Friday Round Up 5/11/18 - Lulu's 1st Hospital Stay

Oh man. What a week. We had Lulu's first hospital stay Wednesday night. 

Our poor bug woke up Monday with a fever, we went to the doctor, she had her first ear infection. She started taken antibiotics, but the fever lingered. I got up to check on her at 1 in the morning Wednesday and her fever had spiked to 105.1, which caused me to get Chris & go to the ER. Not before we changed into regular pants. And then Lulu threw up on both of us. And we changed into different regular pants. Then we went to the ER. These are moments we feel lucky to live a stone's throw from a hospital. Long story short the bug has parainfluenza, a viral infection related to the seasonal flu in name only. She got admitted so the doctors could ensure she would start drinking & eating normally, the fear was she would become dehydrated.

 Her IV fluids really perked her up. Getting the IV set in her arm did not perk anyone up. Man, the hospital is the pits. There were way to many procedures that involved staff laying on her to hold her down, or me holding her still, or both to get the job done. It is so hard to know if Lulu gets it when we tell her "its going to hurt now, but help you feel better soon" I am quite sure that a little human of her age has no concept of time. Ugh. 

90% of the hospital staff were warm, helpful, capable, supportive people. I am eternally grateful for them. I honestly can't adequately express my thanks to family & friends near & far who supported us while we took care of Lulu.

Special shouts outs to:

My parents for coming to visit us in the ER & again once we were admitted. Going to our house & doing our laundry. Noticing I'd left a sink full of dishes & washing them for me. My mom brought me a delightful oat milk latte from Backlot on Thursday morning & it was just about the best thing I could've imagined in that moment.

Laura for taking wonderful care of Owenn, bringing us an easy to make meal for when we got home, a cute balloon & flower, plus coffee for me. I made the food for dinner Thursday & we all loved it. Plus Lulu & Chris ate another meal out of it. I haven't really cooked anything yet.....and its Saturday! Feeling lucky indeed. The wine. I forgot about the wine. Laura dropped off a bottle of wine with the food. It hit the spot so hard Thursday night once the Bug was asleep & the dust had settled. Yes. Wine. Good idea Laura!

Cody for sending me (& Lulu whose appetite had returned) a delicious chicken burrito from Tomate Fresh Kitchen since I had breakfast at 7am and didn't think about lunch until we were in Lulu's room on the pediatric floor at 230. She was keeping tabs on us from sunny San Diego.

The chicken burrito was delicious. Just ask Lulu!

This is after 2 rounds of IV fluids, she looks puffy & vaguely drunk not sure if the fluids made her puffy & the lack of sleep made her look over served.....but it is funny looking back at these photos.

Margie for sending Lulu a balloon & her dancer girl elephant toy while we were in the hospital. The gifts were a welcome distraction for the Bug. I was amused by the fact that the woman came in and said "Laurie?" and we said, no, you must have the wrong room, To which she replied (as cheerfully as the first time) "Laurie Kramer?!?" She was a cute older lady who then laughed at herself saying she must've written the name down wrong. She was just so perky & persistent. My sister was on vacation and spent a lot of her pool time making sure we didn't need more food & ensuring all of my family had the most up to date info that I'd sent her.

Lulu playing with her elephant dancer girl & balloon

Jay, who upon hearing we were in the ER, dropped off lunch foods for us so we had food when we got home, Unfortunately we didn't get home Wednesday - so another shout out to Laura for putting that food in the fridge for us. I ate all of it between Thursday & Friday this week. My general rule of thumb is to bring/make/send/buy food when people are in crisis because I figure "you gotta eat". I didn't realize until this week how incredibly helpful it is when others do the same. I was bone tired when we got discharged midmorning Thursday & to not need to think about food was amazingly helpful. I would've been eating Kind bars for the remainder of the week if Laura & Jay hadn't thought about us!

Tara (who is going to have baby number 4 literally any day and has so much on her plate I can't imagine adding one more thing to it) brought over delectable treats from Great Harvest Bread Company, adorable cards from the kids, and such a cute narwhal toy that Lulu's cousin Anne picked out for her. How she found the time to take care of us when her plate is overloaded is a mystery to me. The suggestion of taking a shower with Lulu to wash off the hospital grime was a most excellent one and meant we were both clean before I put Lulu down for a nap after we were discharged. A shower is so restorative. I felt so much better after it.

"Dear Lulu I hope you feel better. I really miss you. From: Liam"

"I am Kane. I'm wishing Lulu feels better. I am Lulu. I am almost feeling better" (Kaner went artsy on us)

Anne's card requires no translation :)

Stacey who volunteered to drive up from the city to take care of us & Owenn (despite her plate also being on epic overload mode at the moment too) Wednesday night. Then handling our lovely neighbor kiddos who wanted to come over & see Owenn (they love Owenn & play really well with him - I feel lucky for this, but having Stacey there was an added curiosity they simply could not resist!) Raiding the fridge, bringing food to us, pajamas, phone chargers. All the things. Then we were literally falling asleep while she visited with us. In our defense, we had been awake for about 20 hours at that point, but still!!

The other friends who stayed in close text touch to keep tabs on Lulu's progress and our sanity. Thank you a million for finding your own ways to take care of us. Hopefully by the time the weekend is out Lulu's fever will be gone for good & we can finish out her prescription for disgusting bubble gum amoxicillin and put this week behind us. Thankfully Lulu seems to feel much better now that we are home. Fresh air, sunshine, dog walks and some huge sleeps have all contributed to her seeming more like herself. Oh what a week it has been. Thank you again everyone for helping us through a challenging parenting first.

If this week has taught me anything it is a newfound respect for families who include kiddos with chronic illnesses. What a challenge to be faced with hospital visits & stays as a regular part of your life. I can now imagine what that would be like & it would be ridiculously difficult in so many ways. 

We are now officially 24 hours fever free with our biggest big Bug. We are so thankful that the virus seems to have finally run its course & has left the building.

Happy Weekend everyone, it is much happier for us now that Lulu is on the mend.

S'mores Brownies

Lizzard Loves s'mores.

The kind you make over an outdoor fire (camping, in our backyard, in a friend's backyard), the kind you make over your kitchen's gas stove, even the kind you make in the microwave ;) I love the S'mores Pie from Hoosier Mama Pie Company, and the Golden Grahams based s'mores crispy treats you can buy at Chicago Bagel Authority (or at least you could buy them there 5 years ago.....admittedly its been awhile!). I love to make a copy cat version of the S'mores crispy bars at home. I just love s'mores, mmmmkay?

So imagine my delight when I saw an Instagram post from one of my favorite food bloggers, Joy the Baker featuring Thick S'mores Brownies! What a ridiculously great idea, right??? I love thick & chewy brownies so this recipe intrigued me on more than one front.

I doubled the recipe, because, duh. When a recipe tells me it will yield a measly 9 servings, I know we can do better than that! I also don't have a 9x9 baking dish, let alone 2, so I divided my ridiculous quantity of batter between 1 8x8 dish and 1 9x11 dish, I'm no math magician, but I figured this would work out OK. I also didn't have big marshmallows - I had minis- so we went with those. 

I wasn't kidding - they COMPLETELY filled the pans

Despite some challenges (they took FOREVER to bake, likely 1.5 times as long as is listed on the recipe, they nearly overflowed my pans, the marshmallows browned waaaaaaay before the brownies were baked through) they are amazing. They are ridiculously tall (or thick), rich, chewy, and all around wonderful. Despite baking mine as long as I did, I still worried they were underbaked in the center so I stored them in the fridge to ensure I could do a decent job slicing them. The fridge is a magical place for these brownies! It helped mine stay firm enough to cut (& eat) without them falling apart. I don't typically recommend baked goods of any sort being stored in the fridge - this is a notable exception!

I love to bake, but I don't love to gain 300lbs by eating a double batch of S'mores brownies that called for 1lb of butter, 10 eggs and an insane quantity of sugar & chocolate. I love giving unexpected gifts, so this was a perfect solution to my problem!

I cut the brownies MUCH smaller than the recipe called for, my yield for the double batch far exceeded 18 - likely exceeded 36!! But as I mentioned above - they are insanely thick & rich - so I think I made the right call slicing them into relatively small pieces. I packaged some in mason jars and some in cellophane gift bags and wrote Valentine's messages on gift tags. I happily distributed to some family, friends & neighbors including  porch drop off to a friend whose baby caught this year's flu. Ugh the flu. That I do not love, particularly not this year. Do you find a huge happiness boost when you give unexpected gifts? People tend to receive them gladly without any stress because I have zero expectation that the gift would be reciprocated! And I suppose only a crazy person would frown when gifted a home baked treat ;)

I hope you try this recipe at home - I hope you binge on some brownies & gift some too! According to the recipe, these freeze quite well, so you could do that & give your future self a gift!! 

Homemade Cookies - Favorite Recipe Included!

Lizzard Loves homemade cookies.

Lizzard Loves the pools of melty chocolate
these cookies are filled with!

I mean, who doesn't?!? Is there anything better than a plate of fresh baked, homemade cookies? I would argue there is not. Cookies are my favorite sweet treat, I like them in (almost) every form: chubby, chewy, crunchy, soft, plain & chock full of extras.

Store bought cookies for SURE have their place; they can be abundantly delicious. This brand is my top notch favorite for store bought. A good bakery cookie is hard to beat; if you live in the Chicagoland area; this bakery is worth a pilgrimage as is this one (get the Florentines & smiley face cookies at the first, the bulk cookies by the pound at the second). This post isn’t about store bought cookies though. Store bought cookies don’t take thought, time, or effort. They also don’t make your house smell like heaven.

Homemade cookies matter because they communicate so much goodness in their perfect little smash up of flour, butter & sugar. Homemade cookies tell people you care about them. Homemade cookies tell people they are worth your time. Homemade cookies convey a sense of comfort few other foods do.

“But Liz”, you say, “I don’t have the time to make a batch of cookies every time someone needs a pick me up, congratulations, birthday treat” and I would agree with you. You are busy, you have a job, a family, obligations at church, perhaps you go to school, you volunteer, you blog, you create art, you watch shows,  go on dates, plan playdates, make lunches, have adventures. All these things are wonderful & meaningful uses for your time!

My challenge to you is; find a chunk of time, early in the morning, late at night, whenever. It doesn’t matter. Prepare a double or triple batch of cookie dough and FREEZE it! I’ve included links to some of my favorite recipes below. Once you’ve made the dough, stretch a long piece of plastic wrap out on your counter (leave it attached to the box – don’t tear it off yet – its sooooo hard to handle a loose piece of plastic wrap. That stuff sticks to everything) & thwap a big hunk of dough onto it. Fold the plastic wrap over the mound of dough & use it to flatten it and shape it into a rough disk shape. Tear the plastic wrap from the box & wrap the dough tightly. Now wrap it again. Repeat 4 times for a double batch, or 6 times for a triple batch of dough. These disks do not need to be uniform; they do not need to be perfect. They do need to be double wrapped tightly in plastic. Using a permanent marker, write out the baking instructions for the cookies on the outside of a zip top freezer bag (oven temperature & baking time at least) so when you come back to the dough you don’t need to go searching for the cookie recipe to remember what to do with it. To prevent your future cookies from tasting like your freezer, slide the entire bag into another freezer bag.

If you find yourself with extra time on your dough making day (extra time for the first time since you got the job, had the baby, started your business), feel free to shape the dough into balls and freeze on a cookie sheet. After a few hours they are frozen enough to dump into a zip top bag (that you still should label with baking instructions……..do yourself that favor!). It is just a question of, do you have those extra minutes on dough making day or on baking day. 110% up to you.

Now the fun part; it is your friend’s birthday & you want to make her a treat. You don’t have time to drag out all the ingredients & tools necessary to make a batch of cookies. You might just have the time to pull one of your dough disks out of the freezer, let it sit on the counter for 20-40 minutes (until it is soft enough to form into balls) and bake. I use a mini ice cream scoop for the most uniform size/shape cookies. If you line your cookie sheets with parchment paper, you will only need to wash the ice cream scoop – no sink full of dishes, no countertop covered in flour, no muss, no fuss. I’ll give you extra points if you let your dough defrost overnight in the fridge so it feels like less waiting.

So dear friends. Get that mixer out & dust it off. Make an epic batch of cookie dough every now & again to be prepared to bring homemade awesomeness wherever you go. You won’t be sorry. I promise. Oh, also, this method provides you with the steady supply of frozen cookie dough you’ve always wanted. Maybe that’s just me. But just in case it’s not; you’re welcome.

This recipe has, over the course of the past 5ish years, become my absolute, hands down favorite. I have, in that time, tweaked it, adjusted it & in my humble opinion, perfected it! I hope you make and enjoy these as much as I do!

Salted Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Adapted from Real Simple

Makes approximately 50 cookies (enough to stock your freezer for future use!)

Ingredients

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)

2 cups bread flour (or all purpose if you don’t have bread)

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 teaspoons flaky sea salt (Maldon works well, sub in Kosher if you don’t have anything flaky)

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

½ cup coconut oil (warmed to a very soft state, liquid is fine but let it cool to room temp so you don’t melt your butter!)

½ cup turbinado sugar* (raw sugar)

½ cup coconut sugar*

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 2 large air bake baking sheets with parchment paper

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Set aside.

3. Beat the butter, coconut oil & all 3 sugars with an electric mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) on medium high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. Beat in eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.

5. Reduce your mixer speed to low and gradually add your flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix or you risk your cookies being tough, not chewy.

6. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

7. Using a mini ice cream scoop, drop rounded mounds of dough onto the lined baking sheets, spacing them approximately 2 inches apart. I fit 16 cookies per sheet on my baking sheets. This dough does not spread too much.

8. Sprinkle the dough balls with the remaining 2 teaspoons of flaky salt.

9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.  Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before sliding the cookies (on the parchment) onto cooling racks.

*If you don’t have these types of sugar in your pantry, you can substitute granulated white sugar. I like the taste/texture the raw sugar/coconut sugar combination gives the cookies. I’ve made them many times with granulated sugar & they are quite delicious as well!

Delicious, Homegrown & Homemade Food

Lizzard Loves delicious homegrown and homemade food.

This week has been full of deliciousness all the way around it. Celebrated Lynn's birthday at the Lake with Mom, Lynn (obviously), Marg & the Hennie chicky. Ate deliciousness at every turn including brunch at Simple Cafe (favorite, favorite, favorite restaurant at the Lake), donuts from Do-Rite Donuts (they were a sweet treat bonus from me since they are located almost too conveniently a couple doors down from our doctor!), flourless chocolate cake from Simple Bakery, etc etc etc. We don't cook on our girls "weekends" which are always during the week - eating out is the name of the game! 

Which is why I was THRILLED beyond measure to come home to this:

Camilla's homegrown arugula

Delicious, nutritious, perfect arugula grown by Camilla in her community garden plot. Breakfast for dinner was on the menu the night I got home - the arugula was sauteed down with olive oil and mixed with scrambled eggs and assorted leftover grilled veggies. Perfection. And a bit of a detox after the wonderfully indulgent birthday celebrating.

Also was uber excited to discover 2 of my tomato plants ripened fruit while I was away! My bumper crop of 5 tomatoes was my biggest harvest to date. I was thrilled. I might add that these are cherry tomatoes......SunGold and Zebra Cherry......5 is not a lot......but they were DELICIOUS! I'm still new to the whole growing your own food thing. It does not take much to blow my hair back!

My Zebra Cherries on the vine

I hid out indoors yesterday to stay out of the insane heat wave heat we're having. What to do while hiding out indoors? Crank up the oven & make the AC really work. Environmentally friendly, not at all. But I'm afraid it had to be done! Blueberry Coconut Muffins (adapted from this Smitten Kitchen recipe) were on the menu! Some went to our neighbors who recently lost one of their moms. Some went to Christina with her bread delivery today. Some went to Laura & little Lizzie because they stopped by! 

Blueberry Coconut Muffin explosion

Cheese & Pepper bread required another oven crank today......but it was a loaf for CC & Adam who have family in from England. I'm willing to heat up the kitchen if they are willing to fly oven the ocean ;) Happiness overwhelmed me when I was gifted some indulgent buttermilk cheddar chive biscuits that CC baked. They became the base for breakfast/brunch for Chris & me today. Toasted the biscuits in the oven, scrambled eggs with sauteed spinach and built my most delectable breakfast samby to date. 

Egg sambies on Christina's biscuits

My cup runneth over with delicious this week. I am particularly grateful for the homegrown & homemade delicious that came my way!

Giving Tuesday

Lizzard Loves Giving Tuesday!

I also loved shopping on Small Business Saturday, but there is something wonderful about clicking through some of my favorite non profits' websites & sending them bits of holiday cheer. In many ways, my small contributions might mean more to these organizations than my material gifts to individuals do! I have major warm fuzzies right now, which is really what the Christmas season is all about, right?

The following made my #GivingTuesday list:

Blue Sky Bakery

Inspiration Corporation

Loyola Academy

Special Olympics Chicago

WBEZ

Who made your list this year?? Tell me in the comments!

Long lunch on a rainy day

I love long lunches.

Lizzard Loves Homegrown Cafe

It is wonderful to luxuriate in a delicious midday meal with a great friend while the weather outside is positively frightful. I went to Homegrown Cafe * today and was sucked into their cozy atmosphere, great coffee and comfort food. My friend and I dined & chatted for over 2 hours. We shared the breakfast burrito & the short rib sandwich which were both prepared beautifully (and there was not a fried egg in sight, much to my delight!). The meal was the perfect way to warm up after a rainy walk over! It made me quite happy that the chef/owner of Homegrown waited on us and allowed us to overstay our "meal time" while continuing to provide excellent service. 

Did I mention the sugar cubes? They don't do sugar shakers or sugar packets. Brown and white sugar cubes. It's the little things, right? I don't usually put sugar in my coffee; but when offered sugar cubes- I gladly make an exception! I've said it before, but I'll say it again - make a point to visit this restaurant. You will be so happy you did.

*Note about this link; the owners of this wonderful place closed their previous venture, Chalkboard Restaurant, & opened Homegrown Cafe in the same physical space- so don't get thrown by the link's title :) You are heading to the right website!

When this is the weather situation, it is easy to want to stay inside!

Lizzard Loves Chicago. Even with this weather.

You know what I also love? My rain boots. They allowed me to walk about a mile to lunch & arrive with dry feet even though it was pouring rain. They allowed me to walk off my vague feelings of guilt after throwing back not 1, but 2 slices of King Cake 1 hour before I had lunch plans. I love that my friend sent us another King Cake this year; here is the post about it from last year.

Lizzard Loves these rain boots.

The weather today is quite insane, even though my boots are knee high, I waded through a puddle that almost flooded them. Yikes. Though it may also be insane, somehow I still love this city. I love that when I was walking up Lincoln Ave on the way to lunch - it was bustling. In a foggy, flooded, rainstorm kind of day; people were out & about, just doing their thing. Only 1 person I passed was scowling & that may have had

more to do with the shouting match she was having on her cell phone than with the weather. It makes me so pleased to live in a place where people are so grateful for a 50 degree day in the midst of multiple polar vortexes that they are walking around outside despite of the torrential downpour of rain which accompanied the "heat wave".

Snuggle Me

I love my old Snuggle Me tshirt.

Lizzard Loves....this 16 year old shirt

I bought this shirt when I was in high school; lets say I was 16 - because I am quite certain I drove myself (& undoubtedly a woody-station wagon-load of my friends) to a thrift shop. For 1 tiny little quarter I bought the best tshirt ever. Bold statement,? Yes. True? Absolutely.

My Snuggle Me tshirt has been on every major "trip" I've been on .......Kenya, Tanzania, New Zealand, Brazil, Guatemala. Snuggle Me sometimes comes on vacations, but vacations are quite different from trips. A trip is hard work, it takes planning, lots of language barrier hopping, thoughts of safety, and is so worth it. Vacation can happen anyplace, anytime! No plans, no itinerary, no schedule, easy peasy. Snuggle Me is essential on trips, because wearing it is like getting a hug from my best friend. It is akin to my baby blanket; but far more socially acceptable for an adult to travel with a tshirt than a baby blanket, right?

The only problem with Snuggle Me? I am wearing it out. It is virtually see through, there is a serious hole in the back, a new hole forming on the front, and much of its blue-ness has faded to gray.

In swoops my wonderful husband. I recently celebrated my birthday & opened a new pair of pajama pants from Chris. They are lovely & perfect in their own right, but it was the 2nd gift bag in the "theme" that confused me. Chris told me that he needed to have the perfect pajama shirt to go with the new pants, and this is what he found. I opened the gift bag & pulled out Snuggle Me! My facial expression asked him "why did you wrap up my own tshirt for me?" before I could get any words out. Oops. I do not excel in hiding my thoughts & feelings - they tend to hop right out onto my face for all to see.

Only when I shook the folds out of the shirt did I realize it was not Snuggle Me.........there was no gaping hole in the back! It was a "new old Snuggle Me" in Chris' words! The wonders a thoughtful husband & some eBay searching can do! Who knew that Snuggle Me was made in 1983? Chris learned Snuggle Me was about 30 years old in his extensive research online.

Lizzard Loves...her old tshirt (left) and her new old tshirt (right)

I am now doubly comforted by Snuggle Me; because my stress about wearing it out has been alleviated by a back up shirt. Now that I am married, I don't need to rely on my adult version of a baby blanket as much, Chris gives an awful lot of comfort. The fact that he knows I need that tshirt version of a best friend hug & figured out how to offer it to me..............is more comforting than any tshirt could ever be.

Dark Chocolate Cashew Coconut Cups

I love chocolate.

Lizzard Loves. Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Cashew Coconut Cups

It seems like the most obvious thing you could love, right? As much as I am tempted to be suspicious of those who do not like chocolate.....I can't fault my best friend in the world just because she & all things chocolate do not play nice :) I will admit I am thoroughly surprised when a friend (new or old) admits that they just don't love chocolate. They may as well be speaking to me in Chinese; it is incomprehensible! 

Lizzard Loves  filling like a blob :)

Lizzard Loves...Making the filling

As an indication of my intense love of chocolate, I currently have the following in my pantry milk chocolate, dark chocolate, 72% dark chocolate, semisweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, baking chocolate, cocoa powder, white chocolate, and in my fridge.....my mom's delicious homemade chocolate sauce. What? I told you I love chocolate!

Lizzard Loves cups waiting for the 2nd layer of chocolate

I have been cultivating my love of Pinterest lately too and the recipe I am sharing is adapted from one I found through Pinterest! I made the recipe for Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups from Sprouted Kitchen's blog & I really enjoyed their recipe- but I figured there were a few ways I could tweak it & make it better for me! These made a perfect Easter gift for my Dad - who has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I know personally. I put 6 in a clear plastic gift bag & tied it shut with baker's twine. Delicious & cute - which is perfect for me (my Dad probably didn't care or notice the cute part.....but whatever :)

I hope you enjoy it the recipe below, let me know in the comments what you think of it- or if you have any additions/adjustments or questions!

 
Dark Chocolate Cashew Coconut Cups
Ingredients
18 oz dark chocolate (i used 9oz Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate & 9oz Trader Joe's 72% cocoa Dark Chocolate)
1/2 cup natural cashew nut butter (feel 100% free to sub in peanut butter, almond butter, soy nut butter- whatever you like best!)
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut 
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon fine grain/table salt
1/2 teaspoon (or to tastes) fancy schmancy salt - for sprinkling on top *see note below*
24 toasted cashews (approximately 1/2 cup) for topping

Directions
1. Break/chop the chocolate into pieces that will fit into your favorite microwave safe bowl.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, in 1 minute increments at 50% power until it is totally smooth. Stir in between each burst in the microwave to ensure it is smooth.
3. Line a mini muffin tin with 24 paper liners (don't worry - you don't bake these- the pan is there to ensure a nice shaped candy :)
4. Spoon a generous teaspoon of the chocolate into 3 of the paper liners, then tilt/rock the pan back & forth/around in a circle to help the chocolate coat the sides of the paper. Repeat until you've filled all the cups.
5. Now its time to make the delicious filling! Combine the cashew butter, shredded coconut, honey, powdered sugar, vanilla & coconut extracts, & fine grain salt in a bowl until well mixed.
6. Scoop out a generous teaspoon of the mixture and roll it between your hands to make a little ball. Press down slightly to form a disc & place one in each paper liner (that is now lined with dark chocolate!) Repeat until each cup has a flattened ball of the filling in it.
7. At this stage, you may need to give your chocolate another 1 minute blast in the microwave at 50% power. Do so if the chocolate is not easy to scoop/pour.
8. Time to cover the filling with more chocolate! Another generous teaspoon of teh chocolate should be enough to cover your filling completely- but add more chocolate if you need to!
9. Sprinkle your fancy schmancy salt over the top of your pan, so each chocolate has just a smattering on it.
10. Press 1 cashew into the top of each candy before the chocolate has time to firm up!
11. Allow the chocolates 20-30 minutes to harden, and then enjoy the homemade chocolates!

Lizzard Loves the almost finished product!

I've found that these freeze perfectly well. Put them in a tupperware (or double bag in a ziploc) and freeze for up to 2 months (this is as long as I've been able to wait to eat them....they may keep longer.....but not in my house!). If you're going to eat them within 5-7 days, leave them in a tupperware/ziploc at room temp.




*A note about salt: OK, I realize that sounds so silly- but use whatever the nicest salt you have in your pantry.......I was lucky & received a gift set 2 Christmases ago of 6 different specialty salt- so I use Maldon - a deliciously flaky salt- but sea salt, kosher salt, gray salt, pink salt, in a pinch use the regular table salt- but the texture is vastly improved with your fancy schmancy salts - I promise! You can often find fancy schmancy salts at Homegoods & TJ Maxx at a serious discount.....and since salt by its very nature isn't perishable- I often do that!) 

Lizzard Loves - the final product! Sneak attack- I also tested an almond version!

Coconut Almond Scones, Coffee and Mail

I love coffee.

Lizzard Loves a surprise gift of coffee

My morning cup(s) of coffee is the best part of my day (and when I say this, I'm only sort of kidding). Each night I set my coffee maker to "delay brew" so it starts the brew cycle 15 minutes before my alarm goes off. This way I get to wake up to the smell of coffee, one of the best smells in the world. Yuuuummmm.

I also love mail. I suppose some weeks I should call it "snail mail" because it can be so darn slow, but I prefer just mail. When I check the mail and our box is chock full of my favorite magazines, maybe a card, or a letter from one of my favorite organizations I am thrilled. It has always seemed like magic to me, the way USPS works (or as the case is now, doesn't work, at least not on a feasible budget.......but I digress). For less than $1, I can get something from my front door to the front door of anyone in the US. Seriously? That seems utterly magical to me.

Cards are my favorite things to get in the mail, I could wax poetic on why I love a handwritten card or note, but it is really quite simple. A handwritten card takes a bit of time, extra time (over a text or an email) and it makes me feel like a friend or a family member was really thinking of me when they sent it. And there is something awesome in my mailbox when I check it! Double bonus!

Lizzard Loves a handwritten card and great coffee

I checked the mail this week & found a PACKAGE! It is not my birth month, it was not sent for any occasion, it was a glorious "just because" gift. A bag of delicious coffee and a handwritten card from one of my favorite friends who lives 5 states away. She shares my love of coffee and the wonderfully cute shop Paper Source (even if you don't have a physical store near you, check out their website. Great gifts, awesome stamps/ink, and obviously a huge selection of paper products) The card was from Paper Source and was covered with French macarons; another thing we both love. Stay tuned for a future post on baking macarons; I haven't perfected it yet, but once I do I'll share the process!

What could be better than a friend who is thoughtful enough to mail you a treat they enjoy & know you will too? The card that accompanied the coffee specified that since we can't sit down & have coffee together......at least we can sit down to the same coffee apart. What a great idea & sentiment from a wonderful friend. I enjoyed some this morning with my newest favorite scone; Coconut Almond. In case you want to rock some of the scones, the recipe follows........

Coconut Almond Scones
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting your work surface
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) butter
1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/3 cup unsalted slivered dry toasted almonds (I buy mine at Trader Joe's)
2/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, plus more for sprinkling (separated)
1 tsp coconut extract (imitation is OK & is cheaper)
turbinado/raw sugar for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 425 and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use airbake cookie sheets for softer scones, traditional cookie sheets for crisper scones.
2. Place both flours, baking powder, sugar, 1/3 cup coconut & butter into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until the mixture is uniform & no pieces of butter remain.
3. Scrape the contents into a large mixing bowl and add the remaining 1/3 cup shredded coconut and the slivered almonds. Toss to coat.
4. Mix in the buttermilk & coconut extract; just until the dough comes together.
5. Flour your work surface (counter top, cutting board, whatever you're using!) and turn the dough out.
6. Knead the dough gently a few times and shape into a flat disk. Kneading your dough too much will yield tough scones.....scones should be delicate, not tough :)
7. Sprinkle the dough with turbinado sugar and the extra shredded coconut and press down to ensure the toppings have adhered.
8. Now for the fun part.......cut the dough into whatever shape you desire! I tend toward triangles and I make some miniature & some "normal" size.  I've used a round cookie cutter & also sort of ripped the dough apart to make it look like messy mounds.......they all taste great, its just a matter of what you think looks good!

Lizzard Loves Coconut Almond Scones with coffee

9. Bake in your preheated oven for 12-18 minutes (my oven is old & weak- it usually takes me 20+ minutes, but in my brother & sister in law's new powerful oven it only takes 10-12. As always- you will know your oven better than any recipe- so take a peek at 10 minutes! If they are not done at 10 minutes, rotate the pans from top to bottom).
10. Let the scones cool on a wire rack and gleefully enjoy them with your favorite coffee.....I know I do!

King Cake

I love King Cake.

LizzardLoves.Beautiful, yummy, surprise King Cake

Pretty sure it stems from my school age years of taking French classes at school (and always participating in French Club). King Cake was a consistent part of the Mardi Gras/Carnival celebrations in my French classes and clubs.

This particular King Cake came via FedEx from 2 great friends who live in New Orleans. Chris and I got home from work and lo and behold, a big FedEx box was waiting for us! Oh my goodness a sparkling green, purple, & yellow circular cake was hiding inside! A fun and delicious surprise for us midweek.

LizzardLoves.KingCake.Slice with Baby

More importantly; I love thoughtfulness when it comes from people who (in theory) shouldn't have enough time or brain space to be thoughtful. Our friends who live in New Orleans are expecting their first baby (a BOY!) any day now (well0 tomorrow at the latest!)........I can't imagine how they are feeling - excited, nervous, and busy! It made my heart very happy to know that Chris & I were on their minds in some small way even in such an exciting time for their growing family.

And the cake was delicious- did I mention that already?? 

In case you're curious about the history of the King Cake, read this (I also love that I donated to Wikipedia this year.....I feel a lot better about reading their content constantly :): if you want to send your unsuspecting friends a King Cake, visit Sucre's website. 

Happy eating everyone.

Kids' art

I love the artwork my nephews & niece make for me.

It is so funny to see what their little minds are thinking (via crayons, paint, colored pencils, etc) and it absolutely warms my heart to hear my oldest nephew say "Aunt Lizzy, this one is for you to take home & show Uncle Chris". 

The little man loves the fingerpaints his "Bo Bo" (aka my mom, his Grandma) gave him & wants to play with them all the time. Now that he's in preschool he's been giving the paintings as gifts every now & again.

LizzardLoves.My nephew's fingerpainting

LizzardLoves.My niece's really funny drawing & explanation

Being an aunt is just awesome, I guess you could also say I love being an aunt.

In case you can't read the "explanation" page that came in the envelope from our niece (who lives on the east coast) here is what it says:

"Uncle Chris

Favorite Animal Moose

Favorite color green

Middle name Brian"

We assumed this was part of a school project or larger idea.........it wasn't! Our niece just got the idea to draw these pictures & send the details along with them. We have had this hanging on the fridge for months. Its awesome.

Happy Monday everyone, hope you have some kiddo art hanging on your fridge today!

PS- yes, I hung my nephew's painting on the fridge with magnets I made out of beer bottle caps I wanted to save........hm. Hope that isn't too much of a contrast!