Happy Thursday Everyone! I am going to New York today!

And guess what? New York is supposed to have (lest I say it and ruin it) lovely weather! It’s February!! I was counting on snow and clouds. But sun and 50! I’ll love that!

So, there’s this crazy thing you do when you have a boyfriend. You do anything to make him happy. So when his oven fails to work two days in a row and the brownie batter you made on Tuesday still won’t bake, you run out to the store on Wednesday night to buy ingredients for cookies that don’t require oven-time. (And here’s a secret: they're just as easy, and taste just as great- if not better).

These cookies were created by the least baking-inclined member of my family, my aunt. She probably wasn’t even following a recipe, and she accidently stumbled upon a gem. If she can do it, so can you!

I’ll tell you why it’s SO easy:
1. It utilizes a microwave
2. Only two ingredients are needed
3. Only one bowl is dirtied in the process (unless you’re like my boyfriend and have an unusually small microwave)

Easy-peasy!
Let’s do it:

Chocolate Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients:
One large box of Kellogs Cornflakes Cereal

Three giant-sized bars of chocolate (I usually mix two dark with one milk. You’ll need at least one milk, since it’s has a lower melting temperature and will keep the chocolate from seizing up in the microwave)

Directions:
Break each of the giant chocolate bars into the uniform, perforated rectangles and add them to a, microwave-safe bowl (if a large bowl fits in your microwave, then great! If not, I suggest melting the chocolate in a pyrex measuring cup and then transferring to a large bowl once melted.)

Microwave times vary, but to be safe, microwave the chocolate at one minute intervals, making sure to stir, between each round. The chocolate will continue to melt with the residual heat as you stir, so this is very important!

Once the chocolate is melted and transferred (or remaining in) a large bowl, add half the box of cereal and stir until well coated. Continue to add cereal until the box is gone or until the remaining chocolate is not enough to well-coat.

Place spoonfuls of the chocolate cereal on a wax-paper covered cookie sheet. These are ideal to make in the winter, because you can then simply place the cookie sheet outside (on your deck, patio, etc) to aid in the cooling/drying period of the cookies.

I hope you trust me on the deliciously simplistic quality of these cookies! I wish I had a picture to show you, but unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to grab one. One to come later…

Have a great weekend, can’t wait to fill you in on NYC when I come home!

Happy Valentine’s Day Eve! (Never thought you’d hear that one now, did you?)

Well, being that it is Valentine’s Day (Eve) and all, I thought I’d get in the spirit with these deliciously, Valentine-y cake pops! They’re sure to put a smile on your Valentine’s face.

Secret: These are super easy, but super messy to make, but it’s all SO worth it in the end.

Also: You may be thinking they sound too sweet (as if that’s even a thing), but they’re actually really not. They’re made with German chocolate cake mix, which cuts back on the cloyingly sweet nature of traditional Devil’s food or fudgy chocolate cake. Trust me, you’ll see…

Cake Pops For V-Day (or any day, really)

Ingredients:

1 box of German Chocolate Cake Mix (I used Trader Joe’s brand) and the necessary accompanying ingredients (mine called for butter, eggs, and water)

1 package of white almond bark (I used Log House- but it can be anything, fanciness not necessary here)

Sprinkles, Valentine’s-themed in this case. See...super easy!!

Directions:

Bake the cakes according to the package, using a 9’’ x; 13’’ cake pan, baking until just done (leaning towards the side of under-baked)

Allow the cake to cool, but not completely. Just until you won’t burn your hands when rolling the cake pops…burned hands are zero cool/fun. (Hint: cut the cake in a grid, like you would if you were serving it, to allow it to vent more quickly…If you’re nervous that you are butchering the cake, don’t worry, it won’t matter what it looks like once we put it into “pop” form)

And we’re just getting to the messy part. With a melon scooper, scoop out pieces of the cake. Yep, just scoop right on into it. Relax, it’s going to be fine. No one will ever know or care about how pretty the cake looked before you demolished it and rolled it into pops.

Once, scooped, put your hands to work and roll the cake into little balls, about one-inch in diameter (about the size you would use for cookie dough), stick them with an hors d'oeuvre stick, and put them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. (Another hint: I would “skin” off the top layer of the cake. It doesn’t stay in pop-shape as well as the inside of the cake.)

Next, put the cookies sheet in the freezer for about 5 minutes to let the pops set. While, in the freezer, melt the almond bark in the microwave (you could use the stove, but it tastes just the same in the microwave).

Take the pops out of the freezer, dunk ‘em in the almond bark, put them back on the wax paper, and give them a good dose of sprinkling.

Then…wait, that’s it! Like I said, super easy.
Enjoy! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Life is that good; it really, really is.

Sometimes the sun shines the brightest just when you bought a new pair of sunglasses.

Sometimes the flavored coffee is Cinnamon Nut on Saturday morning.

Sometimes he wants to meet downtown for lunch and beer (and maybe even some shopping).

Sometimes you feel cheery and special and exactly right.

Yeah, life really is that good.

TRUTH: In life, there are everyday obstacles.

TRUTH: Not all people will always agree, will always stand up for you, will always have your back.

TRUTH: Sometimes, the truth can hurt you.

BUT:

Today I love:

Starbucks Valentine’s Cups. Life just got awesome.

Heart of Worship by Chris Tomlin. Sometimes all you need is an encouraging word to get the day off to a great start.

Soup and Saltines. I knew I was on to something as a 5 year old. How did I forget how satisfyingly warm and buttery this combo can be?

And what I don’t love, my gym is closing for the month of February…what?!? And right when I’m about to hit the beaches of Florida! What is a girl to do?

Hey there, up here! Remember me?!

Sometimes we forget to look up.
We’re so focused on where we need to get to, when we need to get there by-
We forget to enjoy the getting there.
We forget to see how tall the buildings really are,
We forget to admire the waves of fuchsia peering out of an overcast sky.

Heck, when I was writing this post in the morning,
I intended to take a picture from the ground-up of my building as I walked to the gym at lunch.
However, when lunch rolled around, I was so hell-bent on getting to the gym to make the time shift on my treadmill, that I forgot to take the picture.
Talk about the ultimate ‘Saying one thing and doing the other’.

Life moves fast,
And being able to stop and share a moment,
Now that’s something pretty special
Today, I am reminded to look up.

Thank you, Brittney.

P.s. Not-so-Secret: I took the picture the next day!
P.p.s. I took the picture on my new iphone…love it!

You know what I like?

I like girl nights. Full of gab and banter and laughing. Where wine and beer run rampant but no one looks at you funny if you order a lemon drop martini or a pinneapple mojito. Yes, I loooove a good girls’ night. And I sure hope the snow does not get in the way of mine tonight!

I like chocolate. And coffee. And sometimes, I even sneak a little of both at the same time. Flash to: me in the kitchen adding a sprinkling of Swiss Miss to my Starbucks Blonde. By the way, have you tried the Blonde?! Sure is a step in a good direction for the SBucks!

Surprises. Especially because it means someone else has done all the planning. All you’re expected to do is show up, look pretty, and enjoy. I can’t wait for my Saturday Surprise!

Vacations. And Vegas. And ok, ok I’m not going to Vegas for vacation this time, but even “work” in Vegas is better than work in Chicago for a good, thirty degree warmer, break. Vegas, here I come!

What do you like on this snowy Friday?!

This night is sparkling.

Just Go!
Don’t think about it any longer!
Don’t weight the possibilities,
Stew over the potential drawbacks.
Don’t consider all the consequences,
You already know them all in your heart.

Life is precious!
Don’t say “maybe next year”
Or “it just doesn’t make sense right now”
So what if it doesn’t make sense?
Not everything needs to be justified or reconciled.

Just Go! Go! Go!

Thanks for the reminder.

"Cooking is all about making what you have work for you. Let’s just chill and do."

-And wouldn't you know...Joy the Baker totally gets it! (See below)-

Sometimes, pancakes for dinner are totally called for. Like last night. When I was snowed in and craving the warmth of my oven. Also it should be noted that I am in dire need of a run to Trader Joe’s.

It should come as no surprise then that when looking through my pantry for what to eat for dinner, I noticed that I do have all the baking supplies required for pancakes. So see, it was fate that I make them. It wasn’t because I was craving something sweet and doughy and warm inside…

Sweetly Satisfying Pancakes (For Dinner)

1 ½ C. Flour
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Baking Powder
¼ t. salt

1 ½ C. Milk
3 T. Butter
2 Eggs
½ t. Vanilla

Optional:
½ C. Frozen raspberries

Whisk the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a separate, smaller, bowl. Pour the batter mixture over the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened, adding the raspberries (or any fruit/nut/chocolate chips/ingredient you can scrounge up in your pantry) at this point as well. The batter will be lumpy, but that’s where the sweet pockets of pancake-y goodness lie!

Heat a skillet over medium heat. You can use butter (or I used PAM) to thoroughly grease the pan. Spoon batter onto the skillet and heat until bubbles appear around the edges (about 2-3 minutes depending on size), then flipping and repeating on the other side.

I recommend sprinkling with powdered sugar before indulging! Go big or go home, right?

Daily Dose of Happiness.

I get mine from the sun. And the 72% dark chocolate Godiva bar hidden in my desk drawer. I get it from matching wardrobes and writing utensils. From piping hot coffee and liter-size bottles of Smartwater.
Little things that emit a glimmer of sunshine in an otherwise mundane workday.
Today I am reminded of the little things; a text from a friend, a story about a snow-loving puppy, that make my day exciting.

Hope everyone is ready for some serious snow!

Feeling Beachy-Keen.

Dreaming of Mojito Days and Yeungling Nights.
Naples, I can already feel your warmth soaking into my skin.

And let me warn you, you have your work cut out for you with this pale, winter girl.

Confession: I have just purchased my Christmas cards for next year.
Enter Papyrus 50% off sale.
Enter glitter and sparkle and 3D effects.
And now I have a collection of Christmas cards that I will in all likelihood forget about before next December.
No matter, I am admittedly resistless to anything Christmas.

And speaking of cards…thank you for the birthday wishes, everyone! Here is one of my favorites:

Sometimes, all you need is 5 minutes of complete honesty. With yourself, with her, with him…

And what would you say?
Would it repair a broken heart? A broken friendship?
Would it give you closure or understanding?
Would it make you feel better for leaving it behind or worse, wishing you still had it?
But what would you say, really? Do you even know?
Would you cry? Would you scream? Would you hug and kiss and vow to never let it get that way again?
And would it?
Would you be able to maintain the mend? Or would it come together just to fall apart again?
Was it a misunderstanding? A betrayal? A moment of insanity.

Whatever it was, if 5 minutes would help, shouldn’t you be brave enough-honest enough- to have it?

This is for real. I am 24.

Why does that seem so much older than 23??
When I went to punch in my age on the elliptical this morning, I had to pause and remember that I am now a year older. But I was born at 11:45pm on the fourth so maaaaybe I could still get away with putting in 23 one last time. I mean, technically I was still closer to 23 at 5am this morning…

But no. I am a big girl. And big girls are honest about their years…all 24 of them.

So what will 24 bring? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

What I am positive about is this:

1. There will be baking. And cooking. But mostly, baking. In my new kitchenaid mixer. In my tiny studio oven. There will be blog-inspired recipes, and items I create all on my own. And there will be chocolate. There is always chocolate.

2. Country will reign supreme. Sure I will have days of Dave and moments of Kiss fm. But there will mostly be Kenny and Jason and Zac and Taylor (yes ok, Taylor).

3. My closets aren’t getting any bigger, no matter how much more I try to squeeze into them. Maybe I will just have to find a bigger space…

4. There will be wine. And laughter. And friends. And more wine.

5. Writing. On post-its and notebooks. On leftover grocery lists and laundry receipts living in the depths of my handbags. And here. I will always come back here.

Pick a place. And start.

Here we are on the fourth day of 2012 (my birthday, as a matter of fact), and I have yet to post for the year. I’ve been doodling and jotting all week, but I couldn’t come up with the perfect way to kick off the New Year here. Nothing seemed to fit quite right.

So I stopped over-thinking it. And here it is.

Life is like that sometimes. I get so bogged-down with thinking that something must be done this way or the other, and I forget to recognize that sometimes, the doing it, no matter which way, is what matters the most.

You just have to start. And let yourself start. And fail. And then pick back up and start again. It’s the starting that really counts. And what you learn along the way marks the path with what’s important most of all.

It’s been quite a year. A year filled with love and work, family and independence. To think back on a year ago, I am reminded of my new move to the city, a fairly new job, and a budding romance. And now, here I am, just one short (or long, depending how you look at it) year later; and looking back on the countless dates and holidays and graduations and the health and happiness of my friends and family, I feel so blessed. And I know, that in another year’s time, I will look back on this time with just the same feeling.

Hello, 2012. Let’s get you started.