Monthly Archives: January 2013

Tomato Basil Cous Cous Soup

What is it about being sick that makes soup so appealing? When I start getting sick, I deny it for as long as possible. “It’s allergies,” I’ll say, or “My throat’s a bit scratchy; it must be dry in here,” etc. Once I come to terms with my situation, however, I have no shame. My parents taught me to totally and completely baby my sick self: sleep, TV, tea, and (this part is crucial) soup.

Last week, the Beast and I came down with matching illnesses. It was super cute (/disgusting). His sickness appeared 12 hours before mine, so I had the fortune of viewing my future ailments before they hit. Once I made the connection that my runny nose and my sore throat were directly correlated with the Beast’s symptoms, I lived in constant fear of my impending discomfort.

Over the weekend, our lackluster immune systems kept us indoors for far, FAR too long. Desperate to get out of the house, we ventured across the street for lunch on Saturday afternoon. Halfway through our jaunt, we had to huff and puff up two flights of stairs, and nearly turned around out of exhaustion. Instead, we stuffed our faces as quickly as possible, and then promptly returned home for a 3 hour nap.

I apparently didn’t learn my lesson, because on Sunday I ventured out yet again for lunch with my family. This outing made for the fourth day in a row when someone told me, in the kindest way possible and only out of concern, that I looked like hell.

I decided that Sunday night had to be as cozy and rejuvenating as possible. This, of course, meant that I needed to bring out the big guns and make the hearty tomato soup that my mom made me as a kid. Although most soup is comforting, it seems that childhood soups really hunker down in your soul and make you feel better, even when you feel like poo.

After searching through the chaotic cookbook cabinet, my mom sadly decided that she had thrown out the recipe in recent years. I ended up winging it, yet with some mom advice I created something almost identical to my childhood soup remedy, and quicker than any sick girl with an energy deficiency could hope for.
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Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Bananas always end up in my cart at the grocery store. While walking through the produce section I think, “I’ll make smoothies this week,” or “Maybe I’ll remember to bring one to work for an afternoon snack,” or “I should chop one up and put it in my yogurt…that’s a healthy idea.” Despite my best intentions, the bananas nearly always end up either thrown in the freezer right before they hit the inedible over-ripe stage, or begging to be made into some baked goodness ASAP.

When my bananas hit that scary-brown stage, I usually try to make some variety of banana bread or banana muffins. It’s my knee-jerk reaction, because I used to help my mom turn rotten bananas into a fun breakfast treat. After college, my roommate (the same one who introduced me to carrot cake) taught me that bananas can be made into so much more than bread or muffins; they can be straight-up dessert awesomeness. When we lived together, she would often return from a visit to her parent’s house with a pan full of frosted banana bars. I’d rejoice and then faceplant into them. They’re intoxicatingly good.

Last week, when I inevitably found myself with nearly-rotten bananas on my counter (this seems to happen every week), my roommate’s recipe catapulted to the top of my mind. I usually try to healthily my banana baked goods, but messing with these banana bars would be insulting. Also, since I wanted to share the sweets with my mom for her birthday, I had no choice but to stick to real butter, white sugar, and white flour. She never trusts me when I begin playing with whole wheat flour and applesauce in baked goods.

This is the kind of dessert that satisfies without leaving you with the dreaded “I overdid it” feeling. The cake is light and fluffy, while the cream cheese frosting helps to balance the banana’s sweetness. It feels almost delicate…or at least as delicate as something smothered with cream cheese frosting can feel.
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Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes with Peanut Butter Syrup

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In case y’all haven’t heard, it’s COLD in Minnesota, and it’s only going to get colder. I love Minnesota, and I’ve lived here all my life, but the January cold still takes my breath away when I step out the door. The Beast, who was also born in MN, handles the weather well because he has one of those crazy bodies that retains warmth. I, on the other hand, basically turn everything I touch to ice, yet which one of us has spent the past week in Cozumel, Mexico? Not zombie hands over here, that’s for sure.

Although I would love to feel warmth on my skin again, even if only for a second, I can’t say I’m overly jealous of his vacation. Instead of laying on a beach all day (aka my idea of vacation perfection), he’s scuba diving with his dad and brother. Frolicking in shallow ocean waters gives me plenty anxiety, so I can’t even imagine what an actual under water adventure would do to me. Well I CAN imagine, but it ain’t pretty, so let’s move on.

In lieu of jet-setting to a tropical destination, I’ve spent my non-working time watching entirely too much trash tv, baking while belting out Taylor Swift lyrics, and eating an absurd amount of comfort food. Yes, this is my usual list of activities whenever the Beast goes away, be it winter, summer, or fall, so at least these frigid temps help me justify my hibernation.

The last time I gave you a glimpse into my Secret Single Behavior, I admitted that brussels sprouts come out to play when the Beast is away. This time we’re discussing delicious, fluffy pancakes, which are usually a neutral food, except in my house, where we’re divided once again.

Although the Beast doesn’t react to pancakes with the same “vom” reaction he has towards brussels sprouts, he feels very “meh” about the breakfast food. This means our weekend brunches are always comprised of waffles and french toast, which are both deliciously wonderful, but the pancake craving hits me at times, and must not be ignored.

Conveniently enough, the need for pancakes hit me last Sunday, which was the Beast’s third day in Mexico. I took out my new griddle, and made myself the perfect pancakes. Katiecakes, if you will: hearty whole wheat and oatmeal cakes smothered in a super easy peanut butter syrup.

These pancakes are nice and thick without being doughy, and I love the texture added by the oats. As you probably guessed, I ate the peanut butter sauce right out of the bowl before pouring it all over my tower of cakes. It would also be great on waffles, french toast, ice cream…really anything you put syrup or sweet sauce on.
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