1st and last.

can you tell what these things became?


nobody told me baking was labor designed by the hands of satan. i hated every second of it. partially because it's so tedious and partially because i started at 11 pm. AND when you bake cookies you have to set aside atleast an hour to chill them. ugh! i had a bit of a tantrum when i got to that part.

i cook. to me, it's simpler and it allows the chef to create. i've never been a by-the-book person about anything, so the baking thing just isn't designed for my personality type. (i did however make tiny modifications, just so that i could call them my own.) nonetheless, my 1st attempt resulted in a delicious cookie.

elle's oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies.

a new leaf.

Me and 2 of my girls got together for a night of mexican eatery. i guess they didn't trust me, since they left me in charge of guacamole, limes & salsa (how rude!). so i decided to make pico de gallo. i love it like a sister, but have never taken the time to make it. it was easy.


i learned online the easiest way to peel a tomato. that's boiling water on the left and ice water on the right. it has to be transferred from one to the other very quickly. it basically peeled itself.


i don't appreciate the time it takes to chop things up. this $7 food processor and i have a close relationship.


el fin.

free ninety nine!

i'm not into christmas, but i'm into the free photo booth that was at our company holiday party!

i'll be the 1st to say it.

i noticed recently that how busy i am is directly proportionate to how "put-together" i look. nails, waxes and shoes with lots of buckles will reconvene when i get a chance to breathe again.
(and despite it all, i've managed to scrape together a few sentences and a picture to put on here. hmmm...)

false advertising.

i saw this in the store this weekend. they're right, Allysen is sooo amazing. she ages before your eyes!

she should be called Amazing Cicely Tyson.

giving thanks.

thanksgiving was smaller than usual this year, it didn't feel the same. my sister and her family were out of town, so the guestlist total was only 6. plus, with her being gone, there were sooo many leftovers. she's the type of person that rolls to my mom's house with lots of tupperware - claiming that it's "for the kids". chile please! also, with her family gone, it was really quiet...until we got out Taboo! ahh, that game gives me life. i think it goes without saying that my team won (even though I offered to have my dad on the team - a certified 'tard. love you daddy!) i have a million things to be thankful for. being a genius is definitely one of them.

elle and salmon sittin in a tree...

smoked salmon and i have this "thing". it understands me and i understand it. we just work really well together. i've been looking into enjoying it in more unconventional ways. this recipe is my salmon roll. you will need...

smoked salmon, crescent rolls, smoked provolone cheese and chive & onion cream cheese. this particular brand of salmon is the absolute best i've ever had to date. i got it from the Your Dekalb Farmer's Market.
roll everything up nice and tight, and space evenly on the cookie sheet.

your end result will look a lot like this, but even better (i need a new camera for Christmas, hint hint :)