it's junk week in our tiny town. everybody kicks their clutter to the curb, and people like me can go drive-by shopping. for free. i spotted this cool blue chair yesterday. isn't it sweet? and for zero dollars? of course! it has a new home now, where it will be loved. and in fact, already is.

so. big news. there were new chocolate chip cookie recipes floating around in the blogs yesterday. they never fail to catch my eye. here's the oatmeal pecan one from joy the baker and the coconut one from sheena. naturally, i have to make them, although my list of choc chip recipes is already stressfully long. i feel i need to give equal attention to each of them, but there's never enough time.

(oh, and meanwhile, i need to fit into a bridesmaid dress. maybe baking will be slower until june 12. maybe.)

happy friday!

i'm so excited to post this. meet my new favorite dinner: ginger lime stir fry. totally jamie oliver inspired. you've got to try this. i love, love it. it tastes like it's straight from your favorite mongolian grill place. and it makes your lips tingle.

i've never used ricotta cheese in cookie dough.. until now.

these cookies are super soft (thanks to the ricotta), lightly lemon, and 100% spring. they were very good, but i'm not really flipping out like i do with so many desserts. you know what i mean. the glaze in particular is what put me off.. note that i'm not even including it below. i picture these cookies better suited to whipped cream and berries, rather than glaze. to be fair, when i tried them unglazed, they were much better. i would definitely use this recipe again.. maybe for a spin on strawberry shortcake.

lemon ricotta cookies

faintly adapted from giada de laurentiis

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 stick butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) container whole milk ricotta cheese

1 tsp. almond extract

3 T. lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1 lemon, zested

1. sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. set aside.

2. beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 min.

3. add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated.

4. add ricotta cheese, almond extract, lemon juice, and zest. beat to combine. beat in dry ingredients.

5. line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, spoon dough onto sheets, about 2 T. per cookie.

6. bake at 375 for 15 minutes. remove from oven and let rest on sheets for 20 minutes.

favorite commercial ever? maybe.

'pure imagination' is my shower song. if i sing in the shower, this is the song i inevitably pick to sing. it's been that way for years. i should really learn all of the words at some point.

haley, i want to watch this with you and laugh at the purple monster's mouth at 0:34.

but before i say anything else:

a big huge thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes via the comments, my mailbox, my inbox, facebook, etc. you made my day. really, you did!

back tomorrow with a few pictures of my pretty pretty sister and her lovely shower. see you soon!

my latest thrift. two sets of spearminty green napkins (14 total) and a teeny tiny pitcher, which i plan on using for maple syrup. all for $5. my heart skipped a beat as i carried them home.

on a different note..

chances are, you've seen this sweet little stop-motion kindle commercial. and if you're like me, you wondered where to get that charming song. good news.. you can download it for free right here! i'm listening to it all day. go get it! it's even better in full. can't wait for more little & ashley.

chocolate + orange. they make a good team. and just think.. chocolate orange marble cake. yes, such a thing exists. and it's sensational. we served this to a bunch of already-stuffed guests and still got raves. i love it good and cold, as i do with almost every dessert. it would also be yummy as a traditional chocolate cake, just skip the orange batter. the hint of orange would be subtle enough, but it would still keep a tinge of fruity. mm.

Chocolate Orange Marble Cake

adapted from christina

chocolate batter

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 T. oil

1/2 cup orange juice

1 T. orange zest

1/4 cup cocoa

3/4 cup + 2 T. flour (add an extra 2 T. if at a high alt.)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1. sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt. set aside.

2. beat butter, sugar, and egg together until smooth.

3. add vanilla, sour cream, oil, orange juice, and zest. mix until well combined.

4. add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

orange batter

repeat chocolate batter ingredients, but omit cocoa and use 1 cup + 1 1/2 T. flour.

follow above instructions for mixing, omitting cocoa.

make the cake

1. butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. pour half of chocolate batter into each pan, spreading to cover the bottom.

2. put orange batter on top in spoonfuls, spreading carefully and evenly out to the edges.

3. swirl the two batters together, avoid scraping the bottom of the pan

4. bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Decadent Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting recipe in this post.

right now a bird is singing outside and i can hear it perfectly. how nice. it feels like spring.

decadent chocolate orange frosting

adapted from christina

for chocolate orange marble cake.

or for strawberry dipping.. my new favorite use.

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup orange juice

1 to 2 tsp. orange zest

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips

about 3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. melt butter and chocolate chips together in a double boiler or microwave.

2. while the chocolate mixture is cooling, mix sour cream, vanilla, orange juice, and zest in a large bowl.

3. beat chocolate mixture into sour cream mixture, add 3 cups of powdered sugar, beating until smooth. gradually add remaining powdered sugar until desired consistency.

over the weekend, i ran my first 5K. i had a ball and did it in my best time ever! thanks to you guys who sent me hard-core race songs. good music is what makes running for me. and thank you grant, for cheering me on as you sat in class and for telling me that i could do it in under 30 minutes.

running down main street all decked out in american flags was so fun. and they're printing the results in the local paper-- one of the cool things about living in a super small town. after i ran, i spoiled my lunch with one of these, which i had been saving in the freezer for my big day.

1. grant mowed the lawn for the first time. our backyard is still very stripey from his straight rows.

2. and the tulips are out! every corner in town seems to be sporting my fave flower this week.

i've read them over and over. it feels so good to be understood. from my heart, i want to thank you for stopping to encourage me. it's still very surreal and the hurt keeps coming over me in waves, but the healing process has already begun. like you said, it will take time. i am clinging to the fact that this came in His perfect timing, and that He is the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles. (2 corinthians 1.3)

my dog died.

now i know what it feels like. it's absolutely horrible. it's hard to write. but i can't skip over this. maybe some of you guys have been through it and can sympathize. she was our one and only. the family dog. my growing-up dog.

indy was her name. she was part of every aspect of family life. she knew all of our names and faces and voices and schedules. and because she belonged to us, i thought she was the greatest. i had pictures of her in my locker in jr. high. i teased her and talked to her like she understood. (she learned a lot of words.) i tried to sing her to sleep. i hugged her neck. i got way too close to her face, which she thought was dumb and tried to ignore me whenever i did it. i had my sisters put the phone by her ear so she could hear my voice while i was away at camp. i taught her who grant was. i loved that girl. last night, a heart attack took her away forever.

i'm happy i had to go to preschool today because it forced me to keep my mind busy and be cheerful. when i sit still, the tears keep seeping out.

goodbye, puppy.

what an awesome weekend. baking, a banquet, a good nap, a run on the back roads, a james bond video game for grant, a bit of sewing for me, and a pot of jam for us both. but most of all, there was cake. for the big banquet, we made classic carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and marbled orange chocolate cake with sour cream chocolate frosting. both big hits, and both favorites of mine. and, i will be sharing the recipes with you. because it's what i love to do.

let's start with the carrot cake, since i can't get it off my mind. i love this recipe so much. it uses applesauce and pineapple and less sugar and oil.. quite possibly the key to top-notch carrot cake.

classic carrot cake

adapted from taste of home, found via my sister in law, ann

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

4 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. applesauce

2 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple, drained and reserve 2 T. of juice

2 cups shredded carrots

chopped walnuts, optional

1. drain pineapple and reserve 2 T. of juice, set aside

2. sift together dry ingredients and set aside

3. mix eggs, sugars, oil, applesauce and 2 T. pineapple juice

4. add the dry ingredients, then fold in pineapple and carrots (and nuts, if using)

5. pour in prepared 9x13 or 2 round cake pans, bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes

note: for a prettier finished product, try throwing the pineapple in a food processor or blender for a quick extra chop before it goes in the batter. that pineapple can get awfully chunky sometimes.

favorite cream cheese frosting

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 T. butter, softened

2 T. + 1 tsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

4 c. powdered sugar

1. beat together first 4 ingredients, then mix in powdered sugar

2. frost over cooled carrot cake

well, it's tuesday. baking day! i'm off to the kitchen whip up something for grant's class tomorrow. he has snack duty again. (yay!) and i've already gone for a run today, so i'm going to have myself a guilt-free sample.

we love smoothies. the simpler, the better.

go-to smoothies

i'm at home. yay. my first thought this morning was how thankful i am for this.

it's sunny, and in the 60's. thankful, again.

it's windy, as always. but i'm getting over it. (i live in one of the windiest places in the usa. for real.)

i'm still wearing sweats. why wear out a good pair of jeans when i'm by myself, picking up dead flies (with a napkin), and cleaning that spot inside the door that collects all the grime from our driveway?

i will hit the neighborhood sidewalks later, to celebrate this being the nicest day of the week.

i ate toast and jam, finishing off the last jar of my strawberry rhubarb raspberry.

i practiced my handwriting while filling out paperwork for the spelling bee.

have i mentioned that grant is in charge of a spelling bee tomorrow? go, grant.

i'm icing my left knee, because it has started to bug me the day after i run.

i'm emptying garbages around the house. wiping door knobs. using goo gone. and other chores.

i'm marinating chicken for my sister in law's rendition of chipotle. grant's fave.

i'm thawing rhubarb for the next batch of jam. we can't last more than 2 days without it.

i have my next skirt cut out, i might start sewing it up this afternoon.

i'm listening to bach. which always makes me feel like my house is clean.

i counted, and i will only see my preschoolers 12 more times before the year is done. oh no!

i'm anxious to have grant home for the weekend and eat tacos with him.

i'm about to have some lunch. i have the same lunch everyday that i'm at home. i count on it.

i never ever get tired of sandwiches on homemade bread. and apples with peanut butter.

i wonder, do you guys have the same thing for lunch? happy friday!

this weekend i will be busy helping my mother in law prepare a grand feast for 100 people at our church. fresh homemade bread, an elegant salad, and two kinds of cake are on the menu. as per usual for a judy meal. i learn loads about menu construction from judy. it's an amazing skill.

..and i made these hairpins to go with my easter outfit. because i fell in love with my fabric and because winter-blonde hair sometimes needs spicing up. they're so super easy! want to know how? sorry, no photos for my mini tutorial, it was a spontaneous moment of craftiness.

1. cut a piece of fabric about 8 in. long x 1 in wide.

2. fold in half lengthwise and press to get a crisp edge.

3. cut a small circle of same fabric (about the size of a nickel) for a backing.

4. twist folded fabric between your fingers as you wind it into a circle. keep twisting. and winding.

5. once it is all wound up, glue onto backing. add glue where necessary to keep things in place.

6. glue onto a bobbypin. stick it in and feel good about your awkward-length hair.

so about this skirt thing.

you guys made my day! an endless supply of encouragement comes streaming through here, and i thank you for it. i just never would've thought.. me, sewing. but having this space, you guys, and all manner of connections in blogland, (plus a husband who think it's cool) has sparked something in me. sewing is now exciting. thank you for this.

and about my cardigan.

which i am devoted to. the 3/4 sleeve is my boon companion. (truly, it never seems warm enough to wear a tanktop to any place with air conditioning, no matter what time of year.) i found it a couple years ago at, of course, target. but knowing the champ of a store target is, i bet you can find something similar there now. they always seem to be well-stocked in wardrobe staples.

i decided to hop on the bandwagon and make one of these skirts for easter sunday. thank you, susan! i've been staring at that tutorial for a week and a half, dreaming of sewing my own pockets. and my dream came true! ps. i'm wild about this print. it feels vintagey fun.

verdict: i love it. the pattern, the comfy-ness, and most of all, the pockets. it was really fun to make too, once i got the step-by-step laid out clearly in my head and on my floor (which took awhile). but now that i've got the hang of it + a handy cardboard cut-out to serve as my 'pattern', i'm ready to bust out another one.

a peek at what i wore to church this morning..

my easter basket came in the mail this morning.

you always know.

i am getting to see a new side of grant these days. now that we have a house, grant has a yard.

and he's taken to his lawn duties like me to my baking. he's home from school, then he's out the door- checking on his grass, raking, spreading fertilizer. it's fun to see him owning this and loving it. buying his first bag of turf builder was, according to him, something he's always wanted to do. (how cool is that?)

the snow was barely gone before he was outside, going at it with gusto. i love seeing it. he's such a man. yesterday, we picked up his brand new lawn mower. woohoo.

something i've been appreciating lately: i am married to a whistle while you work kind of guy. he's such a cheerful worker, whether the job is raking grass or drying dishes. he's a true pleasure to be around, and a tremendous example to me. and despite what you see in this photo (a snow-heavy spot by the curb), all those years of his maintaining the lawns of camp shetek have really paid off. our yard is looking fresher and greener everyday!

1. basil seeds in a box of triscuits?! cool. gardening & farming must truly be in now. call me a trendoid (just found this word. it's for real!), but i'm totally sucked in. all of you who have gardens and know how to work them: i'm jealous. do check out their slick site. i like the charming little crop guide.

2. grant and i spent a good chunk of our night watching justin bieber videos on youtube, trying to find the ones that got him 'discovered.' and now we're completely hooked on his new song. it's climbing the charts.. better go have a listen.

3. so, hulu dumped arrested development. or at least parts of it. did you notice? we did. but starting today.. it's streaming to you via netflix. yes. time to watch the bluth story all over again.

4. my camera. you guys have been asking about it! i shoot with a canon rebel xsi, and although it's not new (i got it in the fall of '08) i am trying some new things with it lately. thank you for noticing and all the kind words! you're awfully sweet.