If ever there’s ever a s’mores dessert on a menu, I’m quick to order it. We’ve ordered a slice of s’mores tart on two separate occasions recently. And on both occasions, I bookmarked the idea for later. But it was the time it took to make marshmallows that put a halt in my home-made idea. And then I found myself with a surplus of egg whites in the fridge, an unopened box of graham crackers, a brick of chocolate, an extra 20 minutes, and a better idea. Read more
There were missed deadlines. Lots of flights and late bed times. Family gatherings. Dancing (if you can qualify our erratic movements as such). There were hamburgers, chips, and watermelon. Mouthfuls of salty water. Tiny feet splashing in waves. And wine. Plenty of wine. We lived this summer. So much so, I think our new neighbors thought this was our winter home, which is funny because we live in Minnesota. You don’t dare leave the state come summer. TSA enforced. Read more
When I want a cookie, which is not every week or even every month, I want a substantial cookie. From a bakery case, not a cookie jar, but at my house. You know the kind. Remember Not Your Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookie or Big Fat Sugar Cookies? Measuring in at 3½” wide and 1½” tall, they share a thin exterior layer of crunch with plenty of soft cookie throughout, much like these bakery-style peanut butter cookies. I like my cookies epic, so epic they crack at the edges.
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At one of my final appointments before having Hallie, my doctor asked if I worked. I told her that I work from home designing blogs and writing one myself. She then asked if I had adequate childcare lined up. “Well…me,” I replied. She snickered and told me to line up extra care stat. She also told me how to up my dessert game with a newborn. Her secret: puff pastry. Read more
You know you’re a mom when showering becomes an item on the to-do list. When diapers are a line-item in your budget. When a good night’s sleep is 5 consecutive hours. When folding laundry means catching up on an entire episode of Grey’s. When you start decorating cookies with stamps to make Heart Stamped Cookies. That’s when you really know you’re a mom. Read more
An english professor in college, who most likely passed me with flying colors because of my Cher impression, always said, “Nothing was created in a vacuum.” At the time, he was encouraging us to read period appropriate texts in order to give context to what we were reading. Admittedly, I read just enough to get by in that class (if Spark Notes counts), and I wrote my final paper on the interaction of scenery and plot in the Harry Potter films, though I would have much preferred to write about The Sixth Sense. I was a design major, worlds away from becoming a writer (or reader for that matter). But what he said stayed with me. Read more
Every year it happens. A new Christmas in a _____ is born. Though, I had to change my preposition from in to on this year. This year I give you: Christmas on a Plate. It might be the easiest and prettiest of the bunch. Read more
A couple weeks ago, I got the sheer honor to make treats for the Be Crafty Workshop, the coolest craft workshop this side of the Mississippi. Amanda and Jessica host one fine party, and I love nothing more than to make things with my hands. Basically, I had the time of my life (see picture below). Read more
