#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Recipe: Five Minute Fudge {Wreath}

January 4, 2018 · Narrative

A fudge recipe that is delicious AND doesn’t require the use of a candy thermometer is pretty much the only kind of fudge recipe I make.

Untitled

A million years ago (thirteen to be exact!), I was in a Supper Club. We would rotate houses and meet once a month over a potluck meal. Sometimes there was a theme, and sometimes it centered around a particular cookbook or cook. I first discovered this recipe for a Five Minute Fudge Wreath when someone brought it to one of our supper club gatherings, and I’ve been making it ever since. In fact, I even taught how to make it in one of my December kids cooking classes.

Although the traditional recipe is for a wreath form and shape, you are certainly not obligated to make it that way. Because why should you miss out on this deliciousness the other eleven months of the year?! Just put it in an 8×8 square pan and it’s all good.

My oldest kid still loves to lick the dregs from a can of sweetened condensed milk, so the fact that this recipe uses it is a bonus! Just a few other ingredients, mix it up, pour it into the pan, decorate, and let it sit.

If you use just the red cherries to decorate it, it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, and a sweet treat to cut up and distribute to neighbors, teachers, bus drivers, and the like.

Are you familiar with Chunky bars? I swear I lived on them during my teen years, and this recipe reminds me of the taste of Chunky Bars.

So good!

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Recipe: Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies

July 5, 2016 · Narrative

A subtle little twist on a from-scratch brownie recipe, these Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies are a little taste of summer sunshine.

Blood Orange Olive Oil Brownies

With a teenage boy in the house, having an assortment of snacks is a given, and for the most part, he snacks pretty healthily. He does, however, have a thing for brownies, so every once in awhile I bake up a batch for him, and he usually knows they’re coming before I’ve even taken them out of the oven.

The nose knows.

This is a super simple, made-from-scratch brownie recipe, with one subtle difference. One of the ingredients is blood orange olive oil. Unique, right? The original recipe also calls for vanilla extract, but to bump up the orange flavor and scent just a tad more, I swapped that out and added orange extract instead. Check your local specialty grocery store for the blood orange olive oil. If you can’t find out, regular olive oil will do.

A delicious, sweet treat for teenagers and sweet tooth non-teens alike.

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Visit: Sweet Bakery {Boston, MA}

June 3, 2016 · Narrative

Untitled

When I was compiling a completely unrealistically long list of Things to Do for our quick trip to Boston during Spring Break, someone mentioned Sweet Bakery was a must-visit.

And, of course, I was all ears.

Because, cupcakes.

There are several locations in the Boston area, so I quickly put each address into the Waze app to see which one made the most sense and had the best hope of parking, and the Charles Street location was it.

We amazingly found a parking space right in front of the store, which I decided was fate. Or that, despite the fact that I obsessively read all the street signs looking for why I shouldn’t be parking there, I would come out and my car would be towed.

Luckily the worry was for nothing.

#dodgedbullet

As soon as we opened the door to the bakery, it smelled like sugar and baked goods all at once, swirling around our heads and inviting us into the storefront. Which is exactly what I want to smell when I go into a bakery. Just absolutely divine.

Their display case was full and everything looked so good. There are many seasonal flavors and traditional favorites to choose from, even frosting shots. Fancy schmancy flavors like Madagascar bourbon vanilla and plain old awesome chocolate. Yes, please. We each choose a mini and got them packed up to enjoy later that evening. Untitled

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Recipe: Homemade Chocolate Syrup

December 29, 2015 · Narrative, Sweets

Easy, delicious, and made using ingredients you likely have on hand already. Make some homemade chocolate syrup and you’ll never go back to the bottled stuff again. Guaranteed.

Homemade chocolate syrup

I made that.

“No, you didn’t,” he said in disbelief. “Wait. Did you?”

Yes.

He tastes it.

“Wow. You did. It tastes so much better.”

Otherwise known as … How to Impress Your Teenager in Fifteen Minutes.

Just make homemade chocolate syrup.

Although I next-to-never use the stuff, chocolate syrup is a staple in our home because Nick is a fan of chocolate milk and ice cream sundaes.

#teenageboy

To be quite honest, it never ceases to amaze me the amount of things you can make from basic pantry staples … mayonnaise (will never go back to the store-bought stuff after this), ketchup, and a myriad of other things. And, of course, chocolate syrup.

Have you ever read the list of ingredients on a bottle of chocolate syrup from the grocery store? Filled with unpronounceable junk. Although you are still making something with sugar (read: not exactly clean eating), this is most definitely a better version of it for you. Just a few regular ingredients, fifteen minutes of your time, and you will be rewarded with pure deliciousness. Homemade chocolate syrup

For awhile I have just been keeping ours in an old Nesquick bottle, which compounded Nick’s confusion about whether or not I had made it, but after a recent trip (and sale) at Cost Plus World Market (love that store!), I found a cute glass bottle that I have been using instead. Although the bottle was likely originally intended for pancake syrup, it works just as well for this chocolate syrup … and I love being able to SEE what’s inside.

Homemade chocolate syrup. I daresay, you need this in your life.

…

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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