Inept flirting or subtle harassment? You decide.

My letter to the folks at the Dunkin' Donuts corporate office:

No cream, sugar or harassment with my coffee, thanks. As I was leaving your Clifon store today, one of your adult male employees said "you should stop back in so I can get a piece of your donut". Since I was neither selling nor offering donuts and it was in fact the other way around, I'm pretty sure he was referring to my posterior or a comparable body part. Formidable though it is, that's neither here nor there and the attention was EXTREMELY unappreciated. I enjoy Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but will never visit that location again. Considering there's a Starbucks on every corner here in the midwest it won't be that difficult. Also, Ew. It was not only offensive to me as a customer but I'm guessing that this male has made similar comments to your young female employees (one of whom was standing right there) in the past and I won't be supporting a company that allows that kind of behavior.

I look forward to your response.

To the sevens of people who read my blog, please join me in abstaining from visting Dunkin' Donuts. Or at the very least please don't go to the Clifton location. Unless you enjoy hilarious but offensive comments about various body parts.

Tomato Basil Quiche

My mom always used to serve breakfast-type items for supper -- Belgian waffles, Swedish pancakes (Oo, how ethnic) -- when we were growing up, so I could eat breakfast for dinner every night of the week if I had my druthers.



Modified from Liz's Cooking Blog

Ingredients:

2 medium or 1 large tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 leaves of fresh basil, torn if large
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk (I used skim to keep it on the lighter side)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the garlic. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange the onion on top of the cheese. Arrange the tomato in a single layer on top of the onion. Distribute the basil on top of the tomato and in the crevices between the rounds. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture on top.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the milk and pepper and beat well. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pie shell.

Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the quiche is browned to your liking.

Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini bread is delicious enough, but adding chocolate to it? Yum. I upped the chip content in these to make them even more dessert-like.


As usual, my photo doesn't really do these justice

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Time: 30 min. prep; 30 minutes (50-60 min. for bread)
Yields: 24 muffins (or 2 loaves of bread)

Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup olive or vegetable oil (I used vegetable oil)
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional: I omitted these)
- 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (I used chocolate only--seems like otherwise there'd be too much going on, and since I'm a supertaster I enjoy simpler fare)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Or, grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans (grease liberally).
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using. Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
- Bake muffins for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Loaves take a little longer -- about 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Source: Little Ms Foodie / Smitten Kitchen

SMRT

I discovered some newspapers stashed in the back of my car last night. When my brother and I went on our road trip a few weeks back, we attempted the Friday New York Times crossword puzzle. This is how far we got:


To his credit, he was concentrating on driving. As for me, I have no plausible excuse.

In order to make ourselves feel better, we picked up the Ashland Times-Gazette.



Phew.

Choc Chip Cookie Casserole

I took this casserole/these bars to a labor day fireworks party this weekend, and it/they was/were great for nibbling in between Rock Band songs.

Recipe via Sherri's blog.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. Flour
1 t. soda
3/4 t. salt
1 c. oil
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:

Combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

In bowl mix together oil and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix in 3/4 c. of chocolate chips.

Spread into 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c. chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes or until light golden brown.