Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Chewies with Dark Chocolate Chips

Okay, so, this is a must-try recipe IF you like the taste of brown sugar and/or oatmeal cookies and/or coconut.  It's another Pinterest winner.

Yum.  I added dark chocolate chips.  I made the first pan without chocolate chips and I felt that because of the coconut, they were super sweet.  So, I used the dark chocolate chips to sort of cut the sweetness in a way and give more flavor depth overall.  Think of it as a Mounds bar in cookie form.  I might try using unsweetened coconut next time.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Chewies:  

(please link to this blog for the original post: The Dough Will Rise Again ) and for detailed cooking instructions.

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Chewies
1 cup butter, slightly softened   (I used smart balance butter blend but I used that in ALL of my cookies now due to concerns about trans fat and heart health)
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed  (I used organic Trader Joe's, completely different taste.  You must try organic brown sugar if you want to know what brown sugar is REALLY supposed to taste like)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut  (I may try unsweetened next time.)

I added Hershey's special dark chocolate chips, about 1/2 the bag

So, because I used the smart balance that may be why mine did not spread as much as the original blogger's.  She likes hers that way, but my Mom complains if a cookie is TOO chewy (she feels it's underdone) or too flat, so I was pleased with the size/way mine came out.  Also, I make my cookies huge so this recipe did not make 5 or 6 dozen for me or even close to it. 

Valentine's Day 2013

It's no secret that I despise Valentine's Day.  And this is NOT a post divorce thing.  I hated it then too: because I wasn't dating/married to the romantic type. Well, that's not entirely true.  The one and only good V-Day I ever had was February 14, 2000.  He really loved me in month six. That may have been the one and only time he deemed me thin enough to receive the gift of chocolate   ;)

I recall the V-Day I screamed at him because he came home at 10:00 at night to cold steaks that I had made, because he spent that entire Saturday snowmobiling with his Dad's drunk friends.  I recall the cold and awkward V-Day in Bertucci's when he yelled at me for leaving the coupon in the car.  Mostly I remember that we always bought each other good shit, because we were good at presents.  Not feelings.  But when it came to presents we were solid.

But I digress.  Anyway, as kids it was the sweetest thing, right?  It meant those little foldable valentine's cards with characters on them from your entire class, and doing a craft project to make a mailbox for them.  It meant candy: my parents always bought us those little russell stover heart shaped boxes with chocolates.  Mostly it meant nothing more than the superficial, and that was pleasant.  Mostly in the adult world, it's a shitty holiday that puts pressure on people who should just otherwise focus on treating each other well every regular day.

So, this year I am determined to dial it back to the childhood level.  What did it mean then?  Treats and decorations.  And that's what it's going to mean to me again.  I refuse to feel badly about being alone, because even people in relationships struggle on this particular holiday.  I'm going to treat myself and celebrate my awesomeness on my own.  I'm buying myself flowers.  Yes, I am.  From the same delivery company Jaime used to use and I'm dragging out that beautiful red vase he gave me the flowers in on that last V-day together because I fucking love that vase and I'm going to get good use out of  it.  And I asked my cousin Michelle to make me a dozen cupcakes (she has a business).  I'm getting dark chocolate with raspberry preserve filling, and white chocolate chambord swiss meringue frosting.  Yes, be jealous that I'm going to inhale those bitches (okay, I'm going to share with my family) and enjoy myself.  And I'm going to share with you all my attempt at putting a tiny bit of V-day spirit into the family home.  May your Valentine's Day NOT suck.  :)

Proflowers.  He used to buy me flowers from them because Howard Stern used them: oh love.

Courtesy of Happy Cake, see description above.  Yum.

my homeade mantel decor

my wreath v-day craft project 

New Year's Eve: 2013 Vision Board

Well, it's New Years Eve.  Officially.  Goodbye 2012.

But I won't say good riddance (for once.)  Honestly?  I thought I had an "ok" year.  I mean, compared to 2009 through 2011, it was a picnic.  There were downs, but there were plenty of ups too.  And I'm so grateful for that.  I declare that 2012 was a year of normalcy.  I felt like a human being again, not a divorced wretch.  It was the year of sex.  Oops.  It was a year of relationship attempts.  It was a year of less writing and more crafting.  It was a year of weight ups and downs.  It was the year I lost my gallbladder (thank the lord.)  It was the year I finally felt like the eating disorder wasn't controlling my life.  It was a year of funky hair choices.  It was a damn good year at work.  It was a much better year financially: I got my shit together and I only hope it stays that way.  It was a year of family: big changes, little changes.  It was a year that I was not at all lonely.  (Clarification: I wasn't lonely in my life like I was alone in Hartford.  Yes, I did talk about the not having a relationship kind of lonely.)

And what will 2013 bring?  Lots of good shit, I hope.  I do not feel inclined at all to make resolutions.  And let me tell you, I'm so sick of worrying about my weight.  I've got big t & a, and I'm going to deal with it.  You won't see me making any weight loss declarations.  I'm tired of the bullshit and I just want to live my life.

So, I think it's time to throw up this year's vision board.  Yes.  I love making these.

2013 is going to be all about personal identity and style, spirituality, expanding sense of self, experimenting with love and relationships, and planning for my financial future.

Here are the key words and phrases visualized on the board.  Some are literal, some are symbolic.

Savings for a Rainy Day
Reducing Debt
2013Mazda6 in Fireglow Red
Inappropriate Love and Passion (Outside the Comfort zone: why not?)
Taking a Chance (or two or three)
Manifesting Love (Reiki candle)
Homeopathy
Juicing
Crochet
Etsy Shop estalishment
Miscellaneous M
Defining Style: Rocker Chic and Boho Western
Piercing my Nose?  Finally?
M Style Aesthetic  (red chevron & black/white damask and anything cameo/sillouette/vintage)
Art Museum Trips
Painting, Better Quality brushes

Miscellaneous M

I am very excited about this etsy shop plan.  I am going to work on building inventory over the next month or so.  I want it to be a combo of needlework and home decor if possible: everything from toss pillows, to scarves, to paintings, to ornaments.   I also want to put some of my fine art up for sale as well, although only maybe a piece of two that are more generic.  We shall see.  Here is a link to the blog I will set up to list those items, my craft interests, and link to pinterest.

http://miscellaneousm.blogspot.com/

Here is a sneak peak of what I am working on.  A sparkly scarf (you cannot see the sparkles in the pic) and a few acrylic geometric, decorative canvas paintings  (silver, blue, turquoise, chocolate brown, and pearl white).    I ran out of white yarn so back to Michael's I go tomorrow!

Pumpkins 2012

Part of learning to live an artful life involves tapping into a part of me, that for a short time, died.  Little things that used to bring me joy, seemed fruitless for awhile.  I lost a part of myself that I was afraid I would never get back.  But it is coming back.  Slowly, and bit by bit.

Tradition is important to me, as is family.  And I've always felt connected to the rituals of my childhood that sustained me even through rough times.  Holidays were perfect examples.  We were big into tradition: tree decorating, egg dying, and of course, pumpkin carving.

I take my pumpkin carving seriously.  Okay fine, too seriously.  I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist.  (Who me?  Never, ever.)  I am working on simplicity.  I'm getting there.  But I felt a tremendous amount of joy because for the first time, in maybe, (11 years????) all three of my sisters were in a room carving a pumpkin.  We had a few additions to our ritual.  There was an adorable baby watching in awe, and an "Uncle" Dave carving a pumpkin with Shannon.  But there was joy right along with the change.  And yes, I did think of him.  Shannon and I talked about a few of the pumpkin that Jaime had "created" over the years as he used to get into this family tradition right along beside me.  But it was okay.  I was okay.  The pictures of the final product are courtesy of my brother in law.  He is a much better photographer than I.

Angry Baking

Today was one of those days when I felt like yelling at everyone.  Oh wait.  I did yell at some people.  Although I had a legitimate gripe, I probably overreacted when I yelled at my mother and sister.  (What, who me?  Would I ever do such a thing?  Never...)

My father was admitted to the hospital last night.  He's down to a dangerously low weight that I could not have previously fathomed.  He couldn't eat OR drink.  He's in pain, he broke out in a weird rash, and it's just generally uncomfortable for him to live and breath right now.  This is on the heels of his last week of chemo, so I suppose it's not a big surprise.  They treated him very aggressively, and his body has responded very aggressively.  So, now he's on the floor where my sister works being taken care of by her coworkers.  She convinced him to go last night, and brought Micah to visit him today hoping it would raise his spirits.

After finishing today's deadline, I wandered down to the kitchen to experiment with a little homebaked happiness.  I've decided to lean in to my interest in cooking and baking.  Part of my desire to live a recovered life entails building a comfort level with food.  Food is not the enemy.  It sustains life, and there is no reason why I cannot embrace it.  As far as I am concerned, it's all a matter of moderation.  And I've been really happy that I can bake for others.   I have so many able and willing bodies consuming my treats.  So, I can't eat it all myself anyway.

Today's recipe?  Traditional mincemeat cookies.  Don't turn up your nose until you have tried them. The perfect autumn treat in one neat little package, they are spicy and fruity.  They remind me of my mother's parents, as my grandmother baked them and my grandfather happily consumed them.  It's easy, weirdly easy.  Here is the link to the recipe.  I always use this brand: NoneSuch.  That's also tradition.  None Such Mincemeat Prize Cookies

I did reconstitute the condensed package, but I don't think you technically have to for cookies.  I did it, because I wanted the spicy flavor to penetrate the batter as well, but as I said, I think you can just crumble the mixture in to the cookie batter.  These cookies are pretty light and airy.  I do not glaze them to save calories.  You can if you want.

I also used Smart Balance Omega 3 buttery sticks.  I am trying to phase out shortening from our life, although it will be a painful transition come Thanksgiving because my Grandma Evelyn's delicious, secret, hand-me-down pie crust recipe gets its flaky awesomeness from Crisco.  But it's hydrogenated heart attack in a can.  So, the Smart Balance sticks work just fine and I am sure Grandma would have agreed and understand.  Other than my mother, she was the most practical woman I ever met.

That said, I think this calls for the three generation photo:

Evelyn, Jean and Marisa.  Three generations of New England bakers.

Things that inspire me today...

I'm ruminating on...

I'm watching...

"The Bachelorette" 2012 IMDB

I'm reading...

The Casual Vacancy, Amazon

I'm wearing...

Qupid Muse Slouchy Western boot

I also own them in brown...

I'm craving...

My Own Sweet Thyme Snickerdoodle Brownies

I'm coveting...

Coach poppy signature c small glam tote

I'm planning...

Centsational Girl Metallic Paint Dresser Makeover

Her blog is pretty sweet too.  I like her style.  My old dresser needs this makeover badly.  This is my old dresser.

Our Home: A Work in Progress

So, remember a while ago when I actually said that I had a good day?  No?  haha.

Well, it was the day where I rearranged my mother's living room, or rather, I barked my opinions at them and they tolerated it, until we came up with an arrangement that suited everyone.

Now, I've shared pictures on here before of my decorating taste, so everyone knows that I like things modern.  And red.  And black.  And sometimes with an overabundance of black/white damask pattern.

Our house was built in 1910 I believe.  I hesitate to call it Craftsman, because there are also Victorian elements.  It's somewhere in the middle of the two.  Here is a refresher on the outside.  I'm not a fan of stucco, mostly because it's difficult to clean.  The grey exterior is pretty dirty and dingy, but I am pretty sure if you took a power washer to it, it would come down in chunks.  I have a feeling that repainting is the only option, and who wants to do that?  It is officially the parsonage for my stepfather's church, but we are renting it since it was vacant.

So, working on combining three households worth of furniture with three distinct styles has been no easy task.  My mother is very traditional.  My sister is in the middle of us both.  And I am very contemporary.  Well, I think that the living room is as pulled together as we are going to get now.  The only thing I hate is my white Ikea coffee table.  It is just all wrong for the space, but it's what we have for now.  I am on the lookout for something cheap, and either craftsman or mission style in that same medium oak tone as all the other woodwork.  I have to say that despite the fact that this does not represent my style at all, I am pleased with how it looks.  It's an excellent compromise, and fairly cohesive considering the mish mash of belongings.  And I won't lie: I'm excited to decorate for Christmas in such a traditional space.   Of course, the bright cherry red couch and chair are: mine.  Jen contributed the round chair, and the traditional slip-covered sofa is of course my mother's.

I love the french doors leading to the sun room.

This is the chair I work from most days.

I love the detail in the brick.  As well as the book built-ins.

The TV is too modern, and doesn't go at all, but it was what we had for now. Oh, and that rattan square basket?  That's Micah's toy box because I am mean, and encouraged us all to pick up something that wasn't child like.  Oh, but don't worry, there is usually a primary colored, bright pack and play in front of the fireplace so mean Auntie Marisa loses.  :)

I painted those gold prints myself using actual plant life from the yard.  Oh, and it was one of the first ideas I pinned from Pinterest before we even moved into this house.

Oh sad, stark Ikea table, you do not match.

This is Jen's white marble and black wood table, and I love it. I also love the picture rail in the dining room as opposed to a chair rail.  I think that's a nice architectural detail. 

And isn't the high chair tres chic?  LOL.  But I love her candle thing. We wrapped the base of it in a vine with autumn colored beads that we picked up in Michaels to add a seasonal touch.

Mom's second-hand hutch decorated with cook books, and Jen's purple margarita glasses.

This is just the coolest.  My stepfather picked this up at one of the church sales.  It was tarnished brass, so I asked him to spray paint it satin black for me.  And I think it rocks!  

The sun room painted gold and in the process of being put back together.  This is through the french doors in the living room. 

happy yellow

Today in Pictures

Elizabeth Bennet: The more I see of the world, the less inclined I am to think well of it. 

Today is a chocolate chip cookie and Pride and Prejudice day.  What does one have to do with the other?  Tradition.

Whenever I do a million hour long P & P marathon, I always accompany it with good, old fashioned, chocolately chip goodness.  

And whenever I have a really long day of manipulating excel grids, I like to do a P & P marathon.

And someone else loved them too!  You know who?  This little cookie monster.

And here I am, in sepia, which is totally unrelated to chocolate chip cookies OR Jane Austen.