Monthly Archives: March 2009

Chewy Coconut Cookies

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Coconut is one of K’s favorite things in life. So at our last food shopping outing we bought some. It has been in the cabinet for about a month and I would always overlook it when I was making a dessert. So last night I decided to finally use it. I wanted to make him something special. He had a hard day at work and I wanted to put a smile on his face. I came across this recipe on Allrecipes.com and decided to make a 1/2 a batch. The cookies came out delicious and he was extremely surprised. I ate a couple, he ate a couple, and then I left a couple to be photographed today. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning and he had taken the rest of the cookies with him to work, so I don’t have any cookies to photograph! Hope you enjoy the recipe without.

* This also took care of # 64. Give him a special little gift when he isn’t expecting it.

Chewy Coconut Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

Yields approximately 24 cookies

# 12. Read 30 new books I haven’t read before (3/30) – Miss Invisable by Laura Jensen Walker

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# 12. Read 30 new books I haven’t read before (3/30)

Miss Invisable
By Laura Jensen Walker

Convinced that her larger size relegates her to wallflower status, Freddie Heinz hides behind the wedding cakes she creates as a professional baker. But life is about to change for Miss Invisible. First of all, Freddie’s found a new friend who encourages her to come out of her shell. Then Hal, the cute veterinarian, starts showing interest in the woman behind the delightful cakes. And when Freddie decides to break every rule in the “big girl’s” book and find out who she really is, life gets even more exciting–and hilarious.

Opinion:
I decided to get this book on a whim as I did with a couple of others. I read it in a day. It was an easy, a times entertaining, and sometimes inspiring novel. It didn’t leave me desperate for more but I enjoyed it while it lasted.

Lemonade. No thank you. Just water please.

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Oh sweet rain.  My friend.  I love it when you visit.  There hasn’t been a time in my life that I haven’t love the sound and smell of the rain.   I know that is weird to say because a lot of people think of the rain as a nuisance.  I on the other hand welcome it.  I love how it is cleansing.  How it makes me feel.  How the smell brings back so many good memories.    How it brings an inner peace in me.  I am especially happy it has decided to visit today.  I need that feeling of peace now more then I have in a while.   With everything going on in my life lately I need a feeling of something.  I have been so overwhelmed with feelings of dread, hopelessness and worry that I have gotten away from what I really need.  Peace.   Lately I have been thinking a lot about life and its surrounding areas.  Sometimes I wonder about people and friends and family. I try my hardest to do what is best for K and I.  I try to do what is best for our family. Our friends.  But sometimes I think that people are so wrapped up in themselves that they just don’t see others and what is happening.  I have noticed lately that the society we live in is so greedy and all about themselves.  What happen to wanting to help people?  Or just make someone happy?  What happen to caring about people and how you treat them.  I am so disappointed in people sometimes. I realized yesterday that when life gives you lemons they say you should make lemonade.  But what happens when you don’t like lemonade?

Hours to go before sleep…

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I can’t seem to sleep tonight.  I have had one of those days and I ended up doing nothing that was scheduled.  Have you ever had one of those days?  Well today was mine.  I did go to the gym as planned, but the rest of the day was a wash.  Everything that was in the works fell apart and then I ended up spending the night watching tv, reading and just being with myself.  When K came home from work he decided to take a bit of a nap before we had to leave.  K started napping at 2 and when I went to wake him he said he wasn’t feeling well.  He has been sleeping ever since.  I have had a lot of time to think tonight.  Hours at that and it seems I may have hours more.  I just wish that that I could sleep…

The Saturday Seven

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1. The Pink Teapot - if you want an etiquette question answered, this is the place to go!

2 .Hostess with the Mostess – There are so many diy things and simply adorable ideas here!

3 .Delight – I adore this site. There are so many things that I wish I had the money to buy.

4. Evil Shenanigans – I already have a couple of recipes that I am dying to make from the website. We met through foodbuzz.

5. Dorie Greenspan – I wish I could cook like this women. She is amazing

6. David Lebovitz – Last summer I was obsessed with his book “The Perfect Scoop”. If you like ice cream/sorbet or food for that matter this book/website is a must.

7. Karina’s Kitchen – I have been wrestling with the idea of trying out a bit of a gluten free diet just to see if it helps with my stomach problems. Supposedly she is a gluten free goddess. =)

Lindeman’s Limestone Coast Merlot 2007

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 Today’s selection:

Lindeman’s Limestone Coast Merlot 2007
It is a full-flavoured merlot and an elegant wine which is beautifully balanced.  It is a medium bodied, deep purple with crimson hues.  Cherry and plum fruit aromas meld with notes of mint and sweet, spicy oak.  Ideally suited for beef, duck, game or lamb. 

Varietal: Merlot
Region: Australia
Producer: Lindemans  
Sells for approximately $10 a bottle.

K’s rating: * * *

{Lindeman’s Limestone Coast Merlot 2007}

Last meal standing…

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K and I have been trying to go through all of the food we have in our apartment. Sort of like a spring cleaning of sorts. We have not gone food shopping in the last two weeks. Slowly but surely we are going to start running out of stuff, but it in the end it is going to make us more adventurous in what we are making. I came up with the idea at our last shopping trip. I noticed that our shopping list seems to be the same old things. There is a lot of food that we have at the house that we seem to skip over so that we can make the “usuals” or something quick and simple. Now we have to come up with new things to make with just the supplies we have in the apartment. I find it a bit exciting. During the day I am trying to come up with new things to make with what we have. Sometimes the meals are good, but sometimes we do get that meal where we are thinking…what the hell did we just make! lol. We are hoping to be able to make it through the whole month. *fingers crossed*

Lunch!

{Random lunch – Steak with leftover salad and fries}

peanut butter rice crispy treats!

{Random snack – last of the box of rice crispies/leftover marshmallows/peanut butter}

Sweet Wednesdays…

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Wednesday the fourth day of the week. The day between Tuesday and Thursday.  The only one that starts with a W.  Also known as Hump Day.  My favorite day.  K and I are lucky enough to work in amazing jobs that give us this day off every week.   It is my favorite day because it is always a surprise.  I never know if it is going to be the day that we decide to go on a day trip or just sit around and do nothing but read and watch tv.  I am grateful for this day.  It helps me with the insanity of my week.  It calms me like no Saturday can.  I love that fact that if you go anywhere on a Wednesday there will be no lines.  The streets are clearer and the possibles are endless.  We never really plan our Wednesday because we like it to the be the day that we are spontaneous.  The day that we can wake up and not have somewhere that we need to be.  Our weeks are usually all planned out (by me of course) and this is the perfect day to shy away from that.  On any given Wednesday you might see us taking a hike in the local park, having a picnic on the lawn on a nice sunny day, taking pictures of random things, playing video games or board games, baking, catching a movie or even shopping.  On the days that K can not be with me on a Wednesday I usually get all of the household things done such as laundry, food shopping and cleaning.  This way when we do get a moment during the week that we don’t have something planned we can just be with each other.  I count my blessings everyday that we have this special day available.

Sleeply!!