And then just like that it’s over. Over are the twinkling lights, the boxes with pretty bows, the family snuggles. Gone just like that. We took down our Christmas tree this week, which always makes Isaac a little sentimental about the previous year. After hauling our six foot tree down two flights of stairs and sweeping up a huge trail of old brown pine needles, we snuggled on the couch and talked about the year behind us, the year ahead. To which we both squilled in excitement for the arrival of our daughter Paige in just a few short months:
I love the New Year, excited to clean, simplify, and purge. (Hence the new blog format. Don’t get used to it. It was a pull the trigger kinda move. It will probably continue to morph. I am not diggin’ the orange font color.) Add to the fact that this year I’m supposedly in a nesting phase, this apartment better watch out. As you know we live in a small 2 bedroom apartment in San Francisco. Recently I’ve been working on moving the office into our room to make room the baby. Each room we decided, will have to serve double duty, our room plus space for an office, and the baby room will also function as a guest room. This week also marked the first purchase for her room:
With the New Year comes the all familiar normalcy of the everyday. The routine of bills, piles of laundry, rainy walks, crowded bus rides and taking out the trash. Out with the glitz and glamour of Christmas parties with open bars and sequined dressed women, now to the sweet comfort of life. This return to normalcy brings with it simple weeknight dinners and even simpler breakfasts of cold cereal and juice.
Instead of being creative about hunting down new recipes, I pulled this out from my recipe book and it was all very familiar. In a good worn in comfortable sweater kind of way. This crumb cake has become staple at our house and it does not disappoint. Eat it for breakfast with a big bowl of fruit or have it as a late afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. Or like me nibble a little crumb here or there throughout the day.
New York Crumb Cake
Recipe from Martha Stewart
- 2 T canola oil, plus more for pan
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 t baking powder
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Heat oven to 325. Lightly brush a 9-by-12 1/2-inch baking pan with canola oil, dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. (It will not seem like a lot of batter, but trust me it rises.) In a medium bowl, combine remaining 2 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Sprinkle crumbs over batter. Transfer pan to oven, and bake, rotating pan after 10 minutes. Continue baking until a cake tester comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
Images: sammyw
Sammyw 