A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"snapshot image froze without a sound..."

i've learned a few things in the past week, like: never leave your dishes for the next morning; dogs will protect you from zombie cats; and starbucks refreshers are delicious, low~cal, refreshing (duh doy, it's in the name) treats...

^my morning...every morning^

^early morning disaster^

^first pumpkin ale of the season AND cool label^

^her icing melted but it was still delicious^

^the boys of fall^

^my new favorite thing^

^hydration is important^

^almost the end of summer vegetables^

^stay away from her, she's a zombie^

^shadow dancing^

HAPPY INSTAGRAMMING!!

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"shake it, shake, shake it, shake it like a polaroid picture..."











the past week has been all about good food, baseball, romantic walks, friendship, and pineapples.

^when pizza is healthy^

^riverboats on the ohio^

^a cardinal and her bk^

^ducks on a pond^

^haunted riverboats...it's a thing^

^big brother is watching you^

^beer and cookies are a good thing^

^everything is better in a pineapple glass^

^it was a hot and sunny day at the reds' game^

^yellow watermelon...a delicious and healthy treat^

happy instagramming!!

A WEEK IN THE LIFE: INSTAGRAM EDITION

"all i want is a photo in my wallet...a small remembrance of something more solid...all i want is a picture of you..." 

^always trick or treat at our place^

^when all the mexican restaurants are unexplainably closed^

^funny surprises from funny friends^

^saturday nights are for sangria and goat cheese^

^hydration is important^

^summer storms bring beautiful skies^

^baking can be fun^

happy instagraming!!

SCRUMPTIOUS SATURDAY

"peanut butter jelly...peanut butter jelly...peanut butter jelly and a baseball bat..."
FLASHBACK august 15, 2013
what? i know...just a few days ago...but i tell my stories how i want. so...
FLASHBACK august 15, 2013
what's your favorite cookie? bk "honestly? peanut butter.". really? bleck. but..you never eat peanut butter cookies. "because tah's allergic to peanuts, so i couldn't have them before. and then, we move in together. and you HATE peanut butter." yeah. i do. but that doesn't mean you can't have peanut butter. i mean...you do what you want...even if it does make me throw up in my mouth a little bit.
FLASH FORWARD august 16, 2013
i feel like i should surprise the bk and try to bake his favorite cookie. i search pinterest and find a "healthy peanut butter cookie" recipe that calls for applesauce and egg whites. off i go to the store because...surprise!!...there is no peanut butter in this house. bk will have peanut butter cookies when he gets home.

HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

ingredients:
½ c unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)
1 c peanut butter, crunchy
¼ c applesauce
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar
¾ c egg beaters
2½ c all~purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp baking soda



whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. beat together butter, peanut butter, applesauce, brown sugar, and white sugar. add egg beaters and beat until smooth. stir flour into peanut butter mixture. refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
preheat oven to 375〫. roll dough into small balls (size of a walnut) and place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2" apart. flatten with a fork in a crisscross pattern. *hint: dip fork in water to keep from sticking* bake until just turning brown...about 10 minutes.
makes about 4 dozen cookies.

on a side note: i decided to face my fear of the dreaded peanut butter and actually taste one of my creations. so, after working a late shift and making everyone's handbag dreams a reality, i poured all the milk in the universe into a gigantic glass and ATE one of these peanut butter cookies. at first, i thought "hmmmm...not so bad." and then i couldn't get the taste of peanut butter out of my mouth and it will haunt me forever. however, bk claims this recipe a PINTEREST SUCCESS!!

TUESDAY TREASURES

"these are a few of my favorite things..."



1. i always look forward to late night with jimmy fallon because i might get to see this:

 2. edy's slow churned ice cream ...slow churned is naturally half the fat, so i can feel slightly less guilty. and this flavor is uh~mazing! but it's only available thru the end of august:

3. i can't say, for sure, it's my favorite...yet...but my love of everything simon peg (shaun of the dead, hot fuzz) tells me i am going to totally love this:

4. i'm in love with this:

5. i can't stop listening to this:

6. really liked reading this:

7. i totally love playing on vine because i can do this:

what are some of your favorite things?

not so MANIC MONDAY

"if i knew you were coming i'd have baked a cake..." or a cobbler!
FLASHBACK summer of 2012
we pass it every sunday, on our way to the lake. a farm fresh veggie stand. we stop every sunday, on our way home from the lake. zucchini, yellow squash, ears of corn, beefsteak tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, and plums. 

FLASH FORWARD spring 2013
the bk is thinking we should join a csa. a what? csa means "community supported agriculture". basically, farmers sell off shares of their crops. you buy in for the season and receive a box of seasonal fruits and veggies each week. the farmer does all the work and you reap all the benefits. also, you share in the risk. hail knocks out all your corn, you're disappointed along with the farmer and all the members of your csa...it's YOUR farm. 

how is this a benefit? why not buy veggies from the grocery? well, #1~this keeps your money local...most of the veggies at your big chain retailers are not locally grown. #2~it's money saving...our co~op breaks down to approximately $15 per week...i priced our same items, at the grocery, and we saved $10. #3~being introduced to veggies you would never buy at your grocery...i have never ever ever bought garlic scapes. the first week of the season, we got a ton of them...an internet search later, i was using them in everything from salads to pasta sauces!  interested in joining a csa? localharvest.org is a good place to locate your area csa's. just enter your zip and BOOM! you're provided a listing of farmers, near you, and their contact info...

FLASH FORWARD today
we get up every saturday and head to the local farmer's market to meet up with our csa and pick up our goodies...this week: corn, tomatoes, radishes, egg plant, watermelon, and blackberries. yummmmmmm....blackberries!!! a search of pinterest takes me to ree drummond's recipe for blackberry cobbler!!! PINTEREST SUCCESS!!!!!

PIONEER WOMAN'S BLACKBERRY COBBLER

ingredients:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 ¼ c sugar
1 c self~rising flour
1 c milk
2 c blackberries

pre~heat oven to 350°. melt butter. combine 1 cup of the sugar and flour. whisk in milk until smooth. whisk in melted butter until well combined. generously butter baking dish. pour batter into baking dish. rinse blackberries and lightly pat dry. add to baking dish making sure to spread them evenly. sprinkle ¼ cup of the sugar evenly over cobbler. bake for 1 hour.

**note: i didn't have self~rising flour and wasn't going to make a trip to the store just for that. to make your all~purpose flour "self~rising" simply add 1¼ teaspoons baking soda and ¼ teaspoons of salt to each cup of all~purpose flour.**

national farmer's market week is august 4~10. support your local farmers!!

SUNDAY TREAT

 "i got some ice cream and you ain't got none..."
FLASHBACK 1st century b.c. (or so they say)...
the roman emperor, nero, is rumored to order ice to be brought from the mountains and topped with fruit. and king tang, of china, has a method of creating treats out of ice and milk.
FLASH FORWARD 1776
the first ice cream parlor opens in new york city.
FLASH FORWARD 1846
a hand~cranked freezer is patented by nancy johnson. it is a method of making ice cream that is still used this very day.
FLASH FORWARD may 5, 1978
ben and jerry's open for business...in an old gas station...using an old~fashioned ice cream freezer. this is important because ben and jerry's is my very favorite ice cream ever!!
FLASH FORWARD july 21, 2013
today is national ice cream day. it's the middle of summer. it's hot. it's humid. it's perfect ice cream weather. i think i'll start with breakfast at dairy queen: one LARGE twist cone with crunch coat, please..lunch from the village ice cream parlor: a banana split? yes, i think i will...dinner? maybe a pint of ben and jerry's pistachio pistachio....followed by a late night snack from sonic: a chocolate cream pie shake *note: sonic offers 1/2 price milkshakes after 8p all summer long!!
how will you celebrate?

follow ben and jerry on twitter @benandjerrys...you might get a special treat like i did!!