The S is for super, the U is for unique

Here's the thing, I don't like pimping my stuff. I actually don't like to talk about my work, I'd rather have other people do it for me while I stand in the background and wave sheepishly from afar while they throw money at me. A girl can dream, right? But when you agree to do a show, you should promote it - it's good for you, good for the show.

Therefore, I urge everyone to come out to Unique L.A. May 2 and 3rd. Not only will you be supporting local indie artists, but you will also get to enjoy being out in beautiful downtown Los Angeles. What. A. Treat. But I won't have cupcakes. Sorry.

The entrance fee is $5 with 50% going to charity. It is a two day event Saturday from 11-7 and Sunday from 11-5 at the California Market.

Here's a write up by the L.A. Times (where I even get a mention!). Come by and say hello - especially if you read the blog. It's always nice to know who's reading! But not if you're creepy...

110 E. 9th St., Los Angeles. (323) 644-5516. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Credit cards accepted by some vendors. Discounted parking available at California Market Center. www.uniquelosangeles.com

I'm your huckleberry

I've got to tell you. I miss architecture. I know the economy is bad and everyone is suffering, but I've been working in the field since I was 16 years old. It's hard for me to not be doing it anymore. Luckily (?) I still have design opportunities coming my way....

When O.G. calls at 9pm you know it's got to be for some crazy shiz. This time around she wanted me to (wait for it)...design her tombstone. I have come to expect these things so I wasn't phased when she asked, but what DID throw me was that she wanted me to take her to a place that sells tombstones...out of their living room. After a rather loud "HELL NO I am NOT taking you to 'CHIBBY'S HOUSE OF DEATH' or whatever," did she then come to her senses and decide to go to a morturary to pick one out. (Like a normal person.)

The funny thing is, turns out I am really good at designing gravestones. It's about picking fonts (which I do) and picking stone - which was part of my job for years. I was shocked at some of the crazy a$$ stuff you could get on your tombstone. When the funeral director walked away - I quickly took a picture of this:Yes. Yes you can get donkeys engraved on your tombstone.

O.G. promised me tacos after this whole tombstone design meeting and after an HOUR and half of working it out, she got what she wanted - the tombstone of her dreams, if you will. I asked the funeral director if I could fill in O.G.'s date of death now - to avoid the fee later. O.G. agreed this would be a great money saver. Luckily the funeral director had a sense of humor, (specifically our family's sense of humor) but said NO. I told O.G. I'd just go out there with a Sharpie and call it a day.

Like a supportive grandmother, O.G. whispered to me to ask the funeral director for a job designing tombstones. I told her that'd be a bad idea because I'd just put donkeys on every single one, regardless of what the client wanted. And with that, we were off to get tacos...

Cream, get on top

When I was a kid I remember eating Ice Cream Jello. I forgot about it since then, til I saw a post by the Food Librarian and it all came back to me.

The thing is, it takes half a container of ice cream. Now I say container because I don't know if you realize...but we are being quietly and slowly taken advantage of. It was O.G. who first pointed out to me that cereal boxes are smaller. Cans have less ounces in them. She said it was a conspiracy and I agreed that it was a conspiracy of her trying to drive me insane with her conspiracy theories.Turns out she was right, and if you look closely at what used to be a 'half gallon' of ice cream, the size is now 1.5 quarts. (Two quarts make a half gallon, genius.) So, yes indeed, we are being screwed.

But nevermind the X-files of ice cream - back to the Jello recipe. As a kid, I seem to remember eating a green version and maybe an orange. But since I am stubborn about color-coordinating, I knew it would be the perfect thing to serve for my red/blue colored party. The magical separation from creamy to jello is what makes this look like a lot of work, but the recipe is so simple it's reedickulous. While the Broken Glass Jello and Layered Jello are gorgeous, this is pretty too in it's own way, and oh so tasty.

Try it out. It's fun to serve and people are always stunned by the name, "There's...ice cream in here?!?" Nah, it's just a conspiracy theory...

Ice Cream Jello recipe, here.

Where's the party, I want to free my soul,where's the party, I want to lose control

I would say the shower was a success. Everyone seemed to have a good time and loved the food. Luckily I had a lot of help and encouragement around because I ended up making well over 100 cupcakes. The mom2be was happy, the family and guests were happy - everything went smoothly thank goodness.

Here's a list of everything on the menu, for the this mid-afternoon of sweets and treats...

• Cheese and crackers
• vegetables and dip
• fruit
• bocconcini + tomato skewers
• cereal + milk bar
• ice cream jell-o
• Red Velvet cupcakes with Mascarpone frosting
• Chocolate Ganache cupcakes with Vanilla Sea Salt
• Brown Sugar cupcakes with Cinnamon Vanilla Buttercream ('Babies')
  
• White Velvet cupcakes with Mascarpone + Dried Pineapple Flowers

I'm not crazy. I didn't go in there full throttle without testing those recipes first. I invited the mom2be's family over the day before and made them taste 8 different flavors of cupcakes that I had made. The mom said she had a good time and that I should charge people to come over and taste test. That'd be hilarious. 'HERE. EAT THIS.'

Of all the cupcakes at the party, the red velvet went in about 10 seconds, so that was the clear winner right there. Everything went as planned, I think a lot of it had to do with my habit of sketching EVERYTHING. How I want the food to look, the tables, the layout, all of it. It really helped things run smoothly. I draw a lot of pictures of food. Yeah, I'm weird.

There were no migraines, stresses or spur of the moment nightmares. I even painted a few baby shirts for a last minute decoration - 30 minutes before the shower, so I guess that means I'm getting the hang of this gig. Most of all, I had a lot of fun planning it all.

This shower ended up being way too easy to do. This can't be good for my future, given my habit of overdoing things. Luckily no one else is asking for my party throwing services...yet.
Click here for more shower pictures...

And now the important stuff, the winner!
By random integer generator, congrats...Heidi!
And since I had an extra gumball machine, I pullled one name for a second place prize...Gerta! Email me with your addresses! Congrats and thanks as always (to everyone!), for reading!

~GIVEAWAY!~

This weekend is the baby shower. Which means from now til then, I will be in a baking frenzy. I'm sitting here looking at my menu and on the agenda is 24 cupcakes, 24 mini cupcakes, 24 more cupcakes, 1 batch of cookies, 2 batches of Jello, and that's just the dessert.

So, I'll be a bit busy from now til Sunday, and I am going to give you the chance to win the party favor. It's a little mini blue gumball machine, is that the cutest or what? Anything mini is to die for. It is color coordinated to the shower invite, OF COURSE - since I am the queen of coordination. The party guests also get a set of personalized stationery which will act as placecards so they'll know where they are seated. Now you can win the favor AND a big stash of justJENN designs stationery on top of it! That's a big prize. You'll have writer's cramp for years.

I've planned out my baking schedule pretty well, so I don't think I'll be going crazy (I'm just using this as an excuse not to blog). In the meantime, just leave a comment on this post, the contest ends Sunday the 26th. I'll be busy til then...frosting cupcakes til my arms fall off. Good luck!

Jack: What?! Where do you invest your money, Lemon?Liz: I've got like twelve grand in checking.Jack: Are you an immigrant?

For those of your hanging in there...I'm having a giveaway tomorrow. Shh.

Lately, life has been a series of highs and lows. There is still a problem and I still have not gotten one single unemployment check. For those keeping score at home, my income is still zero. My intention is not to live off of the government, however - as I'm sure you know, the job market is at a steady....dead. In it's tracks dead. And all my efforts to find a job have lead nowhere.

To kill time, I've been going out to cheap lunches with...other people who have been laid off. (Always at Bluebird for some reason! What gives?) When I see that all these intelligent, well qualified people can't find work either, I have to say I don't feel like such a sad sack.Whenever I go meet up with people I like to bring baked goods, of course. At least baking is keeping me busy. In my last 'hey we don't have jobs let's go sip iced tea for two hours' meet-up, I made something lemon-y, surprise, surprise. Only I made these with olive oil. I have been wanting to make cake with olive oil for some time now, and the abundance of lemons gave me the perfect opportunity because the combination is terrific.

I should spin my virtual rolodex of fellow lay-off-ees, and then spin a separate one of my recipes. Then I'd have the perfect combo, and a filled social calendar.

Lemon Olive Oil Teacakes recipe

You son of a motherless goat

When I had my kids I was so excited that I'd get a holiday of my very own, Mother's Day. Turns out it's a total crock. No one cares! You have to plan your own brunch and buy your own gifts. Ok. Maybe that's just my lame family. Then again, these heathens hate Easter.

That's why I say, forget Mother's Day and think of it as a day for yourself. Whether or not you have kids, do something that makes YOU happy. Go somewhere that makes YOU happy. Buy something just for YOU. Everyone deserves a day just for them.

Here are some products from the shop, all of which would make great Mother's Day YOUR Day gifts, because personalized gifts make everyone feel a little more special.



Heart cards - availiable in two colors - a pack of 10 for $12

Signature flat cards - pack of 8 for $8

Cupcake gift set - one cupcake holder, pack of 8 cards for $12

If you want to take initiative, Mother's Day is May 10th. Ideally, I'd like to spend 'my day' eating black and white cookies, getting a massage, and taking a nap. Most likely I'll be washing dishes, wiping someone's butt and scarfing down cookies at 10pm. So, it won't be Mother's Day, it'll be more like...Sunday.

It's like a heatwave, burning in my heart

I'm hot. Are you hot? Seriously, I'm hot.

I don't know where you live, but here - the sun has blazed up to 80 degrees and rising...and it's only 7am. Yikes. I live by the beach so I can't even imagine how insufferable it must have been inland.

As part of my own personal Iron Chef: Battle Lemons, I knew that something cold would be in order. I am a big fan of lemon sorbet. It's just the right amount of sweet for the perfect after dinner dessert.

Since I've also been experimenting with recipes a bit for an upcoming shower, I have a lot of pineapple lying around - so for the heck of it, I made some pineapple+lemon sorbet. Wow was it good. Very clean and refreshing.

Really easy, just lemons, pineapple and simple syrup. Great for these crazy hot days. It's not just me - it's hot, right?

Lemon + Pineapple Sorbet recipe

Lemon, OUT!

I hate taking pictures of my food. I am not good at it and more importantly, I don't care. But I hate putting posts up without pictures, because who wants to hear me babble on, really. If I could hire someone to take pictures of my food, wash my dishes and fix my computer all for the fee of being well fed - that would be my dream craigslist ad - though not in the personals, gross.

Whereas The Food Librarian takes great pics and her baking always looks deliciously perfect. She recently gifted me with a Ginormica bag of meyer lemons. I love lemons, but there were so many in there, I knew that using them up would be a huge task.I immediately consulted (and discarded) the L.A. Times '100 things to do with meyer lemons' article. 'Throw one at your dog'? Come on. The lemons were very ripe so I had to work fast. So over two days I made the following:

Meyer Lemon+Olive Oil Teacakes
Lemon Coke
Lemon Zest French Fries
Lemon Brown Butter Roughy
Lemon Spaghetti
Lemon Syrup Loaf Cake
Meyer Lemon+Pineapple Sorbet

Whew. It was my own version of Iron Chef: Battle Lemons up in here. Note to friends: Do NOT gift me with a giant a$$ bag of seasonal fruit, unless you want to see me go insane trying to think of ways to use it up before it spoils. Oh no...is apple season coming up?!?

Lemon Coke recipe
Lemon Zest French Fries recipe
(more recipes to come)

I've placed information vital to the survival of the rebellion into the memory systems of this R2 unit.

When I went to the bathroom, the Kid had assembled the Rebel Scouts to surround my root beer. Sheesh, you walk away for a second...

Tall. Beets.

Oh, this was a good episode. I always like when Michael turns out NOT to be a bumbling fool after all. Well. Kind of.

I wonder how long they practiced that cheeseball throwing - it was pretty impressive. I wish they threw GIANT cheeseballs at each other though. That'd hurt like a mutha.

Back when we visited the set of The Office, the guy who was so kind to invite us was editor, Dave Rogers. Here's a clip of him and Angela, you HAVE to hear her do the 'rewind girl' voice. It's classic.

Do you wanna see a magic trick?

Seems like every other mother lets their kids watch whatever they want on tv, I guess I'm a bad mom in that I don't let my kids watch much. Their friends are really into Star Wars and superheroes, and while my kids have the toys - they've never...seen the shows. Ha. Kinda sad.

Still the Kid's active imagination drew this picture of the Justice League, which cracked my ass up. See on the bottom there's Robin, then Superman, then Batman. Above him is Flash, Wonder Woman - but then who the hell is the dude dressed in brown on the top left? I don't know, but I'll ask the Kid.

The Baby in particular is obsessed with all superheroes, Wolverine and Robin (What) are his favorites, but Batman has a special place in his heart. So it was inevitable that the Baby ask me to make 'Batman cookies.' There are many ways I could have gone about doing this, but since I was in the mood to make some durable, mail-able cookies I made cut-outs. And I just so happen to have found the perfect bat shaped cutter in my stash.

These cookies are subtle and chocolatel-y and chocolate ganache filling is really easy to make and added to the flavor.

I suppose the next step is allow them to actually watch the shows. I guess at least they aren't asking me to watch Reservoir Dogs...yet.Bat-wich cookies with chocolate ganache filling, recipe.

Head like a hole

I used to get really bad migraines - insanely bad - about 3 times a week. But in some odd coincidence, I haven't gotten one in a month! Hm...? Being jobless and stress free has it's benefits.

Then Monday night, I met a friend for a nice dinner, but when I got home, I developed a migraine so bad, I actually passed out. Thank god the kids were asleep and my inlaws were here or I don't know what I'd do. When I woke up, I took Excedrin Migraine which only lead to FOUR HOURS of vomiting - HOWEVER, the migraine went away so...yay? Good lord.

I know it was from stresses earlier in the day and not the dinner, but man, it felt as if that one migraine had made up for a month without one. So far the only thing that's been working for me is drinking tons of ice cold green tea. I'm sure like all the other things I've tried, it's magic will wear off soon, but for now...I've stocked up.

An end to the tears and the in-between years and the troubles I've seen

It's a well known fact that I am obsessed with cleaning. Even when I worked I scrubbed my kitchen floor 3 times a day and vaccuumed everyday. Now, staying home all day has only deepened that obsession and now it's taking over my life. I have nothing better to do than sit here all day and inspect every little piece of dirt or pile of clutter and freak out. I can't let it go.

This week's OCD Special is my kitchen countertop. The first owner of this house was a bachelor. He never cooked. EVER. The kitchen was pristine of course, since he never used it, but because of that - when the house was built he went cheap and did tile countertops. As a designer let me tell you - only a moron would install tile countertops. Even if you seal it, the grout is inevitably going to pick up each and every little stain you can imagine. Thus begins my nightmare.

I've tried everything to get those stains out and nothing worked. I had heard that a weird combination of Cream of Tartar and lemon juice scrubbed with a toothbrush would work. Sounded more like I was going to make meringues, but I was ready to try anything. Amazingly - it was like a miracle! I tried real lemon and fake lemon juice and both worked wonders.

With that problem solved I can focus my clean obsession on other things. Like the dirt over my door frames. I know I'm crazy. You don't have to tell me twice. Do I see every speck of dirt at your house when you invite me over? YES. I. DO. Luckily I can leave and not deal with it, but believe me, I see it. Does it drive me crazy? Yes, because I have mental problems. Hello, I spend hours scrubbing at the counter top with a freakin' toothbrush. Someone call clean-aholics anonymous. I need help.

"Oh, Kent, that is so unfair! And we were going to make you King of the Winter Carnival. "

Well, Easter was Easter. O.G. planned an extensive egg hunt at her house for my kids. It started at 10am. They were done by 10:02. So, yeah. That was worth the drive over.

Later in the day we had dinner at my house and there was tons of food, but who cares dessert is all that matters. Nothing says Easter like ice cold ice cream right? Ok, maybe not, but I was not in the mood for a jello mold or a cake shaped like a rabbit. A while back I was dying for some Girl Scout cookies - see there was a reason to my madness - I wanted to make ice cream, specifically - Thin Mint ice cream.

I had a vision - what if I use that as a topper to a cupcake and make it a Thin Mint Ice Cream Cupcake? (insert oohs and aahs here) And then I thought instead of frosting the ice cream cupcake like I usually do, what if I poured on chocolate Magic Shell to top it off? Oh. Yeah. It turned out to be everything that I imagined in my head. Freakin' delicious.

Luckily everyone else agreed and the cupcakes were goners. Thank you Girl Scouts, for making my ice cream dreams come true.

Thin Mint Ice Cream Cupcakes, recipe

Hippity hoppity

It's a good thing I have kids, 'cause I'd probably just do these things for fun only to amuse myself, and that would just be...weird. Right?

Nah. Who doesn't love shaped pancakes?! I probably enjoy them because I remember my mom standing over the stove on a Sunday morning making fun shapes for breakfast. It certainly gets your kids more interested in eating.

I made these bunnies in honor of Easter of course. We don't really have an Easter bunny per se, more like O.G. throws the eggs out on the lawn and says, "GO."

The Kid was THRILLED to see these bunny pancakes on the breakfast table. The Baby could care less what shape they were, he just wanted to eat. Ok fine, next year - Easter blobs it is.

Cinnamon Vanilla pancakes recipe and bunny shape how-to, here.

Picnic in the park

Back to work, shoe bitch!

These two Office eps were the best in a long long time. I can't wait to see how far Michael Scott Paper Company goes, and the dynamic between Michael and Pam was really nice to watch. Ryan? Eh. Although I could have done with less Andy+Dwight, I didn't want the episodes to end.

All this office talk, and I have to tell you... IT WORKED.

Right after I sent out some good karma, things started falling into place. The next day I got a call for a consulting gig, granted it was only a week's worth of work - last week to be exact, so as quickly as it started, I am finished. It doesn't matter though, it paid well and it was something, which is all I needed to feel like things were falling back into place.

Then the next day my unemployment came through. Thank goodness I pursued it to see what was wrong, turned out it was a glitch on the government's side. Whew. That was a lesson in checking thoroughly.

Then I found out I get to be a vendor for Unique L.A. in May! All the coolest indie crafters/vendors from L.A. will be there. I can't wait.

Things are looking up. Time to send out more packages...

The fellas out there tryin' to make that dollah, I pulled up in my six fo' Impala

It's true. I've been following the Kogi BBQ truck...in my mind. If you don't know what Kogi is, you are missing out. They are the biggest thing since...since Korean tacos. Working out of your typical L.A. taco truck, they turn out delicious takes on tacos - short rib tacos, spicy chicken tacos, spicy pork tacos, all with a Korean flair.

I just haven't had the time to track it down and get it. Now it's a little late. They are so popular they've added trucks, have been all over the newspapers, internet, television it's a phenomenon. People line up for hours and some don't even get served. Is it worth it?
I finally got some, and after a 2 hour wait - WOW was it good. The flavors are amazing, it's another one of those - 'why didn't I think of that?' Tacos are a staple in our house, I eat Mexican at least 3 times a week, so I know tacos. And I think you really taste the authenticity in these Kogi tacos. They aren't trying to be different or nouveau, they are just trying to make something that combines great tastes, and they've succeeded.

I had a bite of each of the three, and had a taste of the short rib breakfast burrito. The surprise was, as much as I ADORE kalbi short ribs, the spicy pork was the winner for me. I also thought the burrito was fantastic.One downfall of the two hour wait, some dude jumped the line right in front of me and didn't wait at all. I saw it, I didn't complain (getting into fights over tacos, not my thang) - but I sure as hell wasn't happy about it. But man, were those tacos good. Yes, the 2 hour wait is off putting, but I have to say - it was worth it. Instead of chasing the truck all over town, I may try to attempt my own at home, after all I make short ribs on the regular. But still, there's something nice about eating off the back of a taco truck. Maybe it's just an L.A. thing.

There's a bluebird on my shoulder

Easter means Peeps. You are barraged by them in the stores months before the actual holiday, and as much as I try not to buy them, they are so cute I always get one box. I don't even care for them, which is weird since I love marshmallow. Maybe it's the nightmarish colors that make them hard to choke down.

But I do like to make cupcakes with them every Easter. Last year the kids asked for yellow, but when I saw the blue-birds this year, I knew I wanted to make nests.

I have experience dying all that green coconut, you know, so a nest was easy. But I didn't know what kind of cupcake I wanted. Turned out brown sugar was just the thing. They were so tasty they didn't even need frosting. Well. Everything is better with frosting, but still, these were pretty darn tasty. And the smell when they were baking, wow. Nothing like cooking brown sugar to fill your house with warmth.With the brown sugar cupcake I just made a simple vanilla buttercream. With that big 'ol sugary peep on top, I didn't think it needed anything more special to stick, than that. Then, I made the kids a little "Peeps mise en place" so that they could make their own. The kids were thrilled to help make 'birdie nests' but eating the actual coconut, that was a big NO. 'BLECH' I think was the technical term.So after we made these yesterday, today we just got back from the dentist who gave strict orders that the kids are not allowed to eat anything sugary-sticky. Uh...yeah, about that...

Brown Sugar Cupcakes recipe

She's my cherry pie

This past weekend was the Cherry Blossom Festival in Little Tokyo. Frankly, there are no cherry blossom trees downtown, but don't let that stop you from having a good time.

I've got to say, I have a few issues with this festival. The food vendors, NOT great. Come on, there should be some good options for Japanese food and tons of them. How about a whole area of local restaurants selling their food to bring more business in? There are amazing restaurants in Little Tokyo that people should know about. This is their opportunity to shine.The kids crafts area was fabulous. 'Course they made me pay a $1, but that's forgivable since it was good for ALL DAY. So of course I made the kids do every single craft. Or 'MAKIN' CRAPS' as the Baby says. There were lots of them and I got some great ideas for us to do at home as well.

The fair was kind of broken up into pieces, planning wise - despite all the maps they gave out, I don't think people really knew that there was a whole back area by the Temporary MoCA. The performances were awesome, hula, taiko and hey there's newscaster Ted Chen (he's not Japanese....at the Japanese festival...but who cares, I guess...?)
We also visited the JA Museum, which was having an exhibit of art that people had drawn in the concentration camps. I think it's weird to go there with O.G. since she was in the camp. I can't imagine what she feels when she sees all that stuff, even pictures of herself. I just kind of let her walk around alone. It's just...weird.
And of course we had mochi. Lots of it. We were only there a few hours but I was 'zausted, as were the kids. Despite the hiccups I think it was a good festival overall. It certainly brought people downtown, which I think is fantastic.

More pictures, here.

Silly wabbit

EASTER IS COMING. Why does this holiday always sneak up on me, I don't get it. Maybe because...I don't care. Easter, schmeester. Easter always seems to suck for us. But it is coming and everytime there is a holiday I like to do something fun with the kids.

I remember seeing these bunnies online and thought how easy it'd be to do. I mean, all you need is envelopes?? Man, I've got envelopes for days.

All you do is seal up an envelope, trace out a bunny head, flip it over and cut it out.Then I just used a hole punch for the eyes and a heart punch for the nose. You can cut these out by hand of course, but punches sure make life easier. Especially since the kids were doing it themselves. Then cut out cute little pink ears.
It's all so simple! AND the best part, since you've actually cut an envelope, it magically turns itself into a little pocket holder, perfect for candy. The kids had fun making these. Well. The Kid did, the Baby just gave up and said he'd rather go eat cereal. But the Kid, he couldn't get enough.

Now we are ready for Easter. Absolutely totally ready. Wait. I have no eggs. MAN. Easter, schmeester.

Hello. Is it me you're looking for?

Two things that you'll find quite a bit of in my house, Hello Kitty and Wolverine. Hello Kitty we can all understand, come on. After all I was a child of the 70s and later I worked in a Sanrio store for years. I have a substantial amount of Hello Kitty things. Ice cube trays, toothbrushes, muffin cups...a toaster and a waffle maker. Wait, do I have a problem?

What I love about Hello Kitty is the genius in the simplicity of design. The colors are flat, the lines are simple, and it's easily recognizable and loved. It's brilliant.

The Wolverine thing? Well, my brother liked Wolverine as a child, and somehow I inherited some of his crap. This is my standing explanation for the garish Wolverine pillow that is on my nice chaise lounge. Just so happens, the Baby LOVES Wolverine too. Odd, since I don't really let him watch that much television, therefore he's never even seen Wolverine in action. But he does have dolls, and shirts and figures. He adores Wolverine so much that he made up this song:

"Wolverine, Wolverine. You're so much stronger than Spider-man."

Sung to the Spider-man theme, of course. As you can see, both Wolverine and Hello Kitty are big around here. So when I was asked to draw a picture of Hello Kitty dressed as Wolverine, well...it was second nature, frankly. And that's pretty embarrassing to admit.So here she is in all her glory, in this strip for The Rack. I could do a whole series of her, I don't know what she'd do besides picnic and gather flowers dressed like that. Then again that'd be awesome.

Big deal

I don't usually shop at Albertons but when I saw that they were having an 8 hour sale on Cheetos, I rushed right over. My FIL is coming next week and the man survives on Cheetos, for some reason. So to make him feel at home, I always buy him a bag...or four.

But this 8 hour sale, it was madness. Large bags of Cheetos were marked down to 99 cents and people - who must worship the orange stuff - were going insane. So I elbowed my way in and what did I see? A bag that said, "GIANT" Cheetos. What.

I am not going to lie, I had high hopes that I'd open this thing and there'd just be ONE giant ass Cheeto in the bag. Unfortunately they are like the size of marshmallows and while fun to look at, almost impossible to eat.I don't really let the kids eat chips, so when they saw these they begged me for one. After the one, they never asked for another. It was not fun to try and choke down a giant scratchy Cheeto with orange residue filling up your lungs.

Still, I think they are hilarious. I want am going to go back to get my FIL his own bag, but unfortunately I'll have to pay full price since the sale is over. Lucky for me, the kids now have no interest in chips after this mutant Cheeto incident.

Tempted by the fruit of another, tempted but the truth is discovered

When you have kids I think you have to become selfless. It's no longer about you, you, you. The kids come first. You need to change your lifestyle - sacrifice things, so that they are safe. You know, like late night partying, gang affiliations...peanut butter.

I have been wanting to make peanut butter cookies for some time, but that's not an easy process around here. I need to make sure the kids aren't around, and wash the utensils really well. Allergies are a bitch.So I've been saving this jar of peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co. for something special. Their company is NOT a part of the peanut butter recall, thank goodness, but I've just been staring at it, saving it. This is some high end stuff because when I took a Martha Stewart recipe for cookies and used this peanut butter? It completely changed it.

First of all the peanut butter has chunks of peanuts, which packs a little more punch. Also the consistency of the peanut butter is more...buttery, which makes the cookie almost melt in your mouth. It also makes it really dark...almost tan. Like the George Hamilton of cookies. Or something.
I am interested in seeing what will happen if I use my regular old everyday peanut butter next time. The recipe also said to use coarsely chopped chocolate, but that would have sorta melted into the cookie and I didn't want that. I wanted chips, big flavorful chunky ones and lots of 'em.

This cookie only furthered my adoration of peanuts. I'd like to make and eat more peanut butter things, but it's like playing with fire up in here. I feel like a drug addict or something, having to hide these potentially deadly cookies and things from the kids. "Mom, why are in the the corner...what are you eating?" "NOTHING. DON'T LOOK AT ME. GO AWAY." God I would kill for some peanut brittle right now. Mama needs her fix.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies recipe