I shall call [myself] squishy

I've been on the couch with my lower back against a heating pad for the last 10 hours. I have watched some TV, slept, read numerous blog posts and stared at the ceiling. I get up now and then to do menial chores, grab a snack, use the facilities, let the dog out, etc. And dance. Casey looks at me like I've lost my mind. Who grape-vines into the kitchen while snapping her fingers and bobbing her head? ---> me.

It's 8:00. Time for my advil. and pretzels. and Cranberry juice. maybe some cookie dough...

me vs the shower curtain

I got a new shower curtain liner. This was a difficult decision for me. I hate the nasty that has creeped all over our the bottom of our current liner, but I REALLY hate the nasty involved in changing shower curtain liners.

I climbed into the shower and wrestled with our crappy plastic shower rings until all that was left was a lonely rod and proceeded to attach my brand new metal hook-like shower rings to the rod and the new liner. Success...UNTIL I triumphantly whisked the liner aside in glee and was met with a screeeeeching sound similar to nails on a chalkboard.

Metal shower hooks and a metal rod do NOT work well together.

I painstakingly took down each metal hook and reattached each plastic ring and slumped over in relief at the normal quiet-ish screech of a whisked-aside shower curtain.

Gosh DARN it my daily life is compelling.

C is for cookie

After a starch-free dinner of broiled mahi mahi, green beans and salad, Andy and I were craving us some cookies.

(note to JMUers: Craving Cookies is now Campus Cookies and while we were not craving Campus Cookies, I've heard good things about them).

Last night I decided to try a new recipe and after a quick Google search I discovered these "best chocolate chip cookies ever," which sounded intriguing. The recipe is super easy, but I always get nervous whenever I reach the "add flour" section of a recipe. In my experience flour doesn't enjoy being confined to a mixing bowl, even my incredible 5 quart Oxo Good Grips (which is one of my closest friends).

This recipe calls for 3 cups of flour, which of course should be added in small amounts as to prevent an atomic bomb of flour. I was worried that my hand mixer would break while fighting the thick dough, so I tried using multiple spatulas, a whisk and even my hands. Not smart. It took forever for me to get the dough off of these different apparatuses (apparati?) and I, of course, resorted to eating copious amounts of cookie goo.

I finally gave my hand mixer a shot and while it greatly struggled and made sad sputtering noises, it got the job done. I popped spoonfuls in the oven for 14 minutes, let them sit as directed and Voila! they were fabulous. Perfect amount of chew. They were also HUGE. I didn't bake all of the dough and plan on freezing the rest today in smaller spoonfuls.

I did not weigh the flour and I don't see any need to. I also used unsalted butter because that's all we had. Next time I plan on using slightly less vanilla and slightly more sea salt. I used about 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips instead of 2 and will absolutely do that again.

My cookies turned out just like the pictures. Love it when that happens!

I love lamp

Andy and I received this gorgeous glass lamp from Crate and Barrel as a wedding gift from our neighbors. It complimented our bedding and bedroom furniture perfectly and I loved seeing it every day. Every day until my hand reached too far for a tissue and the lamp FLEW off my nightstand and shattered all over the place.

It was a sad, sad night.

We found a lovely replacement at TJ Maxx (the C&B one is still available, but it's too much moolah for us to spend on a lamp) and I was just beginning to get over my loss when I saw THIS LAMP, MY LAMP being used in "Color Splash on HGTV. Now all I can think about is how much I loved it and how much I want it back. If you have a spare $100, send it my way. It's all about the Benjamin's baby.

i neeeeed them

itty bitty mixing bowls for prepping sauces/spice mixes!!