I don’t have kids and yet somehow I got stuck with a teenager.
You see, Little Fuzzy Bunny was suppose to be “fixed” a couple months ago. It gets done right around the time their hormones kick in, at the six month mark. But because LFB was in a waiting pattern about her eye we have not done the surgery yet. See it’s not recommended to put two pound bunnies under anesthesia that often, so we waited to see if she has to have the eye removed (which as of yesterday she does not…she gets to keep the eye!).
What that means is that I have been stuck with a teenage bunny in all her hormonal glory. Now, it’s not nearly as bad as if she were a human teenager. She can’t scream at me that she hates me, though I do get that message when she claws my arm to a bloody pulp that she is unhappy with me at that moment. She doesn’t make me walk 10 paces behind her when we would go to the mall together (I had several friends who made their mother’s do this). She doesn’t beg me for a cell phone and texted her friends 24/7 running up my phone bill to a cost level that makes my blood boil. She doesn’t beg for money (just food). I don’t have to worry about her drinking or getting knocked up. So all of that is good. But she is without a doubt moody. One minute letting me pet her lovingly the next minute biting me. Or digging into me like I am a flower bed.
I am glad it will be resolved soon as I was not cut out for moody pets. There is only one person who gets to be moody in my house and that’s me.
Speaking of moods. I really wasn’t in a bread baking mood (even though technically this is a cake), especially yeast. I just didn’t have 4 hours to wait around and punch down dough. But I have been a bad TWDer as of late and I knew I needed to get off my butt and make this weeks pick. Yolanda of The All-Purpose Girl chose for us to make Kugelhopf.
I had problems right from the start. Number one I had no pan for the bread (there is a special one) and I had no milk. So I went with what pan I had and I used apple cider instead of milk. So that meant I was going to be changing the flavor of the bread. I added lots of nutmeg and some cinnamon as well. I skipped the raisins as I was out of those as well and added chopped walnuts instead. This bread/cake takes many hours to make, 2 for the first rise, another 2 after that, then in the fridge overnight and another 2-3 hours after that. I am not quite sure it is worth it to be honest. I mean, it produces a good product, but it’s a lot of time. I do however plan on making bread pudding with it, I think the bread/cake would be excellent for that.

Instead of the 1/3 cup just-warm-to-the-touch whole milk I used apple cider, and yes you warm it.
I added 2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg.
I added 1 tsp ground cinnamon.
I omitted the raisins and added ¾ cup walnuts.

See, you thought I was kidding before, but it no coincidence that Sarah Palin jinxed the Flyers. They have the worst record in the NHL (correction, they did have the worst…they are winning now that she moved on to a new team). They did finally win a game, the same day, MY player, the reason I watch the Flyers, Danny Briere, had to have surgery and is out for 3-4 weeks!!!! That is a long time in hockey folks.
And now, she is spreading her doom to other teams. Friday night Palin dropped the puck, this time for the Saint Louis Blues. Who lost their goalie that night…know why? Palin. Yep, seems he tripped over the carpet that was laid out for her and her kids…and now has a hip injury. He says he doesn’t blame her but I bet he has a Voodoo doll at home that looks just like her (Hopefully it wont get mixed up with Tina Fey ).
Really, this has got to stop. Clearly teams are being punished for having her come out. How many more teams seasons will she ruin. Sarah Barracuda stop the insanity! Go back to Alaska and screw over your minor league and house league teams there!
So NHL teams, if you are stupid enough to have her come out, I hope one of your players is smart enough to cross checker down before she can drop the puck.
Speaking of Palin, I voted this weekend. All voting in my county is done via mail. It’s nice and convenient but I must say I do miss going and voting. I miss my little “I voted today” sticker. And I miss going to the fire station (which is where I had to vote in AZ). But I voted. And I want to once again remind you to do so as well….for whoever it is that you want. Heck you could even write in someone…or some fuzzy critters.

This weeks TWD pick ( by Clara of I Heart Food4Thought) was Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes, which I made into a cake. Well, half a cake. I used the Chocolate cupcake batter as well as basic white cake batter and swirled them together. I topped it with the chocolate glaze that was also the TWD pick. My only beef was that there was SOOOO not enough glaze. Hello Dorie, we people in the states love our frosting and glazes. I doubled it and could have easily made more. If you would like the recipe for the Chocolate-Chocolate Cupcakes go here. If you want the white cake recipe go here.

Yay! This weeks pick Caramel-Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake (chosen by Tammy of Wee Treats by Tammy) is one I have already made in the past. I actually planned on making it again since my hubby LOVED it when I made it the first time around but come to find out that my nagging cough I have had for a couple of weeks worsened and come to find out I have a bacteria infection in my lungs. Special. I know you are jealous and wish you had one too. Well too bad, I am saving this all for myself, the infection that is, you can have some of the cake.
If you have never made this cake I highly suggest that you make it. It is really gooey and good.
Since this is a fluff post I thought I would do a couple more of those Meme. The first one was on Cakespy in her sweet version of the 100. Let me just say, I sure do eat a lot of sugar.

1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!
2) Bold all of the sweets you’ve eaten!
3) Cross out any of them that you’d never ever eat.
4) Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your “To Do” List.

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
5. Beignet
6. Baklava
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar (also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie (sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah
15. Macarons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca “pearls”)
18. Dixie Cup I am assuming this is the ice cream
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream
28. Nanaimo bar
29. Baba au rhum
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie (made with real key lime)
37. Panna Cotta
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon / mille-fueille
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac biscuits
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch baby
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines
51. Gooey butter cake
52. Rusks
53. Daifuku
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop
56. Crème brûlée
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake)
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting It’s my husband’s birthday cake every year
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe
62. An “upside down” dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstashen thanks to Hannah, I saw on her blog and made some
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S’mores
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers
97. Sables
98. Millionaire’s Shortbread
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa

Holy Cow I eat a lot of sweets! I only haven’t eaten 5! Which of course, I will now have to eat.

The second one I am told was on Slashfood. But I missed it. I believe it is suppose to be American foods. It’s another fun kind of one that once again proves, I am a food whore.

By now you know the drill. Bold means I’ve tried it. Strike means I’d never try it.

1. New York pizza
2. Hoppin’ John
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso
6. Whole Maine lobster
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds
12. Key lime pie
13. Philly cheese steak
14. Memphis pork barbecue sandwich
15. Lowcountry boil
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo burger
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato
25. Thin Mints (preferably frozen)
26. Frito pie
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes
34. Candied yams
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed morels
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tso’s Chicken
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dog
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi
46. Saltwater taffy
47. Fluffernutter sandwich on Wonder Bread
48. Black and white cookie
49. Frybread
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sautéed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck one of the weird things I got talked into eating since they are found easily in the PNW
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell (especially Dairy Queen)
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimiento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola - summers in Steger, IL
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po’Boy
77. Green bean casserole with French’s fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin’
87. California rolls
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich (the Elvis)
91. Scrapple or livermush
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese with Tillamook sharp cheddar
100. Root beer float

I bet you were thinking I was going to miss this weeks Tuesday with Dorie. Almost did. Though it had nothing to do with procrastination. See, I bought the wrong kind of pumpkin. I went to grab the pumpkin puree, but instead I got the pumpkin pie puree. Ever have that happen to you? And I didn’t want to throw it away, I just didn’t know what I wanted to make with it.
This weeks, Tuesday with Dorie choice was Crème Brulee (chosen by Mari of Mevrouw Cupcake), I figured that this would be my chance to use up that pumpkin. I of course did an inspired by so that I could give you a recipe, so I made crème caramel, which is in the same family as crème brulee. This is where the almost missing TWD came in. See I have to make this recipe 3 times to get it right. I am just not used to working with the canned pumpkin pie, it is runnier than just pumpkin puree, and already has some sugar in it. So the first batch was super runny. The second batch I didn’t add sugar because I thought the pumpkin pie puree would have enough, wrong. And finally the third batch came out how I wanted it.
I will try and be more careful next time when I am picking out my pumpkin puree, but it is nice to know that I can still come up with something when I screw up and grab the wrong can.

*LFB Update: Monday was her big check up. She is doing well and it is looking like she will get to keep the eye. We truly wont know for about another 2 months, but things are moving in the right direction. Thanks for all the good thoughts.

Pumpkin Ginger Crème Caramel

2 TBSP  fresh ginger root, chopped
½  cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
¾  cup granulated sugar, divided
2½ TBSP water
2 large eggs
¾ cup canned pumpkin pie mix
1/8 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 325F.
Place the ginger root, milk and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Set aside to steep for 1 hour. Pour through a strainer and discard the ginger root solids.
While the ginger is steeping, prepare the ramekins. Place ½ cup of the sugar and the water in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar is caramelized, about 8 minutes. Pour into 8 clean, dry 5-ounce ramekins. Tilt the cups so that the bottoms are evenly covered. Set aside.
Place the eggs, pumpkin pie mix, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the cooled, strained milk and mix to combine. Pour the custard into the prepared molds. Place in a hot water bath and transfer to the oven.
Bake until the custards jiggle but do not ripple, about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature and place plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. Top with Ginger Whipped Cream ans serve.

Makes about 4-5 servings depending on the size of your ramekin.

Ginger Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 TBSP granulated sugar
3 TBSP Ginger Simple Syrup

With standing mixer with whisk attachment or electric hand mixer, beat cream. Start slowly, as cream thickens, turn the speed up. As it gets foamier, start checking for a soft peak. In a slow stream, add the ginger syrup and sugar.
Whip the mixture together until you get stiff peaks.

Ginger Simple Syrup

12 ounces fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 ½  cups sugar
1 ½  cups water

Directions
In a small saucepan, bring ginger, sugar, and water to a boil over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve, discarding ginger. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.
This makes far more than you need for this recipe, but can be used in a variety of ways…especially great in cocktails.