LydMc

Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles It's officially fall now, and we all know what that means. Cozy socks, long sleeves, rainy days and of course, pumpkin-flavored everything. From pancakes to lattes, M&Ms to marshmallows, 'tis the season for pumpkin spice.  With that in mind, I decided it was time to spice up one of my favorites, too. If snickerdoodles are already so yummy, why not try... pumpkindoodles?!  But, before getting crazy with the pumpkin, let's start with the basic Snickerdoodle recipe.  Melt-in-your-mouth snickerdoodles... teehee! The recipe I use already has a slight twist on run-of-the-mill snickerdoodle since most recipes call for shortening, but I steadfastly choose butter. As I mentioned in the  π r Delicious: Pi Pies   blog, I'm not a fan of hydrogenation and instead find ways to substitute more natural ingredients. If I'm going to eat junk food, it's going to be natural junk food!                                               

Doc(tor Who) Pile! Just the other night, my friends and I had ourselves a good old fashioned sewing bee... with a nerdy twist. No quilts or costumes this time, but Rice Children, the adorable little bean bags with personality. Beyond filling your cuteness quota, these rice-filled cuties can also be popped into the freezer or microwave to comfort your aches or warm your fingers, just like any rice bag. Thanks to their utter adorableness, they just might also warm your heart (or hearts if you're a Timelord). Children of the Rice The pattern for the basic rice child is super simple: two vaguely butterfly-shaped pieces of fabric for the body (front and back) and two stemmed circles for the head (one face, one hair). Extra pieces could be included at your whim for hair, ears, tail, etc. but that's really about it. The adipose seen above are even simpler, but we'll get to that later. Pika Pieces Using this Pikachu-in-progress as an example, you can see the but

Yellow Sports Car!! One of the best things about getting a new car is picking out its name. New or used, a good name can give any car character for all your adventures to come. While not everybody bothers to dub their vehicle, it's really quite simple. Got a bright blue car? Call it the Tardis. Have a Mercury? Name it Freddie. A bright yellow sports car as seen above? Mine! Well, not yet, but I can enjoy what I've got in the meantime. Ninja Yellow Sports Car! When I first came into this shiny, black coupe, it had already had a few adventures of its own, and a few dents to prove it. It was a sporty little thing, complete with spoiler, sunroof, snazzy rims, darkened windows and a general aura of awesomeness, and it didn't take long for me to realize the proper name for this super car. Da na na na na na na na... Batmobile! That's right, the BATMOBILE. Indeed, the title took so well that my brother even gave me a large, stuffed Batman to be the car's

I've seen it both ways. Every once in a while, it's time for a good old-fashioned TV series  marathon. Whether one season or seven,  no media marathon is complete without snacks, themed snacks especially. Itching for another excuse to try my hand at nerd food, I was ready to host. T he inspiration for this media mania? None other than the USA Network hit - PSYCH ! I'm such a Psych  fan, I majored in it! You heard it, pineapple heads, Psych is in the house. This awesome comedy starring Shawn and Gus (James Roday and Dul é  Hill) follows a fake psychic and real pharmaceutical salesman crime-fighting duo through countless misadventures. Filled with witty dialogue, silly aliases and classic 80's movies references, this show is seven seasons strong and growing.  As for snacks, the possibilities for Psych themed nerd food are endless thanks to Shawn and Gus' inordinate love of food in the show. From jerk chicken to muffins, Quatro Queso Dos Fritos to the i

Algorithmic! Have you ever wanted a tasty salad, but had no idea what to put in it besides just lettuce and tomatoes? Have you ever had a great idea, but not the ingredients, nor the drive to go to the store to get them? If so, this one's for you.  By following a simple algorithm for choosing five ingredients, you're minutes away from a fresh, delightful delicacy no matter the goods in your groceries! Without further ado, the Salad Algorithm: Green + Fruit + Nut + Cheese + Onion = SALAD Believe it or not, this works. I discovered it myself when attempting to make one of my all time favorite salads (the Strawberry Spinach Salad) for my family in Germany. The only thing was, we didn't have most of the ingredients.  Luckily, we're a clever bunch and we started doing what any clever, hungry people would do in such a situation - substitute! Feldsalat for spinach, a fancy French cheese for Monterey Jack, white onions for green... you get the picture.  T