FIGHTING OFF THE JANUARIES

ah, yes, the monday of months. 

no gift giving holidays, no swimming pool weather, and it feels just a wee bit early to make a valentine's cake.

sometimes during january it's like what else is there besides new girl and youtube videos of last year's world synchronized skating championships and dumb made up holidays?

...i spent yesterday with waffles. so there's that.

and einstein on the beach is streaming, so there's that too.

oh! and the turkey meatballs from jerusalem. they's good.

(could it be? is this turning into a happy list?)

marzipan balls.

fleece lined things.

my new vintage coffee pot with the colorful chicken on it.

kelsey's take on january.

all this talk of man buns. jason brown's pony tail.

and no, but really, you need to get into synchronized skating. if nothing else, just please watch this.

a blizzard is a comin! so what else is new. these days i believe that the best warmth comes from a risotto pan. minutes and minutes stood at a risotto pan, spoon in one hand, wine in the other, stirring your little bum off until you can stir no longer and you're just so hungee and before you know it you're down to one layer because the heat! there's a blizzard outside??

happy watch-all-the-heath-ledger-movies day!

-yeh!

UBE CHEWS

i have a new second favorite time of day and that's the moment directly preceding a night's sleep. (obviously the first is morning time when eggboy and i sing and dance, make eggs, chug coffee, etc.) this new second favorite moment comes after i've flossed, put on a mountain of lip balm, and removed myself from the day's work via a large buffer of pinterest .

it's when all that's left is a lullaby of thoughts, coaxing me to slumber. 

the lovely lovely genre of bedtime thoughts: it doesn't judge you--it encourages you--if all you want to do is dream up the fluffiest goat you ever did think. the chocolatiest cake you ever could eat. it doesn't allow much room for negative nancies, because that's called a thought that keeps you up, not one that puts you to sleep. and you have few distractions because, with the correct blackout shades, it can feel as if everyone else in the world is safe and sound and doing the same. 

and so i've really enjoyed this sweet little moment, and it has recently brought in so many happy ideas, many of them fueled by plans for my future chickens, and many of them inspired by my asian grocery finds from last week's trip to chicago. a two pound bag of sesame seeds, matcha green tea powder, and two gems that i about fainted when i found: ube and pandan extracts. oh you bet i lie at night thinking up the possibilities.

ube was introduced to me a few years ago by way of taro soft serve at the sadly now closed phileo yogurt in the west village. ube and taro aren't the same, but in my brain they kind of are because they're both purple root vegetables and they have a very similar flavor. the flavor reminds me of cookies and cream and i looooove it. 

normally when i have ube, it is in the form of ice cream or a popsicle. but because licorice just felt more... i don't know, appropriate for the north pole in january, i made licorice. i made a few substitutions to this red licorice recipe and the buttery flavor said to me i am a caramel. whatevs. caramel, licorice, they both keep the dentist in business. 

ube chews

based on this recipe

makes about 24 long twists. or a lotttt of little nubbins (that's what i did).

ingredients

1/2 c flour*

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ube extract (available here)

purple gel food coloring, optional

1 stick unsalted butter

1 c white sugar

1/2 c light corn syrup

1/2 c sweetened condensed milk

1/4 c honey

*the recipe that this is based on uses gluten free flour with 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. i didn't test this, but i bet they would come out just as well!

clues

grease or butter a 9-inch square baking dish and set it aside. mix together the flour and salt and set it aside. have your extract, measuring spoon, and food coloring readily available.

in a large pot fitted with a candy thermometer, heat the butter, sugar, corn syrup, condensed milk, and honey over medium high heat. as the butter melts, slowly stir to combine. once it's melted and everything is mixed together, do not stir. when it starts to bubble, reduce heat to medium.

heat the mixture to 240ºf, remove from heat, and immediately stir in the flour mixture and then the flavoring and food coloring. pour into your prepared pan. 

chill for 30 minutes in the fridge and then use kitchen sheers to cut into your desired shape. allow to cool at room temperature. enjoy!

-yeh!

THE FRIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HAPPY MEAL BAG

1. if ever you find yourself in chicago, you simply must go to dillman's and eat a matzo ball the size of your head.

2. a few weeks ago, my darling lemon thyme went to vietnam and instagrammed all about it and it was one of my most favorite things. a pop of color to a snowy instagram world.

3. this blog is so wonderful and creative. it combines food and... (wait for it) books! i made a little appearance on it yesterday where i admitted that i am a full blown book abandoner.

4. whenever this lady posts a photo of a new photo prop, i nearly barf because it is so pretty yet so vintage and one of a kindy. i mean she has heart shaped cast iron cornbread tins!

5. out of the bazillion cookbooks i got at the library last week, this is a cookbook by max and eli sussman has got to be the one with the most chutzpah and the most recipes that i actually want to try.

6. sista had me at tahini. i'll best be making these soba noodles soon.

7. if you have not read nico's review of the new beyonce album, you should.

8. can anyone point me in the direction of a homemade boloney recipe?

-yeh!

CHICAGO

eggboy and i are in chicago now, escaping the north dakota cold and seeing my family. it is a crisp -9ºf right now and it's supposed to warm up to zero later today! such excitement, i think i'll shed one sweater layer. 

we spent the weekend in the suburbs with homeland season 3 and a massive stack of cookbooks. we did not surface except to take a salty cheesy trip to eataly with these two and to eat about 12 orders of brunch paella at ba ba reeba. 

my sisters and i, we do this thing where we impersonate al dente noodles. that's what that gif is all about. i dunno how it started, i think it's a variation on the helpless dog pose that we do when we don't want to do something or if pops is taking too many pictures (do you see where i get it from?). my best guess is that stoop is a penne noodle, mia is a bow tie or perhaps udon, and i like to think that if i were a noodle i'd be some sort of hand pulled strand like one you'd find at xi'an. 

i find myself obliterated with excitement to do things that were once a norm. going to a mall, going to the paint your own pottery place, staring at the whole foods cheese counter. even a five minute trip to trader joe's has been a highlight. it feels benjamin buttony and i like it.

anywho. ikea calls, so i am off to "brave" this "bitter cold weather" and i promise not to call anyone a wimp in the process. (but seriously, chicago, grow a pair.)

-yeh!