Our 5 Things

I got tagged on Instagram for the 5 Things You Don't Know About Me (thanks Lauren!) but then I saw that my friend Tara posted hers on her blog. Genius!

And she did hers and her husbands so of course I had to jump on that! But, sorry Tara, I am one upping you because I am including 5 things you don't know about Stanley too!

1. I know this infuriates real mothers, but I think having a dog is totally comparable to having kids. I'll let you know if I change my mind when I have babies, but I'm pretty sure Stanley will always be my first born


2. I am horrible at small talk and avoid it at all costs (including hiding in supermarket isles)


3. I am an anti-hoarder and often throw things away without remembering doing it. Bills, money, and clothes have all been fished out of the trash


4. I'm allergic to walnuts and pecans but no other nut (that I'm aware of)


5. I was named Darby (my middle name) after the movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People

1. His least favorite thing is clipping his nails. He HATES how it feels. To him it's like nails on a chalkboard

2. Andrew had two bagels for lunch every day during his last 2 years of college

3. No one but me will ever know this, but Andrew could be a butt model. Seriously.

4. He's so allergic to tree nuts that we keep an epipen shot in the house. I, however, have no idea where it is located at the moment and will be super helpful in an emergency situation

 5. He owns approximately 10 shirts, including his work shirts


 

1. Stanley is a very proper and deliberate eater. If I give him olives with a pit, he will eat all the meat off the olive, suck it clean, and leave the pit on the floor

2. He doesn't like bread. If you give him a piece he'll leave it untouched

3. His favorite thing is licking my legs right after I put on lotion

4. He puts his ears flat against his head and prances around when he's excited to see you which is every time you leave for more than 5 seconds and come back

5. He is terrified of joggers

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

I am not exactly sure how to write a food blog. I guess it is a little late for that since this blog is 2 years old and pretty much 90% dedicated to food posts. But, moral of the story-I don't know how talk about these cookies.

I could tell you they are the prefect texture-- not cakey, yet moist, light and airy yet very substantial. And I could tell you that the See's mints in these cookies push them right on to my regular cookie cooking rotation list. (I know you have one too.) I could tell you all those things but that is kind of boring.

So instead of talking about that let me tell you about my weekend. I made cookies Saturday morning and took them to a baby shower where they were consumed.

Whew. Not boring at all. Glad I switched tactics.

But seriously, you need them in your life. Well, I do. I won't project my obsessions on to you.

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies

Recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces bittersweet (mine was 90% but I didn't use dark chocolate cocoa powder {see below}) chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate mint patties, chopped (mine was See's)
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (preferably dark chocolate cocoa powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, melt butter, bittersweet chocolate and 1 cup of chocolate chips. I do this in the microwave, beginning with 30 second increments and stirring until totally melted. Set aside and let cool completely.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, add sugar and eggs, beating on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and melted chocolate/butter, beating for another 1-2 minutes until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the whisk or beater attachment, then remove it and stir in the dry ingredients with a large spatula until thoroughly dispersed by just combined. Fold in remaining chocolate chips and mint pieces. Cover the cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on an ungreased baking sheet. Wet your hands with water then begin to roll the dough into 1-inch balls, placing them about 2 inches apart. Do this quickly and if you are doing the cookies in batches, refrigerate the dough in between rounds. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Remove and place on a cookie rack to cool completely. 

January Things

So this place we live. I really like it.

 

Andrew had a birthday (old man) and we celebrated by taking the day off work and exploring the Marin Headlands! We went to Point Bonita Lighthouse where I fell in love with that little house on the cliff.  

 

 

And the birthday boy!!



 

Now that I live 3 hours from family I have reverted to my co-dependent days and force my mom to see me as often as possible. I'm not ashamed.

 

Andrew has to work mandatory 11 hour days and weekends soooo while some work, some play. I met my mama and sister (in law) in Carmel and shopped and ate and basically those are right up there on my "favorite things to do" list.

 

Stanley loves the beach. LOVES.

 

I get a big kick out of this guy.

 

 

 

It was a really nice day.

 

The very next weekend my mama came to the city to visit me. We went to Tartine's for breakfast and my mom was so excited to watch the bakers through the windows that she slammed face first into the glass. The first thing she said after she finished laughing hysterically was, "I paid a lot for this nose!"

 

See why I like her?

 

We took her to Point Bonita Lighthouse because we thought it was so pretty.

 

Afterward we went to the beach. I've decided living near the ocean is a luxury... even though we were in leather jackets, pants and boots. You can't have it all.  

 

Ok I have to go. Gilmore Girls is on and Rory just went to Yale.