Easter Nest Cookies

This will be our very first Easter together and we have been trying to make sure we make it a memorable one. We have been reading about each of the days of Holy Week and eating Cadbury Eggs nonstop for days.

 I got this recipe from one of my favorite women/bakers of all time. Her name is Valerie Johnson. She baked cookies for my "cookies & milk" wedding reception and has coined the term "happies" for her wonderfully packaged treats which put a smile on anybody's face! How cute is that? So I made a good 50 cookies yesterday, and we've been smiling ever since.

Our suggestion: Package some of these cookies & anonymously drop them off on someones doorstep who has made this a more meaningful Easter season for you. 

We chose to treat a neighbor who had inspired us with honest words. 

Below is a little snippet of our experience.

Enjoy your weekends,

I&J

Shelves made of Books

As you will continue to notice, I have a very deep relationship with books, some may even call it an obsession. I love reading them,  holding them, posing with them, smelling them, decorating with them, recommending them, discussing them, and getting totally lost in the world of them. Hence why I decided to learn how to make shelves out of books! 

Steps:

#1 I had to go to the hardware store & purchase the appropriate hardware. [screws & metal shelf brackets] I also had to invest in a power drill, I chose this one:

It was only $59 and seriously works great.

#2 Pick out three [or as many as you'd prefer] books with covers that please you. It would be best to select a book that is not a classic, read often, or of great value. I suggest the readers digest condensed books.

 

#3 Spray paint the brackets [Again, if you'd prefer, I think it looks great either way.]

#4 Drill holes into the book where the brackets will be attached, & then screw on the brackets.

#5 Mount on the wall [we're in between houses, so I just took a picture as if they were mounted on a wall] & decorate with your favorite light weight knick knacks.

 And there you have it. Let me know what you think about this idea, I know I have a unique taste in home decor, an example being our famous green couch, but it is interesting to hear from the perspectives of others. 

Thanks for tuning in!

I&J

Sunflower Market

Today we went to Sunflower Market in Orem (to see other locations, click here.)

Lucky for us, Wednesday is the day they put out all the sales from both the previous and upcoming week. DOUBLE SALES! Also Thursdays they give 20% off to Students with valid ID. 

We like the place because it's a little taste of the Northwest environment we grew up in and sorely miss. 

It's really quite a find for anyone looking for local, organic, or bulk items. 

 Go check it out!

We had to make an exception to our strictly in-the-home-vegetarian lifestyle for these crazy deals.

We left excited for a week of branching out with new recipes and delicious ingredients...even though it was 10 pm, we couldn't resist a little (kind of big) snack. 

Shop away,

I&J

Sweet Tooth Fairy

Since we've always been spoiled by great bakers, we have a hard time feeling satisfied at most dessert shops. Sweet Tooth Fairy is the exception. Have you ever had a cupcake where the cake was great, but the frosting was terrible, or vis versa? Here you get the best of both worlds, and when I say the best, I mean it. It may seem like we're abusing the word "best" lately, but just trust us. We've searched long and hard for tasty eats & this is definitely one. 

Though located over the bridge in South Provo, this place is worth the drive, or bike ride in our case. [No worries other Utahans, Sweet Tooth Fairy is also located in SLC, Draper, St. George, Layton, & Midvale]

[Lemon, Strawberry Shortcake, & German Chocolate]

 I don't know about you, but $2.35 seems a bit steep for a cupcake--it is totally worth that and more.

Treat yourselves,

I&J

DIY Bookshelf

The first sunny day we had here I felt a crafty wave come over me. If you know me at all, you know that I am not a crafty person. Johnny, excited by my excitement, encouraged me to start a new project. I decided to learn to distress furniture and make it look darling. 

Steps:

#1 purchasing a $3.00 shelf at DI [the more hideous, the better]

#2 Sand it down and wipe it clean 

 #3 Prime it

#4 Paint it the color you like best (I chose Olympic's Pale Jade)

 #5 Distressing: Sand it down in areas where natural wear and tear would occur. 

(I love how in some areas the primer only shows through, and in others it is sanded all the way down to the wood.)

 #6 Pick out a lovely piece of paper & using spray adhesive, glue it to the shelf bottoms.

#7 Become giddy excited

 #8 Photograph

 #9 Repeat step #8

 #10 Enjoy those cherry blossoms, they're only around for so long. 

We hope our furniture is more distressed than you,

I&J

Music Monday: Pogo

The remix artist Pogo caught our attention mainly because of the brilliant chord progressions he uses. 

Furthermore, Pogo mixes in snippets of Disney Movies to make this electric/nostalgic fusion. It's absolutely thrilling. Take a listen!

Izzy's Favorite

Johnny's Favorite:


It's a contest so let us know which you like best,

I&J

[Loser has to write a rap for next music monday]

Easy Reading

Today has been in every way a lazy day for Johnny and I.

We're gearing up for finals and just enjoying all of this time without classes in session.

Today we decided to trade in our text books on Amazon, but instead of receiving cash in return, we opted for Amazon credit.

And with our credit we bought this:

I've been coveting my mom's kindle for years now. It will be so easy to carry around europe and such a life saver on our thirteen plane rides, and five train rides this summer.

Start sellin' those books and

 you may have yourself a swift piece of technology too,

I&J 

Sweet and Salty

Both Johnny and I grew up in a home with fantastic cooks.

My mom was always encouraging us to try new and exciting creations and Johnny's mom is an incredible baker.

So as you might imagine, these women left big shoes to fill.

Luckily we are both passionate about cooking and eating so it works out just fine. 

Click Here to see one of my favorite cooking blogs--and the recipe for the absolute best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made or tasted, I know you hear that often, but these are definitely it for us.

Let us know what you think.

And here is how yummy they look...

Our 3 favorite things about this recipe:

1. They are made with sea salt so you get the salty sweet contrast.

2. We used the "jumbo" sized chocolate chips which made these cookies even yummier.

3. If cooked a little bit under the suggested time, they are chewy and  keep for days.

Bake away,

I&J