almond, cranberry, and oat scones.

This year let's resolve to be simpler. Let's resolve to pet more puppies, embrace the morning, appreciate fresh produce, learn how to relax, light more candles, make more soup, drink less diet pop, take more walks alone, give more non-appearance-centered compliments, be better at accepting non-appearance-centered compliments, and say more thank yous. 

And worry less. Let's all find a way to worry less. 

And make scones? Christmas has brought upon me the arsenal of simplicity and loveliness that is Dorie Greenspan's Baking, From My Home to Yours. And I'm on board ten million percent. I've altered one of her scone recipes and used just a little honey for just a little sweetness and added some cranberries and roasted, chopped almonds because...because.

Almond, Cranberry, and Oat Scones

Adapted from Dorie Greenspan

1 large egg

1/2 cup cold buttermilk

1/4 cup honey

1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour (or just 1 2/3 cup all purpose)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper

In a bowl whisk together egg, buttermilk, and honey. In another, large bowl whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Drop pieces of butter on top of the flour mixture and work in with a pastry blender until the mixture is pebbly. Pour wet ingredients over dry and stir with a fork until dough comes together, being careful not to overwork it. Gently knead the dough by hand. 

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and divide in two. Pat each portion of dough into disks about five inches in diameter, cut into six wedges, and place onto baking sheets. Bake scones for 20 to 22 minutes or until tops are golden. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes before serving.

welcome back, me! (mandel bread)

Oh, hello.

Yeah, no, I definitely took a semester-long blog break because now, ladies and gentleladies, I am graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaduated.

Before cookies happen (oh my goodness, really? cookies? from me?) I'd like to take some time to make a couple shout-outs to the people and things that made my college experience what it was.

• To the Minnesota Daily, for providing me with a daily crossword puzzle distraction, I thank you. Because of you, my mind is sharper than ever and I now know multiple sites for cheating.
• To the St Paul Student Center for being the only place on the entire campus with the bougie yogurt I like, I thank you.
• To whomever decided it would be a good idea to have all tampon dispensers in campus bathrooms be free, I thank you.
• To the kind people of Bruegger's Bagels, I thank you.
• To the tester bottles of lotion in the bookstore, my hands thank you.

That's it. 

I kid! THAT'S NOT IT. To the hundreds of people I've had the pleasure of interacting with throughout these past three and a half years, I thank you. You've probably shaped me someway and somehow.

Can we please talk about cookies now?

Upon realizing I graduated college, the only thing that seemed appropriate and worth doing was making mandel bread. Oh, mandel. You little Jewish biscotti, you. More sugar, not as hard, chocolatey, twice baked and dredged in cinnamon sugar. Don't tell biscotti, but I like you more. Let's never stop being friends.

Chocolate Chip Mandel Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

cinnamon sugar for dredging (I know this is a real word...but why.)

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Beat sugar and oil together. Add eggs, one at a time, mix well. Add vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, mix til combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for at least two hours, maybe even overnight!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets. Form dough into four, three inch wide logs, two on each sheet. Bake logs for 25 minutes. Let cool. 

Reduce heat to 250 degrees. Slice logs into 1/2 inch pieces and dredge sides in cinnamon sugar mixture. (this is the time when you set aside the ends of the logs especially for yourself)
Place cookies back onto cookie sheets, cinnamon sugar sides down. Bake for another 20 minutes.

twenty one.

For a long time all I wanted for my birthday was one of these.

I mean, the expressions on these kids' faces says it all. I thought maybe this was the funnest thing in the world. More fun than bacon, which was my favorite food around the time I dreamt of Barbie Jeeps. Before I went to bed, I would pray to Santa Claus and the birthday gods to bring me one. 

He never did. I'm grateful for that. Having a Barbie Jeep would have boosted my ego way too much, I was also, at this time, the universe's funniest comedian. 

Fast forward to nowtimes. Today I got to take some of my lovely-souled friends out for breakfast at my favorite ever place.

And then I received this from my mother.

I would like to report that these things are better than any Barbie Jeep ever. I would like to report that I have a life I'm very lucky to have. I would like to report that most everything is perfect.

I would also like to report that I'm twenty-one now. And educate myself about wine, I will. 

To everyone I've come in contact with throughout this twentieth year of my existence, I thank you. It's been one filled with soul-searching and laughs and so much love and learning. I've grown tremendously, and that's because of all of you! Everysingleperson.

Happy birthday to me.

an open letter to breathing, books, and blogs.

I've been reading this book, right? Self-help lady guru Gabrielle Bernstein was introduced to me by sister Sam. I'm currently in the process of finishing May Cause Miracles. Let me tell you. This book came at the right time. This early graduation-futuretimes uncertainty-being hard on myself terrible soup I've made for myself wasn't going over very well. But through this 40 day process (I'm not done yet), I've been reminded of the importance of breathing, gratitude, forgiveness, and love. That fear doesn't have to ruin everything, that creative abundance is a thing and will forever be a thing, that all relationships should be thought of with equal amounts of love and attention, that success will come if you believe in it and yourself, that forgiveness is always a good answer, and that if you fill yourself with love, your world will do the same.

I certainly don't mean to preach.

All I'm saying is that I was totally lacking love. I needed more. And right now I feel more apt to think with it. It's totally a book recommendation.

I realized needed a break from blogging. It was becoming something it should never be: a source of jealousy, competition, and anxiety. I needed to be reminded why I love it, that it motivates me to write, photograph, and try new things. I want to feel that motivation again, and that will only come with positive thoughts invested in blogging. No more jealousy or comparison: from now on, this blog becomes a place for learning and expressing and sharing. Anxiety and creativity don't mesh for me.

You guys. I'm totally ready for this new mindset, this new school year, this new attitude. I'm excited to enter everything with more love and fullness that ever.

OKAY ALSO. If you're not watching Orange is the New Black on the Netflix, you're just...you need to.

And with that,

I'm am done for today.

diy adjustable bra strap bracelet.

We're talking about bras today. Does everyone feel comfortable talking about bras? Good. Glad we got that out of the way.

It's almost moving time which means the yearly "I'm going to try to eliminate at least two of the pairs of shorts I've tried to cut myself but they didn't turn out right" time. I swear I attempt to filter out clothes, but let's be real...that New Kids on the Block sweater I have? I'M TOTALLY GOING TO NEED THAT ONE DAY.

Today I've got a way for you to use those old bras I know you have and make them into an adjustable bracelet. Bras. Bras. Bra. Are we uncomfortable yet?

DIY Adjustable Bra Strap Bracelet

You'll need: A bra. Some scissors. A needle and thread. Buttons and beads, optional.

Step One: Cut the strap off where it meets the band, and above the part of the strap where the adjustable part starts. (That was literally the best way I could explain it.)

Step Two: Get your needle and thread. Loop the end of the strap through the piece on top.

It will look like this:

Sew the end of the strap down with a few stitches.

Step Three: OPTIONAL ADD-ONS! Sew a button on there, a bead, embroider some cool design. There you have it. Now you don't have to feel bad about getting rid of your bra. Because you can wear your bra on your wrist. And it's adjustable.

Thanks for getting through that with me. I love you.

taking the time to teach people things (banana bread).

Recently I've come to realize the importance of sharing knowledge. Never sharing what you know results in a waste of talent and a missed opportunity. Skills should be passed on and taken in with enthusiasm. 

Like how about that one time in fourth grade when I showed everyone in my class how to make a mouse-shaped balloon animal? Their lives surely would not be the same without said experience. Or when my sister taught me how to instant message someone on the internet? Without her assistance regarding which "send" button was the "send" button, my conversation with tiggergal92 would not have turned out very well. 

Fast forward into now-times, I've taken my boy under my wing and am teaching him how to bake. The first lesson was cherry pie, this time it was banana bread. Setting aside my pride and urge to say, "No, not that way" has allowed me to be reminded of how satisfying it actually is to make something, from scratch, all by yourself. It's reminded me why I love it.

I urge you to spread your skills, friends. It's the happiest.

This banana bread is delicious; not too sweet, allowing you to actually taste banana. Even with some healthier choices thrown in the mix (honey & yogurt), flavor is totally not sacrificed. The recipe makes two small 9x5 loaves but can be easily split to just produce one. You can also opt to make one bigger loaf and about six muffins.

(My Favorite) Banana Bread 

no refined sugar

1 cup softened unsalted butter

1/2 cup honey

4 eggs

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups mashed banana (about five, totally overripe nanners)

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

optional add-ins: toasted walnuts, toasted pecans, chocolate chips, toasted coconut

Prepare loaf or muffin pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine mashed banana and yogurt. Mix in vanilla. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and honey until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add eggs to butter and sugar one at a time, combining well after each addition. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Slowly add banana mixture. Mix in add-ins by hand. 

Pour batter into pans and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. A toothpick, inserted will should come out clean. Muffins will take about 22-25 minutes.

Can someone actually explain to me the science behind the fact that banana bread tastes better the next day? I'm content with accepting that it's just wizardry, but seriously. Why.

lemon poppy seed biscotti.

The past few weeks have been filled with...things. Things pertaining to a new-found love for rock climbing, being denied surgery for plantar wart removal (Danie, why are you telling me this.), cherry pie for Dad Day, the ever-returning "what will I do with my life?!" discussion, breakfast, walking, talking, and A NEW PUPPY.

This little nugget's name is Duncan. I love him. He's fostered a love for small dogs that I never knew I had. I mean seriously, if that face doesn't make you want to cry, join the Peace Corps, throw up, and sing nonsense songs all at the same time, you're not a human.

Leaving this face makes me want cookies. All the time. Because I'm sad. 

Contrary to what you may believe, these biscotti are not puppies. But maybe they'll make you happy.

Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti

6 Tbs butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 cups flour
1 Tbs poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together butter, sugar, salt, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest until well combined. Add eggs and lemon juice and mix to combine. Mix in flour and poppy seeds.

With the dough, form a 13in x 3in log on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven, reduce heat to 325 degrees, and let log cool for 15 minutes. Cut log into 1/2 pieces and place back onto the cookie sheet, right-side up.

Bake for 30 minutes. Biscotti will be drier and golden on the edges.

EAT IT.