Soft Boys: A Post-Finals Celebration!

'Tis the season, 'tis the season! For last minute shopping trips to the mall (ALWAYS so crowded, why didn't I get my shopping done before Thanksgiving this year LIKE I SAID I WOULD, LOL), for eating WAY too much food, for getting the family to pitch in together to clean up the ol' homestead for even MORE family to come and enjoy soup on Christmas Eve, and, of course... for FINALS!!!

And boy howdy were they a doozy for Spencer this year! He had a BUNCH of finals, including one in French. Now, I haven't spoke French for over a year now and can't IMAGINE having to conjugate verbs and sort out subject-object article agreement. YUCKY PA-TOOHY. Nope, I didn't have ANY finals this semester (though, I did have a teaching practicum that really did TUCKER ME OUT. I sure do miss the kiddos, though!) and am using this time to read, write, relax, and, of course...

BAKE!

Here's everything you need for the most scrumptious darned dessert you've drooled about in days!
(Look at that alliteration! Even though the semester's over, I can't stop! LOL!)

Me and Spencer waited for him to be done with all of his tests before we started digging our anxious little paws into these delectable DOUX BOYS.

Spencer was so tuckered from the week of studying that he turned GHOSTLY. Hope these DOUX BOYS can put some color back into his cheeks!

"Wait, what are they called?" you're probably wondering. Well, we should let the FRANCOPHILE translate for us... Spencer, what's up with this tasty title? 

Spencer: Pronounced "dough-boys," Doux Boys means "soft boys" en français.

Well, there you have it! Haha we cooked up a big ol' batch of these cookies that were so good, I'd take an entire macroeconomics final just to get one of these babies on my tongue! Lol! They're that good!

What is this, a PHOTOSHOOT! Lol, get to baking, Nick!

Holy smokes, were these cookies well deserved (if I do say so MYSELF). It was certainly a LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG semester full of fun, frenzied paper writing, trips to Chicago and Minneapolis, trips to the doctor, trips to the grocery store... what memories we made together!

This powdery stuff isn't snow... it's flour, baking soda, powdered milk, and a pinch of salt!

We even added a new buddee to the TasteBuddee retinue: Connett! Except ol' Co wasn't done with his finals before our patience wore too thin and we HAD to start stirrin' and choppin'! (or, sautée et coupée for you Frenchfolks out there! Lol!)

Careful with that knife!

Living with Connett has been GREAT! He's got a great sense of humor, a great taste in music and packaged pastries, and is an outright NUT for all things spooky or relatively ghostly. Too bad he wasn't here for these DOUX BOYS... they were so good, it was SCARY! HAHA. Maybe we should make these for Halloween instead of Christmas :)

That's right, that IS a French press behind the mixing bowl. How appropriate! LOL!

We could frost them with orange frosting and add some oatmeal in place of the flower so their texture was more of that like a MONSTER cookie, we could call these cookies DOOOOOON'T-SCARE-ME Boys! 

Yep, he's got some color coming back already! And it's not just a physiological response to the chopping activity!

But back to the Buddees. We've really come to be even closer in the course of this semester! We became so close, in fact, that we hardly had time to cook any Tastee food for write any Tastee blogs. Lol we were just too darn busy!

This gunky stuff isn't snow... it's DOUGH! LOL.

Isn't it WILD how fast THYME (lol, couldn't help myself) flies when you're having fun? And by fun, I mean COLLEGE. Heck, it seems like just yesterday I moved into Apt. 9, even though it was THREE YEARS ago! Geesh! I sure am an old wise SAGE! LOL, get it!? SAGE. 

"And when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes back at you."
Yeah, the abyss of YUMMY.

So with all this finals mumbojumbo and all the time I've spent in contemplation (and by contemplation I mean reading Daniel Clowes and drinking coffee, lol), I've really been wondering about what the future is going to hold for this ol' TasteBuddee. I've managed to send out some applications for graduate schools, as well as for Student Teaching, but have a hard time envisioning myself outside of this ol' kitchen! 

Behind the scenes.

Heck, maybe I'll just settle down and be professional baker/blogger and bum around Iowa City for the discernable future! Haha if only FAFSA covered that! LOL!

Circles of all sizes.

Still, there's been a LOT of great stuff that's happened this year! 

WHOAAA, HOLD ON! It's an avalanche of FLAVOR!

Indeed, I've been very blessed to have the friends I have. I don't know what I'd do without them! I'm not even LOL. 

Joke: What's the difference between me and Obama?
Punchline: Nothing, we both take selfies!
LOL!

Yessir and yesma'am, this ain't no HAHA.

Lookin' like his old self again! No ghost for Spencer!

I think, in a way, these Doux Boys represent the bond I have with the people and places associated with TasteBuddees. First, you've got to add all of the ingredients (don't forget LOVE, LOL), mix 'em all up, put them in a hot environment in which their chemical composition will be forever altered (talk about love, right!?!?), and let them solidify on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes because these cookies are especially tender. 

All aboard the FOLDING IN THE DRY INGREDIENTS TRAIN!
CHOO CHOO FOR FOOD!

Indeed, all good things come to those that wait, as my pop would say. Like love, like relationships, like TasteBuddees, like language acquisition, like cookies, like graduation... except, this isn't considering the differences between subjective and mechanical time, whereas mechanical time is extrinsic and independent to human perception, but subject time--that which is perceived to have passed by the individual--is contingent upon the disposition of said individual.

"Man is a tool using animal."
Yeah, tool using for COOKIES.

Case in point: waiting for these darn DOUX BOYS to cool off! Lol! Took FOREVER!

Are those snowballs? NOPE. Drop cookies!

Remember when we were kids waiting for Christmas morning? I'd fight sleep, turning with that youthful anxiety that feels like a kitten purring in your stomach, repeating my Christmas Eve mantra in my head, that I'd wake up first, wake up first, wake up first, and then, when I actually was the first to slink down the carpeted steps and find the stockings bulging below the soft plastic needles of the glowing tree, I'd have to WAIT for the OLD FOLKS (ma and pop) to WAKE UP. 

Bon voyage, mes amis! 

Ah, youth. But these days kids are probably so plugged into their darn devices that they don't even know its CHRISTMAS TIME! Let's just hope they've been good girls and boys and haven't been doing anything NAUGHTY on those tablets and iPhones *winkyface 

And again.

Ma always told me that family is about people. I certainly feel this way about the TasteBuddees. Boy, we're about as close as a platonic male couple can get! Like Platonic Life Partners! Who've just adopted a son! (That's Co, lol!) But, please, no congratulations are necessary... we've got these wonderful cookies to help US celebrate the season!

Whoa! Look at those cookies rising! I can smell the yum from here!

Yes, this is the season for celebration. And don't try to tell me that you're too unhappy to be festive. No way! We've all got something to be joyful about, even if it's just the fact that we've got over ONE MONTH to not worry about impending essays and midterms and registering for graduation or that DARN THESIS that my ADVISOR can never seem to BE HAPPY WITH. BOY, I WISH HE'D BE IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING ME A BREAK.

LOLOLOLOL.

Even better than we had hoped!

But joking aside, we here at TasteBuddees understand the value of relaxation. And by relaxation, we mean mind, body, AND, soul. Whether you consider yourself pious or slacking, gentile or Jew, buddhist or new ager, you ALL deserve to feel good about yourself this season. Take a look at the happiness around you and, even if you look inside and see hatred and misanthropy, find hope in the fact that content CAN exist in this world. Hahaha!

I tried to capture the steam rising off the freshly pulled cookies, but I don't think my camera is quick enough.

And what's one of the best ways to spread the love...?

Are those heavenly angels made entirely out of snow?
NOPE! Flour, salt, instant milk, sugar, butter, chocolate chips, one egg, caramel bits, and vanilla!

COOKIES! DOUX BOYS! These gooey boys will melt even the most miserly of hearts in NO TIME (either subjective OR mechanical!)!

Auld Lang Syne means to celebrate friendship. 

They've sure melted OUR hearts, LOL! 

Could you say no?

Now, we need to warn you, though... this recipe makes A BUNCH of Doux Boys. There's so many that even THESE TWO GROWIN' BOYS will have a hard time chowing them all down before they're past their prime. If, in fact, the boys can't be chowed, consider donating them to your neighbor's across the hall who may or may not be able to afford flying home for the holidays. Or to your professor if you've still got a final left (you won't get brownie points... you'll get COOKIE points, LOL). Or to the special someone in your life. Or to your family. Or the foodbank. Or the free meal program. Or...

There he is!

...to GOOD OL' SAINT NICK. And by Saint Nick I don't mean THIS ol' TasteBuddee. I mean the jolly ol' man himself. 

Look out! Scrumptious!

From all of us at TasteBuddees, Have a Long, Restful, and DELICIOUS Holidays! 

Back to School Seafood Dinner

Hello, everyone! Good news! Both of the TasteBuddees have made it back to the THREE-ONE-NINE... that's Iowa City! We both spent a WONDERFUL summer in New York City, but like my mother always said, all good things must come to an end! Not that Iowa City isn't a GOOD thing... well, it is, but it's also a GREAT thing! LOL! GO HAWKS!

We've been thoroughly enjoying the coooooool weather we've been having lately (what is WITH this crazy weather anyway? Certainly isn't hay baling weather! Hahaha! That's what you get for living in IOWA! GO HAWKS!) but are nervous for the heat wave that's supposed to hit us by next week. And just in time for classes! Yeeesh! Why couldn't it just stay away for another month when we get Spencer's favorite weather... sweatshirt weather! Tailgatin'!

We wanted to keep the summertime blues by cooking up a yummy, hearty, belly warming meal reminiscent of the New England, so we whipped up this Shrimp Linguine in Creamy White Sauce... and we certainly didn't forget the wine! LOL! Fight, fight, fight for IOWA!

The staples

We really don't party THAT much at TasteBuddees ;) but like to get a little fancy from time to time. The wine we're tasting tonight is Carlo Rossi's "Blush" from HyVee wine and spirits. Great Value!  

But boy did we have a heck of a time getting that cap off! We've got a corkscrew, but didn't think we'd need a pair of CHANNEL LOCKS to let Carlo's best Blush breath! (Oops, there I go again with my alliteration, LOL! Looks like SOMEONE is ready to get back into his writing classes!!!)

But it's a good thing that Carlo Rossi DID make his Blush wine jug with a childproof lid. Although we keep our grown-up drinks on top of the refrigerator (safe out of the reach of any eager little hands!), it's comforting to know that Carlo (lol RHYME) is concerned about our kids' safety, too!

You know, in European countries they start their children drinking alcohol earlier than they do here in the states. Sure, it might be a good idea, but it may not work to completely apply that here. It's tradition there, after all, and not everyone here rears their children in the same way. What some parents let their children partake without explaining to them that not every other child has tried it before? It could get reckless!

Maybe on special occasions I would CONSIDER letting my kiddos have a sip or two, maybe around their twelfth or thirteenth birthday, or at New Year's. Kids need to understand that alcohol is a TREAT and NOT a Main Course! 

Sometimes, I know, it's nice to have a glass of Carlo Rossi's Blush after a long day at class or work. Believe me, I KNOW! ;)! LOL! 

But you don't NEED alcohol to have fun. There are plenty of other options for having a good time. Cooking, exercise, and watching movies are all great alternatives!

Spencer and I saw Elysium the other day. Boy, was it ACTION PACKED! Almost too much to handle! I don't want to spoil anything, but there was some gut-wrenching stuff! If you go, make sure you've steeled yourself! Yeehaw!

But really, guys, this post has been TOO DARN SERIOUS. School's starting up, summer's going through its death throes, and we are wallowing in the humidity of the dog days that follow from travel and new perspective. Here we are: restless, forced to linger, leaning forward in anticipation of the future. The streets are bustling with the eager faces of our returning peers, downtown buzzes with the excited talk of reuniting friends exchanging tales of glorious summer adventures, the entire campus a veritable hive of adolescent energy and insatiable appetites for modern, raucous wilds. Here we are: a generation at what may be our highest creative capabilities yet held in mind and heart. Here we are, here we are.

Be merry, Hawkeyes. 

LOL!

Cupcake

Hello, again! It sure has been quite the adventure! After stomping around New York City and Saratoga Springs, I've finally made it back to the THREE-ONE-NINE! Lol! Boy, does it feel good to be back! I feel very much at home listening to the buses drive by the apartment as they make the U-turn from the dorms toward downtown. And, for some reason, those buses are STILL full of students! What could they be doing downtown!? Lol, I think I might know... be safe, kids!

This is actually the conclusion, but it's going here to build suspense!
(Sometimes, I just like to turn everything all upseedaisy! LOL!)

Well, it is move-in weekend here in the IC (Iowa City), and there are certainly more vehicles than buses out and about! It's just TOO busy for this TasteBuddee! So, so stay out of all the bustle, I whipped up this cupcake!

I know, I know... usually I take a picture of ALL the ingredients before measuring them out, but I just couldn't help but take this picture of them out of their packaging and arranged in this semi-circle on the red plastic plate! Sometimes, you've just gotta indulge! Like, I'm eating a cupcake, and on a FRIDAY NIGHT! LOL! 

Maybe I should start selling prints!

Ingredients*:

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 2 1/4 tps sugar
• 1/8 egg
• 1/24 tps vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 tablespoons flour
• 1/20 tsp baking powder
• 1/96 tsp baking soda
• 1/96 tsp salt
• 1/3 oz milk

*My calculations (I'm no math wiz, so WATCH OUT! Lol! Might need to double check!)

Who needs social mixers when you've got a HAND MIXER? LOL!

First, beat the butter and the sugar in a bowl. There's not a whole lot of material you're working with here, so consider using something a little--how do you say--unorthodox? lol! I just used a one cup measuring cup, but could only use one beater on the electric mixer... the other one just wouldn't fit! It's like they say, sometimes you CAN have too many beaters in the bowl! LOL!

Sometimes, I just like to "eyeball" it!

Beat until it's fluffy! Or, until you get tired of pushing the plug of butter and sugar around and around and just say GOOD! LOL! Remember, you're the only one who's gonna be eating this, so you can do whatever you want and you'll be the only one to suffer the consequences! Talk about self-reliance!

This is intentionally blurry!

Now, you can add the egg and the milk and keep whipping that beater around and around! 

The flour looks like the butter they drop onto your pancakes at IHOP before it melts...
the butter, that is, not IHOP. Lol!

Now, you can add the dry ingredients, but be sure not to spill them on the counter! Because I'm using a plate, there's a large surface for the powders to slide off and miss the relatively small opening of the measuring cup. But, again, if you miss the cup, don't sweat it! Just scoop it up and toss it right back in! 

So many choices!:
"But the life of freedom requires a beginning,
and here a beginning is a resolution,
and the resolution has its work
and its pain: thus the beginning has its difficulty."

Here's my favorite part: picking which cupcake well I want my cupcake to bake in! There are so many options (SIX). Which one will I pick? The upper left looks promising...

BOMBS away!

...AH, GOTCHA! LOL! Pour the batter!

If you can't stand the heat, think about how sweaty you'd be at the bar right now!

Pop that bachelor cupcake into the oven preheated to 350 for 23-35 minutes. What should you do while you wait? Listen to some fun jams! That way, you won't have to listen to all those hormonal students hollering outside your window. And, who knows... maybe they'll hear you having such a good time (and SMELL! LOL!) that they'll want to join. But they'll be disappointed, because there's not enough to go around! Shoot! Should've made a reservation! Hahaha!

Wonderful! Let it cool, or eat it now! Who cares! The night is young!

No hard feelings, Nutella®...

By this point I was just TOO darn famished to whip up some real frosting, so I just went to OLD FAITHFUL: HAZELNUT SPREAD. 

:D!

Ooo, boy, look at how melty and gooey the off-brand Nutella is! Mmmm! 

It's me again! LOL! #selfie

They say the first bite is the one you never forget! LOL! 

SATISFACTION! Too good to take out! I think I'll just linger here a while and watch the sun set through the blinds, maybe look back through old photo albums of family reunions and wonder where everyone is at now, or maybe wash the linens in the closet. I don't think they've been used since the last time we had the kids over, but they do get a little musty just sitting around all the time! Hahaha, oh, I try to keep busy!

How are YOU spending your move-in weekend?