In a New York Minute

(via movieoftheday)

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:54:25 -0500

haygirlhay: jeralyndwile: Chocolate Gingerbread Bars If you...

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:51:06 -0500

jeralyndwile:

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

If you love brownies and gingerbread flavor, then these bars are perfect for you because they blend both. They are quite easy to make and look absolutely delicious with the powdered sugar on top. You could mail them (like they are shown in the picture) or put them out for everyone to nibble on pre-present-opening. Next week is almost here so get your recipes together and get ready for it! And try these while you’re at it!

Ingredients

Makes 16

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

1 large egg

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

Apparently these looked so good that upon realizing I had all the ingredients, I decided to bake them at 11pm. Cause, you know, that’s how I roll.

I wish holiday lights were up year round. They seem to...

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:01:21 -0500

I wish holiday lights were up year round. They seem to immediately make everything more peaceful and beautiful.

Christmas Lists become significantly less exciting as you grow up.

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:01:33 -0500

On my list this year? A new vacuum, return address stickers, and grocery store gift certificate.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Easily the greatest meal ever.

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:44:24 -0500

Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Easily the greatest meal ever.

On talking to random strangers:

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:54:00 -0500

meredithnyc:

Today I saw a woman on the street wearing a coat I’ve been admiring for two years. Then, later, a woman sat next to me on the subway reading a book that I’ve been thinking about putting on my (long) TO-READ list.

Both times, I contemplated whether or not to tap them on the shoulder and ask them questions. How do you like the coat? Are the buttons comfortable when you sit? Does it keep you warm? How’s the fit? Hey, do you like that book? Worth picking up at the bookstore? Would you recommend it?

I didn’t end up talking to either of them. Coat woman was on her cell, and book woman was listening to her iPod. So I just looked at them and wondered.

Have you ever talked to a stranger who had something you were thinking of buying? Was it weird?

Just tonight I was on the subway next to a woman reading a Playbill for David Mamet’s new play, “Race.” As a theater fan, I’m always interested in people’s thoughts, so I asked her how it was. Not only did she give me her honest opinion, she gave me her Playbill before she got off the train! People never cease to amaze me, or at least make me smile.

reallykatie: Photo Essay: The 10 Worst Things About the Worst...

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:54:18 -0500

reallykatie:

Photo Essay: The 10 Worst Things About the Worst Decade Ever

at first i was all, GEEZE LOUISE TIME MAGAZINE, WAY TO BE A BUNCH OF DEBBIE DOWNERS.

then i looked through the pictures and was all, GEEZE LOUISE 2000s, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE THAT.

Yes. And Yes.

My favorite Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Covered Cherry Drops....

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:03:14 -0500

My favorite Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Covered Cherry Drops.

Just like Mom makes, except not as good. Cause, you know, Mom didn’t make them :)

"I really LIKE you."

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:12:45 -0500

“I think we have a wonderful marriage. I love my husband. He’s my best friend. But I always like to talk honestly about it because I think about other young couples who think there are no struggles to get here. And there are. That’s part of it. The message is - work through the struggles. Start out with somebody that you respect and that you trust so that when you hit the bumps that are inevitable you always have that foundation. I tell Barack as mad as he can make me I look at him and I say, “I really LIKE you. I like you. and I like the way you think and I like the person you. It’s hard to stray to far to stay mad too long, when the person is someone you like.”

~ Michelle Obama, to Oprah on The Christmas at the White House special

peterwknox: shorterexcerpts:thewordunheard:mutations:woahitsjuan...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:20:45 -0500

peterwknox:

shorterexcerpts:thewordunheard:mutations:woahitsjuanito: scrambledbits:

LOST Season 6 ABC Promo (via ezrajshark)

1 month, 19 days, 5 hours from now.

(PS - what a crazy promo. talk about extreme climate change. Andrea, don’t watch this)

WHAT DOES IT MEANNNNNNN??

"On the stress level, I’ve heard that losing your job is like a death in the family,” says one man...."

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:26:24 -0500

““On the stress level, I’ve heard that losing your job is like a death in the family,” says one man. “But personally I feel more like the people I worked with were my family, and I died.””

- NYTimes

(via meredithnyc)

I was about to be all, “Hey! That was a quote from ‘Up in the Air’!” until I clicked through and read the whole article. Definitely worth a read, and I would also fully recommend the film. The movie really impressed me, especially how they were able to make a commercial movie so timely and poignant. Its humor was dry and sometimes harsh, but overall it was insightful and thought provoking. I’ll be really interested to see what recognition it gets as the year goes on…

Things they don’t tell you about grad school: Papers are...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:06:00 -0500

Things they don’t tell you about grad school:

Papers are long enough that they have to be turned in in binder form. This is all on one child (poor little guy didn’t even know I was observing him…)

And it’s getting turned in tonight! Woooo!

Tough Situations - Advice

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:05:49 -0500

Last week, I wrote a blog post about my friend’s awful news about his grandfather’s cancer, and what I could to do help and support him during this hard time. A number of you had some really helpful insights - thank you for sharing! I had a few requests to post the responses I got, and I do think it’s important for us all to share and support each other whenever we can. I recognize these may be very personal, so I left off the names of the people who responded, but let me know if you would prefer me to include your name/take you off the list completely.

Thanks again for your help.

Just be there. My best friend was diagnosed with cancer when we were 20, just be there physically and emotionally.
You’re right that anything beyond ‘I’m here if you need me’ is pithy. My friends were awesome and kept me laughing.
I have received a couple of VERY thoughtful gifts, that have touched me so much and shown that they care.
My friends all spent as much time with me as possible without making me talk about things.
Making things seem normal really help.
You’re right - words don’t do much. Just being there, a shoulder to cry on, a hug, that’s what helped. Condolences to your friend…

Happy Holidays to you, too, Giant Kinda Creepy Cupcake Snowman.

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:00:33 -0500

Happy Holidays to you, too, Giant Kinda Creepy Cupcake Snowman.

SantaCon 2009 We kicked off the day at what ended up being an...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:53:19 -0500

SantaCon 2009

We kicked off the day at what ended up being an artist’s loft in Queens. It was a little bizarre, or as my friend said, “Happy Roofie Rave Christmas.” It was one of those moments where you look around, surrounded by hundreds of santas drinking before 11am and think, “How did I get here?” It was hilarious, but actually not really our scene, so we hightailed it out of there to go off on our own.

SantaCon 2009 After the kinda creepy loft party, the four of us...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:45:00 -0500

SantaCon 2009

After the kinda creepy loft party, the four of us headed out on our own, determined to find a “old man dive bar” that would be open so early in the day. Sissy McGinty’s didn’t disappoint! The 3 old men who were already in the bar got a kick out of our outfits (“Is that really you, Santa? I just thought I had drunk too much!”), but the highlight of our stop was the virtual Pirate Beer Pong game we played. It was pretty much the best game I’ve ever played.

SantaCon 2009 Midday stop: The beer garden in Astoria. After...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:40:01 -0500

SantaCon 2009

Midday stop: The beer garden in Astoria. After separating from the group, we were worried we lost them. Never fear - it’s pretty hard to lose a roving mass of drinking Santas at noon.

SantaCon 2009 The day ended with Santas taking over Washington...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:35:00 -0500

SantaCon 2009

The day ended with Santas taking over Washington Square Park. Well, that may not have been where everyone’s day ended, but by 6pm we were pretty much Santa’d out, so headed back to my place for some much needed pasta.

After a particularly exhausting week, I’m taking a break...

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 09:08:49 -0500

After a particularly exhausting week, I’m taking a break from writing my finals. What better to relax than dressing up like Santa and bar hopping around the city with a few other thousand people dressed just like you?

Happy Santacon everyone!

lizlemon: katespencer:[via Newsweek] Yep. All other...

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:19:45 -0500

lizlemon:

katespencer:[via Newsweek]

Yep. All other decade-ending pieces should quit now. This wins.