Pi Day, 2016: Area of a Cylinder Shropshire Fidget Pie

Pi Day, 2016: Area of a Cylinder Shropshire Fidget Pie
Well, it looks like the busy life of the Mom of a teen means I only post when it is SERIOUS – and, friends, if you’ve been here before, you know there is nothing I take more seriously than Pi day pies! This year’s pie is a “raised pie” – a British-style pie made to... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
March 14, 2016 at 9:30 am • 

Something is better than nothing - DIY "homeless kits"

Something is better than nothing - DIY "homeless kits"
I generally try to keep food in my car, if for no other reason than that I now parent an ever-emptying vortex that refuses to be photographed (Sparky is a full-blown teenager – there must be an event horizon just behind his epiglottis…) I typically kept small bags of peanuts, trail mix or granola and... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
January 22, 2016 at 9:30 am • 

Pi Day: Rosewater πstachio Reuleaux Triangle Hamantaschen

Pi Day: Rosewater πstachio Reuleaux Triangle Hamantaschen
I think sometimes, as people who live in privilege, we forget we are standing on the shoulders of our neighbors around the world. Case in point, the GOP’s intervention in our negotiations in Iran, written in a tone that implies the people of Iran are incapable of understanding the intricacies of government, much less the... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
March 13, 2015 at 10:37 pm • 
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Sundays with Sparky: BLAT Sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato)

Sundays with Sparky: BLAT Sandwich (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato)
If you’ve never put avocado on your BLT, I heartily recommend that you try.  You can even skip the mayo if you like (although Sparky prefers his with.) We also have a new way of cooking bacon: in water!  Adding a little water to the skillet helps the fat render out of the bacon, and... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
September 7, 2014 at 9:00 am • 

The Wayback Machine: Cake. No Lie (Portal II Black Forest Cake)

The Wayback Machine: Cake. No Lie (Portal II Black Forest Cake)
Sparky and his Dad are avid gamers, if late adopters – they just worked their way through Portal. I’d first heard about this video game on one of my very favorite blogs, Epbot (from the creators of Cake Wrecks, another blog so well worth reading that it’s a book, too – and one of Sparky’s favorites!)... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
August 31, 2014 at 8:59 am • 

Sundays with Sparky: Flaming S'more Cake

Sundays with Sparky: Flaming S'more Cake
This cake was sparked by a Portuguese cooking video: somehow I fell down an internet rabbit hole and landed on Bolo de Bolacha Maria (Maria cookie cake.) It’s described as Portugese Tiramisu, but since it is made with digestive biscuits, the first thing that came to mind were s’mores. I immediately began thinking about how to... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
August 24, 2014 at 9:00 am • 
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The Wayback Machine: @Bronxzooscobra Cake

The Wayback Machine: @Bronxzooscobra Cake
From way, way back in 2011, we bring you our most famous post ever: I don’t know if you followed the escape of the Bronx Zoo Cobra and its subsequent capture…but Sparky and I followed the cobra’s alleged Twitter Stream closely. We all have our favorite cobra tweets – Sparky’s is @BronxZoosCobra “Indiana Jones, why... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
August 17, 2014 at 9:00 am • 

Sundays with Sparky: Israeli Salad with Pasta and Feta

Sundays with Sparky: Israeli Salad with Pasta and Feta
This is one of those posts where a picture is worth 1,000 words, so I’ll just give you the ingredients and you can follow Sparky as he puts them together. Tomatoes Cucumbers (we like the Persian seedless kind) Shallot Parsley Salt Olive Oil Wine Vinegar Cooked Orzo pasta (about 1/4 cup per person) Feta cheese... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
August 10, 2014 at 9:00 am • 

The Wayback Machine: Sparky's Phenomenami Mac and Cheese

Thumbnail image for 'The Wayback Machine: Sparky's Phenomenami Mac and Cheese'
The video that started it all: Sparky’s own recipe for mac and cheese.  Hard to believe how long ago that was, and how tiny he was!
By QuipsTravails,
August 3, 2014 at 9:00 am • 
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Sundays With Sparky: Lemongrass Tofu Bánh Mi (Caramelized Tofu Hoagies)

Sundays With Sparky: Lemongrass Tofu Bánh Mi (Caramelized Tofu Hoagies)
Yes, yes, I know. Tofu is for other people: people who grew up with it, or people who put health before flavor, right? WRONG! I have to admit, I never liked tofu, even was a bit afraid of it… until Sparky ordered it at a local restaurant. I learned a lot from that dish, mainly... Read more »
By QuipsTravails,
July 27, 2014 at 9:00 am •