TGIF! I hope you have some enjoyable plans for the weekend. I’ll be spending some quality time at my desk, sorting photos and catching up on projects.
While organizing recent pictures, I found several snapshots from outings over the past week:
This Starbucks Blonde Veranda Blend coffee caught my eye on a store shelf.
Do blondes have more fun? We joked about that with a friend when we noticed this blend during our last meetup. The tasting notes promise “delicate nuances of cocoa” and a lighter body. It sounds pleasant, though I tend to prefer a bolder cup.
My recent favorite is an inexpensive classic that’s new to me. It’s been reliable and enjoyable, and for now this blonde is keeping good company with that blend.
I also spotted a spatula when I picked up the KitchenAid bowl-scraping blade, which I’m loving because it almost eliminates the need to scrape the mixing bowl by hand. The spatula I found includes a measurement conversion chart on the handle, which is handy when you’re working from recipes.
Kitchen math can be annoying, especially before coffee. Off the top of your head, how many cups are 11 tablespoons of butter? Or how many baking chocolate squares equal one-third of a pound plus two tablespoons reserved for drizzling? Those conversions matter when you want to soften the right number of sticks or break off the correct number of squares.
Honestly, I’d rather be baking than doing conversions. I forgot the spatula on one run because I was too excited to photograph it. Looks like I need to brush up on fractions — or just eyeball the dough and hope for the best.
When I develop cookie and bar recipes, I try to stick to simple butter measurements: half a stick, one stick, or two sticks. I avoid awkward amounts like 1 5/8 sticks plus a reserved tablespoon — life is short and baking should be enjoyable, not a math exercise.
Because really — we want cookies, not complicated calculations.
I found heart-shaped ice cube trays in the Target dollar bins for $2.50 for a pair and grabbed a set, thinking they’ll make perfect molds for chocolate candies and small confections. Those discount bins often contain surprisingly useful kitchen tools.
Target’s bargain sections occasionally carry items like silicone muffin liners or chocolate molds at a fraction of specialty-store prices, and I always keep an eye out for those finds.
For chocolate projects I’m reaching for a brand I love for melting and flavor — it works especially well in no-bake treats like Ritz Cracker Stuffed Peanut Butter Cups.
Fun fact: January 20 is National Granola Bar Day. I might celebrate by making quick Microwave Chocolate Peanut Butter and Oat Snack Bars — they only take about five minutes to prepare and are perfect for a fast, tasty treat.
How good are you at kitchen and recipe math?
I can do conversions, but I prefer not to. Given a choice, I’ll take cooking and baking over converting cups, ounces, pounds, sticks, and tablespoons any day — the metric system would make things easier, but until then I’ll keep a spatula and a conversion chart close at hand.
Any good Target dollar-bin finds lately?
Seen anything interesting out and about recently?
Have a great weekend!