I Looooooove...

So it's been a while {again} since I've posted anything here! My bad. I have been keeping busy with traveling & appearances, which is good for me! I've seen a bunch of other bloggers that do a "What I'm Loving Now" post every now & again, so I wanted to post about some of the things that I'm loving right now!

1. My book. Soooo I finished my book!!! OMG. I got a bad sunburn when I was in Miami because I was reading while I was laying out & forgot to turn. I seriously couldn't read it fast enough :) Amaze-balls. Now I'm reading Tea Rose {recommended by my Boost}, & I haven't really gotten into it just yet. I'm definitely going to stick with it though! We shall see.

2. Kate Middleton. I can't get enough of Kate Middleton. Of course I'm so jealous that she is going to be a princess, but mostly I've been obsessed with her hats! How fabulous is she? I think I will start a hat revolution here in the States... who's with me??

And my faves:

3. Gold Necklaces. I was always a silver jewelry person until about 6 months ago. Why the switch? No clue! First I got this necklace from Stella & Dot.

It's their Signature Clover Necklace, & apparently was featured in Cosmo. It's long & delicate & goes with everything. I just love it! Then I wanted a shorter necklace that was still special & versatile, & I found this one from Swarovski, the Clover Pendant. {horrible picture...makes it look cheap}

Apparently I like clovers? Who knew. This necklace has 3 different length options, which is nice. It's just simple & cute, & I wear this one with everything too! Then, a friend at work had this FABULOUS necklace that I just had to copy! Of course I won't wear it to work, but it is just too pretty to not buy one for myself!

Sequin Metal Ring Status Necklace - out of stock right now, but found on Piperlime.com. This one of course is not as versatile, but when the BF notices it & says he really likes it - you know it's special! 

4. Spring. The weather here in DC is finally warming up! (But thankfully it's not all at once like in Texas where all of a sudden it's 85 outside). I am really looking forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival activities in the coming weeks!! {Check them out} Hopefully, I will get to take one of these pictures myself:

So pretty! Breathtaking! Lucky for me, there are some of these beautiful trees right outside my apartment & some on display at the Botanical Gardens! {Also, I'm wearing one of the necklaces from above! Bonus}  

Soooo what are YOU loving right now? Share!

XOXO

What I'm Reading Now...

So I finally finished reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown thanks to a couple flights & a long layover I had recently. It was....good. Not great, just good. I had heard from multiple people that it was sooooo good & a "you-can't-put-it-down" type of book like The DaVinci Code. I disagree. It was definitely not bad but nothing that I need to read again. I really like that it took place in Washington, DC though because I knew just about all the places they were exploring, etc. Yay DC! I was anticipating finishing the book on the airplane (and then what would I do??) so I bought another one at the airport bookstore.

Now, it doesn't really matter to me WHAT bookstore I'm in - I could always stay for hours. When I go to 1/2 Price Books, I have to allow myself an entire afternoon because I can't just go in with one book in mind and walk right back out. And even though I had many books waiting for me back home, I got caught up in the wonderfulness that was the bookstore & just had to get another! I saw lots that looked good (and LOTS more that looked terrible), but I kind of wanted something different & something that took me to a different time & place. As you may know, I really like SciFi books - magic, worlds that are created by the author, mystical creatures...all that mature stuff that you would expect a law school graduate/beauty queen/27 year-old to like! HA. 

The book that I chose is not science fiction, but I feel like it has almost the same effect. It takes the reader to a different world because of the time period with different types of characters than a book set "today." So, I chose...

The Other Boleyn Girl

by Philippa Gregory

I'm really excited to start this one (ends up I didn't finish my first book on the plane because I fell alseep!), but I am also excited to FINISH this one because then I can see the movie! I know everyone knows the rule - "don't see the movie til you've read the book" - right?? That goes for ALL books that are made into movies. I would say 99.9% of the time, books are better! Oh and it doesn't hurt that Eric Bana is in the movie... yummy!

I still have other books on my shelf too that I'm excited to read - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (started it twice...couldn't get past 30 pages, we'll see) & Tea Rose (recommended by my Boost). I'm making it a point starting......NOW to read a little each & every night. Challenge accepted!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Snickerdoodles

I hadn't baked in a while, so by request of BBE, I made Snickerdoodles! Just the name is so fun, right? I usually think these cookies are kind of boring, but since it was a request I complied :) I did some searching around in my cookbooks and on some different websites to find a good recipe. The one I decided on is on one of the cooking blogs I really love - {Lovin From the Oven.} Not only have I really liked all the recipes I tried from this blog, but what drew me to this particular recipe is that it was kind of revamped to where she tried others & combined them to make this one great! All the work is done :)

So from her to me to you guys, Snickerdoodles that are sure to delight!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For rolling:

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with

an electric mixer on high speed. Add the egg and vanilla and

beat until smooth.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, and

cream of tartar.

3. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for

30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

     **I left the dough in the fridge for about an hour, & it was still pretty sticky. I don't know if leaving it even longer would do anything though

5. In a small bowl, combine the sugar with the cinnamon for the

topping.

6. Take about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and roll it into a

ball. Roll this dough in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and press it

onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes and no more. The cookies

may seem undercooked, but will continue to develop after they are

removed from the oven. When the cookies have cooled they should be

soft and chewy in the middle.

      **I baked the first batch just like she said in her recipe (for 12 minutes to be safe!), but they were too mushy. I put them in for 2 more minutes but still not happy with how they turned out. The second  batch I baked at 325 for 13 minutes - perfect! Could just be an oven thing, but 14 minutes at 300 left them too mushy & they didn't continue cooking afterwards enough for my liking! {Picture below}

Makes about 16 cookies.

These are the first batch right when they came out

This is after they had been sitting a while. You can see they're kind of flat

Left = First Batch, Right = Second Batch

Second Batch is thicker & overall better :)

The reason for so many pictures?? I know everyone knows what batter looks like when you mix it...but I got a new camera for Christmas! So, yes I do take every opportunity I can to use it :)

Enjoy these yummy Snickerdoodles!!

XOXO,

Ashley

Hmmm...decisions, decisions

So I'm trying to figure out another background/header/etc for my blog, but I'm at a standstill. I just don't really like anything! So I just have to say, please excuse the mess that is happening right now & bear with me. I went back & forth between Vday theme, trying to find something neutral that I won't have to change every month, to whatever this green stuff is right now. Ha. Anyway. I will find something soon. Until then, check out these blogs that were recommended to me recently. They're both fashion blogs, & I just LOOOOVE them!!

Love Maegan & Capitol Hill Style

xoxo

BRRR - Baby, it's cold outside!

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted! My goodness. This is just an easy idea to get something up on the wall that doesn't cost a lot & is actually useful! Yay for that!

I saw the idea in a boutique down the street from me as a way to display the scarves they had for sale, & I just had to do it in my own little apartment :) Now that I live where it's actually COLD in the winter time, I wear a scarf everyday! I thought this would be a great way to have them out instead of stuffed in a drawer where I can't even see what options I have. Plus, this area of our entryway was just plain & screaming for something to go there.

The letters {found by my fabulous Momma!} were about $2 a piece. Two were already black & two were white, I had a can of black spray paint so VOILA! they are all black. Super easy & BBE even likes it. Perfect!

XOXO,

Delicious Peanut Butter Cookies

When BBE (best boyfriend ever) & I decided to go to New York City to celebrate (1) our 3 year anniversary, (2) my birthday, & (3) him being done with finals, I started looking for a hotel that was less than $150/night – no luck! Lucky for us, his wonderful childhood friend offered us her place while we were there free of charge! How lucky are we?? Since we couldn’t offer her money (Hey! We’re broke!), the next best thing to show someone you appreciate them is…baking! And bake I did J

I had never made peanut butter cookies before, so I decided to do a trial run before baking the ones I wanted to take to NYC with us. BBE loved that idea! They turned out AMAZING. I would suggest these cookies for family during Christmas time or for a holiday cookie exchange...or really for anything! They aren’t the usual chocolate chip or sugar cookie, so it's a nice change.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup smooth peanut butter (or chunky if you like that kind of thing...gross)
Hershey's kisses
Sugar in the raw


*I prefer to use Spenda Brown Sugar Blend & Sugar Blend when baking

 


Directions:
1. Sift together dry ingredients & set aside. (I didn't have a sifter when I made them, & they tasted great without sifting!) Cream butter & sugar in bowl using paddle attachment. (I don't have a paddle attachment, & they turned out great!) Add egg & vanilla & beat until combined. Add peanut butter & continue beating on low speed. Add dry ingredients & beat until just blended. Cover dough & transfer to refrigerator. Chill until firm [about 1 hour]
2. Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with a silpat (You guessed it, don't have one of these either! I just sprayed the cookie sheet with some non-stick spray...worked great!) Form dough into one inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place balls on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart & press down slightly with your palm - not too hard because next, using the tines of a fork, make a crisscross pattern in the dough. [If you push down too hard with your palm, the cookies will be too flat once you make the crisscross pattern]

After pressing them slightly with my palm

Crisscross pattern with a fork - ready for the oven!

3. Bake until rich golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.
*If you want to use Hershey's kisses like we did (YUM!) add the kisses about 1 minute after they're out of the oven. I also sprinkled a little extra sugar on the top - what calories??

ENJOY!


XOXO,

Fall Recipe - Apple Pie

Some where along the way, apple pie has become my signature dish for all family gatherings. I don't really have a consistent recipe that I follow, but it always turns out yummy! I need to start adding in more of my own touches, but here's what I did for this Thanksgiving in Richmond with my long time friends :)

Crust Ingredients:
* I make more crust than it says to because when I "weave" I seem to need more for some reason - could it be that I eat it?? Possibly. So this is the Deep Dish Double Crust instructions
2 2/3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 stick (or 1 cup) WELL CHILLED Crisco All Vegetable shortening
6-10 Tbs ice cold water

Instructions:
1. Blend flour & salt in medium bowl.
2. Cut the stick into cubes (about 1/2 inch) and cut it into the mixture until it's all mixed with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.
3. Add about half the recommended Tbs of water & mix around with a fork. Add water by Tbs until the dough is moist enough to stick together.
4. Eat some.
    **Some people may find step 4 unnecessary and kind of gross. I assure you it's necessary & delicious!
5. Divide into 2 balls & roll them out. I use wax paper instead of a floured surface because it works better & it's MUCH cleaner!
6. One goes in the bottom of your pie pan (duh!)
7. Keep the other ball cold while you prepare the filling!

Filling Ingredients:
6 apples, peeled & sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbs lemon juice

Directions:
1. Peel & slice the apples. I like to make a game out of it - can I peel the apple in ONE try? [Think Meg Ryan in Sleepless in Seattle] Try #1 was SO close, but I got it on try #2!! So proud of myself :)

Try 1

Try 2 - success!!

2. Mix together the sliced apples & all ingredients in a large bowl until the apples are covered. Pour them on top of the pie crust & try to arrange them so they're kind of level.

3. Roll out remaining dough & cut it into strips for weaving. This takes some trial & error to get it right. 

 **My tips: don't roll it too thin or it will be hard to rearrange once it's on the pie. You can kind of see in the picture below they way I've found it easiest to weave - lay all the horizontal strips down and then fold them over as necessary to add the vertical strips. The dough definitely needs to be cold! 

The horizontal strips on the left are folded up so I can put a vertical strip down

Ready to bake!

3a. I always add extra butter to the top of the crust too. I melt about 1 Tbs of butter and pour it over the crust so it gets in the holes. Butter just makes everything better!

4. Put in the oven at 425 for about 45 minutes. 

On display at Pam's, yummy!

If you have any tips for an apple pie recipe, let me know! Always looking for ways to make it better :)
XOXO,