Buck B. posted an article on Buck's Ghosts and Hauntings - Feb 1, 2012, 10:35 am
bucks ghosts
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jan 20, 2012, 8:15 pm
... I love about Arizona is the sky. From the impossibly turquoise blue ... set over the distant mountains the sky became an incredible palette of ... when frosted with a wonderfully thick vanilla frosting appear to be little ... and iced with a fluffy vanilla icing. ... ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Jan 20, 2012, 11:03 am
Over the time I've had a Facebook account I've often wondered whether the whole "social media" circus was worth the trouble and strife it causes. A couple years ago I even deleted my Facebook account and started a whole new one because over time I'd picked up dozens of people who did little but get ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jan 12, 2012, 2:26 am
Sometimes you need a little pick-me-up. The past couple weeks have certainly made me want a pick-me-up! First, Michael brought home a nasty cold (which I'm pretty sure was some strain of flu). He was sick for several days. In the midst of that Lady Snow developed some sort of intestinal ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Dec 28, 2011, 6:33 am
Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy New Year to everyone! We had a lovely little holiday here at Sugar Pies. I got a new Kindle e-reader which I'm coming to love. I honestly never thought I'd join the e-book trend because of my love of paper books. However, after just a few ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Dec 11, 2011, 12:40 am
It seems like forever since I posted anything! Normally, this time of year I'm knee deep in baking for the holidays. Unfortunately, events have transpired to put a hitch in my holiday baking plans. The day after Thanksgiving Michael wasn't feeling well. Actually, he hadn't been fee...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Nov 18, 2011, 6:00 pm
Imagine for a moment a cookie made with no spices that relies on its flavor from butter and butter alone. What do you think it might taste like? Perhaps those butter cookies so popular around the holidays? Something like shortbread, maybe? What if I told you it elements of caramel ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Nov 8, 2011, 7:31 pm
The weather has changed here in the desert. A cool Sunday with rain late in the evening has given way to temps in the 50's during the day and in the 30's at night. Although we're supposed to warm up in the 60's or low 70's by the end of the week, the beginning of the week has been a chil...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 30, 2011, 6:04 pm
... With a few apples still left from my various apple dishes since our trip to the ... disdain have been endless, from a scene in My Cousin Vinny to friends who have acted shocked when told grits are just ground corn ... a rube. I swear, food trends leave me shaking my head sometimes. &#...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 24, 2011, 4:28 pm
"Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack. I don't care if I ever get back!" Who doesn't know those lines from the old song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Right now the peanuts and Cracker Jack seem very appropriate with the World Series in full swing and most people associate that delightfu...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 23, 2011, 8:45 pm
I'll admit that in all the years I was groomed to teach history I never really got the French Revolution. Sure, on some intellectual level I understood the forces involved in the greatest upheaval of European society in the history of the world. But, I didn't "get"all the violence. After...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 22, 2011, 6:43 pm
I don't know what inspired me to go out and get some canning supplies. Maybe it was all those little jars of preserves I saw the other week at the apple orchard that were selling for upwards of $7 a jar. Maybe it was all the junk and chemicals in every jar of salsa, jam, or jelly in the ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 17, 2011, 3:34 am
As a British Officer at Ninety Six National Historic Site in South Carolina. When I did living history many years ago I was always either a British soldier/officer or, in my civilian role, a dedicated Loyalist. This may seem strange and I was one of the very few civilian interpreters to don the...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 17, 2011, 3:17 am
If there is one group of people who can irk me to no end it would be the perpetually upbeat civic booster. You know the type. Wherever they live is the greatest place that has ever existed in the entire spectrum of human history!!! (Exclamation points are theirs.) They're the kind ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 16, 2011, 7:08 pm
One of the perqs of being a moderately (minimally?) successful food blogger is receiving the occasional cookbook to review. Earlier this week I opened the mailbox to find a copy of Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story by Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero and published by Andre...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 11, 2011, 8:36 pm
Or to be more precise, Apfel Kuchen. This happens to be one of those desserts that has been adapted so often that it's hard to figure out what the original version might be. I've seen versions that are true cakes. I've seen versions that are tarts. I've seen versions that are pies. I've seen version...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 11, 2011, 5:08 am
Today is National Coming Out Day in the USA. If you're in the U.K. please wait until tomorrow to come out. (Don't ask me why they're a day later.) Regardless, I can remember when this all begin it was sort of a big deal. October 11 was a big day for "the talk." I don't think it's quite so fraught wi...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 8, 2011, 7:57 am
I swear, if I have to read one more "news" story, watch one more local reporter broadcast from an Apple Store, or hear one more pundit compare Steve Jobs to Edison, I'm going to scream. I get it, he's a popular guy. I get it, he's as rich as god. I get it, his gadgets are super trendy and cool...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 7, 2011, 3:47 am
Apple Annie's Orchard in Willcox, AZFall fell on Tucson in a big way. Sometimes it seems we have two seasons: Summer and Winter. It's either 100 degrees out and dry as a bone or it's chilly and damp! Today turned out to be the latter in Tucson. I've been wanting to make a run down to Apple Ann...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 7, 2011, 3:42 am
Apple Annie's Orchard in Willcox, AZFall fell on Tucson in a big way. Sometimes it seems we have two seasons: Summer and Winter. It's either 100 degrees out and dry as a bone or it's chilly and damp! Today turned out to be the latter in Tucson. I've been wanting to make a run down to Apple Ann...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 4, 2011, 9:09 pm
A few weeks after my liver transplant a study came out that linked High Fructose Corn Syrup which is used in nearly everything these days to liver damage and disease. It seemed that the HFCS in sodas, candy, fruit juices and other things labeled "healthy" was doing as big a number on the liver as gu...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Oct 3, 2011, 9:31 am
I don't really have a central theme for this post. For some reason I've been very out of sorts the past week or so and as a result my normal level of ennui about humans has become more irritation. It might be the fact that I hit my first diet plateau after only 18 pounds. It might be the stress from...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Oct 2, 2011, 5:59 am
... a Frenchman it was "quelle horreur!" The French only used potatoes for ... on nutrition he remembered eating the potatoes and suggested they might ... a prize in 1772 and the French medical establishment declared potatoes ... loosely from Julia Child, features the traditional leeks. I've fou...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Sep 25, 2011, 3:30 am
It has been one of those weeks around here. Michael came home with yet another cold/upper respiratory infection. He was feeling so bad on Friday he actually canceled students. That's something he very, very rarely does. So, since he had to work all day today I decided to make him something sp...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Sep 23, 2011, 4:34 am
Recently, I discovered a new cooking show I enjoy immensely. It's French Food at Home with Laura Calder and was originally produced by Food Network Canada. It's now made its way to the Cooking Channel here in America. I've really enjoyed Calder's take on French cuisine and particularly her us...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Sep 10, 2011, 2:34 am
I should probably subtitle this: "Or does Laura Linney still think it's 1976 in San Francisco?" I know, Laura Linney has nothing to do with the writing or production of the Showtime series, The Big C, but it still strikes me as weird that the gays on the show and gay culture on the show seems ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Sep 9, 2011, 7:01 am
Beer brats on french rolls, Confetti Corn, extra brats and Homemade Potato Chips with Wisconsin Chedder and Parmesan Cheese.We're geared up for another season of Packers' football here at Sugar Pies. You might wonder why a southerner is such a Packer fan. Wouldn't it be more appropriate to fol...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Sep 8, 2011, 4:48 pm
I've been eating some high fiber granola bars lately because I was shocked to see how little fiber I was actually getting in my diet. But looking at the ingredients list in my bars I saw far too many unknown chemicals. So, I wondered, could I make some homemade chewy granola bars that only included ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Sep 5, 2011, 4:23 am
Earlier this week Michael had a really bad cold so I decided to make him some homemade chicken noodle soup (recipe forthcoming). As part of that I had to get some chicken breasts and roast them. Of course, in today's convenience world you can't walk up to the butcher in the grocery store and buy a c...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Sep 5, 2011, 3:53 am
I know I'm on a smoothie kick, but bear with me. It's been hot here in Arizona, as if that is a surprise. But on top of being hot it appears our North American Monsoon is fizzling out. It's been a week or so since had any significant rainfall and the nighttime temps are in the upper 80's and 90's to...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Sep 3, 2011, 4:49 pm
The cast of HawthoRNeI'll admit to a guilty pleasure. Despite the horrid acting and writing I got hooked on HawthoRNe, the Jada Pinkett-Smith vehicle on TNT. It's hard to explain why I first started watching. Perhaps it was summer and there just weren't enough quality shows on. Perhaps catching it ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Sep 1, 2011, 5:34 am
A cold Strawberry-Banana Smoothie is perfect for a hot Arizona afternoon!Michael always seems to be bringing home things from work. Unfortunately, they always seem to be colds or flu. This week has been no different. He's been sniffling and sneezing for the past few days. He seems to be sleepi...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Aug 31, 2011, 9:07 pm
You might be thinking I've abandoned you. I promise I haven't. But, I have been having to moderate my baking quite a bit. A couple weeks ago I looked around and decided I had to do something to lose some weight and become more active. At 45 I had allowed my bone issues and other health issues...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Aug 28, 2011, 6:10 pm
To help with my weight loss I've been using a site called Calorie Count. It's sponsored by About.com and in the interest of full disclosure I used to work for them many years ago when they were first starting out and before they became basically an ad server for the New York Times company. Of ...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Aug 28, 2011, 7:30 am
My grandmother never asked someone if they were dieting. She would always say "Are you trying to reduce, dear?" Somehow that seems more genteel than asking someone if they are on a diet or are "trying to lose weight." Reduce. I've decided to try to reduce. When your ass and belly don't fit in the sa...
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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Aug 28, 2011, 7:28 am

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Buck B. posted an article on Southeast to Southwest - Aug 27, 2011, 9:13 pm
It's been awhile since I posted anything on here. In fact, it looks like a little over 9 months. There's a few reasons for that. First, this had turned into a political blog of sorts and I was bored with all that. I'd started a food blog back in 2009 that actually has been somewhat successful. So, I...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Aug 13, 2011, 7:57 pm
For the past few days I've been experimenting with some recipes. The first one I tried out was for a lemon cookie topped with meringue. This wasn't my recipe but one suggested from one of those recipe sites. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. I liked the cookie itself with its big bit of lemon flavor. Th...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Aug 6, 2011, 11:38 am
What do you get when you combine a vanilla angel food cake with an orange sponge cake? Daisy Marble Cake. This delightful cake features a wonderful vanilla angel food cake swirled with an orange sponge cake. The flavors are wonderfully delicate and the texture is very light an airy. This real...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Aug 5, 2011, 5:48 am
<a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/hgn.foodieblog/;campaign=dannonfrench;sz=250x215;ord=[timestamp]?"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/hgn.foodieblog/;campaign=dannon...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 30, 2011, 7:25 pm
I really had hoped to have two recipes up this week. The first was going to be for a strawberry marble cake. The concept was good and the result wasn't horrible but the recipe I used for the cake didn't thrill me. It was an unusual pound cake style recipe from the Culinary Institute of America (of a...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 23, 2011, 3:59 am
 I found these cool little baskets perfect for the chips for $3 at Wal-Mart.It's weird how regional some things can be. Back in South Carolina the preferred accompaniment to wings at Buffalo Wing joints is a thing called Raw Fries. I have no clue how they came up with that name because basically th...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 22, 2011, 5:28 pm
I love Walker's Scottish Shortbread. Most people think of this delicious treat during the holiday season but I love it all year long. Shortbread is one of the simplest recipes you'll find. It consists of three basic ingredients: sugar, butter, and flour. Of course, getting shortbread at home that is...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 18, 2011, 8:04 pm
I love chewy brownies. I also love white chocolate. The two together are wonderful, in my opinion so I decided to add some white chocolate to a favorite old fashioned chewy brownie recipe and see what happened. I actually got this idea from Paula Deen's "Symphony Brownies" which takes a brown...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 12, 2011, 3:45 am
One of my favorite "quick" recipes are the Sugar Donut Muffins I did not long after starting Sugar Pies. I've always loved cinnamon sugar doughnuts and those were just so yummy and delicious. Recently, I was watching a rerun of a Martha Stewart show called Martha Bakes. Honestly, I had no ide...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 11, 2011, 3:15 am
One of my favorite flavor combinations is orange and chocolate. There's just something about those two working in tandem that sends me into flights of ecstasy. Of course, there are specialty companies that now make wonderful orange infused chocolate bars that can be incorporated into baked goods. &...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 6, 2011, 2:35 am
It appears the North American Monsoon is underway in the Sonoran Desert. We've been getting some great rain, thunder and lightning here in Tucson over the past few days. I've been watching a storm on the local radar and hoping it continues across the city and into my area. I need some cooling rain t...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 2, 2011, 9:35 pm
Michael bought a big bunch of bananas the other day and didn't finish them all before they got too ripe. I was surprised when he asked me if I could make banana bread. I thought about it but decided since I'd been on such a bread kick lately to ask if he'd prefer muffins instead. What we agre...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jul 1, 2011, 3:12 pm
This week I celebrated my birthday. This was one of those that throws you into a higher category when you take a survey the big 45. I honestly never intended to turn 45. Somehow when I was 20 that seemed so very far away. Now, I'm lucky to have made it! Regardless, I needed a little pick-me-up for m...
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Buck B. posted an article on Sugar Pies - Jun 22, 2011, 2:14 pm
When people get me down, I take my Mama's advice and bake. Lately, I find myself saddened by so much ugliness from people I know and the world in general. One of those people is a very good friend who suddenly began posting very mean and ugly racist things on Facebook. I don't know why. They never s...
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