use real butter

Recipe: chocolate espresso semifreddo

Funny how just a few weeks ago some of my bloggy buds were all, “Dooode, you are blogging daily and I can’t keep up witchyoo, yo!” And I’m all like, “Laydeeeez, I’m on another steroid dose for my side-effects and I can’t sleep, so I just keep a bloggin’!” Okay, well that ended abruptly this past weekend because I replaced blogging with doing everything else. Seriously though, we were just entertaining my ILs this weekend. Still, I’m breaking it down into a few posts since they involve… FOOD!

Last year, Jeremy’s folks were out to visit us about a week before I got my diagnosis. It was also the weekend of MIL’s bday. I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday and she replied she’d like to bake a cake with me! MIL likes to bake and I had just completed a pastry skills course that summer at the culinary school (my reward for defending my PhD dissertation), so she wanted to try one of the recipes I had learned. We made a lovely Lemon Mousseline Torte. Thing is… FIL is a chocolate fiend. Not just that he likes chocolate, but he won’t touch anything else if there *isn’t* chocolate in it. Okay, that isn’t entirely true. If it is a hunk of meat… perhaps FIL should meet Mr. SGCC – aka Caveman, Susan? :)

Recipe: intense brownies

*Rant On*
I originally wrote about my cancer, not to solicit advice or sympathy, but to explain why my blogging would be affected and to just toss out what was on my mind. It wasn’t an invitation for random headcases to swoop down upon me with quack remedies and solutions or to tell me what not to consume or who and how to worship. Just because I was diagnosed with cancer does not mean I welcome these obtuse assaults on my sensibilities. Personally, I don’t allow having good intentions excuse inconsiderate or stupid behavior. I don’t even tolerate that crap from people I know.

So, for anyone with unqualified advice on cancer (particularly if you haven’t HAD it) and how I should be living my life, please stay the hell away from me. When you get cancer, I’ll be sure to send all of the nutcases YOUR way so in addition to the shitty treatments, your various debilitating side effects, and the myriad of infections you contract, you – in your ample spare time and infinite energy – can sift through loads of freakishly useless advice because you know, that’s going to help your cancer heaps.
*Rant Off*

The heat continues to roast the Front Range of Colorado, but life must go on. And by life, I mean social life. And by social life I mean, social life involving food. I met up with friends for lunch today at Treppeda’s in Niwot. This place makes fantastic sandwiches as well as the famed Chicken Parm(esan) that my pals rave about. For me, there is no other than The Chief.

Recipe: green tea ice cream

I guess that heat wave found me! Actually, I met it part way just because it’s still tolerable up here in the mountains when it’s pushing the 90s down in Boulder. The hitch this time was that our town busted a huge leak in its water supply a few days ago and the geniuses who run the town didn’t start to tell anyone about it until today. Hot weather is one thing, but hot weather without water is something else entirely. And hot weather in the fire-prone Mountain West without water is dangerous. We got the news of the water shortage this evening at 6 pm and by 7:30 pm we heard that the leak had been found and fixed. We’re still conserving water (well, we try to in general – you shouldn’t need a shortage of something to convince you that it is ass stupid to waste it), but at least we can flush the toilets!

Well, it finally feels like summer to me because I am squinting my eyes under the blazing sun down in Boulder and wishing for two or three feet of fluffy powder to shred. As I think more about snow and powder, images of snow cones drizzled in syrupy colors and fruity flavors dance in my head. It’s the onset of delirium brought about by the heat, I tell you. Notice how the latest trend of sweets have all been refrigerator or freezer treats? It’s not just me – it’s everyone on this side of the planet. Today’s is no different.

**Jump for more butter**