PBJ bars

Last night I was looking through my Barefoot Contessa cookbook and decided to make Peanut Butter & Jelly bars. Creaming butter and adding peanut butter (creaming peanut butter?) is something I've never done before and it gives you this beautiful butterscotch color that browns into a caramel in the oven. The end product is dense and wet. If blondies a pbj came together, this would be their lovechild. What's great about these are that theyre sweet but the peanut topping is salty so that there is a lovely contrast.


I used strawberry jam for mine but I think raspberry would do even better.

ps: eating these in portions greater than two-inch squares at a time may result in death.

Borba and Bakery

Sorry folks, for being MIA
I am pretty bad about making posts during the school year at my home campus.
I'm on my winter break as of now and I will spend the spring semester in Tokyo so you can expect blogs of my Japan food adventures. ^^

I recently took a trip to Saks 5th in the city (jerseyspeak for ny) where I stumbled across... this.

Borba is a facial skincare line with creams and gels and now, this, vitamin waters in trendy flavors like acai berry which is the new celebrity weightloss food icon. There was a little refridgerator with these zero calorie drinks in four to five flavors and even gummies which promise healthier skin.
I seriously doubt their potency but I bought a few anyway. The bottles are reusable and very pretty.



The same day, the rockefeller center magnolia did not have a two-mile line wrapped around the block *gasps* probably because it was the day after christmas and tourists kept the crowd concentrated near the tree and other displays. Anyway, magnolia's cupcakes are just as good, even without the sixty minute wait. I got myself doublechocolate and buttercream cupcakes but be sure to try the banana pudding--excellent reviews.