Milk and Cookies

This evening I drove to the store to get one item...yes one item: chocolate chips:) I wanted to make a batch of chocolate chips cookies and that was the key ingredient that was missing from my pantry.
I love the smell of a fresh batch of cookies just coming out of the oven but even more than that...I love the taste of a warm cookie with a cold glass of milk and that smile that I can't seem to stop from spreading clear across my face:)

Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups milk (or semisweet) chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

(Photos courtesy of: Me)

And it was called yellow

Yellow

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah they were all yellow,

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called yellow

So then I took my turn
Oh all the things I've done
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know you know I love you so
You know I love you so

I swam across
I jumped across for you
Oh all the things you do
Cause you were all yellow

I drew a line
I drew a line for you
Oh what a thing to do
And it was all yellow

Your skin
Oh yeah your skin and bones
Turn into something beautiful
D'you know for you i bleed myself dry
For you i bleed myself dry

Its true look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine for you
look how they shine
look at the stars look how they shine for you
(Dedicated to:Rachel Brown)
(Lyrics by:Coldplay)
(Photos courtesy of: weheartit.com)

The bare essentials

Dear Anthropologie,
Each time I look through your catalog or walk through one of your store, I cannot help but smile. Each item is so beautiful and unique. From a tiny teacup, to a shell shaped measuring spoon to a vintage looking timer...you've got me hooked.

Sincerely,
Libby

(Photos courtesy of:Anthropologie.com)

American Honey

Recently one of the most favorite songs to hear while I am driving is "American Honey" by Lady Antebellum...yes they are a country band:) Each time I hear it it makes me think of summer, barefeet and eating a slice of pie. I think that's what I like about certain country songs; it tells a story and it makes me roll down the window...just a little sidenote: even though I want to sing out-loud to this song I have found that living in a place where I am surrounded by people at a stop light might make me only sing it very quietly:)


She grew up on a side of the road
Where the church bells ring and strong love grows
She grew up good
She grew up slow
Like American honey

Steady as a preacher
Free as a weed
Couldn't wait to get goin'
But wasn't quite ready to leave
So innocent, pure and sweet
American honey

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American honey

Get caught in the race
Of this crazy life
Tryin' to be everything can make you lose your mind
I just wanna go back in time
To American honey, yea

There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothing's sweeter than summertime
And American honey

Gone for so long now
I gotta get back to her somehow
To American honey

Ooh There's a wild, wild whisper
Blowin' in the wind
Callin' out my name like a long lost friend
Oh I miss those days as the years go by
Oh nothin's sweeter than summertime
And American honey
And American honey

(Photos courtesy of: Me and we heart it)

The Pie Hole

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry gelatin
4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Directions

Line unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until slightly cooled.
Meanwhile, arrange strawberries in the crust. Pour gelatin mixture over berries.

Pie Crust

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Mix together flour, oil, and ice water.
Divide dough in half. Roll each piece between two pieces of plastic wrap.
(Recipes courtesy of:(allrecipes.com)
(Photos courtesy of: we heart it)

Monday evening rain

I can smell the rain from where I am sitting on this Monday evening. It smells fresh and clean and it brings a cool breeze through the window...it seems perfect.

"Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man's growth without destroying his roots."
~Frank Howard Clark

"The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain."
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby."
~Langston Hughes

Good morning Saturday

Saturday
9:00 a.m.-Wake up with the sun shining
9:15 a.m. Make coffee
9:30 a.m. lay out ingredients for an omelet (fresh rosemary, feta cheese)
9:35 a.m. heat olive oil, crack egg, spinkle feta and rosemary, fold egg in half
9:40 a.m. take a sip of coffee, first bite of breakfast
9:41 a.m. sigh and smile..."Good morning, Saturday"
(Photos courtesy of: Me)

Cream

"Cream doesn't rise to the top, it works its way up" ~Proverb
I love that cream is not only a color, but also a food or description.
(Photos courtesy of:we heart it)

Strawberries

“One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.”~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Strawberry Pie
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberries & Cream
Strawberry Ice Cream
Strawberry Sundae
Strawberry Cupcake
Strawberries in the hand of a little girl with the juices dripping down her chin...I do like strawberries very much.

The 29th year

On Wednesday May 5th I turned 29. People ask "do you feel older?" and to be honest I don't know; I do know I like the sound of 29.
I recently found a song from The Brother's Bloom soundtrack titled "Penelope's Theme" by Nathan Johnson and I chose that song as "my song" to begin my 29th year of life. The song is whimsical (lightly fanciful) and as I was blowing out a single pink candle being held up by a scoop of spumoni , it felt like I was having a whimsical moment of my own...I hope my wish comes true:)

Luggage

“Some of these fine days I swear I'll throw away all my heavy luggage
in the shape of hopes, and expectations, and walk the rest of the way
with free limbs.” ~ Geraldine Jewsbury

Luggage can represent a burden that one carries around with them, or it can represent preparing for a trip~Each time I pull down my suitcase I think of what is waiting for me and who is waiting for me on the other end of this trip I am about to take. Do I do that with my burdens? Do I think of who or what could be waiting for me if I were to unpack my luggage (burdens, pain, etc). It could be something glorious, something beautiful, something wonderful.

(Photos courtesy of: we heart it)

Blooming (The Brothers Bloom)

"There is no such thing as an unwritten life, only a badly written one."
I had been wanting to see the movie The Brothers Bloom since I first saw the preview. Well, last night I saw it and it was an endearing comedy~it was creative, had beautiful film locations and the clothing had a definite vintage flair:) Without giving away the whole movie, here is a little synopsis of the movie's plot: "The Brothers Bloom are the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios. Now they've decided to take on one last job - showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world." (Courtesy of: www.imdb.com)
Note: The soundtrack was lovely:)

(Images courtesy of: google images)