn and cook, stirring occasionally to allow the mixture to brown and char a bit.

Serve the chilled avocado soup garnished with the shrimp, lime cream, and corn mixture.

{printable recipe}

It’s funny how if you stop and think about it, you never stop having opportunities to learn.  I am well past my days as a student in the academic sense.  And yet I continue to be a student of life.

In the last year alone I have learned important life skills such as how to change a flat tire, how to snake a drain, and how to reset my garbage disposal.  These are all good things to know and can get you out of a jam from time to time.  So I lump them into category of things I know and hope that I won’t have to use.

But maybe just as important are the things I’ve learned from our Tater Tot, and these I consider to be life lessons with daily applications.  What’s the number one lesson I’ve learned from my child?  It is that I can have a bad moment but still have a good day.  Many of you already know this lesson but for me this is like trying to master a new language.

All my life, if something didn’t go exactly according to plan it threw me off.  A disagreement left me disagreeable for the whole day.  A perceived slight had me fuming and indignant.  I got good at being prickly and stabby. I might say “let’s agree to disagree” but in my head I would be listing the ways that you were wrong and I was right.

And then I began to see how Libby could go from a full on meltdown one minute (or two, or ten) back to happy the next.  Thanks to her developing understanding about wanting everything she sees, she gets upset in the morning when she sees us walking around getting dressed and ready for the day while she is left in her crib.  There are tears.  There are sobs. Sometimes, there is wailing.  And it goes on for what seems like forever (especially at 6:30 in the morning). But eventually she pulls herself together, sits down in the crib, and plays with a toy.  And you would never know that only minutes before this happy, content, singing baby was a shrieking, whirling dervish.

So what does my 10 month old know that I don’t?  Maybe that it is ok to be upset or angry but once you’ve said as much it’s time to let go and move on.  She doesn’t hold a grudge against us because we put her in the crib, won’t let her crawl into the dishwasher, or keep her hands out of the cat food dish.  Granted, I won’t give you an up-arms hug or wet kiss the way Libby does after she’s calmed down but I might not be shooting mental daggers your way either.  Let’s call that progress, shall we?

Grilled Cheese

Adapted from Bon Appetit

BAH Note:  This is more a process than a recipe.  But the two step approach produces perfectly browned toast on the outside with melty cheese goodness on the inside.  No flipping required.  Of all the life lessons of the past year, this one comes in just below not letting a bad moment lead to a bad day.  Can you blame me?

• Bread
• Butter
• Cheese

Heat your oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add two slices of bread to the pan and cook until the bottom of the bread is crisp and browned.  Transfer the bread to the sheet pan, toasted side down.  Top one slice of bread with the cheese and place the second slice of bread, toasted side up, on top of the cheese.  Bake for approximately 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Carefully remove from the oven and enjoy.

{printable recipe}

These Jargaritas would have been perfect for Cinquo de Mayo.  But since that ship has sailed for another year, you’re just going to have to find another excuse to make them.  Like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or the random weekend cookout.

But they come with a warning…these adult slushees have a way of sneaking up on you and knocking you on your arse.  So proceed with caution.

Jargaritas

Adapted from Bluebonnets and Brownies and Souffle Bombay

• 12 ounces frozen limeade, thawed
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 cups tequila (I prefer patron silver)
• 3/4 cup triple sec
• 1 cup chambord
• 4 cups cold water

If you plan to freeze these in individual portions, go ahead and get your jars and lids ready.  Otherwise find yourself a nice big pitcher or jug and combine all your ingredients.  Stir well.  Give it a taste and add more lime juice or tequila as desired.

Drinks can be portioned into jars, sealed tightly, and stashed in the freezer for about 4 or 5 hours or until they reach your desired level of frozen.  Or they can be enjoyed in a completely unfrozen state.

{printable recipe}

I mentioned how my friend Amber is responsible for my rather manic fascination with making strawberry shortcake crumb topping to recreate a childhood food memory.  I briefly mentioned how she readily shares the arsenal of tools that she has, sometimes having Amazon dropping an unexpected box of exactly what you need on your door step.  That’s how I came to have Weeknight Chicken and Mushroom Sauce.

No, Amber didn’t have dinner delivered to my house.  What she did was hear me say that I was overwhelmed by the struggle to be back at work (even if it was just one or two days a week at that time), take care of the Tater Tot, and cook dinner on a regular basis.  She heard me and she took action.  Thanks to Amazon’s freakishly quick ability to get product delivered, a day later there was a smiling Amazon.com box sitting on my doorstep.  Inside was a survival guide with recipes and strategies for how to keep The Mistah and I fed in spite of the crazy new demands on our time and attention.

A. Freaking. Men.

Better than a casserole that freezes beautifully (but that won’t fit in my poorly chosen side by side), Amber gave me the tools to fit cooking back into my routine.  I still have days where I struggle with it.  But I also have days where I thaw some chicken breasts, chop some mushrooms, and call it dinner.  Amber, I hope I can return this act of kindness to you because it’s made a world of difference to me.

Weeknight Chicken and Mushroom Sauce

Adapted from Parents Need to Eat Too

BAH Note:  This is what I scribbled on a piece of paper and tucked into the book at this recipe’s page – “easy weeknight supper  can cook chicken 3 minutes / side then cook 5-10 min @ 350 degrees”  In my scribbles, capitalization and punctuation seem to be optional.

If the idea of having to wash two frying pans makes you want to cry, once you remove the cooked chicken breasts from the oven (carefully, that handle is going to be HOT), wrap the chicken in a bit of foil to keep it warm and use that pan to make the sauce, omitting 3rd tablespoon of oil.  You’ll get to the same place, it will just take a little longer.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 2 teaspoons agave or honey
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with a pinch of kosher salt and some black pepper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven safe frying pan over medium heat.  When the oil shimmers, add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for three minutes on each side.  Transfer the pan to the oven and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the chicken is done.

While the chicken finishes cooking in the oven, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to another skillet and heat until it shimmers.  Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook until the liquid released by the mushrooms is mostly evaporated.  Add the sherry, agave (or honey), and vinegar to the pan and raise the heat to high.  Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to low and add the butter to the sauce, whisking to combine.  Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt to taste.

Add the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and serve the chicken topped with mushrooms and sauce.

{printable recipe}

I often find the words “back in my day” tumbling out of my mouth.  As enjoyable as I find these trips down memory lane, I’m not sure the person I’m forcing the reminiscence upon would say the same.  Unless we happen to have a shared or similar point of reference…and then I need to watch out.  Because this leisurely stroll can quickly become an all out sprint that leads to things I never expected.  Case in point?  Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bars.

My pal Amber spoils me.  Seriously.  For as long as I have had the good fortune to know her, she has been a cool breeze on a warm summer day.  In the midst of pain she is ready with a comforting embrace.  When the Universe smiles on you, she celebrates your good news with joy and enthusiasm.  When you say that you don’t know how you’re going to get through this, she reaches into her bag of tricks and gives you the tool you need [or has Amazon deliver it to your door ; ) ].  And when you randomly start talking about the Good Humor truck from back in the day, she not only skips down memory lane with you, she plants the seed in your head to recreate your favorite offering from the ice cream man.  This is how her visit through town resulted in me reuniting with my old friend Strawberry Shortcake.

For me, Strawberry Shortcake was all about the outer crumb coating.  The rest of the ice cream was merely the vehicle to get the crumbs in my mouth.  So I got excited when Amber alerted me to the fact that there was a recipe for Strawberry Shortcake AND the Crumb Topping in a new cookbook, Classic Snacks Made From Scratch.  It pretty much sparked an obsession to drown out the voice in my head screaming “I WANT IT.  MAKE IT NOW!”

There’s no clever or interesting side story here.  I bought the cookbook.  I bought freeze dried strawberries.  I bought a pint of Breyer’s Strawberry Ice Cream.  I had the rest of the ingredients so I got down to business.

Eventually, the crumbs were just as good in my kitchen as they were in my memory.  I say eventually because Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Topping is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  I dipped a damp finger into the crumb to give them a taste and thought they were good…but something was missing.  Turns out that something was the ice cream.  There is a dynamic between the crumb and the ice cream that brings the crumb topping to life.  Just add ice cream and it goes from being “eh” to being “hell yeah”.

By the time I had worked my way through that pint of ice cream I wasn’t just topping my Breyer’s with the crumbs.  I was mixing them in like my own private Ben and Jerry’s flavor.

Strawberry Shortcake Crumb Topping

Adapted from Classic Snacks Made From Scratch

BAH Note:  You’ll have to search around for freeze dried strawberries.  I found mine at Wegmans.  If you have a Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods nearby, I’d start there.  Or you can save yourself some searching and just hit the online bazaar that is Amazon and have them delivered to your door.

To make the strawberry powder, pulverize the freeze dried strawberries using your method of choice – food processor, mortar and pestle, or plastic bag and rolling pin.  You want the powder to be fine.  Approximately 3/4 of an ounce of freeze dried strawberries will net the 3 tablespoons you need for the recipe.

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 3 tablespoons freeze dried strawberry powder (see note above)
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the melted butter and use a fork to stir until you get clumps of crumb.

Serve on the ice cream flavor of your choice.

{printable recipe}

Back in the day….and by that I mean 2012…I was on Twitter.  All.  The.  Time.  Why?  Because I could.  And because I wanted to.  In the virtual world I don’t need to worry about being socially awkward.  It’s hard to stumble over your words with only 140 characters.  But it’s easy to join in a conversation, or better yet, to spark one.

Most of the time in real life I stand back and listen to conversations go on around me.  But on Twitter I can be witty and lively in the conversation.  And I can sound as though I know what the hell I am talking about….in real life, that’s not the case much of the time.

For example, let’s consider a recent tweet…”All waffles should have bacon and cheese in them.”  That statement is A) clever; B) authoritative; C) truth; D) common sense.

Actually it is all of those things, but it’s not the kind of statement that I would make in the course of casual conversation.  Unless our conversation was about waffles, bacon, or cheese.  Or you had previously resided in a dorm, house, or apartment with me.  But the odds of that happening are pretty low so I’m confident in saying that it’s unlikely I would say that to you in an ordinary conversation.

And yet it led to a conversation on Twitter where RunningOnButter believed that I spoke as a waffle authority.  RunningOnButter doesn’t know me outside of Twitter.  ROB doesn’t know if I have any credentials to present myself as a waffle authority.  But ROB took my pronouncement that bacon and cheese are integral waffle components as the truth.

So now, thanks to Twitter, I am a waffle authority.  I don’t think I will add that to my resume.  But it’s the kind of thing I would use as small talk…if I were inclined to make small talk.

As it is, most of my free time and conversations are with a pre-verbal toddler.  And until she realizes otherwise, I am an authority on everything!

Bacon Cheddar Waffles

Adapted from Shutterbean

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Set a wire rack inside a sheet pan and heat your oven to 200 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until blended.  Add the cheese and bacon to the flour mixture and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil.  Add the flour mixture to the milk and egg mixture and stir to combine, being careful not to over mix.

Grease your waffle iron and get it heating.  When ready, pour 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup batter into your iron and cook until done.  Transfer the waffles to the prepared sheet pan and give them a 10 minute rest in the warmed oven.

Slather with butter and syrup.

{printable recipe}

Disclaimer:  The good folks at Kerrygold provided me with a copy of Coldagh’s Kitchen Diaries and coupons for their fantabulous butter.  I highly recommend both.

I have found a new outlet to get baked goods out of my house….it’s called daycare.  Not that my coworkers have tired of being on the receiving end of what comes out of my kitchen.  It’s just that it’s good to have options. And now that my daily activities include daycare drop-off and pick-up, I can spread the love (and the calories) around a little further.

When The Mistah and I became parents, it was with less than 48 hours notice.  So where most parents have nine months to plan, prepare, and make arrangement for life after a baby arrives, we were winging it.  Our heads were still  spinning at the idea of a baby as we swept through the aisles at Target and Babies R Us to get the stuff that we thought we might need.  And even though the list of what you really need to bring a baby home can be rather short, those carts filled up pretty damn quickly.

So the buying tons of stuff part of becoming parents got taken care of.  And then we brought Lib home.  And the taking care of a little person got underway.  Which led to buying more stuff to take care of our little person.  It went on like this for a while.  And then one day, two and a half months had gone by and I needed to go back to work.

It was only after we became parents that I had any understanding about how hard it is to get an infant into daycare.  When you are able to estimate your child’s arrival in the world, you’ve got the luxury of time on your side.  You can go to a daycare and get a spot in their infant program.  When your family grows by +1 overnight, the stars need to align, the Universe needs to smile on you, and you need to make a wish upon a falling star to find a daycare center that has openings for an infant.

And as if I needed further proof that the Universe was smiling on our adoption, we managed to do just that. Now our child is charming her way into the hearts of the folks at daycare, one day at a time.  Seriously, she has her own fanclub at daycare…teachers from other classrooms come by to see her and say hello.

As her parent, I want to make sure I acknowledge the people who spend their day caring for my child so that I can spend my day at work.  And it never hurts to build a little goodwill for those days when my normally charming child chooses to be a devilish handful.

If you find yourself hankering for a little mint chocolate fix, wanting to say say thank you, or maybe even apologizing in advance for something that your child may or may not do in the days to come, these cupcakes have your back.

Clodagh’s Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Clodagh’s Kitchen Diaries

BAH Note:  If you don’t have self rising flour in your pantry, you can substitute 1 cup all purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt.  My cupcakes sank in the middle as they cooled….that could have been my doing or not….I just used the frosting to camouflage that and nobody was the wiser.

• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons self rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
• 2 ounces mini chocolate chips

Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with 9 or 10 baking cups.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating until thoroughly combined before adding the next one.  Add the mint extract and then use a spatula to fold in the flour mixture until combined.

Divide the batter among the baking cups and bake for 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.  Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before turning the cupcakes out and cooling completely on a rack.

{printable recipe}

Mint Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Abby Dodge

BAH Note:  If you want a richer frosting, add up to an additional 1/2 stick butter.  Taste the frosting and if you want a mintier flavor, add another 1/2 teaspoon extract.

• 1 stick of butter, room temperature
• 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
• 3/4 powdered sugar
• 1  teaspoons mint extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• green food coloring (optional)

Combine butter and marshmallow in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on medium until completely smooth.  Reduce speed to low and add confectioners sugar, mint extract, and salt.  Continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.  If using food color, add it a few drops at a time and mix until the color is distributed.  Add more food color to get your desired shade of green.

Frost your cupcakes, garnish with mini chocolate chips, and enjoy.

{printable recipe}

I swear this rambling is going to get to a point….and a recipe.

Parenting styles.  Seems like there is a new one every week.  I hope to avoid becoming any type of parenting caricature…tiger, helicopter… by embracing the things that work for me and creating my own style.  That may mean…and this may sound crazy…that I don’t tell Lib she has to share her toys, books, and what have you.  What if I teach her the value of taking turns so that she understands you don’t automatically get something just because you want it?  How about if I get her to understand that sometimes you have to wait your turn?  And that she also don’t have to give something up just because someone else also wants it.  They also need to wait their turn.  Crazy right?

How many ideas sounded crazy at first?  Electricity? Cars? Flight?  Once upon a time they were fringe ideas.  Now they are taken for granted as being universally true and necessary.  And dare I say, they make life easier.  As someone who is for things that make life easier…I’m down with all that.

I am also down with mac and cheese.  Not that mac and cheese is revolutionary in any way.  But we have come to expect it to be quick and easy.  It is even packaged in uber easy single servings.  Here comes the crazy.  Single serve mac and cheese can be easy even when you make it from scratch.

Crazy? Universally true and necessary?  You decide.

Easy Mac and Cheese

Adapted from The Salt

BAH Note:  If you have more than one mouth waiting to get some of this, go ahead and double the recipe.  And even if you only have one mouth waiting for this, you still might want to make a double batch.  If you don’t tell, I won’t judge.

• 1/4 cup elbow macaroni
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon flour

Combine the macaroni and water in a medium size microwave safe bowl, preferably one with handles.  Microwave on high for 4 to 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes, until the pasta is almost al dente.  If your pasta starts to dry out before it is done cooking, add an additional two tablespoons of water and continue cooking.

Add the milk, cheese, and flour to the bowl and stir to combine.  Microwave in 30 second increments until the cheese, milk, and flour have turned into a sauce.  Taste for seasoning and add kosher salt to taste.

{printable recipe}

Remember all those times you were asked to picture your life in x number of years?  Did your idea of what that life was include the nitty gritty details?  Like that you would struggle with {fill in the blank with your issue of choice} or that you would find yourself {name your situation}?  Probably not.  At least I didn’t.  Because if I had then maybe I would have a handle on my battle with time management by now.

I haven’t found my solution yet.  I maintain a calendar; I write myself notes; I set reminders on my smart(er than I am) phone.  And still deadlines come and go.  I’ve become more accepting of the idea that whatever “it” is will get done eventually.  There’s only but so much time in a day.  Perhaps acknowledging that is the solution in and of itself.  I dunno.

I do know that I now add appointments to my calendar to do things like wash Miss Libby’s dirty clothes and to respond to emails.  Funny, I just bought Lib’s spring/summer wardrobe and I swear that she could probably go about three weeks before she ran out of things to wear.  Coincidence?  I wonder.

One thing I have been able to do is make these Big Ass Biscuits.  And shove them in my mouth.  On more than one occasion. If the day ever comes when I have to put an appointment on the calendar to throw together some butter, flour, and cheese and bake until golden brown and delicious, then I will be a lost cause.

Until then, I guess there’s hope for me yet.

Big Ass Biscuits

Adapted from Cook’s Country

BAH Note:  I call these Big Ass Biscuits because they are sizeable.  But also because consumption of them on a regular basis will contribute to a personal expansion of sizeable proportions.  One way I try and keep things from getting out of control is to only make a half batch of biscuits.  If  you have more self control than I do, or have other people around to take one for the team, I would double the quantities listed below to make a dozen biscuits.  PS, the cheese is totally optional, but why wouldn’t you?

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup grated cheese (I’ve used both parmesan and cheddar)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk, cold
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Heat oven to 475 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cheese, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.

Combine the cold buttermilk and cooled butter in a measuring cup or small bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.  The cold buttermilk will cause the melted butter to clump up and thicken a bit.  If that does not happen, set your cup or bowl in the fridge for a few moments.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined being careful not to overmix.  Use an ice cream disher to portion the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Leave a good bit of room between them because they are going to spread.

Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.

{printable recipe}

I had to check my typing and make sure I did not title this post Easy Lemon Crud.  Because I have crud on my mind.  Our house has become a breeding ground for crud and crap thanks to the germs that our Tater Tot brings home from daycare.  Jokingly, the Mistah and I have taken to calling her Patient Zero every time she coughs in our face.  This is what happens when you watch Contagion, become acutely aware of how easily germs get transmitted, and spend a lot of up close and personal time with a germ spreader.

But you didn’t come here to read about crud.  No, I lured you here with the promise of easy lemon curd.

What I am about to say is meant as a compliment….this curd makes me think of the Tastycake Lemon pies that would sometimes find their way into my hands as a youngster.  These are not be confused with those other hand pies.  The ones that were drowned in a sugary glaze to mask the stale taste of dry pastry.  Sorry Hostess, I never was a fan.

Golden rectangles of thin crust sandwiching smooth, sweet filling with a hit of puckery tang….oh yeah, that’s the ticket.  Thanks to Southern Living, I can whip  up a batch of lemony happiness whenever the mood strikes me.  But since I can’t be trusted not to stand in front of the open refrigerator and eat this by the spoonful out of the container, I often need to ignore this mood when it strikes.

Instead, I go snuggle with Patient Zero.  It’s a different kind of happiness…crud, germs, and all.

Easy Lemon Curd

Adapted from Southern Living, February 2013

BAH Note:  As much as I can appreciate shoving this in your face straight from jar, you might want to serve it with something….maybe some Angel Food Cake?  Or I can see it being perfection in a Linzer Cookie.  Of course, a DIY hand pie is an obvious, and classic, choice.  Southern Living says this will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

I reduced the amount of sugar since I used Meyer Lemons.  If you are using regular lemons instead of Meyer Lemons, Southern Living calls for 2 cups of sugar.

The recipe has you cook the curd in the microwave, stirring it every minute or so.  I said it was easy, I didn’t say it wasn’t hands on. Keep in mind that you will be moving this bowl in and out of the microwave so if you have one with a handle (like a batter bowl) definitely use it.

If you prefer, you can transfer the mixture to a saucepan and cook over medium low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, whisking constantly, until the curd thickens.

• 1 cup lemon juice (from approximately 6 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 4 eggs

Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar in a medium microwave safe bowl until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined after each egg.

On low speed, slowly add the lemon juice and zest to the butter mixture.  The mixture will look curdled and broken so don’t worry that you’ve done something wrong when you see it.

Transfer the bowl to the microwave and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes, stirring every minute.  Continue to microwave on HIGH, stirring every 30 seconds, another few minutes until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

Place plastic wrap directly on the curd to prevent a film from forming and chill in the refrigerator until cooled completely.

{printable recipe}