Refined Sugar.
I'm busy preparing for a takeover sleepover this weekend so I'll have to keep this brief.
As if three preteen girls need any help in the hyperactive department, I decided I would be a swell idea to feed them at least three different kinds of sugar with this Maple Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread.
Granulated sugar, brown sugar and maple syrup. They'll never sleep. Ever.
Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a vacuum cleaner with my name on it.
These Aren’t The Droids You’re Looking For.
Mind over matter. Power of suggestion. The force.
Whatever you want to call it, that's what I've been wrestling with for the past week. Everyone around me is aching and couching and sneezing. The odds are kind of stacked against me here. I'd have to be some sort of guru of meditation with a fistful of mental placebos to resist all that.
I'm not. I'm not made of midi-chlorians. I'm made of squishy flesh and achy bones.
However. If I were a Jedi I wouldn't bother with curbing the common cold or not looking silly when I sneeze. I'd have way more fun. I would wave my hand casually yet deliberately and tell you how much you need this Maple Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Bread. Struck by a sudden delicious idea, you would calmly rise from your seat, gather the ingredients and make yourself one awesome snack. You'd slice off piece by piece savouring the full flavour of pumpkin, the punch of spices and the sweet, buttery crunch of the streusel topping until it was all gone. At which point you would feel the need to bake yourself another and another and another... Do or do not. There is no try.
Hey... Maybe I am a Jedi!
Love Muffin: Maple Bacon Cheddar Cornmeal.
There's about two feet of snow carpeting the ground. Icicles decorate the eaves troughs. The evergreens slouch under the new weight. The streets haven't been plowed all Winter. A single Autumn leaf clings stubbornly to the frozen ground. The temperature has plummeted to uncomfortable depths.
There's only one thing to do when the weather turns this chilly. Make Chili! The natural partner for a steaming hot bowl of Chili is, of course, Cornmeal Muffins. These aren't your average Cornmeal Muffins, folks. They're Maple Bacon Cheddar Cornmeal Muffins.
A little sweet to compliment the spice. A little hot inside to contrast the cold outside.
How else are you going to work up the nerve to shovel the driveway? Or scrape ice off the windshield? Or risk frostbite to check the mailbox? I suppose you could always just stay toasty warm inside and eat muffins for dinner. Like I did.
Warming Up To Winter.
On a cold Winter's day such as this one what's better than warming your kitchen and your heart with soft, chewy fresh from the oven Oatmeal Cookies? And not just any Oatmeal Cookies. Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies!
It's been particularly chilly here in Edmonton, which normally wouldn't come as a surprise at this time of year and in this part of the country. I guess I was enjoying Autumn so much I didn't realize Winter was already upon us.
I miss all the pretty colours. I miss walking out the door in just jeans and a sweater. I miss the sun. I even miss the rain.
Despite all this, each time the seasons change I decide on a new favourite season. It doesn't matter that I can't feel my feet, or that my nose turns an embarrassing shade of red, or that I get an electric shock from everything I touch, or that the zipper on my favourite coat is broken.
The ground looks like it's made of diamonds. The trees are glass. Breath hangs in suspended animation. Footsteps are forever.
Looks like I might be warming up to Winter. Pun intended.
As the seasons shift I thought it was a perfect time to change up a few things here at Hot Polka Dot. Time to mature. Time to grow up. Time for big bold photos. I'll miss the polaroids, but change is good.
Silver Lining.
When I discovered that I would not advance in Project Food Blog my mind reeled with a series of thoughts. The first of which I won't repeat here. But the second thing that came to mind was, well I guess I don't have to make those Cinnamon Buns anymore.
But really, why wouldn't I? I bought the pumpkin, pecans and maple syrup. I do still have a food blog right? Oh yeah, that didn't cease to exist when I got eliminated.
Sure maybe for a moment there I wanted to drown my sorrows in a vat of chocolate or order a fleet of pizzas for dinner. But I didn't. Instead I made the most delicious Maple Pecan Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns. Let me tell you, it's hard to feel sorry for yourself with a mouthful of one of these lovelies.
So this would have been my eighth challenge entry to Project Food Blog. I probably would have said something a little more eloquent.
But at least now I don't have to feel so bad about using canned pumpkin instead of fresh.
A few of my new friends from Project Food Blog decided to share our pumpkin posts despite our recent exclusion from the contest. They've concocted some amazing pumpkin recipes. You should visit and remind them that they are all winners.
Asha from Fork Spoon Knife
Heena from Tiffin Tales
Josie from Daydreamer Desserts
Liren from Kitchen Confidante
Winnie from Healthy Green Kitchen
