Friday, October 7, 2011

Happy Weekend

This weekend Leif and I have a few things planned.  We will be working on refinishing a vintage Plycraft chair we bought at a thrift store for $80, which means I will be pulling out my dusty sewing machine to see if I can figure out how to do some basic upholstery.  I also have on my list finishing putting together Clio's nursery (yes, she is nearly two months old and her room is still in a state of disarray) and making some cool new toys for her as well.  All of which I hope to share here in the coming week.

We will also be participating in CicLAvia on Sunday, a semiannual event here in Los Angeles in which ten miles of roadway are closed to traffic and open only to cyclists and pedestrians.  I don't have a very good bike and we don't yet have a seat for Clio so we will be participating in one of the free walking tours they're offering.

Also...eat sushi, go to the Farmer's Market, and possibly make these rosemary honey cupcakes or this apple cake with toffee topping.

And of course, the most important part of the weekend will be spent snuggling with my husband and my daughter.

Have a happy weekend!


Thursday, October 6, 2011

sweet treat: fleur de sel cupcake

Have you ever eaten a piece of food that you love so much that on occasion you have found yourself literally dreaming about it?  This chocolate cupcake does it for me.  It is has a deep chocolate flavor but a sprinkle of sea salt and a tad bit of caramel to give it the perfect combination of sweet and salty.

I swear, since I've been breast-feeding my sweet tooth has been insatiable.  Although, my husband might say that he hasn't noticed a difference from before as I've always skewed more toward the sweet than the savory.  I think the only phrase that he has heard from my mouth more than "I love you" is probably "I need a sweet treat."

I'm curious, what foods do you find crave-worthy?  Sweet or savory?




Sunday, October 2, 2011

retro polynesian kitsch

So this one time I convinced my sister and brother-in-law to apply for a home make-over show called Secrets from a Stylist on HGTV.  Leif and I filmed their audition video, Leif edited it, and I submitted it.  After some interviews and home visits from the designer, Emily Henderson (She is so adorbs, btw, and I used to run in to her all the time at flea markets and such so that I started to worry a bit that she thought I was stalking her), and the show producers, they were on the show!

It turned out pretty amazing and definitely "them."  Honestly I was a bit surprised that they got picked for the show because their style is not exactly what most of the country would be into.  Lisa and David are completely unique in their home decor taste.

Anyway, the episode is called Retro Polynesian Kitsch and you can watch it here (it is about 20 minutes long).  I think it kind of looks like an upscale Chinese restaurant from the 1980s, but I mean that in a good way.  The wallpaper is my favorite part of the entire room.  It is crazy fun in person.

P.S. If you watch it, how cute are my nieces playing their little instruments at the end?  Pretty damn cute, that's how cute!




Saturday, October 1, 2011

sea salt chocolate chip cookies

Wanna know how it feels to be adored, loved, and worshipped?  I know and so I can tell you, it feels good, that is how it feels.  But if you want to know for yourself make these cookies and give them out all willy-nilly to people.  You will soon turn around to find throngs of people adoring you and batting their eyelashes at you.  I make these every once in awhile for Leif to take with him to work and I've developed quite a reputation for myself by doing so.  Some may equate my reputation there as akin to Robin Hood, which would not be a bad comparison.  Only there is no stealing, no tights (well, sometimes), and no archery involved.  Although I did take a fencing course once, which is kind of like archery in terms of medieval badassness...

Anyway, I'm going to be all generous and worshipable again by imparting upon you, my as of now non-existent reader, the most amazing recipe for chocolate chip cookies that ever was.  If it wasn't for the internet and the ease in which people can gather information I would totally lie and claim responsibility for the shear awesomeness of this recipe.  But I can't because then I would look stupid and I am generally opposed to looking stupid.  Unless it is on purpose and then it is funny.  So without further ado, The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.  May you bake them, eat them, and be worshipped because of them.

You will need the following items;

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) Cake Flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) Bread Flour
1 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) Light Brown Sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 1/4 pound Bittersweet Chocolate Pieces (must be at least 60% Cacao and should be of good quality)
Sea Salt





Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and course salt.




Using a mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until light.



Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well in between.

Add vanilla.



Add the dry ingredients, making sure to turn the speed down otherwise you get a storm of flour flying around.



Once well mixed, add the chocolate and continue mixing on low until they are thoroughly incorporated.




Wrap cookie dough in plastic and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.

Pause for a moment and ponder the strength of character one must have to restrain oneself from baking the cookies for one to three days.  It is a massive amount of restraint.

Even babies like Clio, who aren't allowed to partake in the deliciousness are like, "What the What?  How many days?"

After three days of what seems to be never ending waiting, preheat oven to 350.

Place scoops of cookie dough on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with sea salt*.

Bake approximately 12 minutes (at least that is exactly how long it takes in my oven). Transfer to cooling rack.


Save some for other people but be sure to eat some yourself while still warm, preferably with a glass of milk.  



Unless you are a baby.  Then just drink the milk and take a nap.



*The big secret to these cookies is the sea salt.  Do not forget that part or else you might as well throw them out after they come out of the oven.  Or don't and give them to me, I'll eat them anyway.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

seeing the sights

Two things I found in my neighborhood while on my walk with Clio yesterday.

A very odd placement for a toilet. Who wouldn't want to poo under the beauty of blooming bougainvillea?  Aside from the most heinously large thorns it may seem pretty idyllic.


A humungous crimson RV with a most legit albino tiger airbrushed on the back.  You know what is great about this RV?  All the totally awesome family vacations that the owners of this thing make their children go on.  I hope you all know by "awesome" I mean like, the kind of awesome that is driving cross-country to see Mt. Rushmore with your parents awesome.  As in Not Awesome.

On the other hand, these could totally be the people who drive cross-country to see their favorite 80's power ballad cover band play.  A little "Is this love?" by Whitesnake anyone?

Either way, anyone who owns an RV like this is someone I would like to meet.


I really wanted to share the sights with Clio but she was much more concerned with her dreams about her two most favorite things in the world.  Her pacifier and my boobs.