It has been a long while since I last visited this space and while I have missed it I’m not going to use this post to apologize for my absence. Instead I’m going to introduce you to the reason I’ve been otherwise occupied.
Meet Finnick.
He arrived in July and has been pretty much the best baby a pair of new parents could have hoped for. He was a big guy from the start – we joked he would come out a toddler – which I think helped with all the big hurdles like eating, sleeping and, well, growing making it an easier transition for us form a family of two to a family of three. He is also the sweetest, giggliest and freakishly strong babies I’ve known so he is a lot of fun to hang out and be silly with, by far my current most favorite activity.
That being said, it has still been a gigantic shift in priorities, perspective and balance that has taken a long time for me to adapt to, and I still don’t feel in 100% there yet. But with the New Year and the single resolution to make time for what I enjoy I have decided to start carving time out for this; writing with purpose.
In the nearly 6 years that this blog has been around its focus has, over time, evolved from a music blog to a food and music blog – a pretty accurate parallel to the things I find myself thinking about the most. So along with that tradition of change I will be including some more general life focused content. I’m not talking full on mama blogging, but definitely a mix of what I’m listening to, what I’m eating (and what I’m feeding Finn) and what it’s like to be working full time while trying to raise a kid in Brooklyn.
Now I don’t want to leave you without a little something to enjoy so here is a recipe for an extravagant take on a kid snack classic that ended up being one of the most popular holiday gifts I gave this year. It’s a salty sweet treat that comes together super fast and employs one of the guiltiest pleasures to hit the US in a long while; Biscoff spread, a peanut butter like spread made from pulverized sweet biscuits. It’s dangerous so be warned about bringing it into your home.
Boueux Bopain Mélange
(aka. very fancy muddy buddy mix)9 Cups Rice Chex cereal
1 ¼ Cups Dark chocolate chips, I use Guittard
½ Cup Biscoff spread
¼ Cup Butter, melted
1 ½ Cups Powdered sugar
2-3 tsp Flaked sea salt, I use Maldon*
Directions:
1. Pour the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the chocolate chips, Biscoff spread and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 1 minute. Stir to combine things a bit then zap it for another 30 seconds and stir until the mixture becomes smooth.
3. Pour the chocolate mix over the cereal and stir until the Chex are pretty well coated then pour into a 2 gallon zip lock bag.
4. Into the bag goes the powdered sugar and the salt – use as much salt as meets your fancy. I’m a big fan of salty sweet so I went with the 3 teaspoons. Then seal the bag and give is a lengthy shake to allow the sugar and salt to cover the chocolaty cereal mix.
5. Open the bag and do your best not to eat it all immediately.