Family Circle Oatmeal Cookies

I am not sure how I ended up with a subscription to Family Circle. It would not be my first - or tenth - choice in magazines and yet, I find myself flipping through it, usually walking away with inspiration. A lot of the articles are about child rearin', which, sorry to disappoint everyone, I'm not in the least interested in at this time. 

During the holidays, I ran across the ubiquitous cookie section and came upon these little gems. They're the kind of cookies you can amend a billion times and are really, really hard to screw up. They're also satisfying in ones or twos - you don't feel like eating 1000 of them. Or at least I don't. Maybe I haven't made them under giant emotional disturbances, though...hmmm.

- Time out: Can we all talk about how the estimated number of cookies that the recipe states is NEVER correct? I usually come out with far fewer cookies than the recipe says but it is absolutely never the same amount. -

OK, back to cookies.

Here's the recipe:
Set oven to 350degrees

3/4c all-purpose flour
1/2tsp baking soda
1/4tsp salt
1/2c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I usually leave salted butter on the counter - who's perfect?)
1/2c packed light brown sugar
1/4c plus 3tbsp pure maple syrup
1 egg
1&1/2c quick-cooking oats
1/2c raisins (I usually use more)
1c confectioners' sugar

Heat oven to 350degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and 1/4c of the maple syrup for 3 minutes. Beat in egg until just combined. Pour in flour and beat on low until just combined. Stir in raisins and oats.

Drop scant tablespoon-sized rounds of batter onto baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350degrees for 12-14 minutes until golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, remaining 3tbsp maple syrup and 1tbsp water on low until well combined. Slip a sheet of wax paper under the cooling rack and drizzle the frosting with a spoon.

For some friends, we add extra raisins, for some we withhold the frosting. These could easily be made vegan and they stay super moist for like a week.

Buttermilk Biscuits a la the biscuit people

Inside the Ferry Building in SF there's a little cart that sells biscuits called Biscuit Bender.

I suppose it goes without saying that they are delicious. The last time I picked up two, I noticed they also sell the biscuit mix. Swoon. This is such a great way to make a vacation last or to bring a slice of yum home and I usually make an effort to bring some food-type thing home with us whenever we travel. God knows what I'll bring home from New Orleans later this month!

It's been so sweet and rainy up here the last few days that we've been indulging in some really decadent indoors-couch-vinyl-baking time so it seemed like the right time to break the biscuit mix out and get crazy. I served 'em with berries and coffee for breakfast but the mix made 9 and, well, we had to try one...and a half...each....thesecondtheycameoutoftheoven. We're impatient like that.

We both dressed them in vegan butter and put black currant jam on half and honey on the other half.

Cardy Party

We are a family who believes in the healing power of cats, vegetarianism and cardigans. These are strong convictions we hold.

When I spied some clip on earrings at an antique store the other day, I knew I had to have them. Problem is they are instant-headache machines so I had to come up with a plan for them and a cardy clip seemed like the best plan.

The clip-ons, chain and a couple of jump rings means a 4-ingredient, 1 minute craft that will have a major impact. I've even seen the savvier set use them on collared shirts. That would certainly improve those suckers. I of course had to try them on the uber-chic sweatshirt I'm currently rocking.

Here's a bad picture of the final product:

There's no filter on that picture. I'm either terrible at taking photos or these puppies are so shiny bright that they made everything look decadently blurry. Let's go with the latter, ok?

Amethyst Neck Candy

My sweetheart always says "You could MAKE that!"and it's usually about things I lust for and could never dream of making or things I'd rather just buy. Like a coatrack. Who is going to, after zero experience with woodworking, decide they'll just make their own? He's a sweet man for having so much faith in me. Sometimes my vision comes to fruition and sometimes...well...

I've seen a lot of these really natural necklaces at craft fairs for some fair and not-so-fair prices. They're running anywhere from $25-45 on up on Etsy but this little puppy was made for $7.50. I had the clasp, jump rings, chain and eye pins at home, so this would admittedly cost a few more if you didn't have those. Don't forget your Michael's coupons if you don't - bead supplies add up quickly!

Pliers open the jump rings and eye pins and really, other than opening and closing the rings, the amethyst does all the word.

A fun little addition to an outfit, if I do say so myself.