I have finally learned to operate the scanner component of the printer-scanner-copier that we have owned for four-plus years, thanks to some brotherly assistance. My options for blog illustrations have broadened exponentially. Here’s a sampling: Mr. Handsome at age 21.

Back then he had no idea how much empathy (in case you can’t see the writing, he’s wearing what is called “The Empathy Vest”) he would be required to muster up and dole out—at least he was enthusiastic about it!

Ever since I made those coconut brownies I’ve had to endure the several cups of the leftover chocolate glaze staring me in the face every time I opened the refrigerator door. Finally, following in the footsteps of Cookie Baker Lynn, I created myself some glake (cake made from glaze equals glake), though it maybe was more brownie than cake, in which case they should be called glownies. Or, we could put the two words together and call it glownake. Whatever the wordage, the end result was a dry brownie, not very noteworthy at all. Except for the icing.

I made a peanut butter frosting, courtesy of Deb, and it crowns the glake in such a way that you can forgive it (the glake, not the icing) for sucking all the moisture from your salivary glands.

I will not be making these clowning glownies again, but the icing is a keeper.

Ps. In keeping with this chocolate-peanut butter theme I have going, I’ll be making some chocolate-peanut butter eggs tonight, that is, as soon as Mr. Handsome gets home with the cream cheese (go ahead and forget the bacon, honey—just don’t you dare forget that creamy block of cheese) that I need for the filling (which is really quite similar to this frosting).

Peanut Butter Frosting
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen

I used natural peanut butter (with salt), and even though Deb says that it’s best to use commercial creamy peanut butter because the oil might separate out, I didn’t have any problems.

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2/3 cups peanut butter, creamy

Cream together the cream cheese and butter. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the peanut butter and blend till smooth.

Warning: Do not sample the icing at all because once you taste it you will plunge headlong down the slippery slope of gluttony and greed, and, as a result, you will not have any icing left with which to ice the cake. Which was the whole reason for making the frosting in the first place.

I don’t really like food blogs. They are kind of one-dimensional, know what I mean? The writers seem to all be grasping for nirvana, via the tastebuds.

Then again, those food writers might be the smarter members of the human race. We humans have gotta eat so we might as well pour our heart and soul into the never-ending task.

What’s that you say? This is a food blog? Oh. Well, right.

Right! Then that means I am one of the more intelligent people on our planet since I think it jolly good fun to whisk flour into melted butter, add tomato juice and milk, and then talk about it.

(Question: Can you call cooking an “art” if it’s something that you have to do anyway?)

Cream of Tomato Soup
Adapted from More-With-Less Cookbook by Doris Janzen Longacre

I didn’t can any tomato juice last year (and have regretted it many times over), so when I found a jar of juice hidden in the back corner of the hutch, I was delighted. I blanched at the date—‘04, so it was probably canned the summer after Sweetsie was born when the cousins from Oregon were visiting—but the seal was good, so I went ahead and made a pot of soup for dinner. There were no leftovers.

This is one of the kids favorite soups. It is smoothly creamy, making it the ideal soup to drink with a straw (when I’m feeling benevolent).

If you want to gussy it up a bit, you can saute some minced onion and garlic in the melted butter before adding the flour. And you can add other seasonings, too—basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, etc.

4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1-2 teaspoons salt
4 cups tomato juice
4 cups milk

Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan. After the butter has melted, add the flour, sugar, and salt, and stir to combine. Pour in the tomato juice—add the first cup of juice slowly, stirring steadily to mix it well with the roux. Bring the tomato juice to a boil, stirring constantly. Let it boil briefly, and then whisk in the milk. Heat through, taste to check seasonings, and serve.