I’d hate to lose the people who follow me here, so I’ll be linking all the posts for the time being!
Thanks for reading and following along 🙂
http://garliacornelia.blogspot.com/2014/01/3rd-times-charm.html
Year: 2014
Arctic Freeze… No problem
I’ve been sick and literally in my house for 8 days. The last time I was out, my daughter and I went grocery shopping… I know… Exciting… But when you’re pregnant with a toddler and your main source of transportation is public transit, stairs and strollers can be a major turn-off.
I’ve been home with our daughter since she was born. A choice I made. I have learned a lot and value the time we have had. I was hoping to work from home, which is not as easy as it sounds. Like many women, I had this image of me sitting comfortably in my office while my baby, quietly sat in her highchair and played or read a book, occupying herself until I was finished. Completely logical… Right…
Having worked since I was 17, I was somewhat taken by surprise when my income was severely lacking. It was very strange, and in another post, I will talk about all the things I attempted to do to make a living while home with a baby. It’s pretty funny…
But as usual, I digress… I have been home for 8 days, sick and am now finally feeling better (infecting our daughter and my husband on the road to recovery) and today I was out doing the grocery shopping.
I was so excited.
Of course, my husband put up a fight. But he’s not feeling well because of me and the below freezing temperatures we are experiencing. PLUS, I thoroughly enjoy it (I’m from Michigan, and laugh in the face of the cold!…). In all seriousness, he knew I wanted to go… So go I did…
My husband often wonders what my fascination is with being out of the house. I think for me, it is because I love human interaction. (Some might say adult interaction, but doesn’t matter to me). I crave it. I met him in a cafe for goodness sakes…. I am very much a people person. Shy on one side, but lively on the other. I’m a playwright… a creator of character, which for me often happens based on my surroundings and my observations of the world around me.
Not that I’m going to find much human interaction on the empty snow-filled, yet sunny streets of New York.
The bright sun is pretty misleading…. It was colder than you know what…
My excursion was not at all disappointing – I made it home going to and from Whole Foods on the train. I figured Trader Joe’s was a little too ambitious for my condition and the weather without my wasting money on cab fare.
I ended up taking a green taxi once back in Harlem a couple blocks, mainly because of the spilled soup I discovered when the train car began smelling like Lobster Chowder. I could only imagine a stream of warm orange-colored soup littering the snowy white streets on my walk home… :/
All in all, the day was peaceful out in the city that never stops moving, but I was of course happy to come home to a warm apartment and smiling toddler to help me with the bags! 😉
Have you ever been stuck someplace and you just had to get out?…
We’ve moved!
New Year … a New Blog… well, sort of… visit me here!  There will be lots of exciting posts this year!  I promise 🙂
🙂
Â
3rd Time’s the Charm!
This is the 3rd time I have attempted blogging and I think this time it will stick! I’m much more determined and now that I’m half-way through 30, I might as well…
I’ve moved the contents of my old blog here. Sometimes you just need a fresh start!
2013 was a Learning Curve year… Needless to say, although I turned 30 halfway through the year, it wasn’t the fireworks explosion of success I was expecting… Like I said, it was a Learning Curve year.
Looking forward to sharing with you here.
🙂
Record-Breaking Lows Call for Cookies!
What does one do when it´s nearly 0 degrees outside … Why, bake cookies of course! And not just any cookies… Flour-less, sugarless, peanut butter, white chocolate chip cookies!
I got the recipe from a wonderful blog, A Cup of Jo, she got it from Monique at Ambitious Kitchen.
I’ve pasted the recipe as Monique described it below. I used almond extract instead of vanilla and white chocolate chunks because that is what I had. Besides that, I followed all of her directions.
THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!
Who needs sugar when you have white chocolate chips and honey!
Delicious and I am sure they will be gone by Thursday if not before!
ENJOY!
_____
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
By Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen
There’s something incredibly special about a classic, crunchy peanut butter cookie. It reminds me of cold winter evenings spent baking with my family. Over the years, though, I’ve really grown to love chewy and soft cookies—you know, the ones with crispy edges and a warm, gooey middle. They’re the best of both worlds.
Because my blog focuses on unique, better-for-you treats, I wanted to challenge myself to create a chewy peanut butter cookie without flour, butter or gluten—and, of course, I wanted it to taste extraordinary, too! It took me five different tries to stumble on one that I’m proud of, but I did it.
These cookies are made with all-natural peanut butter, honey, eggs and vanilla, and the result is truly beautiful: puffy, soft cookies with a crispy bottom that are unbelievably easy to make. In fact, you can have one in your belly in less than 30 minutes.
To make these cookies your own, I suggest chopping up one of your favorite chocolate bars and folding it into the dough—the chocolate is really what makes these cookie shine! I’ve tried a few special bars, but my absolute favorite is dark chocolate with toffee and sea salt. White chocolate would be great, too. Just remember: a unique chocolate bar makes for a unique cookie!
Also, if you like a hearty cookie with a bit of chew, just fold in ¾ cup of oats to the dough. A little sprinkle of sea salt also makes these shine. Any way you do it, you won’t be disappointed. Happy baking!
Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes approx. 20 cookies
You’ll need:
1 1/2 cups all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs at room temperature
½ tsp. baking soda
3.5 oz. of your favorite chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, honey, vanilla, eggs and baking soda until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in chopped chocolate.
Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Then BARELY flatten the top of each cookie with your hand. The dough will be sticky, so if you find this method difficult, simply use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies may not be as round in shape and perhaps a bit thicker, but that’s okay—they will still be delicious!
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown. The cookies may look a little underdone, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
I love Spoilers
As a playwright, I’m not afraid of a good spoiler. Â I love them. Â Makes no difference to me.
If you don’t already know, I love Downton Abbey. Â So I was so excited to catch it on Sunday and have watched it again since then.
Maybe it’s my slightly impatient nature (probably), but I accidentally found a DowntonAbbeyWikia site when I trying to remember the storyline behind Lady Cora’s new Lady Maid.  Well, I was hooked and read a few descriptions that go through what happens to some of the characters this season and WOW!
Another article I read, said that this series felt as if the show was getting back to the excitement of series 1… which was pretty exciting.  I have to agree.  Nonetheless, It was so sad not to have Matthew around… or Mr. Matthew to me….
After reading what happens to some of the characters this season, I can’t wait to watch it.
It has to be said that however upsetting it is that Mary lost her husband after he saw their newborn son, Julian Fellows has handled it pretty brilliantly.  There is life after death as Mary realizes half-way through the opening episode ( with the help of her brother in-law, Tom Branson, her grandmother and the beloved Carson), and so must we, the audience…because so much more awaits us over the next few months.
Click the 1st two links if you love spoilers too!
Record-Breaking Lows Call for Cookies!
What does one do when it´s nearly 0 degrees outside … Why, bake cookies of course! And not just any cookies… Flour-less, sugarless, peanut butter, white chocolate chip cookies!
I got the recipe from a wonderful blog, A Cup of Jo, she got it from Monique at Ambitious Kitchen.
I’ve pasted the recipe as Monique described it below. I used almond extract instead of vanilla and white chocolate chunks because that is what I had. Besides that, I followed all of her directions.
THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!
Who needs sugar when you have white chocolate chips and honey!
Delicious and I am sure they will be gone by Thursday if not before!
ENJOY!
_____
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
By Monique Volz of Ambitious Kitchen
There’s something incredibly special about a classic, crunchy peanut butter cookie. It reminds me of cold winter evenings spent baking with my family. Over the years, though, I’ve really grown to love chewy and soft cookies—you know, the ones with crispy edges and a warm, gooey middle. They’re the best of both worlds.
Because my blog focuses on unique, better-for-you treats, I wanted to challenge myself to create a chewy peanut butter cookie without flour, butter or gluten—and, of course, I wanted it to taste extraordinary, too! It took me five different tries to stumble on one that I’m proud of, but I did it.
These cookies are made with all-natural peanut butter, honey, eggs and vanilla, and the result is truly beautiful: puffy, soft cookies with a crispy bottom that are unbelievably easy to make. In fact, you can have one in your belly in less than 30 minutes.
To make these cookies your own, I suggest chopping up one of your favorite chocolate bars and folding it into the dough—the chocolate is really what makes these cookie shine! I’ve tried a few special bars, but my absolute favorite is dark chocolate with toffee and sea salt. White chocolate would be great, too. Just remember: a unique chocolate bar makes for a unique cookie!
Also, if you like a hearty cookie with a bit of chew, just fold in ¾ cup of oats to the dough. A little sprinkle of sea salt also makes these shine. Any way you do it, you won’t be disappointed. Happy baking!
Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes approx. 20 cookies
You’ll need:
1 1/2 cups all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs at room temperature
½ tsp. baking soda
3.5 oz. of your favorite chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, honey, vanilla, eggs and baking soda until smooth and well combined. Gently fold in chopped chocolate.
Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Then BARELY flatten the top of each cookie with your hand. The dough will be sticky, so if you find this method difficult, simply use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies may not be as round in shape and perhaps a bit thicker, but that’s okay—they will still be delicious!
Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown. The cookies may look a little underdone, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes; then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.
I love Spoilers
As a playwright, I’m not afraid of a good spoiler. Â I love them. Â Makes no difference to me.
If you don’t already know, I love Downton Abbey. Â So I was so excited to catch it on Sunday and have watched it again since then.
Maybe it’s my slightly impatient nature (probably), but I accidentally found a DowntonAbbeyWikia site when I trying to remember the storyline behind Lady Cora’s new Lady Maid.  Well, I was hooked and read a few descriptions that go through what happens to some of the characters this season and WOW!
Another article I read, said that this series felt as if the show was getting back to the excitement of series 1… which was pretty exciting.  I have to agree.  Nonetheless, It was so sad not to have Matthew around… or Mr. Matthew to me….
After reading what happens to some of the characters this season, I can’t wait to watch it.
It has to be said that however upsetting it is that Mary lost her husband after he saw their newborn son, Julian Fellows has handled it pretty brilliantly.  There is life after death as Mary realizes half-way through the opening episode ( with the help of her brother in-law, Tom Branson, her grandmother and the beloved Carson), and so must we, the audience…because so much more awaits us over the next few months.
Click the 1st two links if you love spoilers too!