My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every baker needs a go chocolate chip cookie recipe. One that they have really got nailed and works every time.

 

 

To me the perfect CCC or triple C is perfectly soft and chewy. But also very thick. Girth (cookie girth) is important to me.

I don’t have time to put the full recipe up today (I’ve been crazed with school starting). But I will let you in on the secret ingredient. Two TSPs of corn starch. Supposedly corn starch keeps cookies fluffy instead of thin. I read about this little tip and have never looked back. Definitely the best CCC I’ve ever made so why mess with a good thing.

These particular cookies are chocolate chip, butterscotch chip and Nutella white chocolate chip. All made with the same cookie base but with random mix ins added. This cookie works with whatever mix ins your stomach/sweet tooth desires so go wild.

 

 

Philadelphia Part Three: [the best part] Food

Deviled eggs at Percy Street Barbecue. My dad can’t stay away clearly.

Most amazing ribs at Percy Street Barbecue

Rueben at Reading Terminal Market.

Stuffed squash blossoms at Barbuzzo.

The famous budino at Barbuzzo.

Meat platter at Barnes Foundation.

Chocolate mousse at Barnes Foundation.

Shake shack.

Afternoon tea at Rittenhouse Hotel.

Philadelphia Part Two: The Magic Gardens

The Magic Gardens is quirky in the best sense of the word. I love that the artist, Isaiah Zagar,  makes art incredibly assessable to the common viewer.

My favorite quote sprinkled on the walls of the mosaic read “imagery that refuses to stabilize.” I think that pretty much sums up the entire experience here.

I also love that Mr. Zagar created the “gardens” in a lot that didn’t belong to him. I’d like to think that I would be pleasantly surprised if that work of art showed up in my lot! What would you think?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia: part 1

I’m really considering changing the name of this blog to Philly the place to be/coolest city on the planet. I always have so much fun when I visit (only twice…) and look forward to more travels there in the future. I really think I’d like to move there, although I haven’t been mugged/jumped there yet like many residence so I have a pretty romanticized view of it. Also because of the BYOB I rotate between hungover and drunk all day which leads me to believe I might not have the most accurate view of it… (you can read more about my obsession with BYOBs here).

I had amazing food, drinks and learned a lot. Turns out that since I am an international affairs major I don’t know too much about American history… I took the online test to become a citizen and let me just say it is a good thing I am already living here. I need to make more of an effort to learn American history apparently. Although when I took the test I was also drinking so I’m going to go ahead and blame it on the wine.

If you haven’t visited Philly, I really encourage you to! It has such a great local culture, budding food scene and fascinating history.

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Independence hall.

Liberty Bell.

Learnin’ history with my papa.

Graffiti Bar.

Boozy shakes at Capogiro. Had to try them because of all the research I did for my article on alcoholic milk shakes for Scoutmob.

Band at Farmer’s Cabinet.

Barnes Foundation with mama.

My new favorite coffee La Colombe.

The Little Things: Best of the Summer

This summer has been a great one and I have so many memories in both Denver and DC. So in this post I will appreciate the little things throughout the summer that made me happy. Like going to Whole Foods on free sample day. I wish I had photographic evidence of that because it basically made my whole week… Pathetic? Oh well, I can’t deny my love of free food.. especially Whole Foods guacamole.

Anyways!

Little brother graduating.

The six types of Rice Krispy treats I made for his party… now that is love.

Wiz Khalifa concert for my birthday present… which Rick Ross actually headlined to our surprice. Gotta love Ricky Rozay- am I right?

Making homemade pasta with my mama for her birthday celebration (otherwise know as the Queen’s jubilee).

Countless dinners out with my perfectly tiny parents. (Literally isn’t she the cutest?!)

Visiting my love in SL, UT. Notice the expensive alcohol in the background. He really goes all out when I’m visiting… what a thoughtful guy… oh wait it was an eight dollar handle.

Discovering all of Denver’s finest happy hours with this beauty. In the massive truck behind us. Yup we drove to each happy hour in that stunning piece of machinery. Just kidding.

Avicii at Red Rocks. We really nailed that hippy chic look down.. notice the headband… and braids….

Father’s day restaurant hopping. Because if you’re going to go out to eat, why stop at just one restaurant? Ultimate binge day.

Fourth of July in our nation’s capital.

Lounging by the pool. The best part of this day was definitely the glorious Middle Eastern feast, not pictured because I actually inhaled it. Remember my love for free food? Well this was the ultimate and in the setting far finer than Whole Foods.

My tiniest little visits!

Painting pottery with the boyfriend when he visited. Only way I got him to do it was because it is BYOB. And he painted a shot glass. So with all the drank involved it was masculine enough. Anyways it’s one of my favorite pictures 🙂

Can’t stop…

Finding more pictures I like. I mean we took about 479896980. So here are a few more of my model friend Calvin. I’m thinking about actually changing the name of this blog to Calvin: Memoirs of a Gaysian (Documented by life partner Monica Smith). It’s kind of a long title so I’m working on editing it down.

 

 

 

 

 

DC Chillin: A memorial walk

I am leaving DC for a week to go to Philadelphia with my family on Wednesday. The summer has gone by so fast I can’t believe I am going to Philly and then coming back to the real world of school.

Before going back to school my best friend Calvin (remember the ethnic one from the last post) and I decided to do a memorial walk at Sunset. This obviously turned into a bit of a photo shoot with my new camera and all. Something as simple as taking out the trash turns into a photo shoot because even that looks abstract/interesting/beautifully- grotesque through that lens.

 

Roof Top Grilling

This last week we have been grilling on my friend Jackie’s rooftop, nonstop. The views are beautiful and the humidity subsides during the evening making it perfectly pleasant. We sit up there for hours sipping sweet, super cheap wine (shout out to Barefoot Moscato) while Jackie grills us delicious ribs, chicken breasts, fish filets and more. What a treat!

Ultimate grill master Jackie, and my best (asian) friend, Calvin. Not my real best friend, just my best asian friend. Just kidding.

 

 

Grilled citrus salmon. So deliciously sweet and nicely grilled on these fancy-pants wooden planks.

 

 

Grilled chicken from a foreign dude who challenged Jackie to a grill off. She won. Obviously.

 

 

Barbecue ribs. So much better than FD’s (foreign dude) chicken. I mean come on look at it, we had to win that grill off. Like even the ribs win the picture-off against the chicken.

 

 

Jackie’s mango salsa. Which I shamelessly ate by the spoon-full. I didn’t even use chips, because they took away from the salsa. So I ditched the chips and just wait straight for the sauce. Luckily I had enough self control to resist ditching the utensils and eating it hand to face.

 

Great night grilling with beautiful friends in our beautiful city! Thanks for being such a great chef Jackie, while Cal and I lounge around and get our wine on.

New Camera and Banana Cheesecake

So two days ago I got a brand new camera. A Nikon D3100. And let me just say… I’m completely obsessed with it.

I think it is so sexy and sleek and powerful all at once. Right now it is my one true love (sorry, boyfriend). It makes me wonder why I’ve ever had a different camera. Not that my lime green point-n-shoot camera from eight grade isn’t great and all. Just now with this camera I feel like the love child of Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz (went too fair with that one didn’t I?)

Getting sick of my obsession already? I’m sure it will subside… maybe not immediately though.

Unfortunately I haven’t exactly mastered how to use it yet, although I’m really workin’ on it. So if anyone has any tips please holler.

Desserts photographed with my new camera!

 

So yesterday I made banana cheesecake bars topped with chocolate and butterscotch mousse. The flavors are amazing, I have to admit I can’t keep my hands away from them.

I needed something to do with left over bananas and I’m sick of the usual banana bread. And obviously I wanted to make a bar, big surprise am I right. I love making cheesecake because it is the one dessert my sugar-hating-boyfriend will actually eat. And flavored cheesecakes will impress the people you share it with, without much extra effort on your part (can I get a hell yes?)

I think the recipe is relatively easy, and very forgiving so give it a try if you need to use up some bananas.

 

Banana cheesecake with Oreo crust and butterscotch and chocolate mousse

 

 

 

Oreo Crust

1 package of Oreos, crushed

6 TBS butter

1/3 cup sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 in X 13 in pan with foil and spray with oil. Combine the ingredients until small crumbs form together. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

 

Banana Cheesecake

2 8oz packages of cream cheese

2 TSP vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar

1 TBS flour

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 heavy whipping cream

 

Set the oven to 325 degrees. Cream the cream cheese with an electric beater until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla and cream for five minutes, continuously stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the banana and flour, beating heavily until smooth. Add each egg one at a time and mix until combined. Add butter milk and whipping cream and beat until incorporated. Pour mixture on top of the crust and bake for 35- 45 minutes or until sides of cheesecake begin to brown. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours or over night.

 

Chocolate and Butterscotch Mousse

1/2 package butterscotch pudding

1/2 package chocolate pudding

2 cups milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

 

Make half each package of pudding according to packaged directions and let chill in refrigerator. Meanwhile, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Split the cream evenly between the bowl of butterscotch pudding and the bowl of chocolate pudding. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Spread the chocolate mousse over the chilled cheesecake. Spoon dollops of the butterscotch pudding on to the chocolate mouse and marble with a knife.

Keep in the fridge until serving. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Things

This week was filled with lots of big changes, so I’m not sure this title can even be applicable.

This is my last week in DC before I visit Philadelphia with my parents, and return in time for early move in. I’m so excited to see my family so soon, and explore my favorite city with them. And I can’t wait to be reunited with my sorority sisters and lovely boyfriend when school starts.

However I’m feeling a little ambivalent about summer ending, as most people are I’m sure. I have loved getting to know DC without the pressure of school. I never get the chance to eat at all the restaurants I want to try and walk around the different neighborhoods of DC. This summer has given me such a great opportunity to become really familiar with the city I’ve lived in for two years already.

I definitely plan on making more time to go to different restaurants/ bars/ neighborhoods and continue exploring everything DC has to offer.

Anyways! These are all the little things that made this a great last week in [summer] DC.

 

 

Only my favorite restaurant in the world at 2 a.m.

 

Rooftop grilling with some of my best friends on a clear evening.

 

 

The spontaneous gorgeous murals in Adams Morgan.

 

I love that you can almost always see the Washington Monument wherever you are in the city.

 

Two of my sorority sisters visited and I had such a great time going out with my favorite people.

 

 

Mango popsicles on a hot, humid DC day.

 

 

Healthy breakfast omelet with sharp cheddar, sweet corn and caramelized onions.