Salivating Saturday

Yesterday was a rough day for OMP so I wanted to surprise him with a special treat. Get your minds out of the gutter! I decided to treat him to two of the best things in the world (I said, get your minds out of the gutter)-Chocolate and salt. I have to tell you, these are the yummiest cookies ever. Sweet and savory together-pure heaven!


I found this recipe on Annie's Eats. If you haven't been over to that blog, you are missing out! Super easy recipes, incredibly friendly people and did I mention Salted Chocolate Cookies? You heard me right, SALTED CHOCOLATE COOKIES!

Salted Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. fleur de sel (sea salt), plus more for sprinkling
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Combine the 8 ounces chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and heat until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth, stirring occasionally. (Alternatively, heat in the microwave in 25-second intervals, stirring in between.) In another mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the melted chocolate mixture, blending until incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Fold in the remaining chopped chocolate with a spatula. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2-3 inches apart (I used my medium-sized dough scoop).

Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are just slightly soft in the center and crackly on top, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with additional salt and let cool on the baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

The only thing I did different is that I used a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips instead of crushing the chocolate. Also, I didn't have a melon baller so mine looked a little like cow patties, but dang, they are still good. 


OMP showered me with kisses and I was the hero for the day.

Cuties for a Cutie

I love Valentines Day. Everything is so stinking cute and everyone is so lovey dovey. I miss the days back in school when we made little mailboxes and everyone handed out little valentines. Do they even do that anymore or have they banned it because Valentine cards will give papercuts?

Anyhoo, before I go on a rant about taking the fun out of school, I will share some of my favorite vintage Valentines with you. Yes, I collect these too. What? Don't judge. I think these would be great for stitching. The line art makes such amazing patterns.


Awww, the boss of the ranch. Killing me with cuteness!


She is adorable but I'm pretty sure she needs black hair.


Oh, that is so kittykill!


I am SOOOO stitching this one up for OMP!

Go out and use these Valentines for your sweetie or secret crush. Who knows, maybe they will the boss of your ranch...WINK!

Tie One On Tuesday

Ah nature! Little woodland creatures, outside my window, mocking me with their freedom. Makes me want to have a drink in their honor...


How can anyone resist a cute little fuzzy squirrel? They eat everything out of your bird feeders, hide peanuts in your potted plants and pelt you with walnut shells. Yep, they are cute little things. What would make them even better? If they were pink and were made out of alcohol.

Pink Squirrel
3/4 oz creme de noyaux
3/4 oz white creme de cacao
1 1/2 oz heavy cream

Pour ingredients into a shaker with ice, strain and serve in a martini glass

Oh my goodness, will you look at that! A sweet deer eating my sage. Ya know, you would taste better in alcohol form too.  I'm just gonna let you know now that I would never drink this cocktail, but you should have at it.

Sweet Deer Cockail (courtesy of Henry's)
30ml Jagermeister
Coke
1 Scoop of vanilla ice cream

Pour Jagermeister in to a tall glass.
Add scoop of ice cream.
Top up with coke.


Look at you, being all foxy and such! You need a Fox-tail!

Fox-tail 
1 oz. grapefruit vodka

1 oz. gin

1/2 oz. coconut cream
1/2 oz. orange juice
1 oz. raspberry/blueberry juice
Fill a cocktail shaker half-full with crushed ice.
Add ingredients
Shake and serve in a martini glass

Oh little woodland animals, how I love thee. Even though you scurry around and laugh at my lack of freedom. That's okay, I laugh at your lack of opposable thumbs. For you my furry friend, can not hold a martini glass. HA!

Surf's Up!

Is winter over yet? I may have to escape to some sunshine soon.  I need some sand between my toes  and waves crashing on the shore.

I want to be on the beach, warm, sun beating down on me, watching the surfers ride big waves. I can smell the salt water right now. Ahhhhh......since I can't actually go to a warm beach (I'm not sure one exists in the Pacific Northwest)I can watch Endless Summer and dream about riding the waves. This is a classic movie with great music and phenomenal surfing. Although it was filmed in 1966, the documentary still holds strong and has been considered by many to be the ultimate surf movie.

Okay, okay....I can't mention surfing without mentioning Point Break. If you knew my extreme dislike for Keanu Reeve, you would know that I am basically clinching my teeth writing about this one. I can't help it, this movie is so over the top ridiculous that it makes it a blast to watch and the surfing is great! Did I mention that it has crazy Gary Busey in it too. C'mon, you know you love this movie. Surfers turn bank robbers, it's so perfect (except for Keanu Reeves, BLECH!).

Ohhh....I can feel my bones warming up as we speak. Oh wait, they are getting chilly again just thinking about the animated movie Surf's Up! This is a very cute movie about surfing penguins. It's  so very wrong but it does have a great message and voice acting by some great people like Jeff Bridges and Diedrich Bader. I love the native penguins that plan on eating the chicken but find out that squid on a stick taste just like chicken, cause you know, everything taste like chicken.


Mmm.....sun, surf, sand....I need you right now. I think that I am going to fill up the kiddie pool with warm water and grab my board. I wonder how long it would take me to teach the pups "Cowabunga!" 

Winner Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Yahoo! Thanks to everyone who entered the book giveaway! You guys rock my socks!

The winner of The Sewing In A Straight Line is TERI! Way to go Teri! Rock on with your bad self!


The winner of Sew What You Love is DIGITAL MISFIT! Oh yeah! You won! Get Funky!


If you would please email me your addresses and in the subject line write blog winner, I will mail them out to you ASAP!


Thanks again for all that entered and stay tune for more fun and more prizes.

Perfection

Tonight I was taking my usual hot relaxing bath and reading one of many house magazines. As I was reading and trying to relax, the images in the magazine made me long for a perfect winter home. I began to wish that my life was as perfect as the picture was.

I sunk lower in the bathtub and began to wish for a candlelit claw foot bathtub. Music playing around me. Instead, I had a dog barking at me, waking me from my fantasy, I looked over to see Jujube demanding dinner and Pete whining behind her.

After my bath, I continued to read the magazine and looked at the wonderful food being served on the finest china. Instead, I had a store bought chicken and rice-a-roni.

I was determined to finish the magazine and decided to head upstairs to lay in bed and read. Of course, the bed in the magazine was made with fresh winter white linens, perfectly folded and fluffed. I looked at my bed,which probably hadn't been made since I moved in and what did resemble the little bit of order was destroyed in seconds by three little dogs digging around to find their spots.

OMP climbed in to bed beside me, I secretly wished that he would recite the poem from the back of the magazine I just finished. "Your eyes are like waves in the ocean..." I'm pretty sure no love poem started with, "Can you hand me the Tums?"

As I sat there, with my eyes closed, OMP reached over and kissed me, "Are you okay?" he asked. I thought back to the entire magazine, with its photoshopped pictures, its perfect dinner, beautiful furniture and luscious winter settings and looked at my bed, with its sheets from Target, laundry piled up in the chair that has yet to be put away and the three dogs who have managed to take over my entire life. I let out a sigh and began to respond but was quickly cut off by Lola burping in a way that should be outlawed in twenty states and in no way could come from a dog of her size or stature.

I thought to my self for a moment. Then I settled in relaxing and thinking "I've never been happier in my entire life."

I'm sure I could have all those things I saw in the magazine but would life be real for me? Would it make me laugh? Cry? Scream at the top of my lungs? I don't think so. My life is far from perfect, but it is my life and it makes me happy. All the dirty piles of clothes, the rice-a-roni dinners, and lack of bed space make up the happiness in my life. Reality is wonderful. It keeps me humble and allows me to see and appreciate the little things in life. A kiss, a small puppy warming my toes, and Target flannel sheets-all the best things in my life. Allow your reality to make you happy too.

If Pete Were a Celebrity...

If Pete were a celebrity, he would be Clark Gable. The resemblance is uncanny.

I can't even tell the difference.

Yeah, this is what I do instead of watching award shows.