find me on tumblr.

i haven't done a great job of keeping this blog up (at all). but i have been trying to collect a few favorites here and there on tumblr. if you want to see what i'm enjoying lately, check out collected.

you had me at backstreet boys.

via little brown pen

i'm pretty sure i have no choice but to listen to my best of nysnc & the bsb playlist now. i should enjoy having an office to myself, right?

best ever.

the best cookbook i ever bought was most definitely the weekend baker. it contains my favorite recipe for biscuits and scones... which i make all the time. it also contains recipes for delicious things i don't make quite as often but enjoy just as much. like these double decker brownie/chocolate chip cookie combos. and this pretzel crusted lemon chiffon pie. i could go on and on.

what's really great though is the way the cookbook is organized. it's all about baking in stages. the author recognizes that not everyone has time to bake. or at least they don't think they do. but by breaking up your recipe into a few days work, pretty much anyone can find time to bake.

if you're looking for a cookbook to add to your collection, or if you're just getting started baking and want something that will help you get started with some basics... pick up the weekend baker.

tonight i'm making the lovely buttermilk biscuits, because they're the perfect side to this delicious soup.

buttermilk biscuits

1 2/3 c all-purpose flour
1 T granulated sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
8 T very cold, unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces
3/4 c buttermilk

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk until well blended. With a pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the pieces are no larger than peas. Add the buttermilk and gently toss with a rubber spatula just until the dough comes together.

Dump the shaggy dough onto a work surface- no need to flour the surface. Gently press the dough into a thick rectangle about 6x4 inches. Using a large, sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough into 6 equal squares. Arrange the squares on a cookie sheet spacing them about 3 inches apart.

Bake until puffed and light brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp. ENJOY!

inching my way back.

i am inching my way back to this blog. i don't know how i know that, but my room is cleaner than it has been in months. so clearly, things are changing. and if i don't have that mess to tinker with, i think i can turn my attention back here.

yesterday, i went to the beach. it was windy and cold and awesome. i love the smell of lake michigan. i love how when we turned around we could see the sand blowing across the beach like i imagine it does in the dessert. it was like the wind was pushing us forward. it all seemed sorta magical.

on the way to and from the beach, my friend and i listened to a fine frenzy. today i downloaded the cd and it was like reliving the whole night. perfect autumn music.

this was a good day because...

so i realize i'm getting away from the point of the blog a bit, but some things need to be noted. and good days fall on that list.

+ today included a lunchtime trip to target that cost way too much but found me cute dresses and belts and a bright yellow purse... not to mention reese's pumpkins.

+ i made a delicious dinner and ate it at my very own table, while reading entertainment weekly's fall tv preview.

+ comcast is installing cable and dvr on wednesday.

+ the cw continues to provide not so classy but oh so enjoyable drama... via vampire diaries and 90210.

+ good things are happening to people i love.

+ i'm checking things off my list.

+ who can complain about the lovely summer weather we've been having this fall?

and now the day is done. here's hoping for more good days to come.

had the best day.

via

-breakfast with a dear friend who doesn't live quite as close as she used to.

-watching the spartans win big- live from spartan stadium. my first msu football game did not disappoint. and nothing beats a trip to the dairy store on a hot afternoon.

go green, go white... here's hoping the rest of fall is just as awesome.

today i'm loving....

barnes & noble's new "pick me up" feature. because i need them to make it easier for me to buy books.

the new ingrid michaelson cd is out today!

the gap's new premium jeans are just as amazing as they want you to think they are. try a pair on, you won't be sorry.

click here. do you see that yellow belt, with the blue sweater? love it.

happy tuesday.