the great pen-off

Those of you out there who don't totally adore Sharpies, raise your hands. Ha! I bet nobody raised their hands! Who doesn't love a Sharpie? So bold in its fine pointedness, so permanent in its permanence, so vivid and confident in its ink flow. Ahh, Sharpie, how I love ya! Even that sweet little cursive logo is enough to send chills up my spine.

But wait, what is this? Bic Mark-It? Gasp! It appears to be a Sharpie impostor! "Fine point" and "permanent marker," isn't thy name SHARPIE? Yes, my friends, Sharpie now faces a competitor! The Bic Mark-It comes in fine point and ultrafine, similar to, hmmm, Sharpie! The Bic pen also comes in many fun colors and has the same intoxicating scent as the Sharpie (I tested this just to be sure). But does it write as well?

Judge for yourself! I think the Bic does bleed a tad bit more than the Sharpie, but I really have no complaints about it. It writes smoothly and has an excellent tip, and the colors are bright and fun. Of course, this does not mean that I am abandoning the Sharpie; rather, it means I get to buy yet more pens! Mwahahahahaaaaa!

a butt warmer to welcome 2009

Hiya! Hope everyone's holidays have been going well. I've kind of been on vacation, but I have been home (and wishing I were at a tropical resort), and it seems like I am getting just as little done as always. It makes very little sense.

Anyway, as some of you know, I am all about trying to make my own running gear (it's so expensive!), but I usually screw it up. Whatever. So, I was wearing some running tights the other day, and I thought, "Hmm, my butt is kind of cold. It would be nice to have some sort of covering to keep my butt warmer." Also, I don't know about you, but I often feel self-conscious in tights and find myself pulling down my shirt to try to make it longer. So, the butt warmer doubles as a modesty shield.

This butt warmer is basically just an overskirt. Super simple and quick to make, and you can just throw it on over whatever. I added some side pockets for cash and ID and, you know, candy. It's a little crazy looking, though. I had it on when I stopped by my mother's today, and even she commented that I looked pretty insane. Yes, Peter would have had comments, too, but he was still asleep when I left the house!

Happy New Year, everyone!

caramel delight

I made this caramel last week or so, planning to give away jars of it for the holidays, but nearly all of the jars are still sitting in my fridge, because I am TRAPPED by the snow! It's okay, though, cuz it keeps for some 3 months in the fridge.

The recipe for the caramel sauce is from the Winter 2004 issue of Fine Cooking magazine. Yeah, it's only taken me 4 years to finally try the recipe. It makes quite a lot, so it's ideal for giveaways. I thought it'd be fun to pair it with a little container of finishing salt (the salt in the photo is from The Meadow).

The recipe does NOT require a candy thermometer, so those of you who are generally scared of making candy need not fear. I caution you, however, to watch the sauce carefully. I think I burned mine a little bit. I thought I'd be all clever and just label the sauce "burnt caramel sauce" like it's all gourmet and such, but of course I am TELLING everyone, hey, I kind of burned it a little bit, so it might taste a little funny, and if you hate it, you can just throw it away, which totally defeats the purpose of putting the fake name on the label! But, there you go.

Here's what the caramel sauce looks like

Read on for the recipe ...

Continue reading "caramel delight"

snowmageddon 2008

We are having a major "weather event" here in the Pacific NW, which has been pretty exciting (it's probably nothing compared to what the rest of the nation usually experiences, but we Oregonians are an enthusiastic bunch). Right now it is kind of blizzarding outside, so Peter decided it'd be a good time to go take a walk in the park. Well, Deedle and I are inside trying to stay warm. I am okay with this weather as long as the power doesn't go out.

Anyway, what's a gal to do in these conditions but bake and eat a lot of cookies? I made these World Peace Cookies for a cookie exchange, and I have to say, these cookies are keepers. It's basically a buttery, shortbready kind of cookie, with chunks of chocolate and an amazing hit of fleur de sel. I made a double batch, and it was enough for about 7 people to take home good handfuls.

Here's a tip for close-in Portlanders: at the cookie exchange we had soup from Soup Cycle, a nice little outfit that makes and delivers organic soup by bicycle. We had potato leek and a peanut chicken stew. Super delicious! Their delivery range isn't too huge (the delivery area is known as Souplandistan, which I think is really funny), but give them a try if you can!

Okay, off to eat more cookies ...

it's holiday cookie season

I am a huge fan of the holiday cookie exchange. Some year I'd like to host a citywide cookie exchange. Wouldn't that be fun? Or not.

Anyway, I usually experiment with new recipes for the cookie exchanges. I don't know why, since there is always a chance that the cookies won't turn out, but perhaps I am a daredevil. For this cookie party I decided to make the Lemon Cream Sandwich Cookies from the January 2009 issue of Bon Appetit. They were a little labor intensive, since you have to make the cookies, make the filling, then assemble the sandwiches, but I thought they were very tasty and festive. I think if I make them again I will double the filling recipe, or wouldn't they be good with some sort of cream cheese filling, for those of us who love cream cheese filling?

Tonight I am going to make the dough for World Peace Cookies for another holiday cookie exchange. Again, it's a new-to-me recipe. We're gearing up for yet another messy snowstorm, but nothing is going to keep me away from a holiday cookie exchange.