May 22, 2013

Almond Cookies

I have this terrible habit of buying the same items of clothing when I’m shopping. I walk in with the intent to get something new and my brain goes into robot mode. MUST FIND STRIPED SHIRTS/BLACK & WHITE ANYTHING/PERFECT BLACK DRESS. Can one ever have enough striped shirts? (NO) How about the perfect black scooped-neck shirt? I have to stop myself when I’m about to buy another black dress…It’s just that I can’t help it. I know exactly what I like/want. If only stores carried nothing but black denim wide leg pants & striped shirts year round, I’d be all set.

I suppose my food cravings are pretty much the same. I love anything almondy. Here on this site you’ve seen me make granola, danishes, bars, cookies,vegan cookiest, raw cookies, caramel corn, appetizers loaded with almonds. I feel like I have the same issue with almonds as I do with my striped shirt collection. NEED MORE. ALWAYS. Thank goodness almonds are good for you.

We enjoyed these cookies a little too much at my house. I had to freeze some and give some away because there wasn’t much stopping me from eating one after another after another. They’re nutty, sweet & fragrant with vanilla. They’re perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack with tea. I wouldn’t mind a few broken over ice cream with fresh berries. Let’s make that happen! I think on my next go-around, I’m going to add a bit of almond extract because I can’t get enough of almonds.

recipes

May 20, 2013

Bombay Fizz Cocktail

Ever feel like you need a weekend after a weekend. Yeah. Me too. Like…every weekend.

MONDAYS. Mondays are like jumping into a pool when you don’t really want to deal with the cold water shock but you have to cuz you have to like make a living or something. Mondays are for watching The Voice and eating really easy dinners (POPCORN!) that include comforting carbohydrates. Mondays are for cocktails. Mondays are annoying unless Mondays are your weekend. Then…happy weekend to you! You get to run errands during the day when everyone is working. This is cool. I’m happy for you.

This gin cocktail is just what I/you need on a Monday. The best part is that if you don’t have a crowd of people to share it with, you can totally keep it in your fridge for a few days. Because Tuesdays and Wednesdays call for cocktails too. And by Thursday…you might have a little leftover and Thursdays are for getting ready for Friday. And the day before Friday calls for more gin. Don’t fight me on this. If you’re a lover of gin, you’re already know how well it goes with lime. In this particular cocktail, orange flower (blossom) water is added to the mix as well as simple syrup, a little bit of salt for balance, and a nice spritz of seltzer. I can/will have this cocktail any day of the week if given the opportunity. All is right in the world with this cocktail. Trust.

my everyday life, Photography

May 18, 2013

My Everyday Life: Week 20

Here’s what this past week looked like:

I had a case of the drops this week. I can’t tell you how many things I knocked over.

This is right after I spilled Cooper’s pretzels for his lunch.

Uncategorized

May 17, 2013

I love lists, Friday!

Reminds me of when I gave Cooper a slice of lemon for the first time. hehe
I really enjoyed reading An Open Letter to Everyone Who Eats.
Well..THAT SETTLES IT. I’m gonna make my own Coconut Whipped Cream.
Almond Flour & Bourbon Vanilla Pancakes sounds just perfect to me!
OMG Pizza Wheels!!! Where have you been all my life?
8 Signs You Are Actually a Cat. Yes to #3, 5 and 6 for me.
I LOVE Nick Offerman.
I hope I have time one day to make my own floral tablecloth. Thinking black & white…
That’s How Light Gets In— a very touching/honest piece by my friend Andrea.
I adore Hugh’s photos in this Mapled Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. WOW.
How to Cook Crispy Bacon! I love the oven method.
I’d love to dip this popsicle in a cup of gin. Oh man would that be good!
5 Tips on How to be Mindful. I so need this.
9 minutes well spent! —THIS IS WATER.
An interactive visualization of ongoing Arrested Development Jokes. JACKPOT.

There’s a new Joy the Baker Podcast on Homefries! This week we do Summer Edition WOULD YOU RATHER. It gets SUPER weird. Like weirder than normal…ENJOY!

This week on High Straightenance, I cleaned out my fridge!. You can always tell how stressed out I am by the state of my fridge.

Batch-22 made my Coconut Maple Granola

Dizzy Loves Icy made my Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

The Borough and Beyond made a version of my Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Recipe for Success made my Killer Garlic Bread

A Simple Love for Food made my Bacon Fried Rice

Food Loves Writing made a version of my Addictive Brussels Sprouts Salad

Dunn Sweet made my Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

The Batty Bitch Fhee made my Spinach Feta Pocket Pies

Eat Your Heart Out made my Coconut Cake

recipes, Uncategorized

May 16, 2013

Asparagus + Tomato Basil Couscous

I can always tell when there’s a new season approaching when I’m doing my weekly shopping at Target. Right now it’s OUTDOOR BBQ, get your ice buckets, garden lighting, stock up on sunscreen!!! season and it’s one of my favorite times of year. I love the promise of longer days and eating outside by candlelight (albeit citronella!) I also LOVE seeing what the color trend is for the year and picking out a new table cloth & a few new dishware items for outdoor parties. It’s a ritual I have and it means that soon life will slow down a bit. People take it a bit easier during summer. Life gets simpler and so does the food.

When it’s time to start eating outside, my brain shifts gears. I think of easy yet satisfying dishes that can be thrown together instantly. I always gravitate towards dishes that include some type of vegetable and the use of an outdoor grill!

I teamed up with Archer Farms (only found at Target!) to come up with a simple recipe (using one of their products) that will help you kick off the BBQ season. This Asparagus Tomato Basil Couscous uses Archer Farms Roasted Garlic & Olive Couscous. I grilled asparagus, pulled fresh basil from my patio, added toasted pine nuts, tomatoes & fresh mozzarella. This couscous is finished with a hefty squeeze of lemon juice to really wake up the asparagus. The fact that the couscous already has some simple seasoning helps cut down on the ingredients list. And that’s exactly what we need when we just wanna chill out & relax outside. Am I right?

out & about

May 15, 2013

Out & About: Dillon Beach

A few weeks ago, we set off on a Saturday morning to have an outdoor adventure. We didn’t have much of a plan… I just wanted to see the ocean and hear waves crashing-that’s all! We grabbed a soccer ball, some sunscreen, a couple of snacks and a few drinks and headed out west to Point Reyes station for lunch and then Dillon Beach afterward. It was a day that was refreshing, calming & exhilarating all at once. It was FANTASTIC.

recipes, Uncategorized

May 13, 2013

Vanilla Pear Sparklers

As a kid I was OBSESSED with canned pears. I could seriously eat my weight and then some in pears. And when the pears were all gone, I’d savor every last bit of the leftover pear syrup.

It’s no surprise that Cooper loves canned pears too. He loves pears in general, and we almost always have at least three lying around. For him, the mushier the pear, the better. Don’t ever give him a hard pear…You’ve been warned.

This little drink is a perfect way to fancy up sparkling water and if you’re cool with Vodka, well then! Hello, my friend! We have a fantastic vanilla pear infused sparkling cocktail! It’s like an adult version of pear syrup and it’s dang elegant with all of those vanilla bean seeds perfuming the drink! This is a good trick to have when you’re entertaining. A very very good trick to have.