Christie’s Cookies

This past Christmas my neighbor and friend Christie Halverson brought by a beautiful box of cookies for the kids and I to enjoy. They were almost too pretty to eat but eat them we did and let me tell you, they are the most delicious, crave worthy cookies I have ever had! Such delectable sweetness must be shared so Christie is opening a bakery in her native Texas where we can all get our fill of her unique confections in the store or online, thank the Lord! I’ve asked Christie if she’d be willing to be a guest contributor and share a Valentine’s inspired cookie recipe with us all and she graciously obliged. So without further ado, here’s Christie!
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The Great Escape: My 2 Day Getaway To Jackson Hole WY

Jackson Hole WY
As I write this I am sitting in a pretty little brunch spot called Persephone in downtown Jackson Hole WY…by myself…all alone…so so alone…and it’s amazing! I mean I’m not totally alone, I’m surrounded by all the other patrons. There are quite a few of them, this being a busy September weekend in Jackson. Yet despite the throngs of humanity that surround me, I am alone. Alone meaning, no husband, no kids, no companion of any kind. Just me, my chai latte and my brioche. I can’t even remember the last time I ventured into the world on my own. I haven’t sat in a cafe by myself since…I truly can’t even remember. I’m not gonna lie, it was a little unnerving at first. I was a bit hesitant to head out the door, but now that I’m here well…I feel a perfect and quiet contentment. I am free to do whatever I please in this moment. I could just sit here and stare out the window for awhile. I can write this post with total absorption for as long as the place stays open. I could eat two more of these amazing brioches and drink six more chai lattes. I have no dishes screaming at me to be washed, no children interrupting me every two seconds, no dogs to feed, no house to tidy. I am footloose and fancy free for this one afternoon in Jackson and it is just what my body, mind and soul needed. A chance to sit and breath. To indulge my own needs and desires and creativity in a beautiful place just far enough away from all the demands of my day to day life.Continue Reading

My 100 Foot Journey to Heaven

The Beautiful French Laundry Right Across The Street From Our Hotel! My own personal 100 Foot Journey

I love to cook… obviously… and I love to eat, and drink! I started really getting into cooking (and drinking I might add) when I was in my early twenties after a decade of being old enough to watch and learn from my mother. Nancy cannot only cook her ass off (and drink her ass off too), but she can put together and throw the most elegant and beautiful dinner parties. Taking a note out of her playbook I purchased every Martha Stewart and Carolyne Roehm book out there. I loved to thumb through their beautiful tomes and draw inspiration from all their glorious ideas. Imagining the day I would throw my own sophisticated and elegant parties.Continue Reading