Cakey Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Chip Pecan Cookies

Simple everyday sorts of things...

Homemade chocolate chip cookies are simple...If I ever actually become a mom there will forever be cookie dough in my refrigerator.

Morning runs are one of life's simple pleasures...well at least for me.  

Guest Post #8: Salted Caramel Butter Bars

So, now that it is late spring and almost officially summer it is the perfect time for desserts that travel well and are great at picnics, by the pool, laying on a beach, eating while on a road trip...I think you know where my brain is... So when Lauren(and no I am not talking in third person) said she would make these for her guest post I was super excited.  

Lauren is my co-worker and she is the original Lauren.  She is the reason that 50% of the time around the office I am called and introduced as LE.  (Thanks James for the nickname.)  We used to share an "office" with another one of our co-workers until we moved offices.  Now I am basically right outside of her door, so I can yell things to her about recipes or Pinterest or you know...work.  I have to give her full credit for introducing me to Pinterest and causing my minor (or major) addiction with Pinterest this past fall.  Lauren and I share a love of shopping, baking and crafts.  She is one of the coolest moms I know, who manages to have a life outside of parenthood.  She is basically just awesome...oh and these bars really are salty and delicious too, so you should totally give them a try.

From Lauren:

So let’s just say first of all that this blogging thing is way harder than it looks. Or, way harder than it looks for a major over thinker such as myself…trying to remember to take photos and wrap my brain around having to explain what I am actually doing in the kitchen? Major pressure! Listening to John Mayer’s new album while baking helps maintain a mellow vibe, however.

Hey There Summer...Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches

Okay I am going to do it...I am going to say hi to summer and welcome it with open arms.  I know, I know, it is not officially summer, but in my book once Memorial Day weekend hits...well its game on and I am so ready for it, because summer is basically my favorite...here's why:

I like my white dresses, my white pants, my skirts AND my white shorts...

I like my windows rolled down at night with my music blasting...this summer it might be to this song ("Springsteen" by Eric Church) or maybe a lot of this one ("Payphone" by Maroon 5)...and trust that I will be singing at the top of my longs when no one else is in the car.  Have I ever mentioned I have terrible taste in music...

I like my cocktails refreshing and slightly fruity...and occasional served with a straw...

I like to lay by the pool or on a boat or on a beach blanket and be classy drinking my beer out of the can...or maybe even just floating down a river.

I want to do LOTS of cooking out and hanging out with friends.

I plan on to spending my Fridays in the sculpture garden, listening to Jazz, sipping wine and stuffing my face with picnic basket foods for Jazz in the Sculpture Garden.

A baking weekend for the DC Grey Market!

I need to admit something...I am a serious over thinker about everything.  This is probably one of my biggest flaws.  I dwell on little things sometimes, well a lot of the time.  I replay events over and over wondering what if? or what just happened? or how did that happen that way?  or why? why? why?

Its the times I am left thinking and dwelling, that I need to be remembering that its not always about the small things.  There are BIG things happening here, real life...have there BIG impact kind of things.  The things that make the future, that shape and mold dreams.

Its amazing how much can happen in a year.  How different things can be.  People have moved a away...across the country and the ocean, and people have moved here.  There was a flight lesson, I ran my first big meeting for work, I catered my first event with tarts and cakes and toffee, there were ups and down in "relationshipland", I ran in two triathlon relays, and a half marathon.

Time for a small slice of Hummingbird Cake

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you never think you are going to get to the weekend?

I generally hate these kinds of week and this has been one of those never ending weeks, when the days are long, but its a good thing because you actually have a LOT to get done. 

There has been a lot of prep work for this weekend at night after the real work stops.  But...I am crossing things off everyday and getting stuff done.

Happy Monday! Lemon Olive Oil Honey Muffins

This weekend was relaxing.  It was all about the little things; the things that can make life simple.

It was full of bike rides and morning runs...

Paying with Baked Goods...plus Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Toffee

I can not tell you how excited I am about my new logo!  I mean I'm biased, but I think it is pretty freaking awesome.  I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Todd and Brian!!!  Brian the logo is perfect!  You guys are the best and there are definitely baked goods coming your way Brian as the gift basket above was delivered to Todd already.  

This basket was filled with Milky Way cookies, mini crumble apple pies, brown sugar bacon biscuits, seven layer bars, carrot cake cupcakes and dark chocolate salted caramel toffee (see below).  I had fun baking all of these goodies in one weekend...okay well that statement is kind of a lie...lets get real, washing dishes gets old.

Chocolate Raspberry Shortcake with Chocolate Buttercream

It has been kind of a crazy week, and am I super excited for my dad to visit this weekend.  Yes, somehow my dad is coming to visit Mother's day weekend...it happens...he has business in Pennsylvania and is stopping back through on his way back to North Carolina.  It should be a fun weekend, because my dad and I are the same in a lot of ways...

...we both LOVE food...the question that is always on our mind is "What are we going to have for our next meal?"...even if we just got done eating...seriously, no jokes

...we can also both be strangely OCD about cleaning...For instance, it drives me bonkers sometimes when I am done baking, and have a huge mess to clean up.

...we are both semi-outdoorsy as in we will go kayaking and biking, but have never really been all that inclined to go camping in the middle of the woods for more than a weekend...my backyard growing up as a kid sure...woods hmmm....

But this weekend should be fun and I always love when my parents come to visit!

Hey Thursday morning what's up?

This year in DC...May showers bring May flowers...

A pie fit for the races...Kentucky Derby Pecan Pie

Saturday was definitely one of my favorite days of the year to be living in DC...well the DC area because Gold Cup was this past Saturday in The Plains, VA.  Basically this meant that Krista and I hopped on a bus mimosas in hand and headed to the middle of nowhere for an afternoon relaxing, drinking and watching horses. 

Everyone was in their brightest colors, and girls tended have be wearing their sunhat of choice...and even though we had a few hiccups along the day it was definitely worth the ride.  

A day at the races...Virginia style

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake...a great start to the day

Sometimes it can be the smallest thing that makes you think about something way in the past... 

Blueberries make me think of a blueberry pie and working at Lopaus Point Market during college...I may or may not have stuffed myself with delicious food all the time while working there...

Cinnamon rolls always make me think of Sunday mornings at my moms house growing up...

Belgian waffles make me think of when I was a kid and eating them with strawberries and Cool Whip...this goes all the way back to when my parents were together...somewhere around 4 or 5 years old...

(Can you tell a lot of memories focus on breakfast?  Have I ever mentioned its my favorite meal?  Growing up it was a special day when my mom made breakfast for dinner.)

Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Hazelnut Cookies

This past week was a little nutty, a bit mixed up, a little bitter, but mostly sweet...kind of like these cookies.  Remember that flourless chocolate cake...well I had hazelnuts leftover and decided to make cookies.  Chocolate, white chocolate chunk, hazelnut cookies with a handful of semisweet chocolate chips thrown in for good measure.  They are chewy in the middle and crunchy around the outside and for once came out exactly they way I wanted them to.  They taste like a Ferrero Rocher Ball in cookie form.  Yummy and delicious, they were the perfect cookie to take to California.

A quick pit stop in Houston...then on to Orange County.