All cookie scoops are not created equal

I've gone through a few cookie scoops over the past couple of years. What? I like baking cookies. And I like gadgets. Hence, my obsession with cookie scoops. Since the holidays are upon us, I thought it an appropriate time to share my vast knowledge of cookie scoops with you.

First try: Crate & Barrel's version. While stainless steel and fancy, the little sweeper mechanism eventually got pulled out by some refrigerated dough. I "fixed" it but it was never quite the same. I think it cost me $12.95.

Second try: A plastic little ditty from the cake decorating section of Michael's craft. I know. What was I thinking? Of course this $3.95 white plastic atrocity was going to break on the first try. It didn't break on the first try b/c the dough was soft but the second time I used it was with dough that I'd chilled overnight and it busted on the first scoop.

Third try: Winner! Steve bought me this super industrial OXO scooper with rubber grip and let me tell you. It's hardcore. It'll scoop and release your most chilled chunky oatmeal, walnut, chocolate chip cookie dough without an issue. It blows my mind every time I use it. I'm serious. And it's $11.99 at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Steve, celebrity look-a-like

Steve gets called out for looking like a few different celebrities these days. It started a few years back with a couple of my best friends, Naomi & Michelle, deciding Steve looked exactly like Jack Black after they met him for the first time.
Then last season a new cast member showed up on Saturday Night Live named Bobby Moynihan. That's when our friend Corinne decided Steve sorta looked like him.
The most recent declaration of celebrity look-a-like-ness was last weekend when I posted this sexy picture of Steve drinking a milkshake at In-N-Out on Facebook.
My younger sister Suzy said Steve looks like Jeffery Dean Morgan. Yeah, I didn't know who that was either but here he is.
Then I realized that he's the actor that played Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy. AKA the most annoying character ever on a television show in the history of television ever of all time. Maybe this picture will remind you.
Don't worry honey...you're 10 times hotter than all of them.

American Idiot

Saturday night we went and saw American Idiot, the Green Day musical over at the Berkeley Repertory Theater. It was fantastic...it helps that I love Green Day. I'm not ashamed of my love either. The first time I saw them live was when they were first up at Lollapalooza in '94 and I hated them (I didn't really care though...I was there to see the Beastie Boys). Fast forward about 5 years and I saw them at the Civic Auditorium and it was one of the best shows I've ever been to. So entertaining and they were having such a great time performing. It was a stark contrast to the cry cry indie rock bands I usually spent my time seeing.

Brian & Preston are so smart for planning such a fun night!

a happy birthday for me

Steve did such a good job with the difficult task of making my Halloween birthday feel extra special!

1) Steve had class from 9am -1pm so he made me breakfast bright and early before he left. He made pumpkin pancakes w/maple syrup, hot chocolate and fresh pineapple & mango.


2) When Steve got back from class he had me meet him outside on the sidewalk and he picked me up. Then he gave me some ridiculous story about how we had to stop by the Beckstead's to borrow their digital SLR. When I knocked on the door there were a bunch of friends waiting for me to have a quick surprise birthday lunch, cake and presents!



I was so fracking excited to get that fat black cat kitchen timer from Sur La Table.

3) For dinner we had a reservation at Chez Panisse Cafe and I'm happy to say it was just as good as we'd hoped and expected. It was the best meal I've had in recent memory. We could only get a 5:30 reservation which turned out to be perfect because the sun was setting as we enjoyed our delicious meal. If you've been you know the Cafe is upstairs and almost feels like a fancy treehouse and with the sunset it was just perfect. My brother-in-law has an Alice Waters quote up on a chalkboard in his first restaurant and it perfectly embodies our meal at Chez Panisse: "When you have the best & tastiest ingredients, you can cook very simply & the food will be extraordinary because it tastes like what it is."






4) As if the day hadn't been perfect already, we got home just in time to see our good friends and downstairs neighbors Brigham (on the left) and Dan (on the right) heading out with their friend for a Halloween party.



5) How rad is Facebook that you get a million happy birthdays from everyone you know. Love it.

Steve, family, friends...you are the absolute best. Woot woot! 35! xoxo