the grand 'hickon

We moved to Philadelphia this past year for a variety of reasons; we wanted to try out a new city, preferably somewhere on the East Coast, I loved living here in college, and my best friend is a resident (pretty high on my 'Reasons to Live Somewhere' list).



Philadelphia has exceeded our every expectation. One of the most welcome surprises of the city has been our access to the great outdoors. Although we're technically in city limits, our neighborhood borders Carpenter's Woods (the home to an incredible group of resident and migratory birds) and the Wissahickon Creek (has a real cult following.. no really, read the history).

I don't think people say this enough, but it's really beautiful here in Philly...

A Sprinter Chicken

Well, we haven't had much of a winter this year. It's been more of a Spring-Winter, or what I like to call, a Sprinter. But every once in a while, the air carries a chill and the clouds dominate the sky and you just want to hibernate.

For those days, this is your menu.



Roasting any and all veggies rule in my book, but fennel and artichoke are particularly delis together.



Grab a can o' artichoke hearts...



A few bulbs of fennel...



Throw 'em on a baking sheet with your oven at 425 degrees...



Drizzle a little lemon juice (tablespoon), EVOO (3 tablespoons), salt n' peppa and parsley...and VOILA!



How PERFECT is that carving? Rich learned to carve birds from this video by the NYTimes. If you want to really want to impress dinner guests with your cutting skillz, learn this technique.

The Race to a New Chocolate Chip Cookie

It took ten years for me to master my mom's chocolate chip cookie recipe. The process taught me baking, chemistry, and the importance of precision and exploration in the kitchen. They were my first baking love. But I want to master new recipes this year and I'm on the hunt for a go-to chocolate chip cookie. I'll be experimenting and sharing over the next few weeks.



Today's cookies were made with a recipe involving peanut butter and a little sea salt. The flavor was rich and crisp with a salty and sweet aftertaste that I love. They were easy on the taste-buds.

The shape and texture of these cookies reminded me of the moon. So I made a lunar calendar with phases of a cookie. Wouldn't this be a fun poster?



Ingredients

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lbs. semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Sift flour, baking soda, powder and salt in a stainless steel bowl and set aside
• Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars together
• Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, mixing well after each
• Add dry ingredients until just combined
• Add chocolate chips and mix with a wooden spoon until evenly distributed
• Chill dough for at least one hour
• Scoop 1/8 cup dough onto baking sheet and sprinkle top with sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the sides begin to brown
• Remove the baking sheet and place on wire rack to cool for 12-15 minutes ON BAKING SHEET and then transfer cookies to wire rack to finish cooling completely

happy valentine's day

I hope you are extra sweet to the people you love and appreciate today...regardless of whether they are a partner, spouse, child, friend, coworker, sibling, neighbor, or even pet. Have a lovely day, everyone!

An Illustration & DIY Frame

This was my parent's Christmas present. The graphite illustration is a Rich Kelly original :) It's a scene from the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," my dad's all-time favorite.

In addition to the beautiful illustration, Rich handcrafted the frame with reclaimed gymnasium flooring from our local architectural salvage group Philadelphia Salvage. They have the coolest materials and we love wandering through their Mt Airy store.



Building the frame out of gymnasium flooring was intentional and complimented Rich's illustration perfectly.

In the movie, George Bailey and Mary Hatch meet and dance the Charleston together on a retractable gymnasium floor. While dancing, prankster Freddie opens the gym floor, prompting George and Mary to fall in the swimming pool but continue dancing and eventually draw the entire crowd into the pool. It's a pivotal and lighthearted scene, as well as the catalyst for George Bailey's life to begin.








And this is the piece's resting place in my parents' new home...