My White Whale

Admittedly, I've been away from this blog for some time. There's two reasons. Well, maybe three.

Reason 1: I've started a new semester where I'm taking two separate literature classes, with a massive amount of reading each week. Because of this, I'm only fitting baking in when guests come over or when I scan through Pinterest and see something that screams "You can actually do this!" or "This only has two ingredients!" 

Reason 2: I've actually started a second blog. Gasp! It's true. Now you can also read my mediocre musings at www.sleepstanding.com. This new blog is about my sleep walking/sleep talking adventures, and about how I'm (mis)handling them. Personally, I think it's pretty great and you'll love it. Since it's so new I've had to take the time to cultivate it a little, build it up so that people might actually like it. I don't have to do that with YIBT anymore, this thing just writes and reads itself! So do me a favor and check out www.sleepstanding.com, I'm also on twitter @sleepstander.

Reason 3: I've been trying to catch my white whale.

A Disasterpiece

This is a short post because I don't like writing about disasters when I can't pull them off graciously or casually act like I meant to do it. Sometimes you can get away with it, like how if I burn the edge of a batch of brownies I'll just cut all the edges off, throw them away, and make really tiny brownie bites and nobody has any idea that I stood in front of the stove saying the f word repeatedly. That's not gracious.

Upcycling, Pumpkin Pancakes & Potato Pancakes Or PANCAKES!!

As we all prepare to hunker down for the holidays and our long winter naps, there's been something that I've been thinking about and want to share it with you. I have two specific recipes to post today, recipes that originally come from something else - this basic idea of upcycling that I tossed around a few weeks ago. But how did we get to the point of using a word like upcycling?

Our culture is obsessed with recycling. Everything needs to be recycled. EVERYTHING. That shampoo bottle I pulled out of the trash could become a young child's teething ring some day. Hey, don't shoot the messenger - these are facts. We hover over our office trash receptacles thinking things like, "I bet Gary doesn't even know what single stream means. Plus, I heard he's getting divorced." Just like all of the other things in life, we latch onto one important issue and we have to shove it in every one's face. "Look, I'm using a recycled nalgene bottle!" "I reused rain water to wash my car!"

Yeah, I'd Bake That's Not Favorite Things Because That Was Taken, But Things We Really Enjoy List! Part 2!

Wow, such a great response for Part 1 of Yeah, I'd Bake That's Not Favorite Things Because That Was Taken, But Things We Really Enjoy List! You guys had me all like

Seriously, I'm super flattered.

Yeah, I'd Bake That's Not Favorite Things Because That Name Was Taken But Items We Really Enjoy List! Part 1

Today we kick off our 2nd(!) Christmas season with Yeah, I'd Bake That's Not Favorite Things Because That Name Was Taken But Items We Really Enjoy List!

Let's talk about this title. I am not giving anything away so "12 Days of Giveaways" was scratched off the list, and I just didn't feel right using "Oprah's Favorite Things". "A December to Remember" is great if you can also say "Everyone's getting a car!" but sadly, not this year. YIBT that is in no way endorsed by Oprah, licensed by Hasbro, given special accommodations from any baking company, affiliated with Lincoln Motors, herein withto, ipso facto legal talk.