Today was a crazy day in clinic., so naturally, chocolate chip cookies seemed like a good idea. Made with ethical (non slave-children, as Dave likes to say) chocolate nonetheless. This was 70% cacao, but I could have definitely gone with 80%. Btdubs, I could only make these because it cooled down from 87 to 77. You know things are desperate when you're turning the oven on in that kind of heat...
This is the recipe I use 99.5% of the time for cookies. They almost always turn out. I say almost because they don't fare well when you bake 2 trays on racks one above the other. Or maybe that's just a general baking rule and something I've failed to remember from food science class.
To avoid a sugar high, I rounded things out with a salad. I don't care what Coca-Cola says...sugar makes people hyper. This ended as a fresh spinach salad with sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and almonds. Balsamic vinegar is great when you're craving something salty because it tastes salty but has no salt. Then you can make up for the lack of salt with some goat cheese; it's worth it.
Elements of a successful salad:
- separate dressings/any juicy components from rest of the mix
- include all the macronutrients: carbs (dried fruit), protein (beans or nuts), fat (avocado)
- use a giant container to prevent messes
It's no secret that sunsets are one of my favorite views in Michigan. Despite icy winters of getting sprayed with overzealous snowplows and dumped on by crazy lake effect snow, these nights kind of make everything worth it. There's something quite amazing about seeing the patterns of nature and recognizing the vastness of it. For me, it serves as a reminder that bigger things are always happening, and my problems are insignificant in the scope of a cycle that continues to write its own history. Looking forward to spending some more time here this weekend.
How is your week so far? Any exciting plans for the heat wave to come? (or tips to stay cool when you don't have central air and live in an ancient hot apartment that holds heat like crazy??).
