Chocolate can save the world... here's proof!

Gotta get this recipe down before I forget how delicious these double chocolate chip M&M cookies were..

I needed a chocolate fix and these delights more than did the trick! YUM
Make them as big or small as you'd like. Maybe adjust cooking time a minute more or less-
I scooped mine with a small ice cream scoop, baked at 350 for 15 minutes. 

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt


1 cups (2 sticks) salted butter, softened to room temperature


1 cup sugar


1 cup firmly packed dark or light brown sugar


2 eggs


1 teaspoon vanilla


1 cup M&M


1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

I made about three dozen cookies and shared with my very best friends :)
Everyone approved!!! 
I will be making these again very soon, and I'll return with photos to share, but just take my work for it and make them now!!

Quinoa Quest

So with summer moving a zillion miles an hour by, I decided to slow things down with a nice quinoa salad. There's something about summer corn and crisp cucumber tossed in lemon and mint that bring my mind to the beach. With the forecast promising sunshine that's exactly where we are headed. Of course its the ocean that beckons me, but Elle prefers to stay local. Since we found the perfect lake-beach (somewhere in northwest CT) we have become as regular as Friendly, the lonesome duck who accepts Maddie's protection from the rest of the (kind of tough) bunch.

Watching the boats cruise while hanging on the swing set is pretty much a perfect way to follow up a swim.
Of course we always get hungry and snacks are a must. The cooler is most likely packed with cut up watermelon, apples and oranges. And when there's cold cuts and bread in the house at the same time we pack sandwiches, extra pickles on the side :) Apparently we did that too much because I am all sandwiched out. Enter quinoa. Lemon zest. Mint and Basil. Corn. Butter and honey. Drooling yet?

So first I called Mom (aka. Nana) because she is our local panty (don't tell Papa). We picked up a cup of quinoa, and hit the market for lemons, cucumber, and that apple we have to cut up. Fresh mint and basil from Mom's planter are abundant in mid August. Did I mention that she has fresh summer corn frozen in perfect portions?
So here's what it looks like when I combine the dressing and chop the herbs:

That red onion came from an amazing farmer's market (where we also bought a bundle of kale, purple beans, and a long hot pepper which waits to be grilled in the smoker!) I only used a small piece of the onion since red onion can overpower everything. I think I'll look for scallions next time for this salad. I mixed the lemon juice and zest of one lemon. Chopped five leaves of basil, five leaves of mint. And the butter, just a tablespoon of melted butter, which I melted with about half a tablespoon of honey :) Pinch of black pepper and salt.

After a few rinses in the sink (washes bitter taste away), the quinoa gets added to boiling water.  And the kitchen smells of corn as it defrosts in a pan. 

So following the instructions in this recipe from Epicurious I mixed dressing into bottom of a large salad bowl. When quinoa was tender, after about 14 minutes, I drained and combined with dressing tossing until all liquid is absorbed. I topped with the corn, cucumber, onion, and some more chopped mint and basil.  

Upon tasting I realized that I could eat this hot, and I even compared the dressing taste to savory lemon icing  What wonders just a tablespoon of butter and honey can do! :)

So before chilling the rest for our beach trip, I quickly gobbled up a few satisfying mouthfuls.

Check out Epicurious for full recipe. Enjoy :)

Rise & Shine

Today we visited our first nursery school. It was a beautiful place and we really fell in love.

Its a little bittersweet. 

Letting Ella grow up isn't going to be easy,  although I will admit everyday is an adventure and it is so gratifying watching her bloom!

Goodness- she can just about count to ten (usually leaving out four) and say her ABC's.

But at least in her mind (and mine) she'll still my tiny baby :)

That's my girl :)

No better time than Easter...

to bring life to my blog. This rainy eve of the resurrection was the perfect backdrop for neon plastic eggs.

Hi Eater Bunny! :) Here, let me share me eggs with you!

We've talked a lot about sharing and caring, and she is her own example :)

I've been inspired, and here's some deliciously fluffy proof...

 

That last guy's my favorite. Thanks mom :)

I also took on an ambitious egg-tastic project myself:

 crack carefully, i used the tip of a sharp steak knife and picked shell away w/ my fingers.

 

put them in amounts that you can use for cooking, works out nicely if you're cooking an Easter meal (or breakfast for dinner- a popular request at my house.

then boil for five minutes (to sort of disinfect and get out the rest of the eggy stuff) 

TIP: turn water down to a slow simmer while adding eggshells, then turn up till slow boil begins, leave for 5 minutes, then use slotted spoon to transfer eggs back to carton.

 Here's where the rainbow begins

 gloves came in handy for avoiding blue-green fingernails

i gave the eggs a rinse after dyeing and found more of the eggy-stuff came out.

(i realized quite a few of the eggs were slightly slimey inside so i put them carefully into cupcake tins, and let them sit in a 250 deg. oven for about ten minutes- till they all felt dry inside.)

here come's the sweet stuff :)

 Now for the final stop on the assembly line, and another reason why

i love a glue gun:

 mini papers fit perfect :)

 can't wait for some crackin'!!!!

and I know just the group of kids.... :)

Thanks for looking, more to come.