nom nom nom

so i pinned this cookie recipe like a million years ago

and i'm just now getting around to it.

typical.

i think i've done exactly none of the things i've pinned.

someday. someday i'll have lots of time and money and all

of my pinterest ambitions will come to life!

back to the cookies.

so... they're effing delicious.

i could eat a dozen a day, but i'm trying to get skinny.

so i'll just eat 3. or 4. or 7.

damnit.

seriously though. go make these. now.

Salted Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

recipe here

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (mmmm...)

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. light brown sugar, packed (i used dark)

2 large eggs

11/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 c. ap flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

12 oz. chocolate, chopped (i used 6 oz. of chips)

1 c. toffee pieces (i used a full bag of the Heath pieces)

Fleur de sel (i'm not fancy, so i used coarse sea salt that we already had)

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Slowly add flour mixture and blend until completely incorporated.  Stir in chocolate and toffee.

Drop 2 ounces of cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or into the cups of a muffin top pan.  Sprinkle each cookie with a generous pinch of fleur de sel.  Bake until cookies are puffed and just started to brown, 13-15 minutes.  Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely.

so unbelievably good. 

they're sweet and salty and gooey and crunchy

and perfect.

mmmmmmm.

even mr. owl loves them

it's official.

i'm obsessed.

like unhealthy obsessed.

like i've watched this damn movie 56 times in the past 3 weeks

o.b.s.e.s.s.e.d.

it's something about the setting, the soundtrack, the actors,

her bakery, her house.

gah!

i need help.

we're getting there.

ding dong the green carpet is gone!

what green carpet?

the nasty green carpet.

ding dong the nasty green carpet is goooone!

ugh! i can't even tell you how big the happy dance the boyfriend and i have been doing is.

the nasty, pilled, stained Andes mint green carpet that has covered our 

ENTIRE FIRST FLOOR

has been ripped out and disposed of.

here are some bad, yellow, before pictures from when we had just moved in:

          

           

 note the big window in the wall and the grody carpet...

and here are some progress pictures:

jan. 5th: wall down. tree up. 

jan. 12th: i spy with my little eye... a cute kitty! and no more carpet!

linoleum! with asbestos! i know you're jealous...

jan. 14: railing gone.

jan. 15th: flooring going in! no more paneling :)

today: living and dining rooms done! hallway being finished as i type.

i can't even begin to tell you how lucky we feel to be able to

make these changes to our home.

it can be stressful, like rip-each-others-hair-out-i'm-going-to-beat-him stressful

but at the end of the day when it's just us two,

all stresses melt and everything is worth it.

2012: we're off to a great start <3

life in pics

gross... i'm sick. life faucet nostrils and burning throat sick.

work. work. work. 

50 degrees in January. wonderfully warm. although, today's taken a turn for the worse.

it's currently 11 degrees out... yes... 11 and brown.

i'm a little torn on this whole snow vs no snow thing.

although i heart purdy, white, snow... being able to drive on dry pavement

is kinda rad.  

God i love them. 

doesn't it look like Puck is Winnie's pimp?

like she's been slipping a few of her hard earned dolla bills into her bag

and he's just found out and we just caught him in the middle of giving her a beat down?

yeeeeeeeaaaaah... too much cable.

Meaningful. Healthy.

for the last few years, i've been anti-new years resolution.

there seemed to be no real point to the custom.

analyze your life. figure out what you want to change:

'loose weight', 'go to church more', 'watch less tv'.

make a promise to yourself and then continue on being lazy,

sleeping in on sundays, and watching everything listed in the tv guide.

maybe it's just me..........?

this year i've got a couple of specific goals, 

but my main mantra is

live a more meaningful and healthy life.

yes, it' pretty vague and there's no real way to measure

my progress at the end of the year (ie. # of lbs lost, sundays spent at church, etc.).

it's more of a new way to live.

a reminder everyday to make healthy choices that will ensure

that my life is a full and meaningful as it can be.

so bring it on 2012. 

i have a feeling that you and i are going to get along

magically.

1 year today.

1 year ago today, the boyfriend and i made a huge decision.

one that would change our lives forever.

I can't say that all 365 days were peachy, sparkling, golden rays of sunshine

but i can say that our decision put our relationship on a whole new pedestal.

we've learned so much about each other and are still learning to this day.

one year ago, we became home owners!

we made the biggest decision thus far in our coupled life

and i would not change anything.

funny... as i'm writing this Edith Piaf is signing "no regret" (the english version)

on Pandora. fate? maybe ;)

we still have SO much to do

but at least the guest room is no longer MN Wild themed:

the kitchen is no longer a yellow cave (ceilings and all...)

and the basement is finally cleaned out of boxes, which only took 11.5 months

we're getting there, slowly but surely... in pretty much all aspects of our lives.

next in line: tearing out all the nasty andes mint carpet that runs through the entire main floor... gross.

i will do a major happy dance on that day.

time for some quality time with my 4 legged girl!

hopefully i dont eat it on the icy pavement...