{winter weekend away}
The weekend is here. Ahh, time to change up schedules for just a bit.Peace out, homeys. I will be absent from my 4 walls of home for the collective time of Saturday & Sunday. There's a long awaited road trip that has my name all over it. And this trip?It involves girls. Some of my favorites to be exact. With the number of hats I wear, oftentimes, there's little room for happy stints of girly-esque. I am the worst at over-working and under-enjoying. Before I climb on the couch of therapy and get too comfy with that character flaw of mine, let me offer you some research I found on friends. Here, in this New York Times article, it states that friendships are one of the critical keys to a healthier, longer life.
Now, I know this. I know how I feel once I've been with my happy people. My insides are more gushy. My body feels more full & strong. Even my patience seems deeper. Not to mention, my mood is heightened & on the lookout for joy a bit more once I return.. I feel refreshed doggonit. So this year I am working on making time to set work aside and find balance with family and this little oh person called me. Guilt,oh she is a hussy. Me and her throw down on the regular too. I'm making it a crystal clear point that she and her nasty sidekick with wearing the ugly lip gloss, Shame,know that they are NOT INVITED.
Um, so I don't go out of town much on my own. And when I do, I get all kinds of jacked up. Ensemble preparation starts immediately. I'm pairing pants with blouses and earrings like a beast & full throttle the week prior. Oh, the little closets of my mind go bananas yanking hangers and snatching shoes. Wheee! And the elementary school teacher in me is CUH-RAZY about a theme. So for this girly trip, I'm going black & white. It's a huge kick I'm on. I blame Kate Spade.
Then the wifey & mama bear side of me starts thinking about her boos she's leaving behind. I'm not gonna lie. My heart starts to miss them already. I think that's called love. For this one, I blame Kenny Cobble. So I do what only comes natural when I live in a house full of men who require food constantly. I bake.
I kept thematic with my cookies. All professional expert party planners use this trick. I blame Martha Stewart. I doubled the recipe as I wanted to take some for my homegirls. This recipe is, by far, my favorite chocolate chip cookie concoction. Not too hard and not too soft. Delish.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soday
1 teaspoon salt
1 bag of chocolate chips
1/2 bag of white chocolate chips {optional}
Cream shortening & sugars until creamy; add eggs and flavoring and mix well. Pre-mix dry ingredients and then add to wet mixture. Stir in chips. Make small balls of dough and place on cooking stone. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. {yields 4 dozen}
I am pinning this recipe over on my dessert board on Pinterest. Feel free to snag or share it if you like. Pinterest is genuis. Where else can you shop for a $700 pair of shoes, complete 18 home improvement projects, plan for a party right down to the striped straws and bake desserts that increase your pants size 3 fold all while lying on your couch in front of the TV feeling completely uncreative and worthless? May your weekend be filled with rest, a little rockstar and a whole lotta love.
.mac :)