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!

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:

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.

Scratch that, 'little brother'.

In a way I am jealous that you are about to set out on some of the most precious years of your life.
But then I remember, that I had mine too.
And they will always be a part of me. They have helped made the person I am today, and will be in the future.
I can only hope you will be as lucky-I know you will be!
Good luck Steve!


And thank you postsecret. I LOVE when you read my mind.

Ode to Topher.

A little known fact about me, or maybe not so unkown,

is that I have an undying love for Topher Grace.

I fell in love with him in his early days of That 70's Show

and time has only strengthened my love for him.

One day he will find me,

and we will ride off into the sunset together.

Until then, I will admire you from afar.

Call him a geek, call him quirky, skinny, girly,

I will always love you, Topher.

In more important matters, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Door with a heart

Today I believe:

That even one day of warm weather, can have a postively radiant effect on the entire week. Today I wore a skirt sans tights and got a dunkin iced coffee.
I may be jumping the gun a bit, but I have a definite spring state of mind right now.

That little surprises often are the greatest gifts.
You never know when you'll stumble upon them,
but they always make you smile.

In the power of music to trigger reminiscent moments.
I find it is sometimes a struggle to bridge the space between past and present,
but music does this in a seamless way that never fails to amaze me.
Thank you playlists of yore.

Intentionally walking in a round-a-bout way to reach your destination.
It's beautiful; soak it up!

Hello World!

I'm going to blame my extended absence on my winter hibernation.

Now that it is February, and I am escaping to Florida in a matter of hours,

I muster the strength to accept and realize that while, yes, it is still winter,

the warm glow of spring at the end of this long winter tunnel

is beginning to beckon.

So I say, hello world.

Hello winter,

Hello palm trees,

Hello friends and loved ones.

I have returned.

If you stay in one place too long, you will never go anywhere

And then one day it happens...

And nothing is ever the same.

Nor would you ask it to be.

Throw your heart UP into the air.

Congrats Katie

You're a star!

Our not-so-sunny stroll down Lake Shore Drive.

Lots of pink ponchos.

Go walkers!

Happy Birthday America!

Today is yours.

Celebrate your slice of Americana;

Make it special, make it big,

and -above all else- make it fun.

Throw glitter in the air.

GO HAWKS!!!

Chicago Blackhawks are the

2009-2010 Stanley Cup Champions!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my city?!

And tomorrow...

I will be cheering on my Cubbies at Wrigley!

(Got to love the cross-town classic)

Sometimes things do go exactly right.

Not always, not everyday, but sometimes they do.

You take a step back and realize you wish you could hang in that moment forever.

It's the warm feeling in the pit of your stomach, the good kind of ache in your heart.

It's knowing that no matter what comes next, this moment was perfect.

I had that yesterday. It was a special day-Chelsea's graduation.

Huddled next to each other, my aunt and I watched her walk across the stage,

brushing back tears imagining how she will continue to amaze us in the future.

To watch her grow and turn into such a beautiful person-inside and out- is one of my greatest joys.

Congratulations Chelsea, I love you.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Here's to a sunny day filled with dance and cheer and wonderfully complete happiness...

My mother is the most important role model I have-

and I think this is arguably true of all mothers.

They have a certain, distinct quality that no one else can emulate.

Although we may not always want to recognize it,

mothers are right and good and our very source of life and spirit-

and we would have it no other way.

Thank you Mom, for teaching me how to love in so many ways.

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

There's something unspeakably beautiful about Spring.

I love the way the sun shines through my classroom windows,

splashing patches of warmth around my desk.

When I look outside at the bright smiles circling the park, a piece of my heart melts.

Happy Birthday Kelly! And Happy end of March!

(I need some good teacher April Fools to play tomorrow)

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

Here's to a day full of Green clovers, gold coins, brilliant rainbows, and lots of heel-clicks.

Oireachtas, n.


-Oireachtas, Oireactas. Irish Oireachtas assembly, gathering, convocation < oireacht meeting (Old Irish airecht; cognate with Welsh araith speech (13th cent.; in Old Welsh as hared with sense ‘song, verse’), of uncertain origin)

Today I believe,

A best friend

... is unparalleled in wisdom, strength, and compassion.

...provides a shoulder to cry on and a heart for unconditional love.

...loves you even when you can't always do the same.

...leaves the kitchen light on, checks your covers for watermelons, and dresses you for a big date.

...stands beside you, fights for you, and is always there to fall back on.

Thank you for being my friend. I love you, Katie.

and...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today is a very special day.

It's my favorite, prettiest, most loved person's birthday!

Happy Birthday Mom!

...I love you...

Here's to fresh starts and new beginnings.

Every day is chance to start anew.

Each year that passes is only a marker on your journey.

Make it an adventure!