I just downloaded (and am writing from) Stainless, the Chromey new browser for Leopard (thanks, Jack). I decided to try Flickr on it.

It automatically logged me in.

How did it know?

Also, either I really need to upgrade WordPress or Stainless doesn’t support it very well. I fear the former.

I never got around to making the cookies (though I still might some time soon), and now I don’t have time before we head to Nebraska to see Tyler and his sports team.  Actually Miles and I are going to visit Tyler at his workplace and then chill out at a bed and breakfast.  He and I are not big football fans.

Anyway, I wanted to make the cookies to bring on the trip, but since that didn’t happen, I’m going to make a batch of brownies instead.  These brownies are super-awesome.  Denny’s coworker brought us a pan of them after Miles was born, and they were so good I demanded the recipe.  Here ’tis.

I’m skipping the frosting recipe, because I made it once and it was gross.  The ones Denny’s coworker brought had some kind of glaze on them that was good, but I’m not sure about the recipe for that.

Super-rad Brownies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

I plan to double this for a 9×13 pan, because there would not be enough for 4 people with the original recipe.  My brother probably won’t eat any because he’s a health nut.  This is why he has like 1% body fat.  Oh well.

I want to make that New York Times cookie recipe that’s been going around.

It calls for 8.5 ounces cake flour and 8.5 ounces bread flour.  Cake flour is about 7% protein, and bread flour is about 13%.  All-purpose flour is around 11%.

Can anybody think of a good reason why I shouldn’t just use 17 oz of AP?  Is a 1% difference in protein really going to have a big impact?

…a low-profile rotisserie.

Growing up, I remember my dad had (has?) a free-standing electric rotisserie.  It was pretty bare-bones; the food item just rotated above an exposed heating element.  It made great food, though, and I especially remember how good it made the house smell.  I always wanted to chew the strings that he’d used to wrap the meat (kind of gross in retrospect, but they were soaked with roasty goodness).

Now when I search for “rotisserie” on cooking.com or where ever, I see lots of grill accessories and some free-standing toaster oven type thingies.  I’d rather not get an additional appliance to hog up space in my kitchen, and I don’t want one for the grill.  What I like about my dad’s is that it’s easy to stash when not in use.

An exposed heating element like that might be unsafe with a kiddo around (although my brother and I emerged unscathed), but I’m just researching options here.  Any great ideas?

Why do some fruits sound appetizing on ice cream and others don’t?

Good:

• Peaches
• Strawberries/raspberries/blueberries
• Cherries
• Pineapple

Bad:

• Apples (unless in pie form)
• Grapes
• Oranges (maybe mandarin oranges, but it’s still iffy)