Today: A new obsession with homemade iced coffee with minty syrup, delicious cheddar biscuits and blueberry muffins baked on a whim, a sneaky cat, and lots of links.
First off, I have to share my latest obsession: Fresh Mint Iced Coffee. With a long list of recipes I already want to make, it’s rare that I see one pop up and decide to make it on a whim. As soon as I saw Jessica Merchant post this to her Facebook page however, I couldn’t help myself. I had mint leaves from a forgotten project in the fridge, and coffee grounds I haven’t even opened yet (I honestly only bought them because the good hostess in me refuses to not keep them in house in case a guest needs coffee before a drive home). I made the coffee concentrate and the mint-vanilla simple syrup, neither taking more than 15 minutes (including finding the jars and lids to keep them in), and patiently let the concentrate seep for 24(!) hours. It was my reward Friday morning after for a rough visit to physical therapy. Now I am so hooked. I’m going to be keeping this around the house from now on, and I think the mint-vanilla syrup has a lot of cocktail potential.
This week seems to have been one of succumbing to recipe whims though. Upon realizing I still had blueberries left over from another recipe, I randomly decided to make Blueberry Swirl and Lemon Zest Muffins late Thursday evening. They came out amazing and I’ll be sharing the recipe here on the blog at some point.
Then on Saturday, we had friends over for dinner. I originally swore to myself to keep the menu simple. I planned to make prime rib for the first time in my life, and didn’t want to over-complicate things (like I usually do). Then, Saturday morning I woke up and decided the meal needed biscuits, again on a whim. The Cheddar Rosemary Biscuits were adapted from a simple recipe in the Joy The Baker Cookbook, and were utterly delicious. I might tweak it a little further to accompany a crockpot-and-beer recipe in the works for early next month.
Oh, and this is my cat Namkha sneaking into a photo I took so I’d remember this was a good bottle of wine. I had no idea he got in here so nicely until I started sorting through the photos on my phone!
And now, from around the web:
- Not only do these Stir Fried Udon Noodles with Pork look delicious, I absolutely love Alex Delany’s writing on the process. I’m definitely making the recipe this week.
- I am looking forward to making this Cherry Upside-Down Cake.
- Coconut Lime Chicken Curry sounds incredible.
- The James Beard Award Nominees were announced! More exciting than the Oscars, IMO.
- Keep your kitchen supplies in good shape with this article on How to Refinish a Wooden Cutting Board.
- Everyone is excited about the new cookbooks for spring! Check out these reviews on Bon Appetit and Tasting Table. I’m really looking forward to checking out Dinner by Melissa Clark.
- Can you believe how gorgeously adorable this Mint Coconut Chocolate Cake is?
- Do Bay Leaves Even Do Anything? Spoiler: Kind of.
- Brussels sprouts are in season and totally delicious when cooked right. Check out how here!
- I totally ordered this t-shirt from Foodstirs. I’m all about supporting Buffy’s – I mean Sarah Michelle Gellar’s – new baking company.
Happy First Day of Spring everybody! Please give us beautiful days from here on out, I’d really like some warmer weather again.
Cheers!
Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains Amazon.com affiliate links, and I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase through these links. I recommend products because I find them interesting or helpful, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
