Tuesday, March 18, 2014

There's nothing like a good ol' cookie


Snickerdoodles were my favorite cookie growing up, and they still are the ones that are most nostalgic to me. These days though, I have been addicted to the chocolate chip cookie. I used to eat around the chocolate chips as a child, and I still feel like I don't put quite as many chips as some people like- probably a habit from back in my snickerdoodle days!

Over the years, I've figured out some things that make a cookie extra delicious. 
1) A little Fleur de Sel, which is just the fancy name for sea salt
2) Putting them in the fridge for an hour or so before baking them- I find it easiest to roughly ball them up while they're still room temperature and pliable. 
3) Love - it's the best ingredient in everything :)

Here's the basic recipe that I use. 
  • 1/2 c butter (room temp)
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t vanilla extract (let's be honest, I love this stuff, I usually double it)
  • 1.5 c all-purpose flour (preferably the non-bleached and organic kind because I'm a hippie)
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 c dark chocolate chips or crushed dark chocolate bars. If I'm going to be choosy about the chocolate, I try to go for ones with a strong nutty or earthy note. (Yes, I'm a chocolate snob)  
You know the drill, cream sugars and butter first, then add wet ingredients, then dry. There's some fancy stuff you can do, like mixing the baking soda with warm water first, but I always forget to do that step. Add nuts and other things, if you're into that. They're fun to include, but personally, if I'm going to make a batch myself (and thus eat half of it) I just want a pile of plain ol' gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Then throw them in the oven for about 10 minutes on 350 F and ... mmmm

Excuse me while I go clean up the chocolate smears and cookie crumbs off of my keyboard...

// What's your favorite cookie?
// What secret ingredients/steps do you have to make your cookies to-die-for?

xx


Thursday, March 13, 2014

New Job, New Ring



I like to treat myself to a piece of jewelry or a scarf when I travel, to remember the lessons learned and the experiences I gained along the way. No, this is not a post about my travel jewelry collection. After a lot of reflection (of a lot of things), I started to pursue a position in the PR industry... and I'm really excited to report that I'm in the middle of my first week as an intern at a PR firm. Sure, most PR interns are much younger than I am, but if you haven't figured it out already, I'm not really one for traditional paths.

Regardless of the diversions that I took from the traditional path, I feel like I'm on the path that I'm meant to be on. And what's more, I don't think that I would be where I am today, if it hadn't been for all the fun detours I took along the way. 

Anyway, back to the ring. I made it a point to walk around during my breaks at my salon/spa job and frequently walked by a really cute little store in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. I'd been meaning to go in, but had never actually ventured in. With my schedule being cut down to one day a week, I decided that I should finally go in while it was still so nearby. There were far fewer rings in there than I'd hoped, but the ones that I saw were dainty and perfect... except that I was looking for a midi ring, not a full size ring. That's when the owner told me that they can actually custom make jewelry- and without any additional charges or even committing to purchase it.

Less than a week later, and just in time for my new position, I picked up my shiny new little accessory! Now, regardless of what path I take after this internship, I'll have a little momento of this chapter of my life. 

// Do you have any traditions of doing something before/after making a big change?

PS- turns out that she has an etsy shop! This is the ring here.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Seattle Art Walks

One thing that I particularly adore about Seattle is how much art we have. So our art museum isn't the largest venue, especially when compared with giants like the MOMA or the Met, but most of the neighborhoods within Seattle host art walks once a month. In Ballard, it's the second Saturday of every month. Head to Pioneer Square on the first Thursday of each month to walk around to galleries, and other venues-turned-galleries to enjoy local art, and inevitably some drinks and snacks for free.

The art varies from traditional oil on canvas and photography, to multi-media to letterpress. My friend Danielle, of BDR Studio, showcased her letterpress creations as well as some photos that she took while we were in Portugal (pictured above).

I went to quite a few over the holidays, but have missed the last couple months. With spring on the way, I'm looking forward to regularly attending these (without a heavy winter coat and an umbrella)- they're not only fun, they're a great way to learn about local artists and cool shops & galleries in the area.

// Are there art walks in your neighborhood? What are some fun neighborhood events in your area?