What mamacita is ...


Martha's Cardamom Streusel Coffee Cake. I used white cardamom pods from Penzey's. I almost stopped at that step in the recipe -- right there in the store -- because the cardamom did not smell AT ALL like I expected it to (it smelled vaguely like a household cleaner).

But I proceeded; I had to toast the pods (18 of them) and grind them and put them through a sieve. Now that might immediately turn you off of the recipe -- I'm usually out at the mention of a sieve -- put that was really the only pain-in-the-ass step. The cake turned out well enough, which is to say that I liked it, but I don't know if everyone will. It was a subtle flavor -- no "Death By Cardamom!" here. I will probably make it again (not least because I have a whole jar of cardamom pods to get through).


We took the kiddos on Saturday, and had a good time. Just in case my status as a nerd was ever in question. The RenFest may be the exception to the Hal Rubinstein maxim that "Nothing is fun for the whole family unless the parents are under 10."

Watching

So damn funny, even though I was sure it wouldn't be. Good for: people who like to laugh. Not good for: sensitive Jews; sensitive African-Americans; sensitive retards; sensitive people with GI distress; John McCain.

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