paper oranges: March 2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

marcel the shell

Another funny one for you.

So, so silly.
Watch it full screen.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

sweet ballerina

So sweet and hilarious....via a cup of jo.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

bedroom for two

Suzy spotted this

here.

Nice room for two to share.

Monday, March 28, 2011

wallabees

Yes I just bought these

wallabees on amazon on sale.

You may think ugly but I say

whatever.

They are so comfy and a great alternative to the old clog.

Saw them on momfilter,
a very cool mom blog
by Pilar Guzman & Yolanda Edwards

the founding editors of my old favorite,

now defunct, COOKIE magazine.

I love everything they are loving.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

whole wheat sablés with cacao nibs

I saw a recipe for

Whole Wheat Sablés with Cacao Nibs

over at Orangette.

I decided that yesterday was the day

to bake a batch since

it was snowing and it stuck to the ground

which was

hard to wrap my head around

since it was the first full day of spring.

Everett was game to help me bake

so we did...

Buttery, shortbready goodness.

Yummy cookies that just get better with time

says Molly the creator of Orangette

and author of A Homemade Life.

I did have to roast the raw cocoa nibs

which I finally found at

Whole Foods.

I roasted the nibs for about 6 minutes.

Here is the recipe via Orangette:

Whole Wheat Sablés with Cacao Nibs

From Alice Medrich’s Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

2 cups (9 oz.) whole wheat pastry flour, OR 1 cup (4.5 oz.) all-purpose flour plus 1 scant cup (4 oz.) whole wheat flour
14 Tbsp. (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup (3 ½ oz.) sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup (about 1 ¼ oz.) roasted cacao nibs

If using the two flours, combine them in a bowl, and mix with a whisk or fork.

In a medium bowl, with a large spoon or an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and creamy but not fluffy, about 1 minute (with the mixer). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and add the nibs. Beat briefly to incorporate. Add the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Scrap the dough into a mass and, if necessary, knead it a little with your hands to make sure that the flour is completely incorporated. Form the dough into a 12-by-2-inch log. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Use a sharp knife to cut the cold dough log into ¼-inch-thick slices. Place the cookies at least 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared sheet pans.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies for a minute on the pans, then transfer them (with or without their parchment) to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

These cookies are good on the first day, but they’re best with a little age, after at least a day or two. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.

Yield: about 48 cookies

Monday, March 21, 2011

staycation

Everett makes me cafe au laits with pictures.

A duck and a leaf.

Everett jumps off front porch and hits his head on slate.

Three hours and 6 staples later at Norwalk Hospital Emergency Room.

Very cool exhibits at The Aldrich Museum.

Lovely walk on the most beautiful day.

Tire swinging with Toby.

Have not had time to post due to our staycation.
One more week of staycation.
Will keep you posted.

Oh and I booked an Outstanding in the Field evening
at the Brooklyn Grange Farm... a rooftop farm.
Tickets went on sale yesterday.
I can hardly wait for August!