So good when its good

Yes - Those are cookies. Come on' now, wipe the drool off your chins and break out that box of left-over Vanilla Wafers getting stale in the back of your cupboards; its time to cook!

I remember it so well... It was around 11:30 pm and I was searching around the kitchen to find something, anything, to put in Nick's lunch. I even considered making soup from scratch! (My thoughts were definitely a little frazzled at such a late hour...) This little inspiration, a total desserty epiphany, was my saving grace.

These little bite-sized cookies are seriously one of the easiest recipes across the board. I'm not talkin' cuisine here, no Anthony Bourdain, Giada de Laurentis, or Bobby Flay-like skills needed. All you need are some 'Nilla Wafers and a bit of creativity.

I first used some leftover fudge I had made the weekend before. (I love cookin' up some sweet treats to spread out through my family...). The fudge inside these cookies melt so smooth, yet is able to firm up and hold together even after a rough beating in a high schooler's lunch box. Now THATS strength. To make about 10-15 sandwiches, I used:

3 pieces traditional peanut butter fudge

3 pieces traditional chocolate fudge

Around 30 Vanilla Wafers

Microwave

2 butter knives

2 small bowls

All you have to do: Microwave the fudge in seperate bowls. Once smooth, spread one flavor on one wafer, another flavor on the other, and sandwich them together! Refridgerate for a little while to speed up the 'holding' process. Yumm..I think they taste even better because they're so easy to make.

Now tell me, WHO doesn't like ice cream sandwiches?! Classic combination of chocolate wafer with smooth vanilla ice cream; will forever remind me of black fingertips and hot summer days.

These sandwiches, on the other hand, are all dressed up and ready to go. I must completely admit, Nick has developed quite the culinary eye and the hand for spreading sauce around a dish to make it look like it could cost more than the whole box of ice cream sammies. This recipe is TOTALLY his brain-child....and I love it.

This is another easy, simple, fast-fast recipe that is truly impressive. (And really good....)

Ice cream sandwiches, (1 per serving...)

Cheerios

Chocolate sauce

Whipped cream

After the ice cream sammy melts just a tad, and the sides become a bit melty, roll them in crushed Cheerios. The crushed cereal will automatically stick to the melting ice cream, giving you not only great decoration and visual appeal, but also a great, warm flavor.  To decorate and make it look fresh outta' the window of a 5-star kitchen, get creative with your sauces! Spread some whipped cream on the top of the ice cream, or even around the plate. Work with the contrast of the dark choclate and spot around the whipped cream.

That's truly the most fun when it comes to plating food, you begin to finally see how beautiful it can be.

What's a good recipe that YOU enjoy?

Art Alert!

Check out Kiel Mead. Kiel (pronounced "Kyle") is an up-and-coming, 24-year-old jewelry and furniture designer based out of New York City. Kiel started his design career with his awesome "keyrings", rings made from Mustang, Chrysler and other car keys. Mead's jewelry is crafted from mundane yet nostalgic items, from drill bits to lanyards to matchsticks and even chewing gum. Each piece is unique and carries it's own significance. His furniture is just as interesting, providing artful yet functional pieces for the home.

All I can say for myself is that I adore his forget-me-not rings (pictured above).In fact, one was recently spotted on none other than Taylor Swift. What do you think about Kiel's interesting art? Any artists/designers I should check out?



Read. Think. Type. Rock.
-Katie
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I made something!

So I've been into DIY for awhile and I've done a little dabbling, made a few things, but I've finally made something that I think someone would want to wear! The pictures are of a purple headband I made for a friend (I'm modelling it, though). I'm already planning on making a few more, but maybe with pom-poms or flowers. I hope you like!




[The headband is a knitted version of a project from Threadbanger...this video specifically]

Sloppy blues means a good time...

Ok - Remember how the entire [our] open door team met up, (even though it was a tad unexpected), at the Jason Mraz concert early this year? Well...we just may do it again...

Bringin' their "laid-back, sloppy blues" to the Spokane Knitting Factory, G. Love & Special Sauce will be arriving February 26. (And...if you couldn't tell by how much we gushed about them headlining performance for Mraz, WE LOVE THEM!) They've got a style and sound like nothing else...nothing I've seen or heard before.

Members Jeffrey Clemens, Jimmy Prescott, and G. Love, (actually born Garrett Dutton, shhh! Don't tell anyone!) have had quite a career. Based in Philly, the trio released their first album in 1994 and nearly achieved 'Gold-status' in sales. Here's where the trouble started; according to MSN's biography of the band, members started "bickering over finances", resulting in a temporary split.

Knitting Factory Concert Information:
Compliments to Facebook, we got this info...
- Friday, February 26.
- 8:00 - 11:00 pm!
- Playing with Redeye Empire...(more information on him/them is going to have to be a follow up blog post.)

Some yummy tidbits G. Love & Special Sauce:

They formed in 1992.

Their album Electric Mile, (released 2001), was described as a G. Love's "most schizophrenic yet." He used a blend of "hip-hop, funk, psychedelia, blues, and soul..."

G-Love is a longtime friend of part surfer - part acoustic artist Jack Johnson.

RIP JD Salinger.

"I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody.”

I'm forced to wonder if Salinger really thought that, because it's easy to imagine that phonies around the globe are ready to place flowers on the grave of one of the most popular writers of the last century. Salinger died today at the ripe old age of 91 and now readers wait anxiously to see whether or not previously unreleased Salinger works will be published posthumously.

Other bloggers and writers have made enough commentary on Salinger's death to make this post trite already, less than 24 hours after his death, so I'll try to keep this short and sweet. It may be cliche to say it, but The Catcher in the Rye as well as Salinger's other short stories had an effect on my life, however small or large. Holden was lonely boy, trying to reach out and find empathy from others, but when he got into that phone booth, he couldn't think of a single person to buzz. I learned that, sometimes, we can be too self-centered to notice that others are just as lonely as we are. If you haven't read any of Salinger's works, this is as good a time as any to pick up a copy of Catcher or Franny and Zooey and start reading.

The funny thing is that he probably would've hated all of this attention.

RIP, Salinger. The rest of us phonies will miss you.

So writing...

I like to write....obviously. But I was looking through some old stuff (I love technology...I don't know how many rhymes and lyrics I've lost because I wrote them on napkins I ended up using!) and I found these poems and I thought I would share...Cool? cool. They're in the style of description poem where you basically pick an object and, well, think of descriptions for it. So here goes.
Snowflake
Silencer of spring
A Who’s home
Downy feathers of a celestial pillow fight
Icing on a lake
Winter’s sand
The lacy dress of an eyelash
Piercer of exposed cheeks and thin mittens
Nature’s dust
Building material for a fortress of ice
Satisfier of an expectant tongue
Children’s dreams
Glitter shaken from a star
Ornament to adorn a spider’s web
Cloud’s offspring
Ammunition in a friendly feud
Slippery sister of sleet
Bleach’s muse
Silencer of spring


Voices
The voices shouting for a cause are loud and strong,
Like the crowing of a rooster.
The voices telling of happiness are jubilant and bright,
Like the sun’s rays spilling onto green grass.
The voices in love are rushed and excited,
Like the beating of a healthy heart.
The voices teaching are calm and patient,
Like a painter’s brush making the first stroke on a blank canvas.
The voices whispering are secretive and spiteful,
Like spies in a forbidden fortress.
The voices begging for rest are strained and exhausted,
Like rope used in a game of Tug o’ war.
The voices crying for help are faint and pleading,
Like words slowly wiped off a chalkboard.
The voices too weak to shout are silent and desperate,
Like a hand reaching for the light.
Then there are the voices that have finished speaking, serene and complete,
Like a puzzle after the last piece has been found and fitted into the rest.



Silence
The whisper of friends gone too soon
The brushing of leaves on a windowpane
The swish of a tree falling through still dawn air
The last second before the sun sets
The chirping of birds when no one else is awake
The words on a page about to be read


Well there you go. Katie writing, in the pixels (like in the flesh...but for the internet). I hope it was enjoyable. Let me know what you think in the comments, or try your own desription poem.

Matt Hires, Stephen Kellog and the Sixers, Tyrone Wells

What a night! Well, I know it took me quite awhile to put this up here, but Tyrone Wells' homecoming to the Knitting Factory was a personal and talent-filled show.

Matt Hires opened it up with his raw, acoustic stylings. I'm a huge Matt Hires fan, but this was the first time I've seen him since the release of his new album Take Us To The Start and I was excited to hear the live version of the album. As per usual, I was not disappointed. Matt puts on chill, laidback show but with his own personal touch. I am constantly blown away by his simplistic yet beautiful lyrics that continue to differentiate him from the legions of other acoustic musicians.

Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers followed Matt Hires. I was surprised by their almost pop-like (in the best sense of the word) approach to folk. They were a nice blend of rock, folk, and a pinch of ironic facial hair. With choreographed dances, keytars, and a wealth of plaid, Kellogg and his band quickly found their way into my heart. After the show, a friend and I went to get an autograph from Kellogg and I was impressed by his friendly demeanor and the time he spent with every fan. He even drew his "first portraits on the West Coast" of my friend and I.

Tyrone Wells returned to his hometown to headline the concert. His style was put-together and clean, but perhaps a bit unoriginal at times. However, I was deeply impressed by the complex lyrics of "What Are We Fighting For?" and "Sink or Swim." His music was fun and enjoyable, but one of the highlights of his set was when he helped a man propose to his girlfriend. Congratulations to those two strangers!

Katie's Prescription:
For those looking for an innovative acoustic musician bringing something new to the table: I prescribe Matt Hires
For those looking for a gentle introduction to the crazy, multi-layered world of folk: I prescribe Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers, (their blend means that you aren't just diving into that wild land!)
For those looking for a something similar to what you hear on the radio, but with better lyrics and vocals: Check out Tyrone Wells

Take twice a day with water and a bit of chocolate.

Read. Think. Type. Rock.
Katie