Carnival Cookies!

Yup. That is popcorn you see up there.

I don’t quite know what to think about these cookies. They are from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Everyday. I was really excited to make them because although there’s no dairy or added sugar, (or even eggs!) there is popcorn, chocolate chips and peanuts in the dough! There wasn’t a picture for this recipe, so I had no idea what these little guys would even look like.

Turns out they look like macaroons, but taste, well, rather odd. Not bad, but I wasn’t scarfing them down either. I had to make some substitutions (quinoa puffs instead of oats), but I think the flavour that throws me off are the bananas. There are 3 mashed bananas in a recipe with few ingredients that only makes 24 small cookies. I found the flavour of them overpowering and incompatible with the popcorn. The popcorn gets a little soft in the cookies, kind of like marshmallows.

I would like to make these again, but I think I will use add-ins that work with banana bread: walnuts, chocolate, coconut etc. Made with healthier options, they would make a great and quick breakfast snack – or maybe even a granola bar.

Reading and watching: Marcel the Shell!

Marcel Shell with Shoes on is a charming & oddball video that first came out last year (see the first one here). I was so excited to hear that a second video has been released.  Did you know there is also a book of Marcel? I came across it in the shelves at work the other day and immediatly raced around to try to find a co-worker to share the wonderful event that was a surprise Marcel discovery. Sadly, no one else knew about the video and looked mystified at 1). my increasingly higher pitch and 2). my general excitment. The illustrations are paintings and I love how the font seems to perfectly capture Marcel’s voice.

So check out the new Marcel video and then go find the book!

A few faves from NYC

Oh Marilyn!

“If you’re gonna be two-faced at least make one of them pretty.”

I am cautiously excited about this: Michelle Williams is starring in a new movie about Marilyn Monroe! It makes me want to watch Some Like It Hot.

 

Image from Jezebel

10 Minute Tidy

I have recently started doing a 10 Minute Tidy each day. As the resident “Messy Person”, in my relationship, I try to make an effort. It’s just that the amount of mess I make tends to exponentially outpace my amount of cleaning.  Picking one room, or one pile of clothes and cleaning for only 10 minutes a day feels a lot more managable .

And wouldn’t Mary Poppins be an awesome Halloween costume?  The question then becomes, where do you get an umbrella with a bird on the end?

This made my heart so happy

Judging by the numbers on Youtube I am late to the party on this one, but it was a lovely surprise.

You can find him on flickr.

It’s not easy being green

I’ve been waiting to put this photo up for a few days – doesn’t it pull at your heartstrings in a way that is completely non-nonsensical? Then I heard that the original Kermit is going to be donated to the Smithsonian, so I think it’s about time.

I will have to add a visit to the museum to my list of “future things do to.”

Road trip anyone?

Image via ffffound

really casual friday

It was only once  under the fluorescent lights of the office that  I realized my shirt was so sheer and my bra so pink.

Desk Makeover

This desk was a hand-me-down that was originally found on the side of the street.  Normally, you can’t see the desk because it is hidden under a nest of papers, fabric and magazines.  I’m hoping that now it’s so pretty, I will make a better effort to keep it clean and visible. I love the shape, the scale, and now – the colour!  A few tips for your own furniture makeovers:

1. I wish I had used an even glossier pant. I used eggshell, and while it looks good, it’s kind of flat. I may go over it with polyurethane.

2. All you need to clean metal is vinegar, baking soda and lemon juice. The handles were so crusty that I had to pre-soak them in vinegar on the stove (and yes, hot vinegar and metal smell just as bad as you think they will). Then, rub them with a paste made from the baking soda and lemon juice.  They come out so shiny!

I can’t wait to write some letters on my new desk!

New Market Adventure!

A new Halifax Seaport Market opened this weekend! It was beautiful, but even more crowded than the brewery market.  My boyfriend and I  had a scavenger hunt for our favourite vendors and farmers and made a rule to try something new every week.  We gave yellow plums a go, but were not really fans.  I can’t wait for next week, when hopefully the rooftop garden will be open too.