Good Stress?

So, I bought a bag of yummy white chocolate chips at the store two weeks ago. Total impulse buy, agreed. But you see, I really thought I was going to use them for baking. I bake when I'm stressed and burned out from studying too much.

Actually, I bake when my mind is overworked from thinking about the dreadful amounts of studying I have ahead of me. Exhausting stuff, that whole thinking thing. Thinking and fretting.

Did you know there's such a thing as 'eustress'? As in, good-stress? It's true. Google that. I pinky-swear that it exists. We learn about weird things like this in psychology classes. Too much stress is paralyzing, but some stress is the equivalent of a good swift kick to the butt. It gets you moving. See, stress is (somewhat) good. It gets me moving to the kitchen to whip up some baked goods with white chocolate chips.

.....

Actually, that's a lie.



This is the sad proof. That bag there? It's half empty. Good thing I went for the fattiest 'chocolate' in the store, right? Not like white chocolate isn't even chocolate. Not like, it's really just creamy fat and sugar. Good foresight, grad student. Touche.

Hey, at least I used dutch cocoa + Truvia + 1% milk for my hot chocolate treat right next to that 200,000 calorie snack pack. Totally balances out the shameful creamy snack attack i had there. you agree? oh good. whew.

But you're right. Maybe next time I'm at the store, I'll reach for the 60% dark chocolate chips. And then I'll make some cookies, really this time. Promise. When that KitchenAid stand mixer I finally broke down and ordered comes in. Yes. Plenty of eustress-baking-goodness to come! Stay tuned, world.

Pretty Please.

Want to know what I've been coveting lately?

I'll give you a hint.

It's shiny and pretty and makes miracles happen.

and whips up cake batter beautifully. and, you can even make ice cream with it. and pasta. and sausage links. and juice. that sounds like a party, doesn't it?


Yes, how did you know?? It's a 5-Qt. KitchenAid Stand Mixer!




I promised my husband that if we can invest in one, I'll make him gingerbread cookies for life. I think he's sold.

Now I'll just patiently wait for a good sale on one of these darlings!

Oh, you wanted a gingerbread cookie? I know, you're going through Holiday Cookie Withdrawal. me too.

Here you go:



These were made from the 1999 Cook's Illustrated recipe for "Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies." They're labor-intensive, and I may have broken our antique table trying to roll the dough out, but they're also truly worth it.

january blues.

i've been dreading this day for a while. i was dreading it as i stuffed my face with holiday sweets. i was dreading it in japan last month, when my mom, worried that i was neglecting jarrod of good food, force-fed *both* of us with mountains upon heaping mountains of carb-o-licious goodies. i was dreading it as my fat-day jeans mysteriously turned into my skinny jeans. i was dreading it as i watched the scale at the doctor's office this morning blink awful, red, unforgiving numbers. and now that that dread has passed, i'm going to go ahead and wallow in my self-pity and stuff my face with indian buffet for lunch. that makes perfect sense.