chocolate. cookies. yum.

I wanted to make cookies last night, but I didn't have enough butter (okay, so I had enough, I just didn't want to dump it all into a batch of cookies). Also, I bought a jar of Blackstrap molasses last week and I really wanted to put it to good use... so I searched the vast interweb and found these.
I tweaked the recipe a bit, based on what I had in the kitchen and how much sugar I was really willing to invest, so I will break it down for you my way here:

2 1/4 cu. of flour (I used 1 cu. whole wheat, 1 1/4 cu. unbleached white)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of sea salt
1/2 cu. of raw sugar
2 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cu. of maple syrup
1/3 cu. of black strap molasses
1/3 cu. of coconut oil
2/3 cu. of semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350
mix dry ingredients in a big bowl
mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl... whisk
pour the wet stuff into the dry stuff bowl... mix!
form into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet with at least 1" between each ball
bake 11 minutes and take out to cool

coco

Since I spend most of my evenings with the cat in a cozy, snow-surrounded home, I have been catching up on movies lately.
Last night, I watched Coco Before Chanel, about... you guess it... Coco Chanel.

I have to say the movie was beautiful. Inspiring, actually. not too far in, I found myself pausing the laptop and reaching for my sketchbook.

At the end I watched some of the 'dvd extras', and after some clips of the NYC premier with the director and some of the actors, Audrey Tautou - in a beautiful frahnsch at-scent - closed with this:

"It is important to create your life instead of being passive or, you know, instead of waiting for something to happen."

I thought I loved Mlle. Tautou before I saw this movie, now I know I do!

image from: movies.ign.com

Tampa

Pat is headed south today for a business trip.
Ironically, he's headed 'home' to Tampa, FL... a place he once told me he never cared to visit (despite it being the area where I spent my first 17 years of life). Now, he's going without me!

I was just peeking at a blog I peek at a lot, design*sponge, and how funny, they also have Tampa on the brain today... I just had to swipe their photo, it was far too tempting:

Obama goes rogue on GMOs

I try not to be too political here.
I really just intend to share with whomever is reading whatever is going on...

But sometimes things have to be discussed that affect me, you, everyone.
Monsanto, that big seed company that seeks to rule the world (literally, via food), is at it again, and this current administration is bowing down to the King of Seeds.
Please take a moment to read this article and sign the attached petition asking our President to re-think GMO seed to stand by his claim to be concerned with the health of our people.

If you want to read more about this, please do! Here is an article discussing the switch-a-roo that the USDA's Vislack pulled. And here is another that explains just why we should all care!

Thanks, all. I will post happier things later today, promise!

small home, big fun

My little place here at The Community School is just that, little! But I love it! I get to figure out ways to store books, shoes, dirty laundry, pots, pans, canned food, 1/2 completed projects from 2004...
And I get to decorate in fun ways, too.
When the two combine (1/2 completed projects + a wanting for decoration) it's the best.

For example, broken sunglasses turned into sunrings... and the frames turned into a looking glass looking back!

Pages from a Danish coloring book acquired in Copenhagen a few years back keep me company every time I reach for a dish!

bonkers for bulgur

I recently inherited a small stock of bulgur to add to my grain collection, and I must say, I really like it! 'What is bulgur?' you ask... it is a whole grain version of dried durum wheat.
'Is it good?! or is it good for me?' you scepticize... yes. both. NYT writes about it and has some great ways to cook it here.
What I really like about it is the ease of preparation.

I usually like to pre-soak my grains for a few hours in warm water with a little yogurt or kefir (overnight, if I'm really ahead of the game). This warm water/soured dairy combo allows for little microbiota to take up shop in the grains and aids digestion by breaking down phytic acid. Soaking also cuts down on grain cooking time: rice takes 20 minutes instead of 40, rolled oats are a cinche!

Okay, back to bulgur. If you soak it, bulgur cooks up in about 5 minutes.
If you forgot to soak it (which I did last night and found myself hungry and un-soaked this morning):
simply saute 1 cu. bulgur in 2 Tbl butter for 2 min
add 2 cu. water and simmer for 7 min or until tender
I added some home-made maple syrup from a great couple I have befriended up here...

YUM!

Thanks Archinect!

I am a feature on another blog!!!!

Archinect, a blog for everything architecture (and more) did a feature on me and my move from architecture to farming.

I'm so excited, I'm blushing!