pão e queijo

Goodbye and Hello.

Dear 2011,

 

Yikes.  You went fast… like, really fast.  You were a really cool year, I grew a lot, many things happened.  I definitely liked you better than boring 2010.  

 

I started the year off newly single and suntanning in beautiful Aruba.  That sure cured the blues!  

Aruba

I hit the ground running back in Costa Rica (oh Costa Rica, you feel like so long ago), and began my last semester of my post-grad, complete with thesis and all!  Oh yeah… thanks for helping me finish my 200 page thesis!  And putting it behind me… whoo!  

 

I had a lot of fun traveling this year, visiting friends in Mexico, and having friends come to visit me in CR.  

 

Mexico

 

It was a good year for friendship, eating out, and baking brownies.

 

There's nothing like good friends 

 

And making plenty of funny faces.

 

 

It was also the first whole year I have basically been single since I was 15.  Yeah 2011, you should feel special.  

 

 

In May I started pastry school and loved it.  For 3 weeks.  And then I tore my meniscus and had to go back to the US for an intensive surgery and recovery.  So much for those plans!

 

Tea-infused Asian Pear Tarte Tatin

And while I was recovering, cursing the stupid crutches and all, I decided to permanently move back to the States to get a Master's in Gastronomy.

 

But first, I had to go to CR for my graduation and to move.  In 8 days, my mom, grandma, tons of friends, and I packed up my huge amount of accumulated stuff, sold most of it, and shipped the rest home with Fedex, which for the record sucks. I had some teary goodbyes, lots of heart-to-hearts, and tons of running around to do in those eight days. And my friends had a wonderful farewell party for me.

 

Graduation!

My Farewell Party

I've been on a lovely vacation since July.  I can't complain… lots of goodies have been prepared in my parents' kitchen, I've spent precious time with family, I've discovered the beauty of cooking from the farmer's market, eating locally and seasonally.   And I'm not going to lie:  I've spent a LOT of time in PJs.  Don't judge me.  

 

There's nothing like spending quality time with family 

Or my kittay... I've taken 357 photos of Miz Newt LongJohn Bacon Squeegie BIN Nomori

Farmer's Market Produce

I've learned so much with you, 2011.  I have learned to be single and enjoy it, I've learned to love myself, and I've learned not to settle for less.  Don't avoid something you want because you're scared to fail.  2012: I'm coming at you full charge.

 

I ate yummy food.  Here, in NYC.

Goodbye, I have loved you.

Sarah

Goodbye!

Dear 2012,

 

The time has come to be a "grownup."  I know, I dread it too.  It means I have to get a job, have student loans, and pay my health insurance, and pay for the US standard of life.  It means I have to make big girl decisions and maybe not eat brownies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  

 

Gluten free brownies

Yeah, it also means I feel old when college football is on TV and I'm now way older than these kiddos.  And my classmates from high school are getting married and having kids.   

 

Although I'm feeling bittersweet/nervous/scaredaton about this transition, I know it will be amazing.  Although I'll miss my darling Miz Newt LongJohn Bacon Squeegie BIN Nomori, Boston (complete with roommates and all) is going to blow my socks off.   I'm so excited about studying what fascinates me, living in a cool city, and taking a dive into American adulthood.  The opportunities are endless (I hope).  

 

I will miss my lovely family

I've made some goals (not resolutions!) for you and me.  Take a look:

 

Bake a different kind of "artisan' bread each month.  

 

Make/ give/ buy a meal for a person in need.

 

Find a job.  I know, fun.

 

Establish a great life for myself in this new, exciting chapter.  

 

Manage my money "better."

 

Continue the cheese project.  

 

Make: macarons, amazing pizza, gelato, sourdough bread, yogurt, poached eggs, tempered chocolate, croissants and/or danishes, tortillas, more DIY foods.

 

Eat cookies.  Have fun.  Stay relaxed.

 

Yeah Boston, I'm talkin' to you.

 

I'm excited for what's to come!  

 

Hello I have great expectations,

Sarah

 

Hello!
 

 

P.S.  My favorite recipes from this year have been:

 

Savory

 

Butternut Squash Tofu with Brown Butter and Pecans 

Couscous with Artichoke Hearts and Walnuts 

Spinach Tagliatelle with Mushroom Ragout 

Gnocchi Salad with Roasted Red Peppers, Artichoke Hearts, Sun-dried Tomatoes, and Tomato Vinaigrette  

Spinach and Tofu Paneer  

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup  

Broccoli and Tofu with Garlic Sauce  

Blue Hubbard Squash and Treviso Risotto with Asiago 

Mushrooms and Tofu en Papillote  

Sweet Potato Biscuits  

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms 

Red Pear Risotto with Bleu Cheese and Walnuts 

 

Sweet

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies  

Snickerdoodles  

Apple Walnut Pancakes  

Cookies and Cream Brownies (the best!) 

Cherry Yogurt Popsicles 

Brown Butter Plum Cobbler-Crumble 

Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze 

Vanilla Pecan Granola 

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes 

Cranberry-Pear Compote  

Homemade Marzipan  

Cranberry Pistachio White Chocolate Biscotti (the best!) 

Speculaas Cookies  

Simple Blackberry and Apple Cobbler  

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Loaf  

Rustic Country Loaf  

 

Change is the only constant.  Hanging on is the only sin.

                                                               -Denise McCluggage

 

Happy New Year!  Cheers :)

 

A tender goodbye (Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers with Pecans)

Mr. Peach was kind of like a Cinderella story, if you can call it that.  

 

Peach (left) and Dev (right), their last winter together (Aussie and Gillie far left)

 

He and I met at Spring Meadow Farm when I was a tender eleven years old and just starting to be horse-crazy.  It was back in the day when I drew endless pictures of saddles, grooming equipment, barns, and anything equine.  

 

Chug was the guy I took lessons on.  He was blonde, fat, and easy going, albeit a little slow.  Peach was his opposite in many ways; he was sleek and dark, self-righteous, and had a bit of a temper.  But underneath the shield of biting, trampling, and general irritability, Mr. Peach had a heart of gold.  

 

In the dog and pony show world, horses sometimes receive pretty poor treatment.  Lesson horses are pushed to the max with incompetent or demanding riders (and trainers), some are beaten, while others are neglected.  Mr. Peach told a thousand stories with his eyes, and although we don't know the exact details of his past, we're sure it wasn't pretty.  But when he was gifted to my sister for her 14th birthday eleven plus years ago, he started a new life.  

 

He went from city to country life in a matter of years, so to say.  He went from damp stalls and muddy paddocks to lush green acreage with a beautiful view of the lake.  He was able to put behind the lessons in exchange for luxury, to a peaceful world where he could live in harmony with Dev (whom he bossed around and played with), and Gillie, my dad's stinky fat pony.  

 

Frida on Peach, last summer
 

As the years went by he continued to shed his shield of anger and general grouchiness.  Although we know he was in pretty much constant pain due to various physical problems and abuse (as well as old age), he was stoic, strong, and courageous.  He rarely complained, and when he did… well, my sister and dad were by his side in an instant.  

 

Mr. Peach was to Em as Dev was to me in the difficult teenage years.  We found solace and comfort in their gentle ways.  We spent hours grooming them, cooking up bran mashes for their brunch, taking them for walks in the woods, and being in general "horse obsessed."  The bond we had with our equine friends was reciprocated.  They gave us the best friendship a girl could ask for.  

 

Yesterday morning we were devastated by our loss of Mr. Peach.  He had put on a good face for many years, and it was his time to join Dev in heaven.  I'm sure they're happy to see each other now.  

 

 

Cinnamon sugar palmiers with pecans

Inspired by Simply Recipes

Makes about 18 cookies

Note: these are fantastic, and fantastically simple.  They are great for teatime and entertaining alike.  

 

½ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

⅓ cup pecans or walnuts, finely chopped

 

Sprinkle ¼ cup of sugar onto a clean work surface.  Combine the other ¼ cup of sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.  

 

Roll the puff pastry out to about 10 by 12-inches on top of the sugar.  Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, followed by the chopped pecans.  Roll up the left vertical side towards the middle, followed by the right side of the dough.  The two should meet in the middle and touch.  Press the two rolls together so they stick a little better.  Let the dough chill in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 400F with rack in the center.  Prepare baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  Cut the log into slices by starting at one end and cutting ½-inch slices.  Pinch and press sides together so that the palmiers don't unroll while baking.  Sprinkle sugar onto each side.  Place onto prepared baking sheets, 12 per sheet with room in between (they will get a lot bigger!).  Bake about 10-15 minutes, or until sugar has caramelized and cookies are golden.  Cool on baking sheets 10 more minutes.  

 

Why I am a vegetarian: Part 2 [proceed with caution]

See part I here

 

 

99 percent of meat in the USA is factory farmed.  Your burger?  Yes.  Your saran-wrapped chicken breasts?  That, too.  Panera's chicken panini?  Yup.  What does this mean?  Read on.

 

When I see meat, I think of an animal being bled out before its dead.

 

I see a factory farm, cages so small that the animals can't even turn around (less than the size of a sheet of paper).  Cages where the chicken cuts its feet or its claws grow around.  Cages that let the feces from cages above, fall onto the poor being.  

 

I see beaks being inhumanely clipped, lame animals being pushed by a tractor into their grave… or worse, not being pushed into a grave.  Their life is worse than their death, almost.  Downers, lame animals that can't get up, are left to rot.

 

When I see meat, I see slaughterhouse workers stomping on live chickens for fun (that's one of the better cases-- read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer for more details).  I see loads of antibiotics, and feces with many chemicals polluting our waterways.  I see foodborne illnesses, and diseases that jump species.  

 

When I see fish, I see thousand of sea species being dragged painfully across the bottom of the ocean during a two hour trawl that collects and kills many more fish and creatures than are actually being fished for.  I see fish bled out before they are dead, eyes popping out of their heads.  I see a change in the food chain because we demand so many salmon, so many sea bass, that we've screwed the system up.

 

I see acres of land go to the production of corn to feed cows and animals for meat: cows aren't made to eat corn.  That land could be used to produce more efficient food.  I see herbivore animals, like cows and chickens, eat meat that is fed to them to fatten them up quickly.  I see broiler chickens so breast-heavy by genetic modification (Americans like their chicken breast), that they are falling over and can't walk.  They are fattened killed after 39 days.  That's one month and nine days.  It used to be more than twice that.  

 

The industry changed their genetics, pushed them into tiny cages in cement barns with no ventilation or clean air to breathe, fed them food that Mother Nature didn't intend, and because of all this, they are sick animals: and the industry doesn't care.  They make a buck whether the animals are well or not.  To combat this illness, they are pumped with antibiotics and hormones to make them produce quicker and get them fatter quicker.  That pollutes, creates resistant strains of bacteria, and causes allergies and illnesses on a large scale.  On top of this, the doors are locked, the USDA, FDA and other government organizations that you would think protect us as consumers and the animals, too, do next to nothing (actually, they support factory farming in many different ways).  

 

Disgusting and inhumane slaughterhouses that routinely contaminate literally tons of meat appear frequently in the news.  Know why that is?  To put it short and sweet: there's a huge concentration of SH*T on factory farms.  The poor animals are buried in it.  So when they get to the slaughterhouse, if one cow was contaminated with a pathogen, the sh*t gets on everything and contaminates thousands and millions of pounds of meat.  It used to be that after 6 salmonella or other pathogen breakouts, the USDA shut a slaughterhouse down.  Not anymore.  Did you know that if you put a cow with salmonella bacteria out to pasture for just 5 days, the bacteria diminishes by 80%?  What we're doing to these poor animals is not natural. So BigAg makes out like bandits, and we pay the price.  

 

Think about this:  50 billion chickens worldwide have to go through that every year.  But the price of meat hasn't gone up (with inflation) in 30 years.  So to keep the prices low and give Americans what they want (which, if they really knew all that it entitles, might back off a bit), factory farming temporarily solves the problem. In the film, Food, Inc., one of the guys says: if you can't afford to eat (good) meat, don't eat it at all.  I will clarify that although with my values, I don't want to eat meat and don't feel right doing it, I'm not against eating meat under the following circumstances:  It is humanely and pasture-raised, taken proper care of, not fed corn (or other unnatural feed), local, sustainably produced.  Reducing your consumption of meat just by a little can help a lot.  Don't support factory farming.

Whether you are a carnivore or a vegan, this concerns you.  It concerns us.  No matter if you dislike animals and love meat, I can't imagine anyone would possibly think the treatment they receive is OK.

Do you know what's in your meat or how the animals were raised and killed?

 

Reading and films of interest (These are not exceptions: they are the rules):

Eating Animals- Jonathan Safran Foer (PLEASE, I'm begging you... read this book)

Food, Inc. (Movie) or book

The Omnivore's Dilemma-Michael Pollan

Ingredients (movie)

Meet your meat (video)

Farm to fridge- The truth behind meat production (video)

Article about Hormel

Article about factory farm pollution

Hidden information from the USDA

Meatrix Movie-- Factory farming

Factory farm map (find factory farms near you!)

Psychology of factory farming

Food and Water Watch

Food Safety News

How to buy humane eggs

Global meat production and its impact

Solution to world hunger: eat less meat

Arsenic in factory farmed chicken

Meat industry and E.Coli

Taco Bell only 35% meat

Guide on how to eat meat

Eating less, better meat

Foodies, get thee to Occupy Wall Street

FDA recall list

The attack on organic food and why it's wrong

Antibiotics create resistant bacteria

Just one common example of factory farmed meat: blue plastic chips found in ground beef

McDonald's McRib sandwich and animal cruelty

Humane Society exposes inhumane treatment of pigs at Smithfield

Brownies, Macarons, Sticky buns, Croissants, and Food Comas

A couple of months ago I made a list (oh yes, one more).

 

It was a list of bakeries and some restaurants I wanted to visit in NYC.

 

I know, you're probably thinking... don't you live in NY?  

 

Uh, yeah.  But NY isn't just New York City, people!  I happen to live in a beautiful part of the state where there are no yellow taxis, skyscrapers, or overpriced bottles of water.  Actually I wouldn't know about that last one (love my metal waterbottle).

 

After a beautiful six hour train ride to visit my friend Nicole, we had an awesome weekend in the city.  We stuffed ourselves with more pastries I can imagine, and of course there are still many bakeries to visit for future trips.  

 

Let's just say it's true you can find just about any food in the Big Apple, and our feast led us to a week-long coma, hence the absence.

 

Here's a photo essay of our NY eats.

We started off at the Chelsea Market... lots of good eats to be found there

 

The Fat Witch Bakery's brownie selection.  I bought a caramel witch and a walnut witch, plus I tried the pumpkin witch.  

 

Stuffing myself with my third pastry of the day-- a sticky bun from Amy's Bread

 

At Sarabeth's Bakery I tried a delicious almond croissant

 

Eataly was particularly fascinating.  It's a supermarket-cum-restaurant.  We did some shopping and then sat down to a lovely dunch of Prosecco and ravioli (spinach & ricotta, tossed in a lemon-butter-pistachio sauce)

 

Momofuku Milk Bar was one of the places I was most excited to go to.  It's a really tiny place, but I loved the Blueberries & Cream cookie, as well as the Confetti cookie.  

 

The Apple Brioche from Jim Lahey's Sullivan Street Bakery was really yummy, although not filling.  We also had a "celebrity sighting" of Jim Lahey.  I feel like such a foodie groupie!

 

To compensate for the hunger, we bought 85-cent street doughnuts.  They hit the spot.  (Here, N enjoying one).

 

The Levain Bakery was one of my favorite places.  It was worth the long line and $4 cookie (that was admittedly, huge). 

 

Scone-sized chocolate peanut butter chip cookie from Levain Bakery

 

Adorable Alice's Tea Cup was the next stop.  Here we enjoyed cupcakes (see below)!

 

The vanilla cupcake I had from Alice's Tea Cup.  I especially liked the frosting.

 

I was so full from all the sweets that all I wanted was this delicious salad from Henry's: marinated grilled artichokes with walnuts, blue cheese, baby greens, and a lemon vinaigrette.

 

Huevos rancheros for breakfast from the Cornelia Street Café.  Fried eggs, black beans, pico de gallo, créme fraiche, on corn tortillas.  SO good.

 

Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery was by far my favorite.  I tried a TKO cookie (faux Oreo), a madeline cookie, and 3 macarons (vanilla, salted caramel, and cranberry).

 

Macarons from Bouchon Bakery: Vanilla (my favorite), salted caramel, and cranberry

 

Oh, I almost forgot... Le Bernardin.  Only, we didn't go there.  Didn't have an extra $1000 to blow.

 

Didn't go to Le Pain Quotidien, either (too stuffed!).  But I thought I'd take a pic anyways!

 

P.S.  Sorry about the terrible pictures.  I did my best with low lighting and unhappy employees :P

Giveaway to celebrate 100 Facebook fans! (CLOSED)

Hi guys!  Welcome to p&q's very first giveaway!  

If you're new here, I hope you feel right at home.  

 

Here are a few facts about p&q:

 

• I've posted 126 yummy recipes in the past year and two months that p&q has been alive.
• p&q was born on August 1, 2010 and has been a labor of love.  I'm obsessed with cookbooks, baking, cookware, blogs, and most things related to cooking and baking.  If you're here… chances are you are obsessed with these things, too!
• pão e queijo means bread and cheese in Portuguese.  I love bread and cheese, and believe that in most every culture there is a form of it (grain/ cereal + cheese), be it grilled cheese sandwiches, Colombian arepas, pizza, etc.  I also love the Portuguese language.
• p&q is a vegetarian blog.  But don't think that makes it boring… there are many delicious recipes on here for cooks and bakers of all skill levels.  
• My favorite brownies of all time are these: Cookies and cream brownies.

 

OK So I know you're really here for the giveaway (I don't blame you!)

Here are all the details:

 

What can you win?  One lucky winner will receive EITHER a Le Creuset spatula set in the color of his/ her choice (cobalt blue or white) OR the wonderful baking book Baking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America.  Upon winning, one lucky reader will tell me which one he/ she would like!

 OR

I'm going to make this very easy!  

You MUST be a fan of pão e queijo on Facebook.

 

Mandatory entry (leave a comment):

What is your favorite cookbook or baking book of all time?  OR what is your most-used kitchen tool of all time?

 

Extra entry #1:

Post this giveaway on Facebook (tagging p&q blog) to share with others!  Leave a comment here saying you did so.

 

Extra entry #2:

Tell me in a comment below which recipe on my blog you have either tried or would like to make!

 

Rules:

You must be over 18 and have a US mailing address.  

You must be a fan of pão e queijo blog on Facebook.

You must leave your email address in the comment section so that I can contact you.

Giveway will be open until Friday, October 7 at 11:59pm EST.  

Winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org 

Winner will be contacted on Saturday, October 8 and have 2 days to respond before I chose another winner.

 

This giveaway is hosted by yours truly in appreciation for my loyal blog readers!

 

Welcome, October (unprocessed)

I'm back from Boston and here to ask you one question: Do you know what October Unprocessed is?

 

It's this really cool idea from the Eating Rules blog.  I pledged a few weeks ago when I found out about it.  Wanna know more?

 

The question Andrew Wilder asked himself was, "What would happen if I went for an entire month without eating any processed food?"

 

And he wants you to ask yourself the same thing.  How do we define "processed" food?  He says it can be defined as:

Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients.

I call it “The Kitchen Test.” If you pick up something with a label (and if it doesn’t have a label, it’s probably unprocessed), and find an ingredient you’d never use in your kitchen and couldn’t possibly make yourself from the whole form, it’s processed.  

 

 

Some people think this definition could be lacking, so I decided to include my ideas on what eating UNPROCESSED means to me:

Fresh

Local

In season

Pesticide-free and organic when possible

Being conscious of what's in our food

    And where it comes from

    Who plants, takes care of, harvests, and sells our food

Whole food

Homemade/ DIY

Nutritious ingredients

When you read the labels you can understand the ingredients in the product (and hopefully you won't be reading many labels- this is about eating unpackaged food)

Natural ingredients (unadulterated, no GMOs)

Supporting our farmers, trying to not purchase at the grocery store unless absolutely needed

Cooking for ourselves and our families, sharing good food times and eating for enjoyment and nutrition

 

What does eating unprocessed mean to you?  

 

Haven't signed up for the pledge?  Do so here.

 

And one more thing:

You are what you eat!

 

Meet your blogger (Rocky road cookies AKA brownie cookies with walnuts and marshmallows)

Hi, I'm Sarah.  Have we met?

 

So I figure it's been a year, a month, and a couple of weeks since pão e queijo started, and I'm happy because more readers are joining us (check out my Facebook page here).  But I think we need to get a little cozier… this should be interactive, you know?  

 

So maybe you know I have an obsession with apple desserts, hate winter, and lived in Costa Rica for a while (ahem, four and a half years).  Wanna know more?

 

I found a fun questionnaire and decided to answer it for you guys:

1. What's your middle name?  Elizabeth.
2. How big is your bed?  Double, although my real bed in CR was a queen.
3. What are the last 4 digits in your cellphone number?  I don't have one here yet… does that make me a loser?  (Used to be 3487).
4. What was the last thing you ate?  Artichoke and provolone artisan ravioli from the Farmers' market, with our homemade cherry tomato sauce… delicious!
5. Last person you hugged?  Probably my mom.  Or my kitty (if that counts), Mrs. Newt LongJohn Bacon Squeegie.
6. Favorite type of food?  Mediterranean, Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern… um, can't decide?
7. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?  Andrea on Skype!
8. Do you want children?  Maybe someday…
9. Hair color?  Brown
10. Do you wear eyeglasses/ contacts? Yes, both.  I've got pretty bad vision.
11. Favorite holiday?  Probably Christmas for the holiday spirit and family traditions.
12. Favorite season?  Early fall, when the weather is still beautiful but the air and leaves are changing.
13. Have you ever cried over a girl/ boy?  Stupid question!  Of course, probably too many times to remember.
14. Last movie you watched?  Food, Inc.  Watch it- it'll change your life.
15. What books are you reading?  I just got a bunch of Anthony Bourdain's books out of the library.
16. Piercings?  One in each ear, normal ones!
17. Favorite college football team?  I hate football.  Let's not even go there.
18. Dogs or cats?  Usually dogs (big ones), but Mrs. Newt LongJohn Bacon Squeegie is the bomb.
19. Favorite flower?  Pretty much anything but roses.  I love magnolias, bird of paradise, day lilies, tulips…
20. Do you like to travel by plane?  I used to not mind it, but after a scary turbulence issue back in July, I think I'll pass on flying for a while.
21. Right-handed or Left-handed?  Right.
22. Are you 18?  Man, this makes me feel old!
23. What do you have handy at your bedside?  A Bible, Burt's Bees, eye mask for sleeping, foot cream for putting on before going to bed, Vitamin E for the scars on my knee, a notepad & pen for random ideas!
24. What are you afraid of?  A lot of bugs, cockroaches, fires, criminals, um… I could go on.
25. What's your favorite color?  Sea foam green.
26. Stuck on a deserted island and could take one thing?  An endless supply of brownies.
27. Where did you last go on vacation?  The one that counts I guess is to different beaches & volcano in Costa Rica with my friend, N.
28. What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?  Heavy cream, yummy cheeses, veggies.
29. Coffee or tea?  Tea.
30. What's your favorite movie of all time?  Hard one!  I have so many… I generally prefer art house, foreign cinema, and drama.  No chick flicks for me, thanks!
31. Do you prefer to read fiction or nonfiction?  I'm gonna surprise myself a little here, but I would have to say nonfiction.
32. What was your favorite book as a child?  Anything from the Nancy Drew series… poor dad, he read us ALL of them.
33. What's your favorite kind of music?  I like alternative, ambient, electronica.  
34. Would you rather have the power to be invisible or the power to read minds?  Be invisible… too cool!  Also, I'd want a "shut off" feature on the reading minds thing… I imagine one could become a bit paranoid or overloaded with information.
35. Shoe size?  7.
36. Eye color? Blue!
37. Favorite perfume?  Tous Touch or Calvin Klein In2You.
38. Last restaurant you ate at? Blue Water Grill.
39. What was your first vehicle?  Not exactly mine, but a 2-door Honda Civic.
40. Have you ever had a surgery?  Yep, a few!  Most recently a repair of my meniscus.
41. Do you believe in karma?  No.
42. Do you believe that aliens exist?  Nope.  Maybe other life forms, though…
43. Do you believe in soul mates?  I think so, at least in kindred spirits.
44. If you were an activist what would you protest against?  Monsanto, fast food, GMOs, not having the freedom of knowing what's in our food.
45. What is your favorite outdoor activity?  I like walking, white water rafting, canopy, gardening…
46. What is your least favorite mode of transportation?  Buses, especially in CR!
47. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?  Beautiful photography, speak fluent Portuguese, learn the art of French pastry.
48. If you won the lottery what's the first thing you would do?  Go to Greece (and other Mediterranean places), do culinary travel, eat lots, and then buy myself the perfect and perfectly equipped kitchen.
49. If you could choose anyone, who would you choose as your mentor?  Dorie Greenspan or Ruth Reichl. 
50. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?  Dusting, it's so tedious.  

 

So… you're now 50 questions closer to knowing me!  Anything else you'd like to know?  

 

<3 Yours truly

And now for the amazing brownie cookies, the chewiest around... 

 

Rocky road cookies (AKA brownie cookies with walnuts and marshmallows)

Adapted from A Cozy Kitchen 

Makes about 30 cookies, depending on size.  Probably more if you don't eat the cookie dough :D

 

1 cup All-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

8 oz semisweet chocolate (i used good chocolate chips; if you use a block of chocolate, chop it to about chocolate chip size), divided

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pats

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mini marshmallows, plus additional for garnish

¾ cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325F and line a half sheet pan with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  (Or more than one if you are planning on baking all the cookies).  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.  Melt 4 oz of the chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof (glass or metal) bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  (I like to use a large measuring cup).  

 

Transfer the chocolate and butter mixture to your stand mixer bowl and add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix on medium speed until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.  With the speed on low, slowly mix in the flour mixture until just combined.  Then fold in the remaining 4 oz of chocolate, the marshmallows, and walnuts.

 

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to an hour, until slightly firm.  Using a 1 ½ TBSP cookie scoop, make balls of dough and place them on the lined cookie sheet, leaving a couple of inches of space between each one (I put 12 on a cookie sheet).   Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are still slightly pouffy in the center but crispy around the edges.  Carefully pull the cookies out of the oven and quickly stick a few marshmallows, pressing down lightly, in the tops of the cookies.  If needed, return to the oven (oven off) for a minute to melt the marshmallows.  Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to harden up.  Transfer to wire rack and let cool completely.  

 

Five things. Friday things.

 

1.  Terrycloth bathrobes… love 'em.

2.  Soup, especially creamy ones.

3.  Drooling over particularly delicious food photography (1. 2. 3. 4. 5.)

4.  Apple picking, tractor rides, maple sugar candy, the works.

5.  Sourdough bread.

 

Why suffering is not always a bad thing

We've all been there: the heartbreak, health problems, loss of a loved one, a bad day, financial worries, fights, physical and emotional pain…

 

If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there also thy hand shall lead me.  Psalm 13:9 (Cape Cod)

 

Each situation is unique and in my opinion, the pain they cause cannot be compared to another person's suffering.  We must respect how each person interprets the situation; if they are in pain and suffering, it's valid for them to feel that way. 

But God says that suffering isn't a bad thing.  And I'm not talking about how Hollywood and our culture glorifies and romanticizes suffering.  I'm not talking about how it's "in" to have problems, or how love is so often associated with suffering in movies (If you don't believe me, the movie, "Love and Other Drugs" is a great example with many common stereotypes present). 

 

I'm talking about how suffering helps us in various ways:

1.  It helps us to reflect, learn, and grow.

John 15:2- He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. (NIV).

2. It motivates us to change, look for different ways to solve our problems, and gives us the potential to see this as an opportunity.

3. It helps us to have more faith and trust in God.  It molds us to who God wants us to be.

James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. (3) Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  (4) Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

4. It gives us the ability to help others in the future that are going through something similar, and it helps us to be more compassionate towards others' needs.

In the Bible it says we must be victorious during tests (James 1:9- The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position).  Of course, this is easy to say and hard to do, especially if you are going through a particularly rough time.  I for one, know that I can't get through tests without God's help, and I know that each one has strengthened my relationship with him. 

God is love and he will never stop loving you.  He is wisdom and eagerly gives you his wisdom.  Here are some verses that have helped me through hard times:

 

He has plans for us and will always keep us safe:

Jeremiah 29:11- For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

 

He has made promises to us and will keep them:

Psalms 119:50- My comfort in my suffering is this; Your promise preserves my life.

 

There is a time for everything; this too will pass:

Ecclesiastes 3- The entire chapter (my favorite passage in the Bible)

 

He's always there, just a prayer away.  He always answers, all you have to do is reach out and ask for his help:

Psalms 128:3- When i called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.

 

Our true prize awaits us in heaven:

Philippians 4: 12-14- brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

 

Nothing can take us down when we have the Lord on our side:

Psalm 27:3-4- Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear: though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.  4: One thing I ask of the Lord, his is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

 

He always provides for us and takes care of us:

Matthew 6:26- Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable then they?

 

I am not the only one who has been through this, there have been others who have survived it, someday it will only be history:

Ecclesiastes 1:9- What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

God loves us.  Our suffering has a purpose on our path:

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (3) Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope.  (5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 


We need Jesus, and his comfort is never-ending:

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, (4) who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort ourselves have received from God.  (5) For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.


Constant prayer and communication with God, faith and trust in the things above, can help us get through this hard time:

Colossians 3:2- Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 

We have to put in our part, too.  But our rewards will be great:

Hebrews 10: 35-36: So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  (36) You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 

Job was a man who suffered quite a bit.  Read his story in the Old Testament to feel inspired.  God never abandoned him.

 

What has helped you to get through hard times?  What Bible passages have inspired you during trials and tests?

Note: As a respectful and tolerant person, I hope to not offend anyone by posting my beliefs here.  I hope you can find consolation in this post, whether you are a believer or not. 

Seven things. Things I love about Fall.

Seven things.  Things I love about Fall.

1. Apples, apple picking & the wagon ride

2. Apple fritters at the apple-picking place (and maple sugar candy)

3. Just-chilly-enough weather.  Cuddling weather.  Time to put on wooly socks at night and read by the fireplace weather.

4.  Pies.  Soups.  Hot cocoa parties. 

5.  Carving pumpkins (haven't done it for 6 or 7 years)

6.  Beautiful leaves in hues of red, orange, and yellow.  The beautiful Northeast. 

7.  Whispers of summer still in the air.  Indian summer.  And chilly nights.

 

What do you love about fall?