Just Cook It.

Sea Glass Candy On nice days--nice being a relative term in Seattle--the little Humble and I make the short trip down to the beach. It is one of her favorite activities outside of the house. She could spend the better part of the day beach combing at the shoreline, looking for interesting shells, rocks, sea glass and little dead crabs. She really likes those smelly little crabs. Hopefully she grows out of that particular obsession soon. Red Velvet Crêpes I rolled my eyes at the red velvet cake trend, but now I can’t get enough. I’ll make any excuse to have ‘cake’ for breakfast– here’s my take on a classic. Red Velvet Crepes (Makes about 24, 8″ crepes) Ingredients: – 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 teaspoon baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 3 tablespoons sugar - 2 cups butter milk - 1 1/4 cup whole or lowfat milk - 1 large egg - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted - 1 tablespoon red food color gel - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted + 2 tablespoons cooking oil (for pan)

100 Ways to Simplify Your Life (and Make Yourself Happier) & miss minimalist I’ve been striving to simplify my life for many years now, and have recently (through my writing) been advising others how to do the same. In the process, I’ve learned that making little changes in our attitudes, habits, and environment can have a big impact. So today, I thought I’d compile a list of 100 ways to simplify your life – from the practical to the philosophical, and everything in between. Of course, not every item on the list will work for every person reading it. However, I hope that you’ll find at least a little something that speaks to you, helps you save some time, space, and energy — and perhaps even increases your serenity and happiness!

Tide and Thyme » Strawberry Yogurt Cake We went strawberry picking this weekend! The pick-your-own orchard down the street from us didn’t have strawberries available this year. Their beds aren’t covered, so the frost got to all the blossoms. Total bummer! As it worked out though, here on the Eastern Shore, there is never a strawberry patch too far in the horizon. marta writes: s'more brownies / just in time for july my friend laney cooked up these killer s'more brownies for bookclub the other night and all the ladies went back for more. i had to hurry and make them again, for the fetus' sake. simple to make, ooey and gooey and delicsh. benji pounded a piece during a glowstick enhanced past-bedtime soccer game. these are getting me in the mood to sleep under the stars at the big family camp-out next week. can you believe the fourth of july is right around the corner?! happy weekending. S'more Browniesoriginal recipe from allrecipes 1 (21.5 ounce) package brownie mix6 graham crackers2 cups miniature marshmallows8 (1.5 ounce) milk chocolate bars, coarsely choppedPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Make Your Chocolate Butterflies Decorate your cupcakes, cakes and much more! You want to keep your tiny artwork inside the freezer before you will need to use them, and try no to handle them any more than necessary. They crack without difficulty, particularly if they’re thin or large. Press all the chocolate into the corner of the bag and draw your butterfly on the parchment paper, with the crease as a guide for the centre of the butterfly’s body. Begin with drawing a stick in that crease, adding wings on either side.

Dress, Evening When Chanel reopened her design house following World War II, she faced the task of reinterpreting and updating her signature design elements for the post-War era. This dress exemplifies how the designer met this challenge. Working with the conventional hour-glass silhouette of the period, Chanel marks this dress as her own through her use of ruffled black chiffon, a textile she frequently employed for evening wear the 1930s. A Bit of Bees Knees: Churros con Chocolate One of my dreams is to temporarily house swap and live in Spain with Danny! Oh how great would that be? Dan was a lucky duck; he grew up in a bilingual family and can switch from English to Spanish like it ain't no thing. Spain could be my chance to finally learn Spanish fluently! Until then, I will continue to practice my Rosetta Stone and make Churros con Chocolate -- a popular breakfast treat among Spaniards. Believe it or not, this recipe is really easy to make.

Hot cocoa cookies I am a teeny bit obsessed with the cookies from the most recent issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray magazine. This recipe is the second of many cookie recipes on my list to make this holiday season. Sweets are taking over my life! Just ask my coworkers. They get my leftovers, and I think they are starting to resent the way I am forcing them to eat sinful treats.