And A Happy Birthday to Mama Rhino Too!!

After making muffins for my co-worker on Saturday, I came home post-work and started peeling and slicing apples for an apple cranberry crumble for Mama Nashorn's birthday dessert. Mama Nashorn loves pies and the ilk (as does Little Rhino), so it seemed fitting to bake her a crumble rather than a cake for her birthday. Also in matching with the birthday theme, the recipe came from a cookbook entitled Rustic Fruit Desserts that parents Rhino gave me for my birthday last year. I made a few recipes from it in the Spring and Summer, but of late I had forgotten about this humble baking book. I'm glad that we were able to reunite.

I healthed the recipe up a bit by using Splenda, Splenda brown sugar, and light butter, but you couldn't tell from tasting it. It turned better than any of my previous Rustic Fruit Dessert adventures. My parents raved, and we all rejoiced the large amount of crumble leftovers (the recipes makes a ton. It calls for eight large apples, but six more than sufficed). Happy birthday, Mama Rhino indeed. I love you!!

Happy Birthday and Congratulations on Not Dying

Congratulations to my esteemed co-worker on her birthday and, more importantly, making it to that birthday. January proved to be a maze of germs and bacteria for Little Rhino's colleague. She thought that she might die a few days at work. I told her that I would not allow her to die at work (too much paperwork).

Anyhoo, to celebrate her birthday the next day and her heart still beating, I made some oatmeal, peanut butter, banana muffins (I added Reese's Pieces to the recipe) for her and the rest of the Saturday crew. Given the empty plate by 11 AM, I'd say those muffins did not go unloved. Better yet, said co-worker came to work alive on Tuesday. YAY!!

When stress strikes, the Rhino cooks...ALL HAIL EIGHT TACO TND

As promised, in honor of my friend's outstanding performance in the aforementioned eating competition, I hosted a TND with dishes of her choosing. True to her fine form, Eight Taco made some outstanding choices... wild mushroom macaroni and cheese with black truffle oil and chocolate gooey butter cake....I never said anything about health-smart ( ;

Preparing two dishes after a long day of commuting and class is not everybody's idea of bliss, but it's mine!! I gave my kitchen a giant hug when I got home and partook of some major kitchen therapy. I'll take macaroni and cheese and chocolate cake making over yoga any day. Yu-Ohm.

Along with some addictive balsamic aspargus from my favorite Asian, an adhoc Eight Taco salad, and wine, TND turned into a veritable feast. Conversation simmered like a rich tomato sauce, and the night ended with smiley faces and full stomachs.

Epilogue: The next day at work, I curried favor with leftover gooey chocolate butter cake. Score!!