"C" is for Cookie

“Marge, it's 3 AM. Shouldn't you be baking?”
-Homer Simpson

Ahh, nothing like a good Simpson quote to start off a post.

Today's subject: cookies...chocolate chip cookies, to be exact. Cook's Illustrated magazine has no less than 4 chocolate chip cookie recipes, all promising to be better than the last. The particular recipe that I have been using was, I thought, as good as it could get.

Since this particular batch was made however, the May/June 2009 issue of Cook's Illustrated arrived in my mailbox containing yet another recipe, this time touting the be all and end all Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. Cook's Illustrated has thrown down the gauntlet. The game is afoot!

First, my go-to recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies.
(Stay tuned for Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Rematch)

Mix the butter and sugars...

...eggs and vanilla...

...flour...

...chocolate chips....

...measure 1/4 cup...

....and roll into a ball. Sometimes here I roll all
the dough into balls and put them all into the
refrigerator. Then after dinner I'll bake 3 or 4 for
dessert.

When you're ready to bake you take one ball of dough...

...break it in half...

...rotate each piece 90 degrees with jagged sides up....

...then set it on a cookie sheet with the rough sides up

Ready to bake

That's good enough for me!
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, do your best!


Let's think of other things that starts with "C"

Across the street from our house is a trail that runs along the bay. There's biking/jogging/walking trails, a playground, a dog park, a golf course, art sculptures and some really incredible views. Here's some stuff we've seen...

Caution Signs

Cats on the Water

I love the idea of being a "Cat Socializer". It makes me think I should bring tea and crumpets down to the water and have conversations that start with "Have you seen the latest edition of Lolcats?"

California Poppy

Chloe, Danny and Jocelyn's Puppy

("Who's a cute puppy-wuppy? Are you a cute puppy-wuppy! Yes you are! Oh, yes, you are!")

and then there's...
Cake!

I made this Lemon Lover's Cake on Sunday. A yellow cake with buttercream frosting (my first try with real vanilla beans), topped with lemon curd and garnished with sugared lemons and white chocolate curls.

And finally, there's Code Pink. If you have any knitting or crochet abilities, I encourage you to go check it out.

I'll Take "What is Green" for $100.00, Alex

Green Produce bags made out of tulle...

It seemed odd to me to lug all my canvas bags into the grocery store only to fill up plastic bags with produce, so I made these bags from netting bought at the fabric store. I've gained enormous street cred with the cashiers at Whole Foods, and that is one group that is not easily impressed, I'll tell you what...

I'm hoping to put up a tutorial on this soon, so stay tuned!


Then there's


Fiesta Dinnerware teapot in Juniper

with another Kureyon Kozy in Noro Kureyon Color Number 233


Also, there's
Steve's vest which is coming along very slowly. I'd be much further along if it hadn't been for a mistake I made nearly at the beginning and had to rip most of it out (if you look closely you'll see the white lifeline I 've been putting in periodically so I don't have to rip the whole thing out when the next inevitable mistake happens...damn you cursed moss stitch!)


And finally

Irish Soda Bread and

Irish Stew...not exactly green, but isn't everything green on St. Patrick's Day (or something like that)?

I Own No Monkeys

(haven't you always wanted a monkey?)

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Felonious Monkeys

But seriously, folks...
Today, I bring you Part III of my continuing series
Better Know a Breakfast Bread: Scones

Bagels and English Muffins were only the beginning....

Today we bring you scones!!

Today's Fun Fact to Know and Tell Your Friends: there is a raging debate about the pronunciation of the word "scone"; seriously, go google it...I'll wait.....as you can see, some pronounce it "scone" (rhymes with "gone") and others say "scon" (as in "bun")...who knew?





First, toast the oats











Mix the butter with the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt...














...like so

























Then mix the flour/butter mixture with milk, cream, egg and toasted oats







Move the dough to a work surface













Shape into a circle about 7" in diameter

















There was some math involved, but I bravely soldiered on and cut the circle into 8 pieces











Brush on a little of the egg/milk mixture and sprinkle on some sugar. I found reusable parchment at Sur La Table in the Ferry Building in San Francisco








Baked










Now, if only I liked tea...

I'm A Little Teapot

short and stout.



Here is my handle...



...here is my spout.



When I get all steamed up...well, you know the rest.



Kureyon Kozy
2 balls of Noro 100% wool Color 209 Lot A




Inside the cozy, there's a pocket...



...into which you can insert a sachet. The warm teapot heats up the sachet, and theoretically should make the room smell good (and in keeping with the teacup/wool theme, there's this.)




Franciscan Dinnerware, Coronado Line, circa 1939




One of Rachel and Emily's early tea parties, circa 1989.



Happy 23rd Birthday, Rachel!

Vested Interest

We've decided that this will be the vest for Steve. This is the Zipped Vest



from Knitting Classic Style by Veronik Avery



We're using
Cascade 220 Superwash in color #865



It's the same yarn we used to make Danny's sweater





We cast on 260 stitches; compare to this:






Moss Stitch Swatch



Happy Valentine's Day!

Do You Know the Muffin, Man?

Now, in Part II of Better Know a Breakfast Bread, I give you:

English Muffins!

Mixin' the Bloomin' Dough!

We fancied a recipe for our favorite store-bought English Muffins (Bay's English Muffins). We found a recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.


The Resulting Dough

It's very stretchy and sticky...blimey!


Set the dough aside to rise for 90 minutes, and....




...there ya' 'ave it!

Doubled in size. Jolly good show old bean!


We Used Egg Rings to Shape the Dough









The bee's knees, innit?


And Bob's Your Uncle!

Cheers!