fickle friend friday : girl from ipanema

By the time you're reading this I will be on the road to Arizona!

Let me set the scene for you: Johnny and Jimmy are packed in the car with their skinny jeans and good looks. I'm probably trying to rationalize eating cheetohs as a part of a late and balanced breakfast (one serving is like... five grams of protein, you guys). I'm making the boys listen to a few Taylor Swift songs, because I just can't stop listening to her album RED. We're strategizing various questionable goals for the weekend. Cars are getting fewer and fewer the closer we are to Arizona and the landscape is wide open and welcoming. 

Roadtrips.

Luckily I was able to pull together some Fickle Friends before I hit the road! This week I was feeling exhausted from a combination of the cerebral tension of the election and our hectic production week leading up to our company's Christmas television show. These FF's probably reflect that. Simple, funny, bright colors, easy concepts. That's all I can handle right now.

........................................................................

Let's start with this video. Parents tell their kids that they ate all of their Halloween candy. Hilarity ensues. Jimmy Kimmel has a couple of challenges like this for parents and they're all amazing. As much as I wish I was the sweet girl at the end, I'm pretty sure I would have been the dramatically crumpled skeleton on the floor.

During President Obama's acceptance speech this lady might have stolen the show:

Despite how annoyed some are by politics on social media, I think it's fabulous. It has made it 'cool' to be aware of what's going on in our country. That, and if I wasn't simultaneously keeping an eye on my news feed for other's observations, I never would have noticed this lady. Worth it. South Park took notice, too.

Awesome.

Favorite package of the week: Kate Spade. Treat yo'self.

But really, I just want to live in Kate Spade and never leave. Red & pink & gold, oh my!

Les Miserables is only a month away and I cannot wait. I try not to weep every time I see the preview in theaters. Here's the new international trailer, highlighting some new cast members I didn't even know about. For one-- Sacha Baron Cohen, who is slowly becoming one of my favorite actors. Everything he touches turns to gold for me. (His serious roles at least).

Les Miserables (2012) - Official International... by reelgr

Ross Find of the week:

Yes. Gold polka dot flats for $13. I deserve the gold medal in Ross shopping.

Even though I only just bought my tickets for New York City, my plans are already blossoming! I have the best brother ever. Jason has several friends that work for the New York Stock Exchange and he can actually get me on the floor! ...I don't even know what it all means but I am so excited! I obviously have no idea what to expect, considering when he mentioned the stock exchange I instantly thought of this scene with Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off:

I'll try and contain my silly hand gestures. But really... times have probably changed. And I get to be amongst all the fancy excitement! I can't wait. I'm so grateful.

Our Thanksgiving Boston plans are finally coming together. My mom and I will be staying with my sister and her bearded beau Paul for a week. A week, I tell you! Cape Cod... Freedom Trail... football and treats on Thanksgiving Day. Mmm! My sister just started a Google Doc for my mom and I to add to the dinner plans-- so white and simple. They have yet to find out I've spruced it up a bit. Actually, I don't think my mom even knows what a Google Doc is. Let the food plans commence 21st-century-style!

I am determined to recreate this. Not necessarily a paper airplane motif (because all I think of is boring Aeronautics college classes and dragging my feet through air museums), but rather some sort of design on canvases that carries from one to the other. Now that we're moving into a new place I have so many decorating options to consider. Making my own artwork? Sign me up!

This episode of GIRLS on HBO. Some moments need no filter.

This party... is going to happen. I'm on it. Who's in?

I've been listening to Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz', Girl from Ipanema all week. I'm completely mesmerized by everything in this song. Her voice, the saxophone... so chill.

........................................................................................

I'm ecstatic for this weekend.

I hope you all have something planned, yes? Get out of the house, lay in the park, eat some meatballs.

And then next week... we'll be out of production and I'll be able to breathe a little easier. Phew!


Love and kisses,

Jenny

WHOO(M)P there it is: crème brûlée whoopie pies

Ahoy there! It's time for the very first of one many recipe posts on Peas & Queues!

Ain't it exciting?

If I have ever baked for you then you are probably very familiar with my usual standbys: chocolate chip cookies (duh), snickerdoodles, lemon bars, and brownies that are pretty bomb.com. When a very important birthday recently came up for a friend of mine, I knew I had to pull out all the stops. (Partly because I think he's great and partly because he's eaten everything else I've ever baked. Sheesh). After being completely mystified and intimidated by whoopie pies for the last year, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to bring the whoopie right into my own kitchen! (That's whoopie in the delicious cookie sense, not the Newlywed Game sense). 

If you've never made whoopie pies before, don't be afraid. They're actually pretty easy to put together and the outcome is delectably impressive. If you've never enjoyed a whoopie pie, your world is about to change. A whoopie-pie is a cake-like sandwich with a whipped custard/frosting in between two soft and chewy cookies. Any flavor is welcomed. These things are bonkers delicious.

Since moving to LA I have delighted in many whoopie pie options-- from food trucks, specialty cafes, and engagement parties! I have yet to meet one I don't like-- red velvet, chocolate with marnier filling, lemon and ginger, the list goes on. It was only a matter of time before I built up the courage to make these little treasures.

I found a great little whoopie pie recipe online and have adapted it to accomodate a particular flavor I had in mind: crème brûlée. That's right-- Crème Brûlée Whoopie Pies! 

Crème Brûlée in french translates to burnt cream, which made me pine for one of my favorite flavors to grace this delicious world, salted caramel. I found that a combination of french vanilla cookies and salted caramel filling is almost spot on to the sweet, intense, rustic taste of fresh crème brûlée.

Voila! Crème Brûlée Whoopie Pies were born.

As I didn't start this recipe with the intent of putting it on my blog, I don't have nearly as many pictures as I wish I had. Next time!

Here's what you'll need:

Whoopie Pies:

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package of French Vanilla Cake mix (Make sure it's got "with pudding" written on the box. This will keep things moist!)
• 1/2 cup butter (Don't be a sissy and use margarine. You're making whoopie pies not steamed kale)
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (table salt will be too fine and intense. Trader Joe's has a big shaker of coarse sea salt for about $1.50)

Filling:

• 1 cup butter, softened (#PaulaDean)
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup dark caramel sauce (Homemade preferably-- or store bought, as long as it's not sugar free)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon REAL. MAPLE. SYRUP. (If you even start to drizzle Log Cabin or Aunt Jemima near these pies it's CURTAINS for you)

Directions:

First of all, my two most important rules to baking:

1) Get in a good mood. Put on a cute apron. Play some funky music white boy. Do what you need to do. Your food will reflect how you feel, trust me. Happy bakers make happy cakers.

2) Follow directions. Read them first. Then follow them. 100% of the time if you do something wrong it's because you are like my sister and don't read instructions because you think it will come to you naturally. It will come to you naturally!... After you read the directions the first ten times and double-check the next ten times. This isn't cooking-- this is baking. You aren't Rachael Ray-- you don't know how to "eyeball" vanilla.

Now-- you've got ingredients out. Awesome. Instead of starting the oven first, get the cookies started.

With a mixer, beat the cake mix, 1/2 cup melted butter, water, and eggs until smooth. Then you guys, let this ish sit it out. For 30 minutes. This will help the batter thicken naturally with all that cakey goodness. Don't touch it even though it looks cool. Let it brood.

Now you can heat the oven to 400℉ . Drop the batter in small rounded teaspoonfuls (that's your smaller eating spoon) about two inches apart from each other. These cookies are going to be sandwiched together so try to keep them about the same size-- and the rounder, the cuter. These whoopie pies pack a sweet punch so make sure they're only a little bigger than bite-size.  Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Don't have a toothpick (because you're not an old man)? Pop your fingers lightly on top. If it gives too much and burns your fingers with molten sugar, they need 2 minutes more. Don't you dare overcook these babies, they're precious!

Get out your mixer again. Start beating the softened butter until it's nice and creamy. On the lowest setting, slowly add the powdered sugar so you don't die of sugar-smoke inhalation. Beat until completely combined and fluffy, then add caramel, salt, vanilla, and maple syrup. Tasty! I also added in three or four drops of yellow and red food coloring to bring out the caramel color. It's crème-brûlée-tastic!

Transfer all your cookies to a rack to cool down. I like to match up my cookies with their cookie mates before filling them-- that way they each have someone their own size (heh heh). You want to put about a tablespoon of filling on the flat side of one cookie then sandwich it together with its buddy. You can also be fancy and pipe this on with a frosting bag-- I just liked the rustic (cough, lazy) look.

See? That wasn't so hard!

Crème Brûlée Whoopie Pies are best served with a glass of milk. They're sweet and tasty and decadent.

The next step is to give one to your patient roommate.

And finally, make sure when you're sending it to someone special, you don't believe the Persian father/son team at "We-Mail-It" that it will get there in two days. It's not going to. Take your mailing habits as seriously as these whoopie pies and pay for priority.

....................................................................................

This was fun! I'm looking forward to more recipe posts. Yum!


Sweet Kisses,

me

election day high

What a night!

I hope everyone was watching at home, yes? What a series of events!

Things were tight.... votes were coming in... back and forth back and forth. It was only a little after 8pm and I thought, "Well this is going to be a long evening!", all warm and cozy on the couch with Ashley and homemade beef stroganoff.

And then, all of a sudden, the screen went blue. Silence. Brian Williams started stuttering and stumbling. President Obama's image flashed on the screen. What? He's President already?

Phew.

My deepest condolences for those of you who had a rough night. I know how I would feel if President Obama was not re-elected-- and I am sorry you are feeling that. America is headed in the right direction and I am so excited to see what the next four years has in store. Sometimes you just gotta have faith! (But not the religious kind. This is politics, people). 

I forgot about the high one experiences after leaving a polling booth. Pride and honor and duty all rolled into one. How lucky am I--- that I get to be a part of deciding who the next President of the United States is? It's so humbling to see people come out and vote; old and young, able and disabled, Liberal and Conservative. In the glow of all the florescent lights and patient poll workers, there I was-- twenty-three-year-old Jenny from a little rural house with goats and chickens in Tucson. Nervously balancing my ballot in a wobbly voting booth, trying to focus on the matter at hand and review my notes about various propositions. Double-checking each little hole that I punched, so as to not be the illegible hole-maker. As I walked out, with a perfect Los Angeles chill in the air, I couldn't help but feel happy-teary. For that reason, I don't think I will ever vote early in an election. Election day high. It's just a bonus if your particular interests come to fruition.

.........................................................................................

Speaking of happy-teary, today is my best friend Alison's birthday!

Saying I miss Alison is an understatement. If you could take "I miss you" and all its definitions and meaning and quadruple the recipe and bake it into a huge "I miss you cake", I would still be hungry and want another slice or two. She's the best friend a girl could ever ask for. In all of the years we have been best friends (17 years!) we have maybe argued once. If that. If you could even call it an argument. It was probably more something like this:

She's the butter to my popcorn. The cookie dough to my DQ blizzard. The Diane Sawyer to my Amber Atkins. 

And we certainly don't like birthdays spent apart. Luckily I get to see her this weekend when I stop through Tucson! Then and there she will be showered with best friend love and hugs. 

Ahem. Now commences many photos of me and Alison. Because we're just too cute and fun.

Yes, we're dressed up as Sandy and Danny, circa 2005.

Football jersey Fridays were our favorite days, ever. Oh yeah, and I guess our boyfriends were, too.

U of A games! (our spirit and excitement is palpable).

Chillin' with Lady Windsock. If I'm not mistaken this was taken outside of a strip mall tea place were we had high tea and scones after a 2 hour "road trip" to IKEA. ...We make our own fun. We're small town girls.

At Diana and Nicole's wedding!

We love Guadalajara Grill! And massive margaritas!

Alison and I in our natural habitat.

Did I mention we love popcorn?

Cutting the cake and making wishes at our U of A graduation party! We' re adorable. And have coordinating outfits

Happy birthday, Al Pal! Here's to many many more!

Cheers!

.....................................................................................

Ahh... friendship love. Isn't it the sweetest kind? 

...But really. This was the completely wrong day for me to write anything. I am swamped. But best friends and election thoughts come first. Lots of love to all of you. May this hump day be the humpiest yet.

Kisses,

me