It was magical...

I'm back from vacationing in Orlando! It was fantastic, we visited Walt Disney World and Universal Studios (including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!) I'm still sorting through hundreds of photos and will share them soon but for now, I'll leave you with this one - I tried Butterbeer and it was delicious! I could litterally live in Hogsmeade.

ps. I purchased my very first wand from Mr. Ollivander himself! I took part in the wand demonstration while he chose a wand for me.
pps. Pardon my expression - it was way too sunny for this girl.

Listen - Washed Out

Washed Out - Amor Fati (OFFICIAL VIDEO) from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

I love, love, love Washed Out. It's just one guy making some incrediable music. Give it a listen and let me know what you think.

PS. I'm not sure why in the video a guy answers the door with no pants on, but just go with it - the song is worth it. Trust me.

Winter Projects

 

I don't know about you but around this time of year I am counting down the days until Summer. I wake up and go to work in the dark and return home at night - in the dark. To keep the winter blues at bay I've decided to take up a couple winter projects.  This year I've decided to take up sketching and painting!  Little know fact I studied art and art history all through my school years. This past season of The Next Great Artist really motivated me to start drawing and painting again!  I've already been working on a couple projects which I will be sharing over the next couple of months.

In other exciting news, my parents got me the Cake Pops book by Bakerella for Christmas! I'll admit I'm super nervous about baking and making cake pops but I am excited about trying something new, other than cupcakes. Have you ever made any cake pops? Any tips and tricks?

Of course, I would love to hear if you have any winter projects planned, and if not I hope this inspires you to think of your own!

 

PS. Minnie approves of winter projects and sun tanning in the window. Can you believe that face? Honest she looks at me, like that ALL THE TIME. Oh, teenagers....

Across The Cafe Table

On the second Wednesday of each month The Travel Belles invites bloggers to to participate in “Across the Café Table." Here they ask and answer a travel-related question as a way to get to know one another, sharing our answers “across the virtual café table,” by responding on our own blogs, adding a link to the post here on the site, and linking back to it from your own answer. So grab a beverage and pull up a chair – there’s always plenty of room!

Image Via Flickr

 This month's question is in 2012 where do you most want to go but haven't yet, & why?

Being the planner that I am we already have our 2012 travel agenda all planned out!  We will be returning to Florida and Paris, but one place that we have not yet been to is Venice, Italy.  I'm super excited to (hopefully) visit this beautiful and amazing city. I've always been drawn to Italy and really what's not to love? Amazing food, art and history! We have been fortunate enough to visit Rome and Tuscany a couple years ago but I've always wanted to visit Florence and Venice. Plus, apparently I've heard that Venice is sinking at such a rapid rate -- in a couple of years it will not be the same.

Where do you want to visit in 2012? In need of suggestions head on over to The Travel Belles and find out what the other Belles have listed on their 2012 travel agenda!

If it's not broken, don't fix it...

 

In the spirit of the New Year I decided to make low fat/cholesterol Oatmeal Raisin cookies over the weekend. I recently purchased Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Light cookbook and I was really excited to try a recipe from the baking section. While the book boasts many delicious and healthy recipes, the cookies were SERIOUSLY lacking.  

I'll try baking anything once and I support making baked goods more "healthy" but these were not flavorful at all. The biggest substitute was vegetable oil for butter and way less sugar than cookies normally have. The biggest fail was that they smelled weird. I honestly thought my Silpat was melting because the smell was not that wonderful scent of vanilla, sugar and butter melding together.  Below I've included a recipe for my favorite (full fat/cholestorol) Oatmeal Raisin cookies.

Have you ever tried a recipe that was a "healthy" alternative only to find out that the original tastes better?

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add oat mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in raisins.
2. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly.
3. Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Source: Martha Stewart

What will you gain?

 

I've thought a lot about posting about New Year's resolutions and such. I wasn't really going to post anything about it, but then the most recent Special K ads caught my eye and got me thinking. The tag line is "what will you gain, when you lose?"   In a season where so many of us are thinking about how much can we lose, what if the question was not, how much will you lose, but instead how much will we gain in life?  I'm not saying it's bad to have resolutions focused on weight, everyone needs to focus on what they need to change in their life. But I also think it's important not to lose focus on other areas as well.

As someone who has struggled with weight issues, this time of year brings up thoughts and feelings that I try to forget the other month's of the year. There is not a day that goes by when I don't think about my weight. It's a daily battle that I am slowly overcoming with time and self acceptance.  A couple years ago I tried going to the gym and even getting a personal trainer. I was working out 4-5 days a week, but I wasn't feeling like myself.  I was starting to lose who I was rather than more weight and then obsession and unhealthy thoughts slowly crept back in and I stopped going. 

I think everyone comes to a fork in the road when dealing with an issue or problem.  You can either dwell on negative thoughts and do nothing, or take the high road and be positive. After I quit the gym I started walking, doing more activities around the house and riding my bike. I came to accept that just because I wasn't going to the gym didn't mean that I was unhealthy or needed to lose weight. In short, I started living more, I started living life for myself and not what I thought I had to look like to be accepted.

So this year I plan on gaining. I want to gain in self-acceptance, kindness to others, positivity and love.  Resolutions should not only be defined by a number but rather self satisfaction and contentment - call them "unconventional resolutions" if you will.

PS. I also plan on blogging more in 2012 about my life, love and things that make me happy (and OF course more cupcakes!)

What is your "unconventional" resolution?

The Best Brownies In The World

 

I made these brownies a couple weeks ago for a potluck at my work. They went over quite well. They are simply the best brownies I have ever tasted! It helps that I have the cutest brownie pan from Williams Sonoma! One of my goals for 2012 is to bake more, and share more recipes with you dear reader. I'll be sharing some of my goals this week with you. 

What are you baking lately?

Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup cake flour, sifted
• 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, semisweet
    chocolate chips, peanut butter chips or
    white chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish, preferably glass.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Heat, stirring often, until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until well blended. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in the chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out almost completely clean, about 30 minutes (longer if using a metal pan). Do not overbake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into 2 1/2-inch squares.

Makes 9 large brownies.

Source: Williams Sonoma.

 

Introducing The Twitter Book Club Tumblr!

 

I'm so excited to introduce the new Twitter Book Club Tumblr!  That's right the Twitter Book Club is back and better than ever!  So please head on over to the new blog and check it out!

PS. I've also moved my personal blog back over to Blogger, hence the re-design. Long story short I have been having major issues with Tumblr for the last month or so and they can't help me - so I've moved back. I hope you like it!

Happy Reading!