Homecoming, cookies and an alcoholic-ish cupcake

This weekend was my first homecoming where I wasn't a student. I'm not sure it counts as homecoming, really, when I still live here, but whatever. I never realized how many people came back for the game, but it's actually a fairly big deal for some. My friend Megan came back from Chicago, and downtown was just packed with people. Thing is, we completely suck at football this year, so there didn't seem to be a point to go to the game. We've been outscored something crazy so far, like in the last three games: 159 from the other teams, 24 from KU. Apparently by the fourth quarter, there was hardly anyone in the stands. That's why I didn't go to begin with :) Is it basketball season yet? Anyway, by the time I move away, I hope we've improved at least a teeny bit so that I can enjoy coming back to Lawrence and going to the game.


I've had a fairly low-key week, baking-wise. My name was in the paper a little while ago, and for once it wasn't for a story I wrote. Every week the sports guys pick six games, and then have some silly question they answer too. For the K-State game, the question was what was their favorite cookie. One said chocolate chip cookies made by me and sports copy editor Nikki. I felt famous :) So I had to make some! Nothing glamorous, but I can tell that I've gotten better even at things as simple as chocolate chip cookies.


Then, I was going through Foodgawker and found mudslide cupcakes. It's been a while since I've seen a recipe on it and wanted to make it immediately, but these fit the bill. I sort of suck at following recipes, though, so I deviated from this a bit. I made Martha Stewart's devil's food cupcakes instead of the chocolate ones in this recipe...mainly because I forgot to buy coffee. When they were finished, I poked holes in them and soaked them in Kahlua. Then Kelly helped me with the icing, which was almost a disaster. It's based off egg whites and cooking them over a bowl of simmering water...point is, it can be tricky. And hot. But it came out yummy. The brown icing was chocolate Kahlua and the white was Bailey's. The alcohol didn't really come through, in the end. But I think people still liked them :)


Then, for some reason, I was craving a classic. These aren't the prettiest cookies you'll ever see. But they're something I made with my mom when I was younger and they are unbelievable, if you like butterscotch. And they're pretty much solid sugar. Where can you go wrong? :) I have no idea where this recipe came from, but they're super easy (and no-bake!).

Butterscotch Cookies
1 pkg. butterscotch chips
1 c. small marshmallows
½ c. peanut butter
small can chow mein noodles

Melt butterscotch chips over low heat. Add peanut butter. Stir. Add marshmallows. Stir together (fast). Add noodles (don’t use entire can) and stir.

So yeah, that easy. They get pretty hot and you have to form the cookies pretty quickly, so that's always a little interesting. Pop them in the fridge when you're done, and you've got a tasty cookie. Edit: I asked my mom where she got the recipe for these cookies. Turns out they're from her high school Spanish teacher in good ol' Claflin, Kansas (you don't know where that is...look it up)! Thought that was pretty cool. :)

That's all I've made this week, so nothing too out there. I've been lacking inspiration lately for what I want to make, so we'll see if this next week brings anything interesting. A last note, I wrote a story this week that I really enjoyed. It was about the restoration of a historic church in town. I did multimedia to go with it too, and it ended up on the front page. It's definitely one I will use as a clip at some point! And it's always nice when sources call and e-mail after the story runs to tell you it was good. That's what happened here. Yippee!