Last-Minute Coconut Macaroons

I don't want to alarm you, but tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Are you prepared? Is anyone going to know how much you like them? Is anyone going to know how much you don't like them by seeing you hand out gifts to others? That opportunity doesn't come along often.

If you've got 30 minutes and 6 basic ingredients, you can shower your pals with toasty, coconutty, chocolatey love. I don't suggest saying that to them directly, though. It's a little weird.

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 1/2 cups flaked sweetened coconut (not shredded!)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 bag chocolate chips (semisweet or dark)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using your hands until well blended. Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about golf ball size. Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until coconut is toasted.
4.  Melt the chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Either dip your macaroons directly into the chocolate or transfer it to a plastic bag and snip off one tip for drizzling. Chill until set.

Baked Caramel Apple Donuts

This whole post was originally about how discouraging it can be to fall into a creative slump while being busy with things you aren't passionate about, and then I deleted it. The thought of someone reading it and scoffing, "oh she thinks she's just SO busy," killed my vibe entirely, and that is some real bullshit. This blog isn't for those people. It's for awesome, nonsensical, nice people who like good food and sharp wit.

...And dogs, but that doesn't really apply right now.

If that sounds anything like you, then try this baked caramel apple donut recipe (adapted from Queen Shutterbean) and dance around like an idiot while you're at it. I recommend this song to set the mood.

Side note: supportive people are the best. Be one. Find one. Keep 'em around forever!

The first thing you should know about these donuts is that the apple flavor comes out just perfectly after they set overnight. Also, if you aren't reeeeaaally into caramel, you may want to go with a different topping (obviously) because the one I used is mighty chewy. However, it does soften up overnight. Give them a try! You won't hate me for it.

Baked Caramel Apple Donuts

Adapted from Shutterbean 

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 medium Gala apples, peeled & shredded
• 1 1/2 cup chewy caramel candies
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• Optional: chocolate melts for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray donut pans with cooking spray & set aside. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Whisk in oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined; stir in the apples. Spoon the batter into the prepared donut pans until almost full. Baked until golden and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out dry. It takes about 15-20 minutes.

In a small, microwaveable bowl, combine the caramel and milk. Microwave for 1 minute at medium power. then stir; repeat in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. If making small donuts, dip them directly into the caramel. For larger donuts, spoon caramel topping on top! If you want chocolate drizzle, melt your chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, then transfer it to a ziplock bag and snip one corner off. Drizzle quickly!

DIY Nautical Wedding Invitation Suite

Wedding invitations have always been one of my favorite things to oooh and aaah over on Pinterest and my favorite wedding websites. There are endless styles to choose from, and the perfect design can really make a statement and get your friends and family extra excited for your event!

BUT, one of the best parts of planning a wedding should be the DIY projects. These days, it's all about personal touches, and there's no better way to get the ball rolling than with custom invitations!

Simple Photoshop and InDesign skills are all you need to create a design that fits your style perfectly. This year, I've had the honor of helping my super cool boss and her equally cool fiance plan their upcoming wedding. They're hilarious, unique, and crazy fun, so there was no way just any old premade invitations would suffice. We pulled inspiration from some of their favorite designs online and in stores, and combined their favorite features to create this custom suite.

 

I know what you're thinking. "Wow, that looks like it's going to be the best wedding ever!" And you're totally right. Their reception will be right by the golden gate bridge (to die for) and they decided to incorporate gold rope as a theme to reflect the band on the bride's custom-made engagement ring (extra to die for). And the "drop us a line" fishing hook? CUTEST. THING. EVER.

We made and assembled 250 of these invitations, including adding the envelope liners and embossing the couple's address on each envelope. It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but it's completely do-able. 

 Don't be scared to customize!

Nashville's Food Scene is a Game Changer

It's impossible to properly sum up such a great trip, but here's my little breakdown of where we stuffed ourselves in Music City. You'll notice that Nashville seems to be one of the only evolving cities where everyone isn't trying to do the same thing; the whole place is about variety and literally bringing something new to the table at every chance. These restaurants are listed by the order in which we visited them, but I saved the best for last, so only scroll down if you want to spoil the surprise! Here we go...


Mas Tacos Por Favor
When your lunch experience begins with seeing Guy Fieri's face spray-painted on the wall, you know you're in for a treat. Mas Tacos Por Favor started out as a food truck back in 2008 before food trucks had their current cool-factor, and became such a Nashville hit that they set up a permanent location less than two years later. Recently, they've been named as One of the 12 Dishes that Define the New Nashville, as well as some of the Best Tacos in America by CNN. Our resident tour guides for the weekend, Ron and Leah, told us they get to enjoy this place about once a week and I would have started googling "Nashville real estate" right then and there if my hands weren't full of tacos.

What We Loved
- Cast Iron Chicken Tacos {charred jalapenos + onions, roasted tomatillo, salsa, and a drizzle of sour cream}
- Pulled Pork Tacos {slow braised pork, roasted tomatillo, salsa, shaved cabbage, spicy onions, and dill yogurt}
- Spicy Carne Molida {ground beef, fresh corn + tomato, sour cream, shaved cabbage, and spicy onions}
- Elote {grilled corn rolled in queso and spices with a squirt of lime}
- Chicken Tortilla Soup {Mexico City style and totally killer, get the recipe here}
- Horchata Ice Coffee. IT'S A REAL THING AND YOU NEED IT.

Left: Guy Fieri's face and signature. Right : (via foursquare) tacos and horchata iced coffee via Foursquare.

Pinewood Social
They could have gotten me in the door just for their specialty cocktails, but Pinewood Social didn't stop there. The brilliant Goldberg brothers (known for The Catbird Seat, one of Nashville's top fine dining restaurants), wanted to create a singular space to serve as an all-hours social hangout. You can find your morning coffee and pastries there, escape the workday for lunch and bowling, or grab dinner and embarrass yourself singing karaoke. Pinewood Social plans to add a swimming pool, a bocce ball court, and a cabana to their "backyard" for even more summer fun. The architecture and decor are seriously impressive (a quick search on Pinterest will give you a sneak peek) but the food and drinks are what will bring me back on my next visit.

What We Loved
- The Honesty of Constant Human Error {Martin Millers Gin, Lunazul Blanco Tequila, Yellow Chartreuse, Strawberry, Lemon}
- "Things on Toast" {variety including BLT, chicken liver, and country ham with pepper mascarpone}
- Fried Cheese Curds with Pepper Aoli
- Smoked Trout Dip with Lavish Crackers
- Fried Chicken with Cauliflower Salad
- Pork Belly Salad {grilled pork belly, frisee, poached egg, mustard vinaigrette}

Pinewood Social | 33 Peabody Street | Nashville, TN

Red Bicycle Coffee & Crepes
If (or when) I move to Nashville, I could stop here every morning for an iced coffee and a crepe without hesitation. This is coming from me, Kelly Moran, a self-described Starbucks addict. I would drop the black americano habit and become dedicated to the flawless iced coffee that Red Bicycle pumps out. Whatever they're doing, that stuff could even stand out among San Francisco's competitive coffee options. The crepes are a whole new ball game, though! Their menu ranges from sweet options such as "cinnamon roll" or "caramel apple," to savory styles like the maple bacon one we chose. It's located in Germantown, a Nashville neighborhood that's currently going through a major boom in popularity and new businesses, so stopping at Red Bicycle in the morning puts you right in the middle of a hot spot. As if all of that isn't enough to make it a staple, the cafe itself is the comfiest place you could imagine for a hungover meetup with friends or pulling out your laptop to get a little work done. I wish I were sitting right there to write this now!

What We Loved
- Bacon Maple Crepe
- Banana Peanut Crepe {we didn't try it on our visit, but our resident tour guide Ron says it's his favorite!}
- Iced Coffee

Red Bicycle Coffee & Crepes | 1200 5th Ave. N. | Nashville, TN

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
About a year ago, I wandered into a tiny convenience store in San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood where I saw unfamiliar ice cream in bright orange packaging. It was Jeni's Whiskey & Pecan flavor, and I haven't found a better ice cream ever since then. As fate would have it, Jeni has an actual brick and mortar scoop shop in Nashville! We stopped by and tried all the flavors we could get our hands on before deciding to pack our top four into pints and take them home with some freshly made waffle cones. You guys, I don't know how to explain how delicious this stuff is. Every single flavor is mind-blowing, and they aren't your average creations. We're talking alcohols, pies, french toast, and more....all in the form of FREAKING ICE CREAM. Whatever you think your favorite brand of frozen heaven is, don't speak another word about it until you've tried Jeni's. Trust me on this.

What We Loved
- Yazoo Sue with Rosemary Bar Nuts {Yazoo = Nashville's most popular beer}
- Salty Caramel
- Dark Chocolate
- Brambleberry Crisp

Image on the right originally from Jenis.com/flavors.

312 Pizza Company
Our 312 Pizza experience was completely unplanned and uninfluenced by any reviews. It was their grand opening! We had been peeking inside for the first couple days of our visit while the crew finished setting up, and on Sunday when we got the evening beer-itch well before our reservations at City House we just had to go check it out. As the neighborhood's brand new casual restaurant, it seemed like a lot of locals were anxious to try it and find out if 312 Pizza will become a staple. Judging by our visit, I think it will be! They had a great looking menu full of Chicago-style pizza, service was friendly, and they put a cute guy behind the bar - one of the most important moves to make. We didn't want to spoil our appetites too badly, so we sat there for beers and an order of arancini to share. Beers turned into cocktails and cocktails turned into learning about the many possibilities of botanical gin, which was enough to make me add 312 Pizza to our list of places to return to next time.

What We Loved
- Arancini {housemade vegetarian risotto mixed with mozarella, coated with breadcrumbs, and fried}
- Alcohol, all of it {Cutaway IPA, Cucumber Botanical Gin, all the whiskey ever}
- We'd place a good bet on the pizza being delicious

Images via Nashville Guru and Nashville Scene

City House
Talk about living up to the hype! We had heard nothing but rave reviews for City House, and our meal did not disappoint. Their Sunday Supper menu didn't include the famous Pork Belly Pizza that put them on the map, but it's safe to say they aren't relying on just one solid menu item. The restaurant itself is pretty bare-bones as far as appearance goes, with clean white brick walls and minimalist settings, which makes you really focus on the food and not the fluff. That seems to be working for them since Southern Living recently added City House to their list of 100 Places to Eat NOW. We would have been just fine waiting a while with our cocktails and appetizers, but it was a pleasant surprise when our entrees came out quickly! Killer food, great service, and a prime location. What more could you ask for?

What We Loved
- Plate of Crackers with Sausage, Beer Brodo, Mustard, and Cheddar
- Wings {hot hot hot, but in a hurts-so-good kind of way}
- Salami, Fennel + Onion, and Grana Pizza

City House | 1222 14th Ave. N. | Nashville, TN

Hattie B's Hot Chicken
Not familiar with Nashville's most famous dish? Never had fried chicken anywhere east of the Mississippi River? Fix these issues immediately. Go to Hattie B's, order some hot chicken at whichever heat-level you think you can handle, and don't stop chowing down until you're worried TSA will be able to see your food baby on the x-ray scanners. The beauty of Hattie B's Hot Chicken is that every bird is fresh, all natural, and always made-to-order. Go get some, wash it down with authentic southern sweet tea, and you will NOT be disappointed.

What We Loved
- Wings & Breasts with our preferred spice levels
- Side of fries, pimento mac n cheese, and black eyed pea salad
- Damn good pickles
- Real southern sweet tea

Hattie B's Hot Chicken | 112 19th Ave. S. | Nashville, TN

ETCH - 1st Place Winner
Nothing in the course of my life has ever led me to believe that cauliflower would be a player in the best meal I'd ever have. Similarly, up until a week ago I couldn't imagine any possible way to improve traditional pesto (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). After just one visit to Etch, I'm worried about how many other things I might be completely wrong about.
The visionary behind Etch is Chef Deb Paquette, and she's my first nominee for a Nobel Peace Prize. She's combining flavors and textures like a culinary rebel, and every dish on her menu feels like it deserves your undivided attention. We did, in fact, try nearly everything on the menu, so you can take that to the bank when I tell you that a meal at Etch is worth the time and cost of a trip to Nashville all by itself. Go now and don't you dare hesitate.
The roasted cauliflower & truffled pea pesto will come highly recommended by anyone who has tried it, but don't expect that to be the only thing you fall in love with. Go with a group so you can each order different options and have an insane experience tasting them all (view details below). Be sure to take a moment and just stare at the presentation, because the whole table will be solid proof that plating can be sexy. Last but not least, scream "YES PLEASE" when the waitress offers to show you the dessert menu, and then promptly order the chocolate pretzel bar. You will experience extreme cognitive dissonance by trying to decide if you would rather be covered in the cauliflower's truffled pea pesto or the chocolate pretzel bar's salty caramel sauce. You have been warned.

What We Loved
Appetizers
     - Butter Tasting {truffle butter, smoked plugra butter, ginger peanut brittle butter, duck butter}
     - Octopus and Shrimp Bruschetta {manchego, arugula, fennel, roasted tomato, capers, garlic oil, bacon}
     -  Pork Belly {fried belly, kenji kimchi, tahini tofu sauce, ginger caramel}
     - Roasted Cauliflower {truffled pea pesto, salted almonds, feta crema}
Main Courses
     - Pork Tenderloin {porcini dusted with manchego, caramelized onion, potato, chorizo, spanish mountain mushroom sauce, and truffle oil}
     - Scallops {trio of grilled, confit, and tempura mushrooms, smoked shallot vinaigrette, bacon, greens, butternut garlic essence, beet sriracha}
     - Venison {moroccan spiced, sweet potato guava, ginger grits, pear butter, cranberry sumac relish}
     - Lamb Chop {merguez sausage brik, cauliflower feta cream, tomato chermoula, grilled eggplant, celery, sunchokes}  

Etch | 303 Demonbreun St. | Nashville, TN

Left my Heart in...Nashville Actually

One of the issues most twenty-somethings won't admit to is feeling torn between wanting to live it up in a big modern city versus settling down in a neighborhood with lawns and mailboxes. Most of us grew up that way with our families, and most of us turned out pretty well because of it, but if you asked if we want the same thing we'd swear "we'll never settle," and we can't imagine living like that. At least not until something reminds us of how amazing it was.

The minute we got off the plane in Nashville, something seemed different. It had been a long flight, it was late at night, and I guess irritable travelers are just something you learn to expect, but every single person was 100% sweet and polite. That kept increasing through baggage claim and out to the car where Stephanie's friend Lyle (who sounds like Luke Bryan, hello) and her dad, Ron, who was immediately the funniest person in the world, took care of our luggage and even opened our car doors like that's a regular thing everyone does. We added pizza and beer to the equation and I was pretty much hooked then.

Steph and Ron at Mafioza's Pizza!

Our first full day in the south started out with what might be the world's best tacos at Mas Tacos Por Favor with Ron and his sweetheart Leah. Our shamefully full stomachs basically forced us out for a walk through Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Right at the park entrance I could hear a riding lawn mower and started to smell fresh cut grass. Stephanie and I both freaked out like we'd forgotten how great that was! And seriously, a riding lawn mower? You could probably count those on one hand in all of San Francisco. My dad mows the lawn at my parents' house in the East Bay on weekends, but I guess its been a while since I actually sat and enjoyed it there. I'm not sure I could live somewhere permanently without it.

The state park was a real eye-opener. There were several memorials throughout it that were all inspiring. One of my favorite feelings in the world is the pride you get from a little patriotism, and nobody does it better than the South. Every piece of history there is a reminder of why we built this nation (and yes, we the people built it) and how hard we fought to make it happen. Obviously there isn't much Revolutionary War history in California, but I never realized what we were missing out on. The history books in school don't do it justice, you really have to stand right there to appreciate it!

This quote from the TN Constitution should be remembered more often.

We ended up at the State Capitol building and I thought we were just just going to take some nice pictures of it and walk around outside. Last month I tried to take my mom to San Francisco's City Hall and we were told it was closed to visitors - we said, "it's a public building owned by the citizens, you literally can't be closed to us." Tennessee seems to value that fact a whole lot more, because we ended up not only entering the capitol building but we were welcome in every single room! We could have walked right into the governor's office without a problem. We wandered through the room where the House of Representatives meet, we sat right at State Senators' desks in congress, and we gave "State of the State" addresses at the press conference podium. We met everyone in there like we were meeting neighbors. Closed to visitors my foot, San Francisco.

Feeling like Elle Woods.

We jumped on bikes to make sure we could see as much as possible before dinner. There were the sweetest little neighborhoods where anybody would be blessed to live, where everyone seemed to take a lot of pride in their home. We might not realize it now, but there's something special about growing up seeing your parents always gardening and working in the yard. Kids in Nashville will have that, but most kids in San Francisco and New York City won't. I think I want my kids to know what a wheelbarrow is when they seen one.

Riding our bikes down the road completely terrified me - we're talking the frozen muscles, talking to myself out loud kind of terrified. I couldn't figure out why I was so scared until we hit the "busiest" area, and there were like...seven cars total, all driving perfectly fine. I had been thinking of San Francisco streets, where you literally couldn't pay me to ride a bike on the actual road with all the lunatic cab drivers. The sound of the spokes spinning around took me back to when my sister and I would ride bikes with our dad and grandpa. Those are some of my favorite memories and even though I was a scaredy-cat kid, I'm pretty sure I loved it. I think I'd rather live where I won't feel physically ill at the thought of riding a bike on a sunny day.

Here's me being a wuss. I swear we were riding on the street, just not in this picture. 

This all probably sounds common and trivial, but I can't help that little things like lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, and bike rides were what stood out to me. All the parts of life that we're supposed to pretend we aren't thinking about yet seemed more like an adventure than an "oh my god I don't want to seem old or weird" secret. When you travel, you fantasize about the life you could have in all the different places you visit, and Nashville felt like something I could really go for without being wildly unrealistic. Maybe I'll get off the plane and get hooked on San Francisco life all over again, but I dare you to visit the south and tell me you don't fall in love with it, too. Good people, good homes, amazing food, and the music ain't half bad either ;)

The world's friendliest place to bar-hop.

We covered so much ground over one great weekend, it's going to take me a whole separate post to tell you about how crazy-great the food was. You and I both know that's why you're here! Stay tuned ya'll. 

Lemon Pound Cake - for a Friend

Life doesn't just give you lemons. It doesn't hand them to you nicely. It hurls them at you full-speed when you least expect it. They hit you less like lemons and more like bricks, if bricks were sour. Life threw a lemony curve-ball last month.

Kate Hopkins was one of the best people you could ever meet. She had happy eyes and she laughed at everything all the time. She was absurdly photogenic without even trying. She was one of those people who was smart in every subject and good at every sport and was so humble that it never would have even occurred to her that she had plenty of room to brag. If you were having a bad day, you could count on her to say something so ridiculous that you would have to burst out laughing and forget whatever was bothering you. Last month, an accident took her away from us. We all miss her very much. 

The little tree in my parents' yard grows the most perfect lemons. It gets just the right amount of sun and the colors pop like yellow and green confetti against a brown fence. Sometimes I sit under it for no particular reason and it cheers me up when I didn't even know I was sad. It's a bright spot, just like Kate.

I promised her that sometime we would spend a full day baking recipes from Joy the Baker's blog. I'll never get to keep that promise, but this lemon pound cake reminds me so much of her that it's as if she was right there in the kitchen with me while I made it. If you've ever felt a kitchen become instantly cheerful with hints of lemon in the air, you know what I mean. If you don't, you'll have to try this recipe to find out.

So Kate, this is your special lemon cake. I know you would have preferred something packed with chocolate, but trust me on this one. It has just a few blueberries in it, because they added a little splash of purple and a break between lemony bites. It's dense like pound cake but perfectly moist. The glaze is sweet and you would have drizzled it like a pro. It's even better on the second day, once the flavors have had time to get comfortable, but we both know it's hard not to devour something fresh out of the oven. 

Life throws lemons. Zest them, squeeze them, and smile. 

LEMON POUND CAKE

Ingredients:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)

3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberries (optional)

For the glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired. I recommend letting your ingredients reach room temperature before starting.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, sprinkling the blueberries in as you pour. Smooth the tops and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them upside-down on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; poke several holes in the bottom of each cake using a fork or a skewer. Spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely before flipping them back over.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten.

Valentine's Day is Only Terrible if You Are

Admittedly, I understand very little about people and why they are the way they are. I do not claim to be an expert on the human psyche or the different ethos and pathos that go into the formation of our principles and opinions. But I do know this: people who hate Valentine's day are wrong. The straightforward, yes or no, black & white kind of wrong. If they were on a game show and the question was "do you like Valentine's day?" and their answer was no, they would be eliminated without a consolation prize.

Below are the three most common excuses from Valentine haters, followed by the simplest way to tell them how absurdly wrong they are. 

1. "It's a Hallmark holiday." If by this you mean you don't like the idea of a large company profiting from nice gestures, then I urge you to take an economics class. But regardless of how silly that idea is on its own, let's indulge it. If you really just don't want Hallmark to "exploit" your feelings, here's an idea: don't buy anything from them. Make a card yourself on homegrown hemp paper and give it to your concerned mother. Or even better, support a small local business. Go buy cookies from your local bakery or get fresh flowers from an independent florist. Be less miserable.

2. "I can show ____ that I love them any day!" Is this an actual reason to dislike the idea of slightly raising the bar once a year? Does anyone who says this actually do it? Do I need to explain the flawed logic? (Answers: yes, no, maybe but I won't.)

3. "I don't need to be reminded that I'm single." There is no better way to tell your friends and family exactly how irrelevant they are than to use this line right here. Nothing beats it. Sorry lifelong BFF, I can only show you I care under the condition that I am head over heels in love with somebody I just met. I would get you an apology card, but I don't like Hallmark.

I'll have a happier Valentine's Day post up at some point. More glitter, less bitter! :)

Supporting small business: grabbing heart-shaped cookies from the Batter Bakery kiosk.

Supporting small business: learning calligraphy from Laura Hooper for handwritten valentines.

Making Gimme Some Oven's chocolate chip cookies for Dad, even though we have them all the time.

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Why I Need an Adventure, Not a Vacation

A weird thing happens when you become a twenty-something. So many exciting events you've always imagined start to become real possibilities: graduating college, unknowingly bumping into your soulmate at Starbucks, interviewing for your dream career, or finally realizing what your dream career actually is. All of that settling down, light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel stuff is finally here! The moment that realization hits you is the beginning of the most restless, untethered feeling you've ever had.

What in the world qualified me to make any of the decisions I'm about to have to make? How am I supposed to know where I want to work? How could anyone my age know where they want to live? How could anyone in the world know the one place where they want to have a family?! That's making a decision for people who don't even exist yet! No, this is insane. I refuse to make all of these choices with the limited scope I've always had.

I became a different person when I started living and working in San Francisco. It's difficult to imagine sticking with the same options I had before now that I'm finally in my own skin. I might finally be the person I'm supposed to be, but this person feels at lot less at home here. Most people assume this restlessness can be solved by temporary escape. They'll prescribe a vacation and tell me to go lay on a beach and relax for a couple of days. The sentiment is nice, but the end game is wrong. I don't need to know where to be for the weekend, I need to know where to be for the rest of my life. My kids won't be raised at a resort in Cabo, and my career won't peak at a poolside bar. Home will be where my whole heart feels like it's on an adventure - invigorated, on fire, and at ease all at the same time. I'm not expecting to get it right on the first try, but I have a feeling New York City is a good place to start the hunt...

Follow my adventure with #NewYearNewYork! It'll be well-documented, I promise.

[To be clear, I do have awesome friends who are getting married and having kids right now. They are the bravest and most prepared people I know, and I firmly believe that they already know who they are. They didn't need any extra time or help and for that I will always be proud of them. <3]

Cranberry & White Chocolate Scones

Sometimes people make decisions you don't agree with, and you either have to support them anyway or do everything you can to thwart their efforts. Because you know what's good for them.

My mom has decided to give up sugar.

Even during Christmas.

Even when I'm around.

Even if I kick and scream and make lots of cookies.

It has become clear that I can't talk her out of it. My only option is to negotiate narrowly acceptable foods and make them for her immediately, which is why these scones happened. Scones aren't high on my list of favorite baked goods, but if they'll work for my mom's new "alternative lifestyle" then I'll break out the dough scraper and get started.

This cranberry & white chocolate scone recipe only uses 1/4 cup of sugar, which is pretty impressive! The cranberries and white chocolate chips add more sweetness, and drizzling some melted white chocolate over them adds a nice touch. These would also be great with variations like lemon zest or cinnamon!


Cranberry and White Chocolate Scones
Recipe from Food.com

1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries or 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (or pieces)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a bowl by hand or using an electric mixer, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter.
3. Add the half and half, beaten egg, cranberries (I like the dried ones), and the white chocolate chips, and stir until the dough holds together.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead for 2 minutes.
5. Form into a 1/2-inch thick round, then cut the round into 8 wedges (you can also make two smaller rounds of smaller wedges, if you like).
6. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil, then transfer the wedges to the sheet.
7. Bake the scones at 400 degrees F for 14 minutes or until golden brown.

8. While they cool, melt leftover white chocolate chips in the microwave. Put melted chocolate in a zip-lock bag and use scissors to snip off one corner, making a small hole. Drizzle chocolate over scones.

DIY Boxwood Wreath

Merry Christmas, everyone! We've officially reached the point where Grinches can't say "it isn't even Thanksgiving yet" when complaining that we're starting Christmas too early.

Here's a really quick project to try if you're in the spirit! DIY boxwood wreaths. You can make them any size you want, and they're MUCH cheaper than buying from the store. I wish I could show you more of the process in photos, but I don't have a sidekick to take pictures while my hands are busy! If the instructions below aren't detailed enough, feel free to ask questions.

You will need:

• Boxwood sprigs - fresh or faux
• Wire - thick and thin! (You can also use a bent wire hanger as your frame)
• Wire Cutters
• Ribbon (optional) 

Instructions:

1. Cut your thicker wire to whatever size circle you want. Bend & shape it into a nice circle, or be fancy and try an oval or a heart. Secure the ends by wrapping them around each other.
2. Pick out your larger boxwood sprigs to use as the foundation. Lay them around your wire circle to see how you want them to be arranged.
3. Start attaching! Cut small pieces of your thinner wire (about 1 inch long) and use it to attach one end of your first boxwood sprig to the wreath. Repeat this along your sprig until it is fastened to the wreath in a curve (I fastened both ends & the middle of each sprig).
4. Repeat step 3 for each sprig until your whole wreath is covered. 
5. Look for blank spaces or areas where the wire is too visible and attach smaller sprigs to fill them in! You can add thicker pieces if you want a fuller wreath. 
6. Add a bow if that's your thing! Hopefully it is. I used a 1-inch cream colored satin ribbon and tied it into a simple bow with long "tails." Attach it by looping a piece of wire through the back of the bow (pictured below) and wrap it around the top of your wreath.

Push a piece of wire through the back of your bow.

Free iOS 7 iPhone Backgrounds

The new iPhone operating system came with a lot of visual changes that can be hard to maneuver. For many people, one of the most frustrating changes has been the zooming effect that happens when you try to set a photo as a background. That feature was intended to create a 3-D look and feel when you use the right type of picture with lots of depth (focused on an object in the foreground) or lots of texture.

I optimized these free backgrounds for iOS7 by adding extra space on each edge to account for the automatic zoom. You can still re-position them with your finger like you're used to! TIP: if the wiggly moving background is giving you motion sickness, go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Reduce Motion.

How to Download/Save

On your computer: click your favorite background to enlarge it. Right click on the full-sized picture & save.

On your phone: tap your favorite background to enlarge it. Touch & hold your finger on the full-size version until the option "Save to Camera Roll" appears.

I'm hoping to add more of these AND some holiday options soon! In all honesty, making iPhone wallpapers and other free downloads has become my new favorite thing to goof off with since I just learned how to make glitter & tinsel in Photoshop CS6. Yeah, you read that correctly! I CAN MAKE GLITTER! 

Classic Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Sometimes you have to face the fact that you were deprived of joy as a child. I recently discovered that I was deprived of chicken pot pie, which I now understand to be a tangible synonym for joy. If you only try one new recipe this season, make it this one.

Cooking is absolutely not my thing! Baking is my safe zone, but I needed to at least try something slightly more dinner-ish than mac 'n cheese. So after deciding that I should attempt to cook a real dinner, I stumbled into the world of savory pies. I can....bake pie....for dinner?! Sign this girl up! Chicken pot pie has always come to mind when I think of comfort food, but I honestly can't remember ever eating it as a kid. We were more of a chicken noodle soup family, and I didn't realize what I was missing out on until I moved to San Francisco and tried a pie from The Cravery. Love at first bite! This recipe holds up pretty well to theirs, I must say.

This chicken pot pie is perfect for fall and winter dinners in cold weather. The recipe is easy to adjust to your own taste, and you can make it family style or in individual servings. It's the best chicken pot pie recipe for non-cooks because it's SO easy!

Ingredients:

2            pre-made rolled pie crusts (I used Pillsbury) 
1/3         cup butter or margarine
1/3         cup chopped onion
2            cloves of garlic, chopped
1/3         cup all-purpose flour
1/2         teaspoon salt
1/4         teaspoon pepper
1 1/2      cups chicken broth
3            tablespoons cream of celery
1/2         cup milk
2 1/2      cups shredded cooked chicken (either bake it or buy a rotisserie chicken)
2            cups frozen mixed vegetables (I used frozen peas & carrots)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Take pie crust out of fridge to thaw. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add garlic, stir for about 30 seconds or until it becomes fragrant. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened. Stir in cream of celery. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat.

3. Unroll one pie crust and place it into an ungreased glass pie dish. Add your filling. Unroll the second crust and place dough over filling. Seal and crimp or flute edges. With a fork, poke holes in the top crust for ventilation. Make a fun design!

5. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover edge of crust with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Betty Crocker's Classic Chicken Pot Pie.

Monster Mix - Halloween Snack Mix Recipe

Sometimes the excitement of holidays and all of their baking/crafting potential is just too much for my brain to handle. How many pumpkin spice donut recipes should I pin before actually deciding which ones to make? And what about the hundreds of apples I should be coring for pies, breads, and ciders? Where is the photographer who is supposed to take wonderful pictures of me wearing a flannel shirt and Hunter boots at the orchard? Where do I fit in the time to hand-craft 50 feet of bunting for my portico?! (I don't have a portico.)

No, not this time. Halloween can't run us down before the Christmas euphoria sets in. So drop the jack 'o lantern cookie cutter and do something so ridiculously easy that Geico would use it to advertise a caveman's ability.

This recipe is adapted from one that my favorite blogger, LittleBabyGarvin, shared in her October Love List. It's a sweet & salty Halloween snack mix straight out of a dream. Now I could tell you that this would make a great party recipe to share with others, but no. This is for you, brave holiday soldier.

These are pretty rough measurements because it's really up to your personal taste. If you hate candy corn with a passion, don't put it in there! Although you'd really be missing out because candy corn goes great with rosé... not that I'm hinting at anything here. 


Ingredients:
About 1 pound of white chocolate chips or candy melts
1 microwave bag of salted popcorn
1/2 cup of pretzel sticks
14 crushed Oreos
1/2 cup Halloween M&Ms
1/2 cup Reese's Pieces
1 cup candy corn

Instructions:
1. Line a shallow pan with foil. I used a cookie sheet, but recommend a jelly roll pan or 9x13.
2. Pop one bag of salted popcorn - not buttered! Spread it over the bottom of the pan.
3. Add pretzel sticks and crushed oreos. Try to distribute them evenly.
4. Melt about a pound of white chocolate in the microwave. I used 1.5 bags of Ghirardelli chips, but the original recipe calls for a pound of Wilton candy melts.
5. Pour a layer of melted chocolate over your popcorn, pretzels, and oreos. You should use most of the chocolate in this step, but not all of it. Mix it around with a spatula to make sure everything gets slightly coated.
6. Add M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, and candy corn. Drizzle the rest of the chocolate over this layer - not too much or you won't see the colors of the candy!
7. Put it in the fridge to set. Once the chocolate has hardened, break it all up into bite-sized pieces.

Congrats, you have Monster Mix! Eat it in large quantities by the handful. Enjoy!

College-Budget Apartment Decorating

This was originally going to be a post about the difficulties of apartment hunting in Berkeley and San Francisco, but I decided you're all mostly good people and don't deserve to read something that boring or depressing. So I'll gladly skip ahead to the Happily Ever After - I found a new apartment in Berkeley without selling a vital organ for the deposit!

When I say "I found a new apartment," I mean myself and two friends who are a blast to live with. We decided on Berkeley because they both go to UC Berkeley and I can commute from here to San Francisco somewhat easily.  Bonus Points: I've already run into Nathan Adrian at the Cal campus gym and we're within walking distance to all the best pizza places.

Moving to a new apartment right after you've gotten rid of your trusty old furniture can be a real pain, but it doesn't have to be. Here's how I decorated a pinterest-worthy bedroom on a college budget.

Headboard & pink pillowcases: DIY (see below). Chevron pillows: Joss & Main. Gold Hustlin' pillow: Michelle Dwight Designs.

Painting: Pier 1 on clearance! Lamp & desk: Walmart (gold chevron DIY, see below). Creme print: Waiting on Martha.

1. Plan your DIYs. Don't overwhelm yourself with 100 projects unless you're taking performance enhancing drugs. I knew I wanted a colorful bookcase and a spruced-up desk, so I made those my priority before planning any other side projects.

2. Buy your wine. We all know this is important. Crafting is a marathon and wine is our Gatorade.

3. Have a vision for the whole room. Find something that gives you some sort of inspiration! My color palette came from a Pier 1 painting and the fact that my Pinterest board was covered in crisp white rooms.

My projects!

DIY Gold Chevron Desk
I ordered this desk from Walmart for $40 with free shipping! All I needed to make it pretty was some gold metallic spray paint, blue painters tape, and a ruler. Here is where I break the news to you that I had to take geometry twice in high school and cannot explain to you how I made the chevron design. Luckily you can find a good tutorial here!

DIY Pink Bookcase
Again, Walmart saves the budget with this bookcase here for $31.Grab paint in whatever color you're into and just go to town on the back panel. You could also try painting the shelves or the inner sides. Get real Van Gogh wid' it.

DIY Headboard
This one was intimidating since I don't exactly whip out my staple gun on the reg. I followed this tutorial and made my own adjustments as I went. I have three main tips for this project:
1. Stockpile your coupons because the green upholstery foam is pricey. This project turned out being about $90, which was more expensive than I had hoped but still cheaper than buying from a store.
2. Try to avoid patterned fabric if you don't want the stress of keeping it perfectly straight while you staple.
3. Buy a spool of upholstery nail trim if you want nailheads. I found them at Joanns and they look like this. 

DIY Over-bed Desk
This was a total last minute idea. Ikea sells an awesome console table that can roll over your bed with your legs under it, and reason be damned, I was determined to have one. But seriously, $150 for three skinny pieces of wood on some wheels? Off to Home Depot we go. This cost about $30 to make out of two 6-foot plank, four casters, glitter, and paint. The 6-foot plank was just enough for a full bed, so get two for a queen. My table measures 60" long x 30" tall without casters. Home Depot will cut the wood for free, so don't worry if you don't have a saw!

If you're wondering if that's gold glitter along the edge, the answer is YES.

Here are details for a few items I get asked about that weren't DIYs!

Gnome, @ symbol, and Creme print from ShopWaitingOnMartha.com. Gold Hustlin' pillow from Michelle Dwight Designs!

Embarcadero, Ferry Building, & Pier 39

Ended up slacking on this yet again! Time to play catch up with some thank you's and a mini tour of my recent city slickin' activities.

First off, thank you guys for such a big response to my post on the 3-Day Detox! It's so cool to hear that it's working for so many different people. Thanks for working your magic, Dr. Oz!

The past couple weeks have been full of San Francisco adventures. I've been realizing how much I'm going to miss living here and that I haven't been taking full advantage of all the unique things to see and do. To fix that, I'll be trying to knock as many things off my San Francisco checklist as possible, from "touristy" trips to visiting local haunts.

Andrew isn't a huge fan of the hustle & bustle of the city, so I try to think of things that replicate what we'd do on weekends in our hometown when he visits. He also rarely came to the city as a kid, which makes me want to show him the more touristy/gimmicky stuff. That combo turned into an awesome day along the Embarcadero!

On Saturday morning we took the light rail over to the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market, which is easily one of the best farmer's markets you'll ever go to. We decided to start off with this because it's something he loves to do in our little hometown, too. I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures there, but I was too busy falling in love with everything!

Being around all that amazing food had both of our mouths watering, and if there's one thing Andrew and I can agree on it's a good old-fashioned American meal. Gott's Roadside is a great burger joint in the Ferry Building with tons of outdoor seating - what's better than garlic fries and people-watching? Garlic fries and dog-watching of course!

Andrew ordered the cheeseburger with everything, I got the classic hamburger (I'm boring, sorry I'm not sorry), and for our healthy option we went with garlic fries - hey, they're green right? I'll take what I can get. Whoever you are, whatever diet you're on, get these garlic fires. Just do it and thank me later. As for the burgers, Gott's uses 100% farm-raised Niman Ranch beef, veggies grown on their own farm, and the most delicious toasted egg buns. The fresh ingredients make all the difference!

After stuffing our faces casually enjoying our awesome meal, we started walking down the Embarcadero to Pier 39. I hadn't spent much time down there in forever, so it was nice to soak it all in and make mental notes of other places to try (hello, Slanted Door and Plant Cafe).

The Pier was full of happy tourists and kids with ice cream cones! We took our sweet time walking around looking at the little shops and kiosks, then we watched the sea lions act out a melodramatic soap opera on the docks. Still can't figure out what they were all blubbering about (I really couldn't help myself with that one, sorry).

My favorite part was seeing my 21-year-old boyfriend get all excited about the magic show being performed on the Pier. Mission "Act Like a Kid Again": Accomplished!