It's Christmas. I made you Toffee Bars.

You know that feeling you get after Thanksgiving?

You're stuffed. You're happy. You'd better be feelin thankful.

The joy and happiness you find in all things food and baking has diminished and all you want to do is eat carrots and watch Elf. Maple syrup on spaghetti? Totally yummy.

That feeling happened to stick with me for the past two weeks or so.

I guess that's a lie. I did do lots of baking, just most of it was disastrous. But fun. The fun totally made up for the disaster.

I guess I just haven't been feeling the inspiration to bake so much these days.

But guess what?! Holy smokes, the fire is back! I made you food! Yummy food. Unhealthy food. Big, fat, Christmas-time food. It's delicious. It's worth the sugar. It will make you happy.

After you taste these, you'll be glad I waited so long to give it to you. I gave you time to work off those seven pieces of pie. Yeah . . . seven.

 My Mom has had the recipe for these for forever, by the looks of the grease, chocolate and butter stained paper. Why she hasn't been making them every night for dinner is beyond me.




Toffee Bars

2 sticks of butter

3/4 cup of brown sugar, packed

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 cups of flour


1 cup of chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips)


1/2 cup chopped nuts


Preheat oven to 350F and grease or line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. 


Cream butter with a mixer or soften slightly and stir by hand. Add sugar and vanilla and continue mixing. Slowly add the flour and salt until thoroughly incorporated. 


Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly across the pan with your fingers. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. 


Take out of oven and spread chocolate evenly over the entire top. Bake for 5 more minutes. 


With a spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the crust. Sprinkle with nuts. 

Cool for an hour in the refrigerator or until completely chilled. Cut into bars or squares.

Pancake Muffins

My teeth are telling me not to give you the recipes I really want to give you.

I wanted to bake you cupcakes like these, but you can wait till after Thanksgiving, right? Maybe not. 

What about pancake muffins? Pretty rad, huh? 

Do you want a healthy recipe? I've got lots. I made blackberry muffins. Maybe I don't want to share.

I made some (almost) vegan oatmeal banana lime bread. It was super nifty, wish you could have been there.

I have an apple pie in the oven. It has cheese. Do you want the recipe? I bet you do.

Do you want my Grandma's pound cake recipe? Perhaps to try some of my Mom's delicious cheesecake? I never did get around to telling you about my Ninja bread. How does some sunflower seed bread sound? Strange? A little bit weird? Welcome to my life. 

I'm really just stalling. And teasing you with yummy food, but mostly stalling until we run out of muffins and bread in this house and my canker-sore goes away.

Do you want a fancy-pancy cake? I could totally make you one.

Maybe you want to hear about the pizza I'm dying to have, or the caramel rolls my Mom whipped up last week. Those were good. 

Maybe you want me to tell you about how I'm totally craving this chili right now, possibly with one of those pancake muffins on the side? Nobody said I was normal.

Truth is, I just don't really have anything awesome to give you. Oh sure, those things are awesome awesome, but I still think that there's something different I can find to bring you that will make you jump up and down for joy when you taste it and shower me with praises. You don't think so? Too bad. 

I'll keep looking. hang in there with one of these muffins in each hand. I will find you something spectacular to stuff your face with, although these muffins might satisfy you forever.

These pancakes disguised as muffins were the result of me attempting to make honey nut muffins (AKA, Winnie the Pooh Muffins) but realizing we didn't have honey, so doing some quick on the spot thinking and adding pancake syrup instead. The result is a muffin that tastes like a pancake without the chance of you catching on fire. Success.

Pancake Muffins

makes 12 muffins

2 cups of flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

2 eggs 

1/2 cup of milk

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of butter, melted

1/2 cup of pancake syrup

12 almonds (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. 

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, butter and vanilla. Pour into dry ingredients. Mix well. 

Add syrup and stir thoroughly. Batter should be thin. Pour into prepared muffin cups.

If desired, place one almond on top of each muffin. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Serve with butter. Mm. 

 (It's perfectly acceptable to place said muffin on top of scented christmas candle).

Fresh Mango Bread

There are a few things you need to know about me.

1. The Three Stooges scare me. (this will always be number one on every list)

2. I'm totally going to name my daughter Basil. Or Butter. Or Bacon. Definitely Bacon.

4. If my life was spent watching the Lion King with a tub of chocolate ice cream and frozen cool whip, I'd be insanely content.

5. After eating nine muffins I sometimes go into a muffin coma and the only thing that can bring me out of it is the smell of fresh baked bread. Major yum.

6. Some days, I (and the rest of the teenage world) don't feel like waking up and playing a part in the production of life. Life can be stupid. Boring. Not nearly as exciting as dreaming about black and white replays of the Berenstein Bear's in Central park doing the polka and offering gifts of expensive looking leather dictionaries and non-stick cookie sheets. This happened.

To pull yourself out of this magical state how bout knocking the socks off those slightly creepy fluffy animals with thoughts of this Fresh Mango Bread, warm from the oven with a mug of hot black tea and honey with a splash of cream? They won't know what hit them.

This bread is delicious and warm and not overly sweet. Because of the whole wheat flour it has a different texture than most bread, and while it's still very moist it crumbles a little when you cut it, not to mention the large slices of mango every other bite that add a juicy, delicious balance to the bread. Feel free to make this earlier in the week and then enjoy it for breakfast, or maybe even make two loaves and freeze one for future munching.

Fresh Mango Bread

adapted from Joy the Baker

makes one 8 1/2x 4 1/2 loaf pan

3 eggs

3/4 cup of milk

2 1/2 half cups of whole wheat flour

3/4 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1 or 2 peeled, pitted and diced mangos

1 peeled, grated apple

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease baking pan. 

Whisk the eggs and the oil together.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. 

Rub the brown sugar between your palms into the bowl, breaking up any lumps, then stir it in.  

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry, switch to a sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon and mix until blended- the batter will be very thick (really more like a dough than a batter) and not easily mixed, but persevere, it will soon come together.  

Stir in the mango, apples, raisins and zest. Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake the bread for 1 1/2 hours, or until it is golden brown and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean.  If the bread looks as if it’s getting too brown as it bakes, cover loosely with aluminum foil.  

Remove from oven and let cool for five minutes before running a knife around the edges. Cool for 15 minutes more before removing from pan. 

Stone Berry Muffins

I realize these muffins don't sound that great.

They don't look that great either.

Do you remember when you were little and you were playing in a sand box and perhaps you found some wet sand, and you put it in your mouth? Do you remember the smell? The taste? If you do, that's pretty much what these muffins taste like.

This is where you say, "wait...you aren't giving me the recipe for your overbaked, not-half-bad vanilla and chai pound cake you made last night...but you're giving me a recipe for muffins that taste like wet sand?" Yes. I am. 

The reason I'm referring them to wet sand is really not the taste, or the texture. It's just because I can't figure out what else to refer them to. They sort of taste like really yummy blueberry muffins without any sugar...and...they're gray. It's weird. And not intended. 

I like them. A lot. Hear me? I really. really. like them. 

I made 18 and ate over half of them. Not even joking. They're addicting.

By themselves they taste sort of like really yummy rocks, or...well, you can make them and decide for yourself. I wouldn't give you a recipe if I thought it was terrible. I promise. Make these in your kitchen. Then eat them. I don't think you'll be disappointed..?

Stone Berry Muffins

makes 18 muffins

1 cup of flour

1 cup of oatmeal

1/2 cup of brown or cane sugar

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of ginger (probably not needed, but it made me feel special)

the remains of a bag of frozen mixed berries (about 1/3 a cup)

2 tablespoons of strawberry jam (or whatever you have on hand)

1/3 cup of raspberry preserves 

1 teaspoon of strawberry extract

2 eggs

2/3 cup of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla exract

Preheat oven to 350F and grease 3 muffin pans. 

Combine flour, oatmeal, sugars, ginger, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl. 

In a small bowl whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Fold into dry ingredients. 

Add the berries, jam and extract. Pour batter into prepared muffin pans, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are just beginning to brown a little around the edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before loosening with a butter knife. 

Remove from pan. Serve with butter or cream cheese. 

Chili. 'Nuff said.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made!" -Psalm 139: 13-14a

Before I get into chili and ninjas and oatmeal, I would like to proudly say that I have my first niece!

My oldest sister gave birth to her first daughter Thursday, beautiful Anya Marie! I'm happy. :D

I should have made a cake to celebrate. But when I make cake no one eats it. Urgh.


(Urgh is a really unattractive word)

So I made chili. And Ninja bread. And oatmeal sour cream muffins. Yes, I was busy. Actually I was home alone all day with nothing to do but school, so I spent a solid 5 hours in the scolding hot kitchen and a good 2 hours brushing my horse. She's very clean. I did school too. Sort of.

So. . . funny story. My computer decided to be ditzy and spazz out right when I needed to get online to see the chili recipe my sister sent me. . . so I ended up calling my Mom, who's on the east coast with my sister. . . and then. . . I ended up talking to my sister. . . roughly five hours after she had a c-section. We talked about chili. 

How many people can say they called their sister right after she gave birth to talk solely about chili? It's legit.

Yumilicious Chili 

Adapted from Rebecca's recipe (thanks!)

Makes aprx. 6 servings (or 4 if you have lots of seconds)

2 cans of kidney beans

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of petite cut tomatoes 

1 lb. of ground beef (or pork sausage)

3 tablespoons of chili sauce (or as needed)

taco sauce

hot sauce

1 teaspoon of garlic salt

black pepper

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 teaspoon of thyme

1 teaspoon of basil

2 teaspoons of cumin

parmesan cheese

Brown meat in a skillet with oil, drain grease. Drain beans and pour into pot on the stove or crockpot with tomato sauce and tomatoes. When meat is ready add to the pot. If cooking for 2 hours, put on medium-low heat on the stove or higher heat on the crockpot. If more time, use lower settings. Add your chosen amount of spices and stir well. Note that at the beginning the mixture will be thicker than the finished meal, so don't overdue the chili sauce and tomato sauce. The flavors will meld together as it cooks. Stir well occasionally, tasting it as you go until you have the right consistency and taste. Serve to hungry people. 

It was actually pretty good, but I'm sort of torn. . . I don't want a chili so good that I have a chance at winning the chli-cook off, because that means I have to stand in front of the church. Yes, I have a fear of man problem. 

It's not cool. 

I really doubt I'll have this issue though.

Apple Walnut Bread

Dear Southern California-

Producing hot weather during the fall season is not acceptable in my eyes or in the eyes of many other concerned California citizens. We are all very disappointed in you.

Okay, seriously. Today it was ninety. five. degrees. 

That shouldn't even be legal!!!

Well, apparently it is. Gr you California for making me refrain from wearing fuggs to converse today! (I refuse to wearing flip flops in November)

Converse really aren't that bad. In fact, they're my second favorite shoe. But seriously? Nothing, and I do mean NOTHING, compares to fuggs. 

For all of you out there that don't attend my church where ladies in their late-fifties wear skinny jeans and fuzzy boots, that's slang for 'fake uggs.'

Oh well, fall is still in the air, and you want to know why?! No? I'll tell you anyways. 

I MADE APPLE BREAD. 

Apples. Are. Wicked. If there is a better food on this earth that can compare to apples, please show me. I didn't put apples on my list of 3 favorite foods because they're too amazing for that. 

(And I forgot. . . don't judge.)

Anyway, here's the recipe I used, from Joy the Baker's blog, which I highly recommend because she's hilarious and her recipes are incredible! Plus, she gets paid to blog. How rad is that?!?! 

(it's rad.) 

I wish I got paid to bake and blog.  Then I could pay for my horse and I wouldn't be in debt to my parents. Yes, I am in debt to my parents. Like I said, don't judge. That's Jesus' job.

I changed it up some from the original, mostly because I didn't have a clue as to what flax seed was, BUT, it still tasted like heaven in your mouth! Personally, I wish you could have tasted more of the apple, but it was so yummiful that you forget that there was supposed to be apples, that it has so much sugar it's sinful, not to mention you forget who you are, where you live and why in the world you're alive. . . other than to eat the deliciousness. Oh yes, apple walnut bread is powerful.

recipe originally found and altered from joythebaker.com.

(just so you know, I hate how in recipes it says, '1 cup whole wheat flour' instead of, '1 cup of whole wheat flour.' It seriously ticks me off. So if I must hand copy a whole recipe just to add the correct (or in-correct) wording, I will.) 

Apple Walnut Bread

makes one 9x5 inch loaf

1 cup of whole wheat flour

3/4 cup of all-purpose flour

3/4 cup of brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

generous pinch of nutmeg

2/3 cup of buttermilk (I suggest using some applesauce instead for a more apple flavor. just sayin')

1/3 cup of unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup of grated apples (I used 1 whole apple)

1/2 cup of coarsely chopped apples (I used another whole apple)

3/4 cup of coarsley chopped walnuts (or if you're lazy like me, just put them in, you won't die, I promise)

cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking power, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Mix wet ingredients into the dry. Add the grated apples, chopped apples and half the walnuts. Mix a lot.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and top with granulated sugar, cinnamon and the rest of the walnuts. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until you think it looks as done as you want.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes then move it to a cooling rack to cool before wrapping. (or move it to a plate)

That's it! Easy as pie. . . or bread. It's soooo yummy I could have eaten the whole loaf. 

I may have. 

.

.

.

Okay, I didn't, 4 other people helped me, but we did eat the whole loaf, except for like, a bite, which is sitting in the pan on the counter. I sadly didn't get a picture of the yumminess because we had to leave for my Dad's college right after I took it out of the oven, but trust me, it looked awesome. 

If you're really desperate for pictures when making a recipe (like me), go to Joy the Baker. Hers looked delicious too. 

Tomorrow I'm making chili for our chili cook-off at church. I've never made chili. Wish me luck! I'm also hopefully going to pull out the bread machine and bake some amazingness. Mm. 

(Yes, you can be jealous. Jesus will forgive you).

Scones From Heaven

"Oh the depths of the riches, of the wisdom and knowledge of God!"-Romans 11:33

There are three foods I could not live without. 

.Carrots

..Porridge

...Scones

Not in that particular order, but yes, those are some of the most amazing foods on this earth. I didn't say they're my favorite foods, but they definitely are awesome. Carrots taste delicious raw, boiled, sauteed, baked, mashed (yes, mashed) and in pretty much any other way you can use them. You can put them in mixed vegetables, rice, casseroles, or just a bowl on the table. They're one of my favorite snacks and are extremely healthy, low in calories, and just...yummy!!

Porridge is pretty much really thin oatmeal with sugar (unless you're Chinese), though sometimes I leave the sugar out. I don't know why, but just by itself, with no added milk or brown sugar or anything else, I love oatmeal!!! It tastes amazing to me, and I could literally eat it for any meal. Plus, it's full of fiber that keeps you full until your next meal and is also low in calories and fat. Did I mention I love it?? Mm.

Scones. I honestly had no idea what in the world these were a month ago. I thought they were triangle, really hard biscuit that were pumpkin flavored at Starbucks in the fall. . . and Australians adore them and call them 'sgons.' Turns out, I was really really wrong. They're not just pumpkin flavored, they're definitely not hard, and they aren't always triangles! (Australians really do love them) 

I've made so many scones this past week and a half and I get giddy at the thought of trying new ideas. It intrigues me that they can be sweet or savory, and so far I've made pumpkin scones, cheese scones, and there are ham and cheese scones sitting on the counter right now, still warm and fresh from the oven and waiting to be conquered and destroyed whenever my Dad gets up. These are by far the best, and I would include a recipe, but you honestly don't need one. Find a recipe for scones, like Starbucks Pumpkin Scones, use it as your basis, take out the pumpkin, spices, and icing, add your ingredients, and bake for 15 minutes at 425F! It's so easy, it's not even funny!! It is pretty delicious though. I used shredded lunch meat ham and cheddar cheese, though you might want to ad more ham then I did, because they just tasted really cheesy. I added some pepper for flavor and popped them in the oven. To be humble...they were really really really really REALLY good!!! 

Here's the type of scones I would like to try. If you know a good recipe send me it, but right now I'm just making it up as I go along (that's sort of how I do everything):

Sweet-

Pumpkin Scones

Maple Cream Cheese Scones (?)

Apple Scones

Cinnamon Scones

Cranberry Nut Scones

Raisin Scones (with cinnamon)

Blueberry Sugar Scones

Blueberry Lemon

Mixed Berry Scones

Walnut Scones

Yogurt Scones (?)

Cinnamon Chippy Scones

Chocolate Scones

Strawberry Spice Scones

Orange Scones

Savory-

Cheese Scones

Basil and Parmesan Scones

Ham and Cheddar Scones

Oatmeal (raisin, cinnamon, chocolate, apple, cranberry, blueberry, lemon, nut, pumpkin, yogurt, cheese) Scones

Chili Scones (?) 

Cheddar Apple Scones

Cheddar Pepper Scones

Onion Sausage Scones

Bacon (anything) Scones ;)

So that's my list of yummy sounding scones, and yummy foods that I could eat all day. I'm pretty simple when it comes to food for someone who loves making it so much. I could make my Mom spaghetti with garlic, parsley and red pepper for lunch but then go and eat porridge or carrots by myself. Any food is yummy, especially simple ones. 

Thank God for food!!!!!!!!!! :)

other adventures this week:

blueberry walnut free-form tart ( * * * * )

rustic  zucchini and cheese sausage tart ( * * * )

mom's italian chicken breast & rice ( * * * * * )

lemon peanut butter ice cream ( * * )

Rustic Apple Tart

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us," - Hebrews 12:1

My day started at six o'clock in the morning. Really, I know that isn't early. . . unless you fell asleep after one o'clock the night prior. Still, it was for a good reason, and when I wake up that early tomorrow morning I'll definitely make sure to get to bed at a way better hour. 

Did you know that in my house, if a young girl wants to make scones she can't? There's no butter!

Sin.

After my Mom bought butter (actually, it was margarine. . . more sin. ) I set to work with my apple tart, which was sooo easy, since I had no recipe to follow. I based it off of something I saw on a blog a few days ago, but last night I went to look and couldn't find it anywhere online! So I had to try and remember what the recipe was from memory but ended up just guessing and doing my own thing. It was pretty good considering.

Here's what I used, but like I said, I made it up, so you can make yours up too. 

5 Rome apples, 1 granny smith (these are the apples that we had, so I used them. You can use whatever type you think goes best in a pie)

1 Store-bought or home-made pie crust, rolled out flat

1/4 c. of melted butter

3 tbs sugar

sugar for decor

Preheat oven to 375F and grease a baking sheet.

unroll pie crust and set on baking sheet. 

Peal the apples and slice them thinly. Toss in a bowl with sugar and butter, adding or taking away to fit your own taste. 

Pile the apples high onto the rolled out pie crust. You'll know you have the right amount if when you pull the sides of the crust up around the fruit, there's still a good sized hole left in the middle for the apples to peek out of.

Warp the edges of the dough up and around each other so they hold snugly. 

If preferred, beat and egg and tablespoon of milk and brush over the top of the crust and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the bottom may leek juice. 

let cool for 15 minutes on sheet before trying to remove. Slice like pie and serve.

Anyways, this recipe was actually really simple, sweet and satisfying and I personally liked it better than apple pie, which has never been my absolute favorite (sorry apple pie fanatics). You should make it. It's super yummy. 

October Leaves (And Food)

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"-Psalm 118:29

It's fall, my favorite time of year, and as I sat by the window today with a cup of black coffee (wondering why in the world I was drinking it black) I spontaneously decided that today was a good day to start my own blog.

I didn't really consider the fact that I had nothing to write about and no one would read it, I just headed to the computer and...here I am!

I am an aspiring author, a health enthusiast, an equestrian, a follower of Christ, and a teenage girl.  My posts will probably mostly be about food, because I'm an avid baker and cook. Obviously I don't have much experience in this area, considering the fact I am only in my teens and I depend upon my Mom to bring home the groceries, but I'll do the best I can with foreign dishes, unique appetizers and, my favorite, rustic tarts.

My blog name is derived from the song "Dance of the Autumn Leaves" by Melody Boper, a song I fell in love with as soon as my best friend played it for me on the piano, it also ties into the theme of fall and all the amazing foods that come with it.

Listen here.

It's mid October, and we're just getting to that wonderful time of year where the air is clean and crisp and smells of rain. The leaves are in their full color in most places; even here in Southern California I'm excitedly waiting to pull out the scarves and fuzzy boots. The kitchen smells of pumpkin spice and warm apple cider and this is about where I start to get a warm feeling on the inside that makes me truly thankful for everything I've been blessed with. It's no wonder the Pilgrims had the very first Thanksgiving in November, how can you not be thankful at this time of year?

The Psalms speak of praising the Lord for his excellent goodness and bringing Him thanksgiving so often, sometimes I expect David to break out in hymns of worship for Pumpkin Pie and Cranberry Nut Bread. . . I guess I'll just have to do that myself.

In the book Pure Simple Cooking by Diana Henry she uses a lot of ingredients that are by no means simple to me. I most definitely did not grow up in a home where the words arroz con pollo y chorizo were used in a sentence, but that's what I love about the book and what made me keep using it. They really are easy recipes, but they taste so foreign and delicious and they have such weird names that they make you feel like an accomplished gourmet chef afterward. I never figured out some of them, and I'm still working through the recipes with ingredients that I know how to use, but the dishes I have tried have been completely delicious.

The other night I made a Rustic Onion Tart, and as soon as I took the first bite it soon became one of my all time favorite recipes and I knew tarts were the food for me. Montery Jack cheese has a subtle, delicous flavor so I used that and sausage to go in with the onions. As a side I decided to try Roasted Autumn Vegetables from Pure Simple Cooking and it just might have been the best veggies I had ever tasted. I just used dried Thyme, because like I said: Southern California + economy + teenager. You do the math. :)

1 1/2 lbs small waxy potatoes or larger baking potatoes

1 lb  carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise if large

1 lb parsnips, trimmed and halved lengthwise

3 red onions, each cut into 6 wedges

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

leaves from a couple sprigs of thyme, plus 5 whole sprigs

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the potatoes into chunks the size of a walnut, though some waxy varieties are very small and may not need to be cut. Put all vegetables in a large roasting pan - they should be able to lie in a single layer - and add the olive oil, vinegar, thyme leaves and salt and pepper. Todd everything together with your hands.  

Roast for 40 to 60 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Give them a shake every so often, and add a whole thyme sprig halfway through the cooking time. Cover the dish with aluminum foil if some of the vegetables are getting too dark, though it's good if some of them end up slightly charred at the tips. 

The potatoes were perfectly cooked the whole way through, the carrots tender and bursting with flavor and the onions sweet and delicious. I would highly recommend the recipe and the book, because both of them are genius and the results of this one supper now have me hooked on rustic tarts and beautiful, artistic dishes. 

My cooking may not be classy, and as you can probably tell, I fail at all grammar and English tests...but my love for baking, my love for autumn and my love for Jesus I hope has been shown to you through this entry, and hopefully will continue to be through this blog. If you don't think I'm a total loser from this post, just wait. There's still more to come! :)