I hope everyone enjoyed their Monday off this week! Maisie and I took a quick trip to Wyoming to spend the night in a tiny mountain home. The drive may have only been two hours, but sometimes I feel like I only drive outside city limits so I can buy candy and an Icee guilt-free. I follow a simple set of rules – plenty of water, one “fun” drink of choice, a salty snack, one chocolate candy, and one fruity candy.
No matter the distance, I place high importance on the snack picks. Here is what I packed for my drive to Wyoming:
Two large bottles of Essentia Alkaline Water
One bottle of Vitamin Water Energy Tropical Citrus
Family-sized bag of Peanut M&Ms
One regular-sized bag of Sour Patch Kids
Three mini bags of chips – Lays Limón, Lays Original and Ruffles Queso (my holy trinity)
One container of homemade apple salad*
Look, if you want to pack a cooler full of slimy baby carrots and Slim Jims, that’s on you! I won’t judge but know that you are missing out on some of life’s small joys. There is nothing like dropping chocolate-covered sunflower seeds down your shirt to remind yourself that life is a beautiful gift. And when you’re wiping that melted chocolate off your chest four hours later? A reminder that life is also full of surprises. ❤️
September Cookbook: The Violet Bakery Cookbook by Claire Ptak
Fancy a scone with a spot of tea? There are several scone recipes in this book, but the first ones I wanted to try were the prune, oat and spelt scones (pg. 46). I had to adjust the baking time because I burnt my first batch. (Tip: Don’t solely rely on a recipe’s temperature and baking times. Always keep an eye on it and look for visual clues that it is finished. Every oven is different!) But on the second go-around, they turned out great! I loved how these made my apartment smell like a bakery. They’re tender, buttery and pair very well with a cup of earl grey tea.
I love savory muffins so I had to try the chipotle cheddar corn muffins (pg. 88). I was a little heavy-handed on the chipotle so these had quite a bit of kick. These are best right out of the oven but were still great warmed up later. The blobs of gooey cheddar in the middle are really where these muffins shine.
These rye chocolate brownies (pg. 152) seem to be one of the book’s most popular recipes, so these were a must this weekend. These brownies would fall under the “cakey” category. I’m normally #TeamFudgey when it comes to brownie discourse, but I certainly would not kick these out of bed. I'm bringing some to a friend’s house to watch the season two premiere of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. I believe that this show, combined with these brownies, will cure my depression.
*This is something that I ate a lot growing up. I am aware that this is the kind of thing a cool Black teen on TikTok would roast me to hell and back for because it is 100% the kind of salad a white housewife from the Midwest would bring to a backyard cookout. But, don’t you trust me?
Dice up some apples (I like to use Fuji or Honeycrisp) and chop some celery. Combine these in a bowl with mini marshmallows and walnuts. Stir it all together with a little bit of mayo until it is all well-coated (a little goes a long way, so don’t put too much). Some people also include raisins, but no thanks. Cover and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to eat!
Thanks for reading, sweeties! 🍎
1. Love the choc covered sunflower seed visual.
2. Why does the apple salad look like it has cinnamon in it? Did you spice it up?
3. If you liked the prune scone, you really might want to try the family fruit bar recipe. As you know, it's my favorite!