Jack Attack: The Art of Aggression in Business

I spend 40 hours of my week here at work, so since I'm on a roll I am going to make some career-specific resolutions.


I resolve to:

• Be more confident, Jack Donaghy style.

• Find a comfortable desk chair. This has long been my biggest gripe with my otherwise stellar employer and if I had ample back support I'd be (even more!) cheerful and productive. I tried sitting on a yoga ball for awhile, but it lost air too quickly and pumping it up was disruptive. I'm waiting on my new desk chair to arrive but if that doesn't pass muster I shall spare no expense and provide myself with a pleasurable sitting experience.

• Witness a kitty fight. Our new building looks out over an empty lot and I often see stray cats roaming around. I'd love to see an adorable cat fight, or maybe even just a cat caucus. I realize that this is beyond my control, but I shall be diligent in monitoring their goings-on.

A drama-free '09

Making New Year's resolutions is kind of unoriginal, but I still love doing it. It's an excuse to flesh out some goals, reassess one's life and strive for positive change.

My general resolution is to make 2009 more awesome than 2008, which won't be too difficult because 2008 ended in a very un-awesome fashion. My specific resolutions are as follows:

• Run! I started running last week and put myself on a training schedule of sorts so as not to give up out of boredom. I plan on running Chicago's half marathon in September with a friend (or at least the 5K). Posting these goals here will shame me into actually completing it or at least not giving up until September.
  
  
• Try something new as often as possible and at least once a week. Big new things are preferable, but even minor changes like driving a new route to work or trying a new restaurant are acceptable. I might list my new things here for accountability and more of the shame factor.

Group activity: Post your resolutions in the comments section, or tell me why you think making resolutions is lame.

Open Letter to My Next-Door Neighbor

Dear Right-Side Neighbor,

Look, man, I don't know what it's like on the West Side, but here on the East Side we do not accuse our neighbors of stealing. I'm sorry that someone snagged your Nascar memorabilia or extra-hold hair gel, but that does not give you license to inspect my packages to make sure that they are in fact addressed to me.

If only there were some sort of tracking system or way to confirm delivery. As soon as they invent something of the sort maybe you'll stop giving me the side-eye.

Regards,

Your Left-Side Neighbor

Oh clementine

I wasn't planning on buying clemmies when I set out on my weekly grocery shopping trip -- not that I was opposed, per se-- but I couldn't NOT buy these.



It's like they were marketed specifically to me. So cute.

Conflicting stories

I saw these covers side-by-side in the grocery store this evening. Since these magazines are equally reputable, I just don't know what to believe!




Maybe he apologized after he told her to shut up? Perhaps we'll never know. Sigh.

Eggplant Cannelloni

I made this for dinner for some lovely ladies a few weeks ago (I'm a little behind posting--I've been so busy, what with all the vegging on the couch and such). I stretched it to serve three, but really would be best for just two. Clearly I have a fixation with all things goat cheese, so found this to be delicious.

The only time-consuming part was making the sauce, so if you're in a hurry you could probably just use some pre-made stuff and it would still be pretty tasty.



Ingredients

-1 tablespoon olive oil
-4 large shallots, sliced
-4 cloves garlic
-1 jar (12 oz) roasted red peppers, drained
-1 can diced tomato
-Juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
-2 medium eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
-Olive oil cooking spray
-4 oz goat cheese
-4 oz ricotta cheese
-about 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions
-Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
-Cook shallots and garlic until soft, about 1 minute. Reduce heat. Cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
-Add peppers, tomatoes & juice; bring to a boil. Lower heat; simmer until peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Cool.
-Puree in a blender. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish.
-Coat eggplants with cooking spray and broil on a baking sheet until golden on both sides, about 15 minutes.
-Heat oven to 400°F. Mash both cheeses and basil in a bowl.
-Place 1 tablespoon of filling at the end of each eggplant slice; roll up & secure with toothpick. Lay seam side down in dish.
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

Modified from epicurious.com

My first tagging

I was tagged by one of my favorite bloggers, the delightful Annie at Well, that would be telling.

Seven Interesting (well, I think) Facts About Me

1. I won't walk around my house without my pink fuzzy slippers (I have two pairs).

2. I am re-reading all 30+ books by L.M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables, and am going to read her journals next.

3. I have mad detective skills.

4. I don't like being the center of attention, but my secret wish is to be on the Amazing Race. Actually, I'd prefer Survivor, but I hate being cold and hungry, so Amazing Race would be a more appropriate choice.

5. I eat the same exact snack every weekday-- green pepper & hummus at 10:30 AM.

6. I wear a retainer at night.

7. I am searching for purple accent pillows for my green couch and won't stop until I find just the right ones.

I tag:

Amanda at Click. The Good News
Meghan at Joy Through Cooking
Sarah at The Good Wife
Suzanne at Ramblings of a Rambunctious Toddler
Not Laura Ingalls at Little Apartment in the Suburbs
Meshaliu at Knitting & Kitties
GrumpyMomma at GrumpyMomma's Blog

Mom's Turkey Zucchini Soup

If I were a character in the movie Waitress (which was actually awful, but I liked the way she named her pies according to her life situation), I'd call this Single Livin' Soup. Now that it's just me in the house, I've been making big pots of soup on Monday nights. That way, I have enough leftover to bring for lunch for the next three days. It gets a little tedious, but the convenience factor makes up for it, and who doesn't love warm, hearty soup in cold weather?



Mom's Turkey Zucchini Soup

Ingredients

-1 lb ground turkey
-1/2 bag frozen corn
-1 small can diced green chili peppers
-1 can black beans (optional, and I did not add them this time so they're not in the photo)
-1 can chicken stock
-2 yellow squashes (because they're usually small), chopped
-1 large zucchini, chopped
-1 tablespoon cumin
-1 tablespoon salt
-1 tablespoon pepper
-1 tablespoon oregano
-1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

-Brown the ground turkey and drain any juices. Add spices and green chili peppers. Add beans and cook for 10 minutes.
-Add chicken stock, corn, squash and zucchini and cook for about 30 minutes or until squash is soft and cooked through.

Source: My mom

Mascarpone Cupcakes

For some reason, nothing makes me happier than making cupcakes. If I could just bake cupcakes all day, life would be complete.

These cupcakes are tops. The mascarpone cheese made them incredibly moist (shudder... I hate that word) and spongy. I tried to make the strawberry glaze, but it came out tasting a little strange -- I blame the strawberries and not my culinary efforts. I was short on time so busted over to Kroger for some store-bought icing but I'm sure these would be even better with something homemade.

Mascarpone Cupcakes



Ingredients

- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese (1 cup), softened
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup water

For the Aforementioned Failed Strawberry Glaze
- 1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cupcake tins with paper liners.

- In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy.
- Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill the cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Run to the grocery store for backup icing in case the glaze doesn't work out.

Source
Giada De Laurentis

Niche products get jump on the Holidays

Awhile back I ordered some nail caps for my cat so that she wouldn't scratch up the new couch. In place of declawing, you can glue a plastic cap on each nail to protect your furniture (and skin and eyes, I suppose). This is more humane, but also too much work if you're as lazy as I, so I offered Cricket a cardboard scratch pad instead and that seems to keep her off the upholstery. I still get "Mewsletters" from the makers of Soft Paws (TM) whenever they come out with exciting advances in plastic caps -- usually, new colors.

'Tis the season for Holiday marketing, because this was in my inbox this afternoon:



I was really disappointed that there were no Chanukah or Kwanzaa caps.

Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Cups

These are super tasty, insanely easy to make, and look fancy -- the perfect party food. I could eat like 12 myself, but slap some goat cheese on anything and I'm in.



Ingredients

-30 pre-made mini phyllo cups (I can find packs of 15 in the frozen section at Kroger)
-8 oz goat cheese, preferably w/ herbs
-5 oz diced sun-dried tomatoes

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Thoroughly mix goat cheese and tomatoes, then fill each pre-made phyllo cup to the top with the mixture.
- Bake 10 - 15 minutes.

Guns, Guts and Gorgeous

I saw this bumper sticker at a wedding last weekend and just had to take a photo (people must've thought I was either insanely pro-Palin or very anti).



Now, no matter what your political leanings, are those really good reasons to vote for someone?

Margarita Cupcakes

I made these for a bachelorette party last weekend and they were the best ever. I ended up putting too much food coloring in the icing so they're a liiiiiiiiittle St Patrick's Day-ish, but otherwise they were very festive and abosolutely delicious.



Ingredients:

Cupcakes
- 9 oz. margarita mix
- 3 oz. tequila
- ¾ oz. grand marnier or other orange liqueur (I was able to find a tiny bottle of grand marnier so as not to buy a large amount, but you could probably omit this ingredient and it wouldn't make a huge difference)
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp. lime zest

Lime Butter Cream Frosting
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 3 tbsp. lime juice (I used more like 6 tbsp. to make it extra limey. Okay, maybe it was 8.)
- green food coloring

Yield: 24 Cupcakes

Directions

Cupcakes
- Mix together the margarita mix, tequila and Grand Marnier in a large glass or spouted bowl. Reserve 1 ¼ cups of this for the cupcake batter and drink the rest as a treat while you are baking (I did not do this but by all means, bottoms up!)
- Add the margarita mixture (1 ¼ cups), cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, and lime zest. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for 2 minutes (the batter will still be a bit lumpy).
- Spoon the batter into a prepared cupcake tin and fill cups 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Place the cupcakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the frosting.

Frosting
- Add all ingredients and mix on low until combined. Turn the speed to medium-high until the icing is light and fluffy. Use water to thin the frosting if necessary. (I didn't need to do this b/c I upped the lime juice amount)
- Add the icing to a pastry bag or use a spatula/knife to frost the cupcakes (I just used a knife).

To Decorate
- Sprinkle with clear sugar cake sprinkles for the "the salt." Be sure to do this immediately after frosting each individual cupcake to ensure the sprinkles stay on.
- Zest a little lime peel for "the garnish. "
(As you can see from the photo, I neglected to fancy up my cupcakes with sprinkles and lime zest, but I thought I'd include this step in case anyone else is so inclined. I'm sure they'd look way more fun that way).

Source: Little Ms. Foodie

Kitten Therapy

The pet store where I buy dog & cat food sometimes has cats up for adoption. I always look at them to torture myself (we're at full animal capacity) on the way out. They usually have adult cats, but this time they had these two little ones:



Is there anything cuter? I'm sure they'll get snatched up quickly since they're young and adorable, but I was this close to taking them home, despite my better judgment.

The only two choices for women: witch & sexy kitten

I've never been a big fan of Halloween--I don't particularly enjoy drawing attention to myself by dressing up, and too much sugar makes me cranky. But if I suppress the crusty old lady in me I can see the appeal, and I'd probably get way into it if I had a little one to trot out.

I love Target's website, but one of their categories for Female Halloween costumes is eyeroll-inducing.



Sassy is defined as impudent or jaunty, but in this case "sassy" seems to indicate short skirts, massive amounts of cleavage, a hip tilt and a come-hither facial expression. Is this sexualization of Halloween costumes allowing women to be creative with their wardrobes one day a year, or is the lack of non-sassy costume options pigeonholing us into purchasing these? I dunno, but seeing as how Halloween is in late October, if I dress up I'll be sticking to something a little bit warmer.

An aside: I can never hear the word "sassy" without thinking of the classic Phil Hartman SNL skit. I feel like I'm in a sassy sandwich!

Franchise schmanchise

Well played, Dunkin' Donuts. Well played.

Dear Ms. [mylast],

We would like to thank you for taking the time to contact us about your experience at the Dunkin' Donuts shop located at [address].We work hard to maintain the highest standards in guest satisfaction, however, it appears we have let you down and for that we apologize. As you may know, the majority of our shops are individually owned and operated businesses. As an independent owner, the franchisee is responsible for all the day-to-day operational aspects of their business. We have forwarded your comments to the owner of this location as well as our Dunkin' Donuts field executive to make them aware of your experience. At Dunkin' Donuts we value our customers and are committed to making your visits to our stores a pleasant experience. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again soon.

Julie
________

I wonder what the chances are that the owner of that particular location will give a damn. I'm guessing slim to none. Well, I was looking forward to trying their delicious-looking flatbread sandwiches but I suppose I'll just have to shove some Starbies muffins in my face instead. Suck it, douchenozzles [thanks, MW ;-)].

Inept flirting or subtle harassment? You decide.

My letter to the folks at the Dunkin' Donuts corporate office:

No cream, sugar or harassment with my coffee, thanks. As I was leaving your Clifon store today, one of your adult male employees said "you should stop back in so I can get a piece of your donut". Since I was neither selling nor offering donuts and it was in fact the other way around, I'm pretty sure he was referring to my posterior or a comparable body part. Formidable though it is, that's neither here nor there and the attention was EXTREMELY unappreciated. I enjoy Dunkin' Donuts coffee, but will never visit that location again. Considering there's a Starbucks on every corner here in the midwest it won't be that difficult. Also, Ew. It was not only offensive to me as a customer but I'm guessing that this male has made similar comments to your young female employees (one of whom was standing right there) in the past and I won't be supporting a company that allows that kind of behavior.

I look forward to your response.

To the sevens of people who read my blog, please join me in abstaining from visting Dunkin' Donuts. Or at the very least please don't go to the Clifton location. Unless you enjoy hilarious but offensive comments about various body parts.

Tomato Basil Quiche

My mom always used to serve breakfast-type items for supper -- Belgian waffles, Swedish pancakes (Oo, how ethnic) -- when we were growing up, so I could eat breakfast for dinner every night of the week if I had my druthers.



Modified from Liz's Cooking Blog

Ingredients:

2 medium or 1 large tomato, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 leaves of fresh basil, torn if large
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups milk (I used skim to keep it on the lighter side)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425F.

In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the garlic. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. Arrange the onion on top of the cheese. Arrange the tomato in a single layer on top of the onion. Distribute the basil on top of the tomato and in the crevices between the rounds. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese mixture on top.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs thoroughly. Add the milk and pepper and beat well. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pie shell.

Bake for 20 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350F and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the quiche is browned to your liking.

Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before serving.

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Zucchini bread is delicious enough, but adding chocolate to it? Yum. I upped the chip content in these to make them even more dessert-like.


As usual, my photo doesn't really do these justice

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Time: 30 min. prep; 30 minutes (50-60 min. for bread)
Yields: 24 muffins (or 2 loaves of bread)

Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup olive or vegetable oil (I used vegetable oil)
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 2 cups grated zucchini
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional: I omitted these)
- 1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (I used chocolate only--seems like otherwise there'd be too much going on, and since I'm a supertaster I enjoy simpler fare)

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Or, grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans (grease liberally).
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using. Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.
- Bake muffins for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Loaves take a little longer -- about 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Source: Little Ms Foodie / Smitten Kitchen

SMRT

I discovered some newspapers stashed in the back of my car last night. When my brother and I went on our road trip a few weeks back, we attempted the Friday New York Times crossword puzzle. This is how far we got:


To his credit, he was concentrating on driving. As for me, I have no plausible excuse.

In order to make ourselves feel better, we picked up the Ashland Times-Gazette.



Phew.

Choc Chip Cookie Casserole

I took this casserole/these bars to a labor day fireworks party this weekend, and it/they was/were great for nibbling in between Rock Band songs.

Recipe via Sherri's blog.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. Flour
1 t. soda
3/4 t. salt
1 c. oil
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions:

Combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

In bowl mix together oil and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Mix in 3/4 c. of chocolate chips.

Spread into 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c. chips on top.

Bake at 350 for 15-25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Two jigsaw puzzles and many crosswords later...

My bro and I took a trip to visit my wonderful grandparents this past weekend and came back stuffed with delicious Italian food and info about Joe Biden. For some reason, the folks at MSNBC couldn't just say "Senator Biden" or simply "Biden". It was always "Joe Biden". If only we were the drinking-game type, this would've made a great one. Take a sip every time a pundit says "Joe Biden"-- we'd have been hammered in less than an hour.

We also worked really hard on some teddy bear jigsaw puzzles.



Me & grandma


Me & grandpa


And I couldn't resist taking a picture of g'ma's antique hairdryer. People actually stuck their heads up there!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Spoilers)

I'm a Negative Nancy when it comes to movies--being critical helps me enjoy the experience even more. Unfortunately, it probably makes those around me enjoy movies less.


Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 wasn't as good as the first movie, but still worth scamming the student discount to see first-run in the theater.


This long-awaited (by me) sequel featured strong performances, but the script was mediocre enough that it was kind of hard to tell. The dialogue was stilted and cheesy at times, and the storylines were a little unrealistic (let's all fly to Greece on a whim!). The plot in the original was closer to life and more relatable to us regular folks.

The pregnancy scare storyline would've been a good opportunity to tackle a difficult issue, but instead it pussyfooted around the tough parts. What about the morning after pill? And Amber Tamblyn's character Tibby only struggled with the possibility of being pregnant, but the writers played it safe and never indicated her feelings either way. We never learned what she'd have done if she had been pregnant.

The film wasn't without merit. I liked that the actresses were of varying (realistic!) body types. I also liked that the ladies' love interests showed a little racial diversity. Overall, it's an enjoyable movie with good role models for young girls--something seldom seen in films today. Even this heart of stone was warmed enough to tear up slightly at the end.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My peanut-butter-loving younger brother had a birthday last week, and he's blessed with an unBrookelike speedy metabolism, so I sent him a batch of cookies in the mail. These were good, but more on the crunchy side than the chewy side, so the "don't overbake" warning is important. Making the criss-cross mark on each cookie was really the most fun part.



Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
via Baking and Books

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Position the rack in the top and bottom third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the peanut butter with the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that everything is combined evenly.

Scoop dough by the rounded tablespoonful and roll into balls. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, and press down slightly. Using a fork dipped in flour, press down on the cookies first one way and then the other to form an “X” pattern, creating the cross hatch effect. (The cookies should now measure approximately 2 inches in diameter.) Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Overbaking will cause these chewy cookies to become crunchy, so try to avoid it.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies w/ Lemon Glaze

I marketed these as simply "lemon cookies" to my coworkers so as not to turn them off with my elitist baking, and they were gone in a jiff. The spouse and some friends give them two thumbs up as well.



(From Giada's recipe)

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder (I used baking soda and they still turned out great)
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 11-15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours before serving (or, you can eat them right away like we did).

Molasses Spice Cookies

I've been having trouble sleeping lately and instead of dorking around on the internet I've been channeling my late-night energy into tastier endeavors.

These took about an hour from start to finish and were a big hit around the office (or my coworkers gummed them down out of the goodness of their hearts).



Molasses Spice Cookies
from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 1/4 c. lower-protien unbleached all-purpose flour (like Gold Medal or Pilsbury)
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar, plus 1/2 c. for rolling
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup molasses

Directions:
-Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.-Line large baking sheet with parchment.
-In medium bowl whisk flour, baking soda, spices, pepper and salt.
-Either by hand or with electric mixer, beat the butter with brown sugar and 1/3 c. granulated sugar at medium high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 min.)
-Reduce speed to medium low and add yolk and vanilla, increase speed and beat until incorporated (about 20 seconds).
-Reduce speed and add molasses beat until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping the bottom and sides once with rubber spatula.
-Reduce speed to lowest setting and add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, scraping the bowl once.
-Give the dough a final stir by hand to ensure no flour pockets at bottom. (dough will be soft).
-Place 1/2 c. sugar in shallow bowl for rolling. Fill small bowl with cold tap water.
-Dip hands in water and roll heaping Tbsp. of dough into scant ball.
-Drop ball in sugar and roll to coat. -Set on prepared baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
-Bake about 11 min. (cookies will "crack", edges are puffy and inside of cracks look raw). Do not overbake.
-Cool on baking sheet ofor 5 mins. and trasfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.-serve when cooled to room temperature.

Watch your back, Eric Smith

Just this June, Eric Smith (UK) completed the largest jigsaw puzzle ever at 24,000 pieces. It took him six months of several hours of work per day. Our measley 3,000-piece puzzle is something to scoff at from where he's sitting, but from where I'm sitting it's just a gateway to bigger and better. Mr. Smith is 73, so this 28-year-old gal has plenty of time to work up to that level of puzzle greatness.

Our current masterpiece:

But there's more...

Puzzle annex #1


Puzzle annex #2


Sky pieces:


This is why I don't go to bed at a reasonable hour.

How to spice up your love life

Jigsaw puzzles are a fun, low-cost way to spend quality time with a loved one. And best of all, they're great for brain health and cognitive skills. The spouse and I are doing our best to stave off Alzheimer's one puzzle at a time.

We popped our puzzle cherry with this classic Western scene:

Next, we tackled a close-up of a brazen kitty in a suitcase:

We finished the second one in less than a week, so next up is something a little more challenging. I dunno if we even have the table space for it, but a 3,000 piece monster is on deck.

I think the reason that jigsaw puzzles aren't more popular among my demographic (and the reason that everyone I've mentioned this to has laughed immediately) is because the themes are so cheesy and cliche-- horses, cats, fairies, teddy bears. Come ON. You can do better than that, puzzle creators. Let's rejuvenate the entire industry with some kickass puzzles that will inspire and delight.

Chocolate Chip Apple Oatmeal Cookies

(note to self: figure out how to take clearer pictures)

I'm a very poor cook. I can slap together decent casserole-type dishes that require minimal skill, but other than that it's usually a wash. I'm a decent baker, though--probably because I'm good at following directions but have no chef's instinct. This recipe is an interesting twist on an old favorite and yields deliciousness.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. rolled oats

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 small dash of freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled until warm

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 large egg plus 1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 large apple, peeled and diced, about 1 c.

Directions:

-Adjust oven racks to upper & lower -middle positions & heat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (lacking parchment paper, I used foil and it worked fine).

-Whisk dry ingredients together; set aside.

-With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter & sugars until thoroughly combined.

-Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla until combined.

-Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips and apple.

-Roll scant 1/2 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. (Or, just eyeball the dough and plop some on the cookie sheet with reckless abandon)

-Top dough ball with extra chocolate chips.

-Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft & puffy, about 12-15 minutes.-Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.

Blogging with a purpose

My memory is sketchy at best. I can remember the entire theme song to Today's Special but routinely forget important conversations I've had and events that took place days (or hours) ago.

Now, armed with this handy blog for reference, I'll be able to call up important details that will enable me to amaze friends and relatives, stun coworkers and wow strangers. Or at least have access to a record of events that'll help me win an argument with my spouse every now and then. It'll be like tying a string around my finger-- but with the internet!