I've been a bad blogger of late. Now even my father has admonished me for my lack of posts, teasing me that all my readers were going to abandon me (including himself) unless I produced some pretty food and soon.
I explained that my lack of posting wasn't without reason. I am in good health and I've been trying to work in some kitchen time and turn out some pretty treats to post... only circumstanses haven't exactly been conducive to blogging.
Allow me to explain:
1. Let's start with the fact that my laptop currently looks something like this:
This state is due to my flinging it from my luggage at last week's conference. If there was such a thing as laptop discus throwing, I would have earned myself a gold medal. I had truly excellent distance and form.
Thankfully, my replacement is on the way.
2. I've had an unusually busy month. I have been traveling and I am leaving town once again to do volunteer work this week.
3. I'm adjusting to my new status as pregnant baking blogger. My time in the kitchen has been made complicated as the sight of softened butter now brings about waves of nausea. (Of all the possible things, why does it have to be THAT!) Not exactly a blessing for a person who often finds herself elbow deep in quanties of butter that would shock even Paula Dean.
Even thinking about butter now, as I write this, is risky. Infact, reading cookbooks is now suddenly something I do at my own peril. Where I used to find inspiration, I now find photos of evil puff pastry onion tarts that leave me heaving.
 |
| Don't look directly at the onion tart! |
4. I have been baking, it is just that the results have ALL been lousy, unfortunate looking food. Stuff that doesn't belong anywhere on the blog. Maybe it has something to do with the fatigue of early pregnancy, or the accompanying absent-mindedness that has resulted in one good sized kitchen fire and four broken dishes (that's just this week). Or perhaps, it is just hard to lovingly and carefully craft desserts that the sight of which make you want to hurl.
So that is what's going on at the Humble household, Dad (and everyone else).
Hopefully my baking luck changes tonight and I can get at least one set of blog worthy baking photos to take with me on my trip, but as I've botched no less than THREE desserts today, things are not looking very promising. So if we have yet another week of absentee Ms. Humble, I hope you'll bear with me.
I did borrow an annoyingly tiny netbook for while I am on the road, so I will at the very least be getting caught up on the backlog of emails, questions and comments.
I will be home again by Saturday and that will put an end to all my traveling for a while and I can sort out things in the kitchen and get back into my blogging groove.
Patience, I do have something fun lined up for when I get back into the kitchen.
Ms. H
oooh.... OUCHIE to the laptop... sorry that happened, Prenatal Discus Champion! :D
ReplyDeleteI'll do you a favor and take those tarts off your hands...
Not to worry. You're in my Reader, so I don't mind if you take a break. :-) Feel better soon -- but not too soon -- like, maybe, the end of your first trimester.
ReplyDeleteAww, feel better about butter soon! :) We'll still be here!
ReplyDeleteJulie @ Willow Bird Baking
Congratulations, Ms. H-- and even though you're having a bad day in the kitchen today, you still have far more good days than me!! Your onion tart still looked delicious to me :)
ReplyDeleteooouuuch! poor laptop :( looking forward to your posts :) I hope you have a great baking time in the kitchen
ReplyDeletepoor little laptop...and poor you with an aversion to butter! that would make me so sad! hope everything perks up soon!
ReplyDeleteI ruined every single baking attempt for the entirety of my recent pregnancy. I thought surely something must be wrong with the oven, but no, sure enough my baked goods went right back to normal when my stomach did. I don't know what it is about the large stomach that make cakes flop. I hope you have better luck than me!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the pregnancy!
Hugs and love to you, yours, and the proverbial bun in the oven. Cravings and aversions are a major pain.
ReplyDeleteI (and expect all your readers) will be here when things line up again.
-Jeremy
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on the news of a Baby Humble. Don't worry too much about your butter, sugar, flour baking woes, you're the real baking master now. This Bun in the Oven is definitely Masterclass. Pregnancy and childcare are so underrated.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Baking Fails, sometimes they're more fun to share. The Cake Wrecks blog, for example, is such a novelty and I still think the Bin Tarts from Mr. P's blog were classic. I'd definitely love to see your Baking Fails too so if you're ever short of material to blog...bring on the Fails. We'll still love you.
The occasional FAIL roundup would be pretty entertaining.
ReplyDeleteSome of them have been rather fail-tastic, like dishwater-gray POM cheesecake. It tasted great but I had a heck of a time getting anyone to eat it.
qedproof,
ReplyDeleteHa! That does not bode well.
Still I'm determined to get my grove back, or at the very least, stop starting kitchen fires. No one likes carbonized pumpkin cheesecake bread pudding.
Hello! I'd just like to ask, where do you get vintage illustrations such as what you used in this post: http://notsohumblepie.blogspot.com/2009/12/she-had-plan.html? I've tried looking around, but I couldn't find any similar ones. Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteI hate that you're having such a rough time, but on the bright side, today your post made my day brighter.
ReplyDeleteSo just in case you haven't heard this yet, you ROCK!
Thanks Ms. Humble.
Congratulations, Ms. Humble! :D
ReplyDeletecongrats on the pregnancy! hope you get your mojo back soon. feel better! :)
ReplyDeleteAww, your state is only too familiar. Best of luck with the fatigue and nausea, hope it wears off soon!
ReplyDeleteno worries!
ReplyDeleteyou virtual family is here waiting for your posts whenever you are up to them…feel better…we can bake from your archives…ok??
I was going to say take your time. But pumpkin cheesecake bread pudding? GET THAT RECIPE UP HERE!
ReplyDelete:)
Congratulations! What a great reason for not baking and posting much lately. (I mean the pregnancy. Not the laptop. Sorry to hear about THAT.) I remember how exhausting that first trimester is, especially when also chasing around kid #1. I don't blame you for taking it easy. We'll be here whenever you're back up to speed!
ReplyDeletePoor you about the laptop :( I think I would be uber depressed.
ReplyDeleteThat onion tart looks like a mouthfull of bad breath but HMMMMM HMMMM HMMMM delicious!
Congratulations on the pregnancy!! I totally feel you on that one, too - for the first 18 weeks of my current pregnancy, the thought of almost any food made me so nauseous that even just making three meals a day for my four year old was a challenge, much less thinking about making and photographing fun foods for the blog... Hopefully the laptop arrives soon and the food aversions subside quickly. And don't worry - we won't abandon you, no matter how long a break you need! :) <3
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Hope you're feeling better soon, and up to the task of pounds of butter. Should I even type that? I don't want to be responsible for any hurling (not even of the laptop sort). I also like the idea of the fail roundup!
ReplyDelete:)
I totally know how you feel, about 3 weeks ago I had serious computer failure and it took about 2 weeks just to get it fixed and move everything over to my new computer, no worries I will still read your blog :-) Hope everything goes well and congrats on the baby!
ReplyDeleteIt was the recent baby shower you baked for! The baby thing is contagious, you know! Like cooties from boys... if you get too close to one you can't wave them off! As for the flavor, I'll bet you have a pink one Ms. Humble; sugar, spice and everything nice! Congratulations!!! I am jealous, really, and will be eagerly awaiting your preggo-baker-blogger posts!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.babybenjaminburkhart.blogspot.com
Congrats on the bun in the oven, hope you're feeling better, soon. How about a very bland, but tricky recipe? BAGELS. I've tried twice, now, following the recipe as carefully as I can, and--confess!--each time they have turned out like proverbial discs for the Olympic discus toss. Any clues? Where I live, I can't get good bagels, and I miss them a lot. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh, I feel sorry for your laptop and your burning kitchen.
ReplyDeleteBut CONGRATULATIONS on the pregnancy! :D
Congratulations! Try sipping a little lemonade...It's an old southern remedy.
ReplyDeleteOh no!!! Sorry about the laptop and the butter aversion. That's the pits! Congrats on the pregnancy though!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think we'll probably be here when you get back so don't stress too much. And remember...it's your family's job to give you a hard time. ;-)
And I think that onion tart looks delicious! Sorry. :-(
Congrats on your pregnancy! And I hope first trimester goes quickly so that we can all enjoy your lovely recipes!
ReplyDeleteA slight blogging absence is well worth it for such happy news -- Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteit would be pretty funny to do a failed round up.. i'm sure everyone would enjoy and empathize. i had a massively horrendous foccacia failure a couple of weeks ago.. it was AWFUL..
ReplyDeleteanyway, congratulations again on the great news! and take care of yourself.. :)
I was concerned about you, so I'm glad to see you back.
ReplyDeleteThe fail round up WOULD be funny. I participate in one called "Muffed Target" in which we weekly show our shots that cause us to smack our heads. No more deleting photos! WOOT
This too shall pass and we'll be here. Hungry.
I KNEW you were pregnant!!! When you said you were being very uncoordinated around the kitchen and feeling ill (a while back and to be honest I haven't had time to read my fav blogs so maybe u mentioned it before this). CONGRATS!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW I'm sooo sorry about your laptop :( you're strong!! Glad to hear the new one is on it's way and take care of yourself!!
Perfectly reasonable excuses. All is forgiven.
ReplyDeleteI remember I couldn't even open Bon Appetit when I was pregnant. Lots f white carbs help. Especially the kind you don't bake yourself.
I hope this comment cheers you up - I made your tall chocolate cake for (Canadian) Thanksgiving this weekend and it was a hit! It was tasty and rich and perfectly chocolaty. Thank you for inspiring me to start baking again.
ReplyDelete(Also, an unsolicited suggestion - what about posting some advanced technique how-to's. Your explanation about how many minutes each step takes in the tall cakes was the first time I'd seen that and it was incredibly helpful! I know part of your appeal has been the beautiful photos you post, but your descriptions of how to do things have made me a better baker!)
Miriam
Hey Ms. Humble,
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, your tips on converting the lemon marscarpone tall cake to cupcakes panned out well - the combo of Martha's vanilla cake, filled with the lemon curd, topped with frosting and a slice of candied lemon won the grand prize in my work's cupcake challenge! I'll think of you while spending my Williams-Sonoma gift card prize :)
Michelle
ps - and congratulations!
awww we LOVE you. and you're not going to be preggers forever. so if being in the kitchen is frustrating, read a book! just don't worry about us. :)
ReplyDeleteI can relate to your computer problem, I did the same thing and spent the next two months using a peripheral monitor (because I was too cheap to replace the screen!)
ReplyDeleteHope the butter-inducing nausea passes soon!
Hello there!.. I'll be waiting too xD take your time.
ReplyDeleteby the way ..about your nausea with butter? lol it's funny (don't misunderstanding me!) :P
Poor Humbleputer. (S)he served his/her duty well. (S)he will be missed. *plays Taps*
ReplyDeleteAnd ouch on the butter-nausea. Maybe try butterless desserts? Meringues are always yummy!
Hello there! I've found your blog because of your Science Cookie Roundups, and I must say I'm amazed at all the science-cooking <3
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask you, if you could please give me the recipe of those AMAZING blood cells cookies you made (link: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WhPHUKwckUw/S-B4m2FRftI/AAAAAAAACiM/5BrXZGMQxVc/s1600/bloodcells.JPG ) because I wanted to make them for my histology class :).
Also, I'm planning to make a trilaminar embryo cake for my embryology class. I'll send you a photo for your next Science Cookie Roundup when it's done :P
Thank you in advance =)
Hope you can solve all those probs you're having lately ^^
Congratulations! It's too bad butter is your trigger. Hopefully that will go away once you're into the second trimester. I tried all the remedies for morning sickness and I found that none of them really worked except not letting yourself get too hungry. Best of luck.
ReplyDeleteI didn't cook at all for like 5 months when I got pregnant. And I ate at taco bell, mcdonalds, and subway. And pillsbury canned items. For some reason those were the only things that didn't sound disgusting.
ReplyDeleteWeird, right?
Aw, congratulations on the soon-to-be-on-the-way humble. We won't abandon you, promise!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the pregnancy. I wish you all the best and hope you start feeling better soon!
ReplyDeleteJust to let you know... You're missed. Come back soon.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. As a fellow pregnant lady, let me tell you that it's best just to avoid the things that make you feel sick. I lived off toast and chocolate biscuits for my first trimester, and spent an inordinate amount of time reading in the bath. The nausea started lifting at eight weeks and has been pretty much gone since 13 or 14 weeks. Now I'm even cooking again, and eating actual vegetables! Look after yourself, take a break and come back when you're ready.
ReplyDeleteWhen the sight of food doesn't upset you, you should really watch the movie, "Kings of Pastry"! Just saw it at a film festival last week and I think it's a documentary that is right up your alley. :)
ReplyDeleteDon't stress yourself; you have enough to worry about. The thought of getting sickened by b*tt*r is just tragic!
ReplyDeletepregnant? wow, congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteWe are not going to abandon you! come on!
Well this is more important than any cake you can bake, just try to feel better and relax. Cakes will come at some point. No need to get worried about it.
All the best from Barcelona
Marta
Congratulations on the pregnancy! And sorry about the computer trouble and nausea. Hope both problems will be solved soon... And don't worry about us - at least now we have time to catch up with all your recipes so far.
ReplyDeleteCheers from Zurich! :-)
We miss you Ms. Humble. Hope your computer gets fixed and you feel sprightly again. Life is crumbles without some notsohumblepie.
ReplyDeleteI was taking a gander at ThinkGeeks newly added items and I saw this http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/kitchen/e684/#tabs
ReplyDeleteThese look identical to the ones that you've had on your blog before. Are these made the same awesome people??
Congrats on your bun in the oven :)
ReplyDeletePut your feet up, bite into a lovely crisp apple and be pleased with yourself.
Congratulations! Hope you feel better soon! I didn't have a trigger when I was pregnant with my first... other than apparently the time. Like clockwork around 3 in the afternoon I'd get nauseous and it was downhill the rest of the day from there. Out of desperation I tried those "seabands" they're like little headbands that go around your rist and have a plastic button that presses into some pressure point on wrist. I was skeptical but desperate, and they seemed to help!
ReplyDeleteMiss you...your humour, your receipes, your ideas, your photos! Hope everything is ok. with you and the baby.
ReplyDeleteMs. Humble, it's been such a long time since we've heard from you! Please let us know you're OK!
ReplyDeleteWe miss you Ms. Humble!!!!
ReplyDeleteHope you'll come back soon
Feel well!
I hope you are back to blogging soon. I really miss reading it. My best to you from Michigan.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on baby Humble! I just know you're going to neglect us now - with good cause! :) I'll just have to busy myself with making all your recipes that I haven't tried. Or I can keep trying to master those darned macarons...
ReplyDeleteHey Mrs. Humble- hope the lil peanut is taking it easy on you, we miss you though! Hopefully with the onset of the 2nd trimester the nausea will let up for you and you'll feel up to sharing your lovely goodies with us again. Until then, rest up and play with your adorable little girl!
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much I love this blog. It's always inspiring, and I share your love for not only good, but good looking food. Thank you for putting this out there, it's re-energized my cooking lasers. :) And hello from a fellow science nerd as well!
ReplyDeletesending happy thoughts you're way. take your time and don't worry. the butter (and your readers) will be here when you're ready :)
ReplyDeleteThinking of you Ms H, and we'll be here, waiting, when you get back!
ReplyDeleteCome back!! I miss your blog ohhhh so much. Hope you've been feeling OK.
ReplyDeleteJust discovered your post right around the time of your last posting. Love the pictures & recipes you do!! Please hurry back & post more!
ReplyDeleteHope you and the humble bump are doing well, Miss Humble. Hopefully you're nearing the end of the first trimester, that should probably help you ease out the nausea and fatigue. Clearly, we all miss you :)
ReplyDeleteEverything ok? Miss you!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great Thanksgiving, cooked by someone else!
ReplyDeleteWe miss you Ms. Humble. Hope all is well with you and your family. We will trudge through this Thanksgiving Holiday with all the wonderful archived recipes you have provided us in the past. Best regards, John Sphar
ReplyDeleteWhat pepperboy said. I hope you're feeling better : )
ReplyDeleteMiss you. I hope the nausea fades. I agree with pepperboy!
ReplyDeleteMissing your blog more and more and now it's almost christmas!
ReplyDeleteHope all is well in the humble household, love from snowy England
congrats on le bebe! im on your site looking for a choc fudge recipe... off to search!
ReplyDeleteStill checking in... wishing you the best of everything this busy baking season!
ReplyDeleteHey Ms Humble,
ReplyDeletejust wanted to see if you were okay, we miss you!
Hoping everything's going okay with little bub on the way and the rest of your family :)
Sending good vibes from Australia.. :)
Laurin