Giant Cookie Cake

I'm not sure what possessed me to make this, but nonetheless, this was pure yummy-ness in a nutshell. Needless to say, this was definitely a hit with Brian... :)

Here's the recipe by Emeril:

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Sweetened cocoa, for garnish
Sweetened whipped cream, accompaniment

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 14-inch, light colored, round pizza pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs, beating well after the addition of each.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix with a whisk. Add to the butter mixture, mixing to incorporate, and add the vanilla extract. Fold in the dark and white chips and the nuts. Spread across the bottom of the prepared pan and bake until the edges are golden and the cookie is set but the center is still slightly soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To serve, sift confectioners' sugar and sweetened cocoa over the top, and cut into wedges. Serve sweetened whipped cream on the side.

Maeve...

I do want to make special mention of Maeve; we actually met her in a photograph, because my dear friend Shauna (in the pic with me) will be going to Ethiopia soon to adopt her from Hannah's Hope. Her adoption journey started a little over a year ago; she has blogged her experience, emotions, and thoughts throughout this adventure. I couldn't be more happier, proud, excited, and in awe for Shauna.

Below is information from Shauna about the orphanage; if you have a moment, please read if just to become aware of the wonderful work occuring in other parts of the world.

From Shauna -- All God's Children International (AGCI), run their own home in Addis Ababa to care for orphans that are being placed for adoption. This home is called Hannah's Hope, and I couldn't be happier that Maeve is there. Everyone raves about the excellent care the children receive while at Hannah's Hope. Supplies are very expensive and sometimes difficult to get a hold of, therefore Hannah's Hope relies heavily on donations brought when families come and pick up their children. Maeve, and all the other children, are currently being well fed and diapered etc.. largely from these donations. When there are extra donations available, Hannah's Hope gives to the governmental orphanages, which are in dire need of these supplies too. When I go to pick up Maeve, my sister-in-law and I will be taking as many donations as we can possibly check, and then some.

If you are interested in donating to Hannah's Hope and other orphans in Ethiopia, this is a list of the items most in need:
Vegetable or soy based formula (powered form)
Diapers (especially small sizes)
Pull-ups
Diaper wipes
Diaper creams
Avent Bottles (gently used are fine)
Crocs for older children
Clothing for boys and girls (ages 4-13 years) -- especially pants and pj's (infants are not in need of clothing right now)

If you are interested in donating an item(s), please let me know and I'll be able to set you up with someone who may be able to collect the donation(s) from you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this...xoxo

September 2009

September started off with an amazing surprise trip home to Seattle for Brian's mom's 60th birthday...Rachel was beyond surprised, speechless, teary, and so joyful to have her son and daughter-in-law home. We are so glad we were able to celebrate her 60th with her and true to fashion, she celebrated with good family and friends, laughter, good food and wine galore! Our trip home was short and jam-packed with much needed shopping, appointments, and of course special time with family and friends. We were not able to see all those that we wanted to see...so, apologies for those that did not know we were coming in town, we didn't tell anyone for several reasons. One, to keep it a surprise, and two, because we weren't sure the amount of time we would have to see everyone.

We LOVED meeting the new lil' ones that have become an amazing part of our friends' lives; meeting them really made us feel that much more connected to the intimate ins and outs of their life. We met Avery Grace, Bennett Forrester, Maeve (read about her in my next blog), J.D., and Emmett...all such precious, adorable children with personalities to match.

So, what did we bring back to Dublin? Clothes, shoes, 16-pack of Venus razor blades from Costco, 3-pack Secret deodorant, peanut butter M&Ms, fitness equipment, emergen-C, Chex Mix, among some other items. Ahhh, the luxuries and taste of home.

Brian's shoulder injury update: torn rotator cuff, torn tendon, and bone fragments floating around which equals surgery and a good amount of recovery time. Surgery date is tentatively for Oct/Nov. Brian's ultimate goal is to be able to play football again...with his will and determination, he'll be playing come next season.

While his football season is over, we are overjoyed at the NFL season starting! The Hawks and Bears are always on our radar...while I'll always be a Bears fan at heart, I do rally and support the Hawks wholeheartedly. It makes for great fun when the Feders and Carters start slagging each other about which team is the best. So, slainte to another great NFL season...

August 2009

August 7th marked our 1 year anniversary of living in Ireland, and what a year it was! We had 19 visitors, travelled 6 countries, obtained jobs with 2 well-known and longstanding Irish organizations, went to numerous Irish festivals, journeyed across Ireland, played on an Irish American football team and made it in the Shamrock Bowl, played a year of soccer, made new friends, ran several races, the list is endless...we are thankful for this opportunity to experience life on this side of the pond.

SHAMROCK BOWL...the ultimate fooball event of the year, the one game that players have had their eyes and hearts on, the one game that seems to count and matter above all games.

This year the Shamrock Bowl took place in Belfast, so we made a weekend of it and visited with cousins while we were there. We had a great time spending time with family and realize we should head to Belfast more often for good company, food and craic. Our cousins took us to the Taste of Belfast which also headlined with numerous chefs from Chicago...Giordano's Pizza was even there!! Heaven. Entertainment of the night was a fabulous Queen cover band...we stayed for their whole gig and sang away with the best of 'em. The audience was a great mix of the young and old generation...that's a good band, when through your music you can bring together different generations in one place.
Unfortunately, I don't have good news to post about the Shamrock Bowl...I really wish I did. The Dublin Rebels lost 9-7 in sudden death overtime to a field goal. No words can describe the disappointment the players felt afterwards, but truth be told, there is NEXT YEAR! Brian will spend the next several weeks resting his shoulder and doing all the necessary things to determine the source of the injury and treatment plan.
The end of this month brought us more fabulous friends from home...Casie and Mike Tubbs with their adorable ball of cuteness, Sofia, at 4 months old. It was wonderful to see them and meet the newest addition to their family; they both are such natural parents. Our time with them was short, but sweet.

The last weekend of August brought us to Paris...wow, what an amazing city! So much to see and do, delicious food; the Parisians are very rich in their culture and language. The Eiffel Tower is so much more stunning in person...our pictures do not do its justice.

July 2009

The beginning of July brought us great friends from home...Rondell and McCain (with 2 other buddies). Brian went to Central Washington University with Rondell and McCain; we had a great time hanging out and hope they enjoyed their stay.

At the end of Rondell's Ireland trip, he and Brian ventured over to Spain to participate in the infamous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. I stayed behind with fingers and toes crossed for a safe and fun journey. Brian had an amazing time; it's one of those experiences of a lifetime...just to be able to say you did it is an adrenaline high.

July 26, 2008...our 1 year anniversary. Wow, we can't believe our first year together has already come and gone. This experience of moving here shortly after our wedding and starting our life together in Ireland has been amazing in more ways than one. We have grown a lot as a couple, but not always in ways that are definable. We learned a lot about each other, ourselves, and most of all the 'dance' of our marriage...the tune and beat that we move to, sometimes we're in sync, other times, we dance to our own beat. We know that while we embrace our times together, we also appreciate the times we dance to our own rhythm. While the sacrifices of moving abroad are hard at times, we would not trade this experience for anything.

Our spent our 1 year anniversary starting on the 25th July with tickets to see a FABULOUS U2 concert, on the 26th hanging out and enjoying the day...the day started with homemade banana pancakes with blueberries and strawberries, and true to my vows, I cheerleaded Brian and the football team to victory. After the game, we walked around town and was able to catch the end of a skateboarding show and ended the evening with dinner at Yamamori, a Japanese restaurant.

The Dublin Rebels won their playoff game and official place in the Shamrock Bowl to take place on the 9th August. I may have mentioned in previous blogs that Brian injured his shoulder...the injury remains and we have yet to determine the cause; in the meantime, Brian is holding out on any kind of treatment until after the Shamrock Bowl. I just hope the shoulder can hold out...

Apologies...

Wow, my last post was on the 30th of June...so much has happened since then, and I can't believe it's almost October. I will attempt to recapture each month in its own separate page.