This is what happens when you're too cheap to buy magazine subscriptions and thus are forced to browse through Bon Appetit at the library... You come across a recipe for a cranberry nut "pound" cake with an espresso glaze and want to back it. Then your grandpa asks you what you're baking and skools you that your recipe is not a pound cake recipe b/c "pound cakes have a pound of each ingredient which is why they're called POUND cakes." (Note this is not a direct quote as my PaPa is not that directly sarcastic but what he did actually say implied such sarcasm. I think he might have even chuckled and then said, "I don't know..." which is his catch all phrase for when he sees something he thinks is odd/doesn't agree with). Well, I made the "pound" cake anyways and I even bought four new mini-loaf pans to bake it in so I could give the gift of goodness away.

My grandpa ended up eating 2- so I guess he liked it. I saved one for myself and I sent the last one to my friend in D.C. She regularly let's me crash at her abode when I'm in town for personal reasons and it is always awesome b/c she's not afraid of good food + beer combos.

Yes! I promised to bring you a savory kitchen adventure and by George I've done it! This week was spring break for my mid-western university (I know, so early. Especially considering there's still snow on the ground.) so I had some free time. And by free time I mean... time to catch up on some reading from classes, have some minor panic attacks about how close the end of term is and... end up in the kitchen to sooth my soul (and tummy). Also b/c I was kinda sorta in almost full freak out mode I went to my safe space... my mom's house! Nothin' like a little time at the homestead to rejuvenate the mind. I ended up making a faux pot pie recipe from my fave celebrity cook Rachael Ray! I say faux b/c it uses puff pastry as the crust and not actual pie dough. I'd make the dish again but I'd definitely use pie dough as I feel it has the texture I prefer.

What I really like about this recipe is you can make the chowder base and freeze the pre-baked pot pies for a lazy day. To be more specific... you would fill the ramekins/mini-baking tins and seal the puff pastry/pie crust dough onto the vessel with an egg wash. Then you freeze the whole thing and pull it out and bake it to a nice golden brown when you're having just one of those days and trying not to take it personal.