Thursday, December 11, 2008

This rainy, chilly weather puts me in the mood for one thing- holiday baking. Next week my office is having it's annual "Holiday Cookie Swap", so I wanted to do a trial run of my cookie of choice so I don't have a baking fiasco and show up with a burnt/flat/gross plate of treats to share. I conducted an extensive search online to find something different than the usual sugar or chocolate chip because there's supposed to be about 40 people sharing.

I finally decided on a simple Weight Watchers recipe (Thanks, Erin!). It's a tad on the healthy side and chances are you already have all the ingredients in your cabinet. They are also good if your agenda is packed with holiday parties because you can keep the dough in the fridge or freezer and slice off and make as many cookies as you want at a time. And of course, they are delicious!

Caramel Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup(s) unsalted butter
1 cup(s) packed brown sugar
1 large egg(s)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup(s) whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Add remaining ingredients and beat thoroughly.
Scrape dough out of bowl and onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Roll dough into a log, about 2 1/2-inches wide; completely wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes or up to overnight.
Cut dough into 1/8-inch-thick slices and arrange on several large ungreased cookies sheets about 1- to 1 1/2-inches apart. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for about 1 minute and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Yields 1 cookie per serving.

Notes
Add some spice to these cookies by sprinkling a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg into the batter.



Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Business Femme

Despite the balmy weather in Boston today, I know that many of you have been planning outfits for your holiday parties. In the effort of being true Recessionistas, I know it is important to have an outfit with what I like to call "recyclable pieces"-that can make the smooth transition from the office to a classy party on a budget. Most of these items are available on the cheap at your local mall or online and the shoes were too good to pass up for a splurge. That's what Santa is for, right?

Today I'll give my top picks for a daytime outfit that will shine in the office, and check back on Friday for the Cinderella transformation for out on the town!


Black Sequined Cardigan (Old Navy, $29.50), Pants (Forever21, $24.80), Navigation Linen Ruffle V-Neck Tank (Jcrew, $39.99), Lace Triangle Scarf with Fringe (Urban Outfitters), Miu Miu Grey Suede Cap-Toe Bow Pumps (Bluefly, $408), Earrings and Headband (Forever21, $4.80), Merona Large Hobo Bag (Target)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Photo Source


It's officially the time of year when you should have started your Christmas shopping, which means it is also the time of year when more annoying toy commercials start to pop up and I'm happy that the majority of people on my Christmas list are over 20.

But a particular commercial caught my attention last night for the Barbie Dream House. Two young woman, sisters, are reminiscing about growing up and sharing Barbies. Props to the advertisers of that one. I was brought back to a nostalgic 80's frame of mind, where Rainbow Bright ruled the world and Christmas was spent picking out Barbies and watching Home Alone over and over again. I got to thinking about 80's and 90's toys- and before I know it I had a running wishlist of my favorite Christmas toys. In the age of Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit, IPods, Leapfrog and Bratz (my least favorite), I thought a little flashback would be refreshing.

My Christmas Wishlist (circa 1990, ish)

-Cabbage Patch Dolls
-Barbie Dream House and pink Barbie Corvette
-Barbie hairdresser head
-Care Bear stuffed animals
-My Little Pony
-Easy Bake Oven
-Polly Pockets
-Beanie Babies (WITH the tags)
-Cupcake dolls and Cherry Merry Muffin and Strawberry Shortcake
-Fraggle Rock (VHS)
-Tamagotchi pet

Oh and a note to all of the friends who read my blog, I never got that Easy Bake Oven. And Tamgotchi pets are only going for around $15 on Amazon these days...
Feel free to leave comments on your favorite toys from Christmases past!

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Photo Source

Grab your warmest coat, your closest friends and a warm cup of hot chocolate-the official Boston Common tree lighting is tonight!

The event takes place from 6-8 when Mayor Menino and Santa Clause himself will flip the switch for the 46 foot Christmas tree from Nova Scotia and the other elaborate displays. You can catch the smooth sounds of Brian McKnight while your there (not my favorite artist but I'm sure he'll be able to belt out some carols) as well as some other local celebs.