Let's talk for a hot second about everything there is to be excited about right now.
1. It's daylight savings time, baby! Now, granted this means that I will be extra cranky come tomorrow morning and will, for two weeks, be proclaiming that I am actually arriving to work at 6:15 instead of 7:15, and I will use that as an excuse to do nothing at all because of how tired I am, but still. Daylight savings time means grilling season, birthdays, and that the clock in my car will be right again.
2. The beach. We're headed there soon. I love the beach, and I am determined to float today. If the water's too cold, then I will settle for letting Matt dig me a hole in the sand so that I can lie on my stomach.
3. Being spoiled. I have my work baby shower tonight, and I'm excited to celebrate CSF with some of my favorite ladies (who are teaching me, slowly but surely, how to be a Southern gentlewoman--Steel Magnolias, here I come!).
4. My new favorite term, pops. Shecky and I decided that it was short for popular, and that's it's extra fun when used in conjunction with totes. For example, "He's totes pops with the ladies." Matt hates it, and says it's the worst thing ever, something that a huge douche from WB show would say, to which Shecky responded, "Exactly." Pops is taking off, people.
5. Productivity. I've been a damned go-getter this week! I've done about 200 loads of laundry, my paper grading and recording is up to date, thank you cards are written, and the nursery is in the midst of being reorganized. (Definitely is in the "worse before it gets better" stage right now, which is making me a little bit crazy, though.) And tell me that cloth diapers aren't the cutest thing you've ever seen in your life. (I mean, besides Mitch.)
6. Mad Men in two weeks!
7. Presents from my Matt! Tulips and a Bo Obama stuffed dog for the boy!
8. And, finally, The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook is here! It's here! I've been waiting for a year and a half for it, and it's incredible! I went and got my copy on Thursday, and have been drooling over it ever since. Even if Back in the Day Bakery wasn't my favorite place in Savannah, and even if I didn't think that Cheryl and Griff were basically the cutest people on the planet, and even if I didn't idolize Cheryl to the point where I get nervous when I see her because I'm so in awe of her mad skillz, I would love this cookbook the most. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are precise without being intimidating, and the recipes look amazing. There are little tips throughout the book, and little tidbits about Savannah, and it's just wonderful. Go buy it. (Or win the baby pool and I'll send you one!)
Last night Back in the Day was having a cookbook release party, and I went with one of my teacher friends. We got there early to get our books signed, and I wish I had been able to take more pictures of the gorgeous decorations. Those people sure know how to throw a party! There was even cotton candy! The place was packed, and there were complimentary sweet treats (I think I subsisted on cupcakes and cookies alone yesterday) and so much happy energy. Of course my camera died after about 2 pictures, and I'd forgotten backup batteries, so here are some of the pictures that my friend took with her phone.
Then, inspired, productive, and cheery, I came home and decided that I absolutely had to make the chocolate chip cookies from the cookbook.
Shoot yeah!
These cookies are really f'ing good. They're big, and they're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and I might have had two of them for breakfast this morning (one for me, one for the baby!). Matt approves. So does the fetus. My doctor does not, but I'm not listening to him about sugar anymore (not like I was ever really following his instructions about not eating sugar, but I'm not going to feel guilty about not following his instructions anymore).
Chocolate Chip Cookies
From The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook (which you should go buy right now)
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (which she says is between 65 and 67 degrees F)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
Fleur de sel for sprinkling
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream together the butter, vanilla, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix for no more than 1 minute; the eggs will not be fully incorporated. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients in thirds, beating until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chunks, beating until just combined, about 1 minute.
Use a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form the cookies and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. Lightly tap each cookie with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but still light in the centers. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
What are you excited about today?
1. It's daylight savings time, baby! Now, granted this means that I will be extra cranky come tomorrow morning and will, for two weeks, be proclaiming that I am actually arriving to work at 6:15 instead of 7:15, and I will use that as an excuse to do nothing at all because of how tired I am, but still. Daylight savings time means grilling season, birthdays, and that the clock in my car will be right again.
2. The beach. We're headed there soon. I love the beach, and I am determined to float today. If the water's too cold, then I will settle for letting Matt dig me a hole in the sand so that I can lie on my stomach.
3. Being spoiled. I have my work baby shower tonight, and I'm excited to celebrate CSF with some of my favorite ladies (who are teaching me, slowly but surely, how to be a Southern gentlewoman--Steel Magnolias, here I come!).
4. My new favorite term, pops. Shecky and I decided that it was short for popular, and that's it's extra fun when used in conjunction with totes. For example, "He's totes pops with the ladies." Matt hates it, and says it's the worst thing ever, something that a huge douche from WB show would say, to which Shecky responded, "Exactly." Pops is taking off, people.
5. Productivity. I've been a damned go-getter this week! I've done about 200 loads of laundry, my paper grading and recording is up to date, thank you cards are written, and the nursery is in the midst of being reorganized. (Definitely is in the "worse before it gets better" stage right now, which is making me a little bit crazy, though.) And tell me that cloth diapers aren't the cutest thing you've ever seen in your life. (I mean, besides Mitch.)
6. Mad Men in two weeks!
7. Presents from my Matt! Tulips and a Bo Obama stuffed dog for the boy!
8. And, finally, The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook is here! It's here! I've been waiting for a year and a half for it, and it's incredible! I went and got my copy on Thursday, and have been drooling over it ever since. Even if Back in the Day Bakery wasn't my favorite place in Savannah, and even if I didn't think that Cheryl and Griff were basically the cutest people on the planet, and even if I didn't idolize Cheryl to the point where I get nervous when I see her because I'm so in awe of her mad skillz, I would love this cookbook the most. The pictures are beautiful, the instructions are precise without being intimidating, and the recipes look amazing. There are little tips throughout the book, and little tidbits about Savannah, and it's just wonderful. Go buy it. (Or win the baby pool and I'll send you one!)
Last night Back in the Day was having a cookbook release party, and I went with one of my teacher friends. We got there early to get our books signed, and I wish I had been able to take more pictures of the gorgeous decorations. Those people sure know how to throw a party! There was even cotton candy! The place was packed, and there were complimentary sweet treats (I think I subsisted on cupcakes and cookies alone yesterday) and so much happy energy. Of course my camera died after about 2 pictures, and I'd forgotten backup batteries, so here are some of the pictures that my friend took with her phone.
Then, inspired, productive, and cheery, I came home and decided that I absolutely had to make the chocolate chip cookies from the cookbook.
Shoot yeah!
These cookies are really f'ing good. They're big, and they're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and I might have had two of them for breakfast this morning (one for me, one for the baby!). Matt approves. So does the fetus. My doctor does not, but I'm not listening to him about sugar anymore (not like I was ever really following his instructions about not eating sugar, but I'm not going to feel guilty about not following his instructions anymore).
Chocolate Chip Cookies
From The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook (which you should go buy right now)
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (which she says is between 65 and 67 degrees F)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
Fleur de sel for sprinkling
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream together the butter, vanilla, and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes.
Add the eggs and mix for no more than 1 minute; the eggs will not be fully incorporated. Turn the speed down to low and add the dry ingredients in thirds, beating until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, sprinkle in the chocolate chunks, beating until just combined, about 1 minute.
Use a large ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measuring cup to form the cookies and place on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. Lightly tap each cookie with the palm of your hand and sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time for even doneness. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but still light in the centers. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.
I was going to comment that Matt is totes NOT pops since he hates totes pops, but then I saw that he got you the tulips and Bo dog (which I do believe was named after me. . . ), and I realized that I guess he can be totes pops again.
ReplyDeleteShecky