Corn Cookies

My best friend came to visit me in Augusta over Christmas break for my birthday and brought me some amazing cookies.  He's recently been trying out all kinds of recipes from the Momofuku Milk Bar Cookbook, and they are amazing.  The first batch he shared were compost cookies, fruity pebbles cookies and cornflake marshmallow crunch cookies.  They were all tasty but I think the compost were my favorite because they had crushed up potato chips and were very salty/sweet.  Everything is so good it kind of makes me want to go visit the mothership in NYC and try some more sweets.  They sell cookie mixes, but for $16 a pop, you'll definitely want to just get some recipes and try them yourself.  

The first batch I tried to make was Corn Cookies.  It probably sounds strange but they are really mellow with a little hint of salty and so, so good.  If you decide to make these you'll need to order some corn powder from Amazon or Whole Foods or you can just get some freeze dried corn and make your own, like I did.

Corn Cookies (Recipe from thekitchn.com)

Makes 13 to 15 cookies

225 g butter, at room temperature OR 16 tablespoons (2 sticks)
300 g sugar OR 1 1/2 cups
1 egg
225 g flour OR 1 1/3 cups
45 g corn flour OR 1/4 cup
65 g freeze-dried corn powder OR 2/3 cup
3 g baking powder OR 3/4 teaspoon
1.5 g baking soda OR 1/4 teaspoon
6 g kosher salt OR 1 1/2 teaspoons

Freeze Dried corn, before it's blended into corn powder.

Corn Powder (after blending)

 All the dry ingredients (corn powder, corn flour, and all purpose flour) are measured and ready to go.

1. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. *(This step is VERY important, if you don’t complete the creaming process the cookies won’t turn out right.)

This is what the batter should look like after it's creamed and blended, very fluffy.

2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder,
baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together,
no longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Using a 2 3/4-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1/3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at  least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature--they will not bake properly.

4. Heat the oven to 350°F.

5. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes.  The cookies will puff, crackle, and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center; give them an extra minute if not. *(The cookies will turn out pretty big, so you might only get 6 or so on a cookie sheet.)

6. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a
plate or to an airtight container for storage. At room temp, the cookies will
keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

The best thing about these cookies is that you can keep the dough in the freezer for a while and you can cook them one or two at a time. 

Project 365

Earlier this year I resolved to take a photo a day and try to complete 'Project 365'. Well, I've already missed a few days so far and the only resolution I haven't broken is to take off my makeup and wash my face everyday. (Curiously, I can already tell the difference in my skin. It looks and feel so much better.)  Here's a look at some of my days/photos so far.

Jan. 6 Homemade Lasagna

Jan. 11 Attempting to make lemon extract

Jan. 13 Chinese Food

Jan. 14 Enjoying ice cream with my Sis at Sweet Dreams

Jan. 23 New Christmas watch and nail polish

Jan. 24 My Cousin's wedding invitation arrived

Hopefully I can get back on track and at least try to take a photograph most every day. It would be pretty cool to have a record of every day of the year from 2012.

Finally Fall

It's still not quite chilly in Florida yet (obviously), but at least it's starting to feel a little bit more like fall around these parts. I got to go out to Micanopy yesterday for some photos for work and we got to see the cutest little corn maze. Coon Hollo is the most adorable little farm! Take a look for yourself...

They even have a donkey named Paco, he was quite friendly.

I am so ready for some more chilly days, hot chocolate and the holidays right around the corner!

A Carolina Weekend

Last weekend I hit the road for Columbia, SC to see one of my best friends and watch the Gamecocks play. And it was awesome! I miss living so close to Columbia and being able to see my friends whenever I want. I've definitely been homesick lately. I got to Columbia after supper time and we all decided to visit Rockaway's for burgers and some delicious pimento cheese fries. If you're in the area, these are not to be missed!

Saturday we did the requisite tailgate shopping with a quick stop by Target so I could get some jeans. I hope it's not a sign that I'm getting used to the Florida weather, but I packed nothing but shorts and skirts for the weekend and it was a little chilly in SC, which was fabulous. It felt like football weather all weekend long! I enjoyed a fabulous little tailgate with Twyla, Amanda, her husband Lenny, and my new friend Lt. Jill.

I had a great time at the game, even though there were some ridiculously over enthusiastic fans in front of us. I'm all for cheering, but I don't think it's necessary to stand up the entire game, holler until you can barely talk, and wave your spirit rag so hard that you could take someone's eye out. That's just me, but then again I didn't drink a 5th of Kentucky Gentleman and start chugging straight Canadian mist by the 4th quarter like the fellows in front of us. Thankfully, the weather was cool with no rain and the Gamecocks pulled out a win!

My favorite part of the game is always when Cocky comes out of the box to 2001.

(Please excuse the crazy 'spirit rag' in front of us for 1/2 of the video!)

The next morning we had brunch at the Liberty Tap Room (pretty tasty!) and got on the road for Florida. This was the most 'normal' weekend I've had in a while, hanging out with friends and not worrying about jobs or mother in laws. I must start having more fun in my life, soon! Thankfully there is plenty going on this fall, so I'll just have to make the best of it!

Wordless Wednesday

Vintage Sparkles

I wish I was stylish and skinny enough to make this work for me.

I'm always jealous of those girls who can make thrift store clothes look fab. I'm sure if Rachel Zoe wore this, it would look like a million bucks, like she bought it somewhere amazing like Paris. Guess I'm just a plain Jane!

Things I Miss...

Things I miss the most...(beside my family and friends, of course)

Our house

My kitchenaid mixer

The rest of my kitchen tools. I'm beside myself without my microplanes, my good knives, my Lecruset and my Calphalon!

My furniture and everything else that is in storage right now.

My old Kroger (I knew where everything was!) There is a Publix on every corner down here, which is great, but that means I have to learn 16 different Publixes.

Mellow Mushroom (why don't we have one in Gainesville anymore?!?)

Gary's for delicious burgers and fries

The BBQ Barn in North Augusta (They just don't do bbq the same down here, especially pulled pork!)

Living across the street from the Augusta National

Living right down the road from the Boro

My Fabulous coworkers

On hold...

Feeling kind of down and anxious this week, worrying and fretting about when things are going to start to fall together. Soon please?!? Until then, please enjoy a few random photos of the past few weeks. Things have been busy, busy.

I broke in my new Chuck Taylors.

We celebrated Mother's Day with Matt's sis and almost step-sis in Ocala.

Finally visited the Marjorie Kinan Rawlings State Park in Cross Creek. It is gorgeous out there.

We spent Easter with Matt's Dad's side of the family and it was a lot of fun.

I tried the Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Poundcake from Southern Living at Easter. To die for!

More Random!

More randomness! I know, I really shouldn't have...In the past month I have:

Sang 'Take me out to the ballgame' and watched several Gator baseball games with Matt, his dad and stepmom-I was very proud to see my Georgia Southern Eagles take them down a notch or two.

Fallen in love with the farmers market across the street from my office that is once a week-it's fantastic!

Caught up with the Sis-in Law and all of Matt's cousins as we said goodbye to his Grandaddy

Bought a new bike complete with a rack and panniers (bags) for the back so I can carry groceries home from Publix without having to get in my truck. I love that Gainesville is so bike friendly!

Enjoyed watching crazy fast cars at the drag strip during my first Gatornationals

Random Bits of Everyday Life

These are the contents of my purse before I cleaned it out tonight. I know things have been busy, but is it really necessary for me to schlep around 4 different lipgloss/lipstick options, 5 different colored pens, 2 sharpies, my lucky koozie, ipod, tylenol, reusable bag, a ridiculous amount of receipts, 3 hair clips, and 3 ponytail holders?!? I have got to get better about cleaning it on a regular basis-I just got in a bad habit of keeping everything semi-important in here before/during/after our move so that I wouldn't lose it. And now I have a purse that feels like a ton of bricks!

Are We There Yet?

Sometimes I have a really hard time comparing myself to where other people are at in their lives. I know in my heart that everyone has their own journey (as cheesy at that may sound) and we don't all do things on the same timeline. I hate to say it but I get a little jealous sometimes thinking about my friends that are already homeowners, for example. Granted, we didn't buy a house in Augusta for multiple reasons-we weren't sure about job security and the housing market. In the end we moved and didn't have to worry about selling a house, so it turned out to be a good thing. I'm so ready to move into a place that will be our place for a very long time. A place where we can paint the walls, and I won't have to pack my stuff up again for a while and the kitchen will be my kitchen. And still sometimes I wonder why we don't own a home yet, or when it will be time to start a family. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

I know that we are at where we are right now, because of the choices that we have made and the plans that God has for us. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I feel like we are on the right path to being where we are supposed to be. It was kind of a leap of faith to pick up and move to Gainesville and I'm really glad that we have. I just have to be patient and keep praying and know that Matt will find a job soon! It feels like our kind of town here, a place where we could stay for a very, very long time and be happy.

Now, I just have to remind myself to be happy where I am at and quit worrying about all the details, and where everyone else is at. It's a piece of cake, right?

Cedar Key, FL

After our first few weeks in Gainesville, we decided to head out of town for a bit and get some rest and relaxation. One of our favorite places nearby is Cedar Key. It's a small fishing town on the Gulf Coast. It's a perfect place to chill out and get away from everything.

We spent most of the day walking around, taking photos and checking out the little shops. The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to get out and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

We weren't really in the mood to go out for supper so we stopped by Cedar Key Pizza to pick up a pie and head back to the patio of our hotel to enjoy it. We weren't disappointed! One thing I really like about Cedar Key is that there are no fast food or chains in town.

While we waited on our pizza we walked around the edge of town and enjoyed the sunset.

The rest of the evening we enjoyed wine on the patio under the stars. Downtown is so small that we were able to take a few 'laps' walking around the main street to people watch and listen to some of musicians playing that night. Before we left town the next morning to come back to reality we walked around downtown a little while longer.

I'm always just a little bit sad the leave the coast, but we'll be back soon, I'm sure.