Few of My Favorite Things

" I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel soooo bad!"

Going along with my New Year's resolution of maintaining happiness and working to change any bad mood to a good mood, I'm going to start a new blog series were I share a few of my favorite things a couple times a month.

First up, my all time favorite movies. They have been my favorite movies for forever! I could watch these a million times and never get tired of them! I've seen them so many times I can quote almost every line and feel like I am a part of the movie. They are all romantic comedies and have a lot of the same actors. I stick to what I like.

1. Father of the Bride Part 2 (The best sequel there ever was)
"Mother and daughter pregnant togeeeether!" 

I'm partial to this movie because my parents got the idea to name me Annie after seeing the first Father of the Bride. Anyway, it is my all time favorite movie and always will be.

2. Because I Said So

A story about an overprotective mother trying to find a date for her daughter. With three quirky sisters and their crazy mom it reminds me of my family, although we are much more sane than these girls.

3. It's Complicated

I've watched it the past three nights, it's just that good. It makes me want to move to Southern California and open a store like Meryl Streeps bakery!

4. Dan in Real Life

"I don't want to go with the pig, face!" I know it doesn't make any sense, but it is one of my favorite movie quotes. 

5. You've Got Mail

Last but certainly not least. You've Got Mail is a Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan classic. Without doubt it makes me crave fall and a bouquet of sharpened pencils.

images

Annie

Brown Butter Thumbprint Cookies

These beauties were first made by the lovely, Lindsay at Fleur De Sel. They have been patiently waiting on my "to bake" list over Christmas break. I decided it was finally time to make them at about 11:30 on Saturday night. I had been watching Food Network all night and suddenly had the urge to bake. These cookies have 4 ingredients and are so easy to make!

You can use any kind of jam or fruit preserves you want. I was lucky we had this delicious stuff lying around from Christmas. This yummy raspberry and pomegranate jam is all the way from Australia, kudos to sister Claire for bringing it home!

First step in making the cookies is browning the butter. If you haven't browned your butter yet, you haven't lived. The smell is reason enough to do it. Lucky for you, I like to simplify everything and discovered this quick trick on how to brown butter in the microwave so you can cut the time in thirds. No onto the rest of the recipe

Brown Butter Thumbprint Cookies
yields about 30 cookies (can be easily halved)

Ingredients:
16 tablespoons of unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Cut up your butter and place it in a microwave safe bowl, then cover with a plate to avoid it from splattering. Microwave on high for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Refrigerate or freeze your butter until it solidifies again. 

Once your butter is firm, beat with sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt slowly until combined. {My dough was slightly crumbly, so I added a few tablespoons of milk and it came together perfectly. This may not happen, but if it does, know you can add some milk and they will still turn out}.

Using a 1 in. cookie scoop, scoop balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Press your thumb into the middle creating the perfect thumbprint cookie! Refrigerate dough, on the baking sheet, for at least an hour or throw in the freezer for 5 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take cold dough out of the fridge and scoop a small amount of jam into the cavities. **If you are filling your cookie with lemon or lime curd, wait until after the cookies are baked to fill.

Bake for 14 minutes until perfectly golden brown around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheets then enjoy!

Like I said, I made these guys at about midnight on Saturday. I baked them, then went right to sleep without having one. I woke up the next morning to a half eaten plate of cookies....

Apparently I live with a bunch of cookie monsters. However, these cookies are gooooood, so there are no excuses needed.

Annie

Resolutions

image

New Year's resolutions may be a little cliche, but they have purpose. I was never much of a "resolver" growing up, but I kind of like the idea of having a few set goals to work on all year long. 

I had a list of about 3 or 4 New Year's resolutions written in a note on my phone, but they somehow got erased and now I can't remember them. Maybe one of my New Year's resolutions should be to work on my memory... 

Anyway, there are two resolutions that stuck in my mind I am going to work on resolving. 

image via  year of lettering

1. Don't text and drive. This seems simple, but I am terribly guilty of it and have to stop. I'm not the best driver to begin with and when the phone is in my hand it gets worse. We all hear horror stories of texting and driving accidents that do not end well. 2014 I'm pledging to not text and drive. 

2. Carpe diem. Life's short and I want to fill it with more happiness and joy. Anytime I feel myself getting upset or in a bad mood, I'm going to stop whatever is causing it and either listen to a feel-good song, eat a yummy treat or watch a favorite movie. Just simply do or think of something that turns my mood around. I don't want to spend my time in a bad mood missing out on time when I could be in a good mood!

I'm keeping it simple this year with only a couple resolutions. I'm going to focus on just these two so I can really put in effort to make them happen. 

Here's to a 2014 filled with no texting and driving and seizing the day!

image

Annie

Bites of My Life

2014 is fabulous already. The first three days of the new year were spent in New Orleans and they could not have been more perfect. Think lots of food, lots of fun, and lots of girls in one hotel room. An OU win and sooner magic had a lot to do with it too.

Only one week until I go back to school. It will be devoted to my last couple days of interning, savoring the last few minutes with friends and family, cooking the last things on my list, and getting organized for the move back. But for now, here's a look at last week.

-I love making quinoa fried rice when I want something healthy but comforting! {Sauté veggies such as frozen peas, corn, carrots, broccoli and garlic in a pan. When they are almost done, scramble in an egg. Add already cooked quinoa, soy sauce and sesame oil till combined then you are done!}

-We got into Nola on New Year's Eve, but had to squeeze in time for oysters at Felix's before the festivities could begin. I'm still dreaming about our char-broiled oysters.

-Colorful balconies in the Frenchman District.

-The best french onion soup from Cafe Maspero. You can't beat the pound of swiss cheese broiled on top!

-Intentions of going to Cafe Du Monde quickly got squashed when the line was wrapped around the block.

-Instead we stumbled into the restaurant across the street for one of my favorite meals of the trip, a jambalaya omelet. 

-Got home early Friday, slept all day, then woke up at 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning to drive to Tulsa for the Tulsa wedding show where I passed out Brides of Oklahoma magazines all day.

-Ended Saturday by getting to enjoy this delish meal and finally meeting my long lost bestie/best friend's boyfriend.

xo annie