So here I am debating what I'm going to do today, drinking my cup of coffee, when I decide to figure out the menu plan for this week. I was planning on doing a vegetarian chili (believing that I would like to add one non-meat dish into our diet a week) which I never got around to doing. So, I go through my checklist of ingredients to make sure I have everything I need, and realize I need a butternut squash. My husband is the one going to pick up these much needed supplies so I made sure to google "butternut squash" to make sure I knew which one to tell him to pick out (yeah I know, we don't make squash that often). I wanted to share with you some of the beautiful colors I found through google which just happen to be ORANGE.
So I am up early today {yes I know when I post this it's going to be much later...because thats how I roll}. I woke up this morning feeling like total crap {and no I'm not pregnant} and I had to get up after about an hour of battling with myself. Jesse was sleeping in {I just heard an alarm or phone call} and I was enjoying a cup of coffee and the company of our four-legged friends.
Coffee makes everything better, or at least me happier, I think. I don't know what it is, but I love it. Whats even worse is that I absolutely love this weather we are having -- even though it seems more like fall than summer. I do like this time of year: the leaves changing, the weather becoming crisp, the fall decorations, baking treats, and Thanksgiving on the distant horizon. But before that I am going to be going back to work {ick} for a little while at least. In a couple of weeks I am going to be going with the husband, fam, and dogs {there will be four of them} to the beach {Long Beach to be exact} to the Rod Run to the End of the World that they host the weekend after Labor Day every year. My husband, family, friends, sand, surf, {I would say sun, but this is Washington}, hot rods, and amazing seafood....I don't think it gets any better. Thinking of a cool day at the beach with a cup of coffee in a sweatshirt and just....Peace. I love it.
Yesterday we celebrated my mom's birthday, going to this place called HG Bistro in Puyallup {if you're looking for a new place to try I recommend it. It gets busier as the night progresses so if you go on a weekend you might want to get a reservation}. There was five of us and each one of us got something different. I had the salmon, my mom had the stuffed chicken....It was pretty great. We had dinner, came back to the house for some goofing around {led by my husband of course}, pictures, cheesecake, and ice cream {random, I know}. Good times.
To round out this post, watch this video. {I discovered this courtesy of Adventures of Superman and Mrs. S.} You may have seen this, but it's pretty great....
I'm trying some new recipes from Southern Living's Best Loved Cookie Book (btw, some amazing looking cookies in this book) and this is the first one I've tried. Let's just say, I didn't regret it!
Mississipi Mud Cookies
*Photo from Southern Living*
Prep: 25 min., Bake: 12 min. per batch
Yield: Makes about 3 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. miniature marshmallows
Preparation
1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels.
4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.
5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.
