Well, since it snowed (?!?!) in New York yesterday, I finally feel like I can say it — it’s the holiday season! Granted, nothing accumulated, but I left my apartment to catch the subway and got smacked in the eye with a big ol’ flake. Nice to see you too, winter.
Anyway, that plus a gingerbread latte have me thinking family gatherings and lots of food. Chances are you’re looking for something to bring to your holiday get-togethers — and this Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Bread is a winning candidate!
One of my favorite things about Valentine’s Day is the chocolate. PSA to my boyfriend (as if he didn’t already know): a holiday that encourages the consumption of chocolate in any form provides you with a guaranteed way to make me smile.
I know we’re still a couple of weeks out, but I figure some of you out there might be trying to plan a treat to make for the ones you love on February 14. Dare I suggest this triple chocolate quick bread? You can serve it as a sweet breakfast-in-bed item, or break it out for dessert (top it with a scoop of ice cream–calories consumed on holidays don’t count).
Sometimes I think weekends exist out of time.
I lose track of what day (and often hour) it is. After a week of blow-drying my hair every morning and almost getting eaten by my diffuser, my hair sits atop my head in a ponytail or (if I’m feeling really ratty) a topknot. I begin to call a cookie a meal. The miracle of brunch makes alcohol acceptable before noon. And since I don’t yet have my company-issued phone, I’m not instantaneously accessible to my colleagues.
For me? Pancakes are the ultimate comfort food. Sweet, but not overly so; reminiscent of childhood meals where you were in disbelief that you actually got to have cake for breakfast. And now that I live on my own? Pancakes are my favorite reminder that–as a grown-up–I totally get to have dinner drenched in syrup if I want to.
What is a ghost’s favorite dessert?
Booooooberry pie!
When I was in elementary school, my mom would put a handwritten note in my lunchbox every day, and she always included a joke like the one above. Needless to say I was the most popular girl at the lunch table (at least that’s what I tell her). And if you ever need some excellent riddles, I’m totally the one you should call.
Where was I? Oh. Right. Blueberries.
So, can we agree that the Fourth of July is just weird this year? I mean, it couldn’t get more awkward than having a holiday that is just made for weekend BBQing on a Wednesday. Of all days.
When do you take your long weekend? Do you take vacation on Monday and Tuesday and then still have the tail end of a week left? Or, do you call out Thursday and Friday and have a post-Fourth party. (Or are you like me, and not in possession of enough vacation days to take any time off? True story. Bummer.)
Hey there, friends. I know I was MIA here on Chip Chip Hooray last week–sorry about that. Things in these parts have been crazy–Baby Chip turned sweet 16, bestest friends got engaged, the Hunger Games movie came out–but I have been writing! …just not here. Hah.
So to make it up from you, I’m giving you two wonderful things today: cookies that you can eat for breakfast (um, fabulous), and free stuff!
You love me again now, right? That’s what I thought.
Rise and shine, darlings!
Oh wait, you’re not morning people? Sorry. I am in possession of the often-unfortunate quality of being one of those people who functions best in the early hours. I say “often-unfortunate” because it’s my experience that the general population loathes morning people. They resent–perfectly understandably, in my opinion–bright, perky, caffeinated efficiency before their neurons have had a chance to get properly kickstarted.
True confession: I think the idea of serving your loved one breakfast in bed is adorable.
Now, if your Valentine happens to define “breakfast” quite literally as “the first meal of the day”…and if said Valentine likes to sleep until noon, while you’re bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 8:30…that whole “breakfast” thing might pose a bit of a problem. Not that I know what that’s like, or anything.
Nope.
I have never won a raffle in my life.
And it’s not for lack of trying, people. I never gave up hope–every parish festival, every sports team fundraiser, I valiantly threw money into the bin for that particularly enticing basket of (often chocolatey) goodies, or donated to buy into the 50/50. All for naught! I became convinced that I was luckless, doomed to find only tails-up pennies and probably step on one too many sidewalk cracks.
That is, until I started winning blog giveaways.
…and kept winning.
Chip Chip Hooray! 