Move to Wordpress Complete!

Hello friends,

If you are reading this then that means this is my last post on Blogger with On Sugar Mountain

But the new site is up and running over at Wordpress! I'm still working on the Recipe Navigation but I will be posting normally now that the site redirect is working properly.

The URL is still www.onsugarmountain.com but in case you have been subscribing via RSS or by email, please re-subscribe either by going to the site or using this RSS feed url:

http://onsugarmountain.com/feed/

Hope to see you all next week! :)

Jess

URGENT: MOVING TO WORDPRESS!

Hello friends!

I cannot hold it in anymore: I have become a Wordpress-Convert. I will be moving this blog over to Wordpress TOMORROW afternoon!

Now do not worry: the URL will remain www.onsugarmountain.com but I need to ask a huge favor of all of you...

Will you please re-subscribe to my new RSS??

Please visit www.onsugarmountain.com THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING to check out the new site and subscribe via RSS or email.

OR head on over to my Facebook Page and "Like" On Sugar Mountain, and then you will be updated there with the information on the new site. :)

Please and Thank you!

I really hope you will all make the move with me over to WordPress; it's been an exciting journey so far and I'd love for my readers to join me as I take the next leap with my blog.

See you all on the other side!

~Jess

Power Restored: A Return to Normalcy

Hello friends,

It has been roughly a week since Hurricane Sandy tore through the Northeast, and it took until this past Sunday for my apartment to regain power. My heart goes out to all those affected and still struggling through the aftermath. My thoughts and prayers are with you and I hope you stay safe and warm.

I have to say though, that as devastating as the storm was, it showed me how people can come together as a community to help one another in times of crisis. First, a manager at a local Stop and Shop allowed me to charge my phone so that I could call my parents and let them know I was okay. I know that doesn't sound like much, but it meant everything to me to let my family know I was safe.

Then, after attempting to hold out at my apartment for three days without power, my boyfriend and I drove back to his parents' house in North Jersey. We showed up to a house full of candles, a warm wood-burning stove, and a hot meal. Neighbors were invited over to warm up, have a bite to eat, and even get in on a surprisingly relaxing game of charades.

So thank you, to everyone who helped me and my loved ones during this past week. You all made me feel loved and it meant the world to me.

Getting the apartment back into a normal state is still taking some time though, so the most I can do is show you the super cool candy corn cookies I made before the storm and then couldn't share with you after losing power (grumble):

and then share this recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread, which also managed to get baked before the storm, and helped me and my boyfriend through many a cold, dreary morning with nothing else to eat.

Hopefully I will be back later this week with a fresh batch of warm, homemade goodies to share with you all.

Wishing everyone the best,

Jess

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bread  
Via HowSweetEats

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chocolate chunks/chips



1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan with butter or cooking spray. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then add the buttermilk. Stir until just combined. Add in rest of flour mixture and stir until well incorporated, being sure to scrap down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Power Outages: Back to Blogging TBA

Hello friends,

NJ got hit pretty hard with Hurricane Sandy, and I am currently writing this post in a very busy dining hall at Rutgers University. I do not know how long it will take to get power back, so I will be back to blog as soon as I can.

Hope everyone is safe and okay.

Best,

Jess

Scream Cheese Swirl Brownies

OoooOoooOooooOooooOooooo!!

That was my lame interpretation of a ghost, or something spooky anyway.

Friends, we are SO close to Halloween!

In honor of one of my favorite holidays (Thanksgiving is still the favorite: it is, after all, focused on food) I am sharing with you some wonderfully spooky sweet treats you can whip up to share with your ghosts and goblins, your fiends and friends.

Today we shall start with a super simple recipe for Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies. Seriously, these are so easy I am thinking about adapting it for every color scheme I could ever need in my life. Valentine's swirl brownies, Christmas Swirl Brownies...Because who ever says no to a brownie??

No one.

At least no one I know. College students aren't typically known for being picky eaters. Free food equals friends for life.

But back to brownies!

I've included a couple of step-by-step pictures to help you in case you get lost, but the wonderful thing about this recipe is that it is so forgiving. The brownie recipe is one-bowl-wonderful and as long as you swirl your knife randomly through the brownie batter and cream cheese, you're bound to end up with a beautiful marble effect.

See? Nothing to it but to do it.

Mmmm...spooky and scrumptious.

I'll be back at the beginning of next week with a recipe that is slightly more involved, but will result in some adorably festive candy corn cookies.

See you then!

P.S. This last photo is from Instagram :O Finally getting the hang of it! 

Scream Cheese Swirl Brownies

Via Baked Perfection

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp warm water
1 tsp vinegar
2 egg, beaten
3/4 cup flour

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
orange food coloring (red and yellow)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter a 9x9 baking pan.
2. In a large bowl whisk (one by one) butter, sugar, cocoa powder, egg, and vinegar together, mixing well after each addition.
3. Gently stir in baking soda and flour until just combined. Pour all but 1/4 cup brownie batter into prepared pan.
4. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla, then add food coloring until desired shade is reached.
5. Gently pour cream cheese mixture over brownie batter in pan, covering the entire brownie layer. Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup of brownie batter randomly over the top of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Gently pull a knife or spatula through the layers, swirling to create a marbled effect.
7. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.