Peanut Butter Blossoms

These cookies remind me of my grandma. My dad's mom. She made these cookies every Christmas. She would fill her little cookie jar on the counter with them and I remember sneaking one after the another after another. The conundrum always being: do I eat the kiss off the center first or do I bite into the cookie getting portions of the chocolate with every bite? It was a real problem, but either way you decide to eat it, I promise it will be delicious! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1/4 cup milk 2 tsp vanilla extract 4 cups flour 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 1/2 cup white sugar for decoration 2 (9 ounce) bags milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped  Preheat oven to 375 degrees grease cookie sheets. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) cream together the shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and 1 cup white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven until the cookies have light browing arouond the edges. Remove from oven, and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie while still on baking pans. Remove from baking pan and allow to cool on a cooling rack.

The Awful Waffle

Have you tried the Awful Waffle yet? If you haven't you should because the food is great! I mean really, authentic Belgium waffles and frites (fries)?! Sign me up! If that's not enough to convince you to try it out their pizza is amazing too, so yeah...We tried a little of everything, a Belgium style waffle with strawberries and whipped cream, American style friets with dipping sauce and a bar b que chicken pizza. Haha I didn't realize how truly gluttonous that all sounded until I listed it just now. Don't judge us ok? The atmosphere is fun, and really relaxed - the space is so open and welcoming. It was a fun place to spend a little quality time together - we doodled on the chalk "board" tables for a long time after we ate, it was so awesome! So grab a good book and someone you like and head over to Awful Waffle for something tasty!    

 

Ode to the black maxi skirt

The article of clothing in my closet that makes taking off my pajamas early in the morning bearable. The skirt that doubles as a blanket, on brisk fall days. Black maxi skirt I love you.  When I spill my minestrone soup on you at lunch I never have to be embarrassed that someone might see your the bright tomato-y stain. You cover up all my spills and hide my love handles under your stretchy yoga pants-esq waistband.  Your soft cotton is so comfortable. You cover my unshaven winter ready legs and make me look chic when I feel far from it. You, black maxi skirt are the greatest thing that has happened to me since leggings. Thank you for always being there for me.

What I wore: Trip to Grandmas

Black Jeans: Urban Outfitters Chambray: Nordstrom Motorcycle Tee: Forever 21
Scarf: Nordstrom Shoes: Toms 

There's a big tree in my grandmas backyard. All the trees around it have lost their leaves and are standing bare next to this one - full of its bright yellow leaves.  It provided the perfect location to snap a quick photo before the last of the leaves come floating down.

Lately

 
A love note on a chalkboard table, my all time favorite cheese, anna potatoes at school,
red lip stick smile, husband eating his favorite treat, the first snow,
 learning to fillet fish, coconut macaroons 

Culinary School: Week 10

Into the double digits - week ten!! This week school was good/frustrating. In baking it was pie week. We made apple, pumpkin, pecan, chocolate creme, and cherry. I was really looking forward to pie week, but it turned out to be sort of lame. I though I would breeze through it with no issues but for whatever reason my pie dough was just not good. It kept cracking and was crumbly and falling apart I had to re roll it 5 times for one pie because it just wouldn't stay together. Re rolling is not good because it makes the crust tough and not very flaky. All of my pies turned out mediocre at best. They were ugly and the crust was terrible. Ugh it was a mess. I felt defeated on Tuesday after I left class, with the resolution that I would never make a pie again. In cooking skills we had potato week. The chef wrote down recipe names on little strips of paper and put them into a pot we all drew out one recipe and then had to make it. I drew Anna potatoes, it's a version of scalloped potatoes but no cream or butter is used it's just potatoes, butter and salt and pepper, layered into a round frying pan, browned on the stove and then baked in the oven. They were good, but not as good as some of the other students, one boy made real scalloped potatoes with smoked Gouda. They were like a dream. I'm just not sure it gets better than potatoes, bacon and smoked Gouda. Seriously though, does it?

 

  

Dear November

It's nice to have you here. You bring the holiday that is all about food, and with your arrival radio stations begin playing festive music. I get the green light to officially stop shaving my legs until at least April and we get to trade in homework sessions and answering the phone at work for eating turkey and making memories with family. Welcome November, thanks for coming.