The Rockiest

Emotional baking, at it's core, is really the sugary manifestation of extreme emotions. Good, bad, undefinable. Matter of fact, the undefinable emotions, I find, are best for emotional baking. You sift, you ponder, you knead, you mull. Everything you do to an ingredient, you do to your own brain and psyche. Even more therapeutic with a glass of wine...
My most recent undefinable emotion came right as I bought my first one-way plane ticket. It was a quiet moment, no trumpeting fanfare, no booming announcement, but one click on the computer, and I was booked on a one-way to New York City. 
I was excited, scared, proud, unsure, relieved, and terrified all in the same nanosecond...
So I baked.
I chose "Three's A Crowd Rocky Road Bars," paying sugary homage to the road ahead that may, or may not, be rocky.
Upon explaining this to Mom, she gasped an immediate "Oh geeze, I hope not..." and then, I'm sure, began scheming how much money she can sneak into my bank account without damaging my pride. 

The Happy Baker should always have a fabulous apron to don when tackling a kitchen. It should reflect your personality, or what baking means to you, or how it makes you feel, or better yet, how you want people to feel when they are invited into your miraculous kitchen space. I imagine something shabby chic for myself, maybe with some cheeky embroidery, and most certainly, a big ol' butt bow. 

Couldn't find one, but I found this...shadow of my past, I suppose...

let it be known I RARELY take douchey mirror pics of myself. I'm not a wannabe body builder.

This recipe is so simple and quick. I enjoy bar recipes that require a crust/multiple layers because they're always much more impressive to the enjoyer. And lord have mercy, do I love a good marshmallow. 

Confession: Mom used to bribe me with marshmallows while potty training.....now I'm kind of embarrassed for putting that out there. Only because now I would demand a rocky road bar, because, you know, inflation.

Butter softening, people: it cannot be done in the microwave. You either have to plan ahead, or you stick 'em on the stove while the oven preheats, if your oven is underneath the stove. Otherwise, congratulations, you've buttered your microwave... (and I did).

Also, one of the side-effects of emotional baking is in spilled ingredients. Think about it: as you're unbridling your emotions, the same thing might happen to the flour in your bowl. It's kinda nice though :)

BAM. Done in like 15 minutes. Delicious in like forever. 

Next time I might even use more marshmallows, or maybe marshmallow fluff.

OR PEEPS. 

(wide-eyed, great idea thinking face)

It's like a delicious Martian planet surface or something equally nerdy...

Here's to hoping this will be the rockiest road I have to encounter ;)

Gratitude

Woo, it's been a while since I've posted a gratitude post, but that doesn't mean I've been ungrateful. This gratitude post is all about New York, in lieu of my pilgrimage. These are my most recent favorite things about New York.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you for the aesthetically pleasing and A.D.D. friendly JetBlue Airlines. Even though the stewardesses take their job too seriously, I still enjoyed my Munchie mix and diet Coke while I learned that 4 airbags deploy in my row in the case of an emergency. And I'll never forget it.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you for New York pizza, namely on Bleeker Street. The party in my tummy had no idea what was coming. But it liked it.

Dear Baby Jesus, I may be the only thanking your for pigeons. But they're funny. So thank you.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you for the Museum of Modern Art, where hipsters and crazies assemble to be weird, but with an open mind. I had no idea that a bad of cat litter and self-mutilation was art. I'm sorry I got tired and weirded out before we reached all of the floors. Maybe I'll start at the top next time?

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you for the Not For Tourists Guide to New York City. I didn't know that looking at a map was still for non-tourists.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you for the infamous Subway and it's sense of humor. This poster was our favorite. Thank you also for that guy playing the guitar on the L train and how everyone thought it was okay. On that note, thank you for all of the subway platform performers. Livin the dream.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you for the Naked Cowboy. We know each other real well now, as you can see. I'm sorry, I know my body is a temple, but it isn't a very good temple if no one visits, right. So the Naked Cowboy went straight to the basement.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you soooo much for Magnolia cupcakes. Sweet, sweet nectar of your tears and crystalized sugar never tasted so good.

Dear Baby Jesus, thank you most of all for the best friends ever, not all pictured here. This picture just had the most in it. I can't wait to live there.

on another note...

So I've come to realize pretty much all of my posts are about PostSecret. Blogging about other blogs seems like a cop out. Whatever, at least I'm posting more frequently than Bry....

So I'd like to take this post to say that I'm SO EXCITED TO GO TO NEW YORK TOMORROW.

I like to think of this trip as a pilgrimage more than a vacation. I've got a lot on my clipboard of fun, but what I really want out of this trip is to feel like a New Yorker for even the tiniest moment. Whether that means yelling at a car that "I'm walkin 'ere!", getting on a subway without having to look at a map, or eating the best pizza and cupcakes in the world, I won't know until I get there. But I'm stoked. Let the journey begin...

I love you, Bry. Get off your couch and finish packing.