Please allow me to introduce you to my new best friend, Cookies & Cream Cupcakes. In case you need any convincing about how amazing these cupcakes are (which you probably don’t), they received numerous compliments along the lines of “this is the best dessert I’ve ever eaten.” These were actually just an afterthought for me since I had so many oreos left over after stuffing chocolate chip cookies with them. Turns out they’re more of a revelation than an afterthought.

It’s hard to …

It’s confession time. I just made chocolate chip cookies for the first time. I mean, I’ve made other types of cookies before. I’ve even made cookies that are really similar to chocolate chip cookies. But I’ve never made straight-up, classic, plain old chocolate chip cookies from scratch before today.

Image courtesy of author’s personal collection

I set out on a mission to do a taste-test of sorts, systematically trying recipes until I found one that I could adopt as my go-to favorite. …

I have some epic news to share. Andy and I are moving to Dubai! His company is sending him to the Middle East to work, and I’m tagging along to play! We’ll be there for about 3 months in early 2011, and we’re ridiculously excited for the adventure of a lifetime.

{Image Source: Maistora on Flickr}

Since I don’t have any concrete plans yet over there (besides exploring the biggest mall in the world), I’m hoping to use my time to learn …

My commute to work is obscenely long. It takes anywhere from an hour on a good day to two when traffic’s really bad, and that’s just one way. Until we can move to a more convenient location, I’ve been finding ways to keep myself entertained on the road. I spend a lot of time on the phone and had a satellite radio installed in my car, but by far my favorite way to pass the time recently has been listening …

Now that I’m reclaiming my Sundays (previously dominated by long half-marathon training runs and subsequent ouchiness), I feel like myself again. My heart’s been a little broken since life has forced me to stay away from the kitchen. But I’m back, and so are my oven and my healed heart!

These Pumpkin White Chocolate Cookies taste like coziness. They have the warmth of pumpkin pie spice and the creaminess of pumpkin puree, with that lovable sweet shock that comes with any high dose …

Pie and I have not always been the best of friends. After my last relative success, I decided that the stress to fun ratio for pie was too high. So I faced the fact that it’s my weak spot and I gave up trying. I don’t regret a lot in my life, but that was indeed a poor decision.

Pie is a really interesting concept. There are a million different ways to vary the preparation: one crust or 2, the type …

Let me tell you about one of the most meaningful, touching gifts I’ve ever gotten.

Recently, my mother-in-law put together a very special recipe book for me. It’s a handmade collection of recipes from her mother, who passed away right around the time I met Andy. On the cover is a picture of my adolescent husband and his grandmother, and inside are photocopies of pastry recipes in Grandma Ida’s own handwriting. I never got to meet Grandma Ida, but she now …

This Day in the Life project came at an awkward time for me. We’ve been living in Northern California after our big move for 3 weeks now. I’ve been at my new [dream] job for one. We’ve been adoring every second, but trying to show you all what my life is like is an interesting challenge when I don’t even know what it’s like yet. While I try to figure that out, I’ll share with you what I did today.

Here …

Happy Strawberry Season! I don’t know about your part of the world, but here in Oregon the strawberry bounty is overwhelming. Even though I feel a little heartbroken with most of my kitchen in storage (last time I complain, I promise!), I had to give the strawberries some love.

This recipe, inspired by Mark Bittman (the man who taught me how to cook), is especially versatile. You can mix and match fresh fruit in any combination, as long as it’s 6 …

Big life changes are happening around here.

I am now Amy I., MSW. Qualified to manage your cases, write your grants, organize your communities, and mess you up even more in therapy. Grad school is over. I’m so relieved and ready to have more time to read for fun, take more naps, and of course play in the kitchen as often as possible.

The graduation thing is just the beginning of the excitement I have to share with …