Hello, Summer!

It is officially Summer in Atlanta and I am not prepared, I feel like it went from 70 degrees outside to 100 overnight! Now that it's here I put together an ATL Summer bucket list for myself since there are so many things to do here in the warm weather and are only available during select months (links are below!). I've already checked a few off the list and am so looking forward to the rest!

I also gave my front door a makeover with this festive, bright and lemony wreath I found at Target!

SUMMER 2015 To-Do List:

1. Shoot the Hooch!
2. Rent bikes and explore the Atlanta Beltline
3. Eat amazing food at Bacchanalia 
4. Bake a peach pie from scratch (with peaches that I bought at a Farmer's Market)
5. Go to a Braves Game at Turner Field
6. Attend at least 3 festivals
7. Have the award winning Sunday Brunch at the Ritz in Buckhead
8. Take a cooking class
9. Make homemade popsicles
10. Rock out at at least 1 3 concerts

Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

This is one of my go to desserts, not only is it super simple and easy to make, but it is absolutely delicious! My husband and I are in the process of binge watching Orange Is The New Black as we speak and we wanted something sweet, this is the first thing that came to mind. Within thirty minutes we were on the couch enjoying a ooey gooey hot chocolate chip cookie with melty vanilla ice cream while watching Piper and her gang, sounds like the perfect Saturday if you ask me! 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Makes: 4-6 servings
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a medium sized cask iron skillet (8-10 inch).
3. Stir in vanilla and both sugars, still until combined. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.
4. Whisk in egg. Then mix in flour, baking soda and salt until smooth.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, you can use whichever kind you'd like.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Serve warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, and enjoy!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I spent Easter weekend in Florida with my family, and one of my favorite things to do is cook and bake with my grandmother. Well, sometimes I contribute to the cooking and other times I sit on on a bar stool overlooking the kitchen having a drink and just chatting while everyone else does the work. By the time I arrived my grandmother had already prepared a lemon pie, brownies, carrot cake, and who knows how many other treats and snacks. Food always seem to just appear, and no one ever goes hungry in her house.

The final dessert we had to make is a family favorite, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies! You start by making red velvet cookies, which is really like a mix between a cookie and cake, they are super moist and really easy to make! Then you sandwich them between a delicious homemade, buttery, sugary frosting.

My grandmother is an avid baker and the best one I know (sorry mom), she's always in the kitchen whipping up something delicious for all of her kids and grand kids, constantly trying to please and fatten up everyone! I struggle sometimes trying to recreate her recipes because she's always adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that, never really measuring and just going off of her memory. Dishes never turn out as good as hers, but that's not surprising as she has set the bar high, and has a lifetime of experience, stories and love that she puts into her cooking!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Recipe adapted from Duncan Hines

Makes: 15-20 cookies
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 1 package Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine cake mix, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl with wooden spoon until dough forms.
3. Use 1 inch cookie scoop to place dough 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
4. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on wire rack. 
5. To make frosting, whisk milk and flour together in a pot on stove top before turning on heat. Then, turn heat on medium-high and cook for 5 minutes until glue like texture forms, whisking constantly. Transfer to a bowl, cover with wax paper and let cool in fridge.
6. In a separate bowl combine sugar, butter and vanilla, cream with mixer until fluffy, at least 10 minutes.
7. Add cooled flour mixture and mix for another 20 minutes until fully combined, and frosting islight and fluffy.
8. Place a scoop of frosting in between 2 red velvet cookies and enjoy!

Coffee Table Books

Coffee table books are essential, and an easy way to amp up the look of a space. I just finished decorating my living room and one of my favorite areas is the coffee table. The actual table is reclaimed wood with steel hair pin legs that I found on Etsy, I like the rustic look but knew that I needed to add some style when decorating the top.

By stacking a couple coffee table books topped with a candle, fun coasters and a statement bowl really livens up the space. My favorite book is the one below on top, I just got it from Kate Spade, the pop of green works perfectly in the room since it's mostly neutral colors, and I am a huge fan of the gold foil script on the cover, so pretty!

Below are some more of my favorite coffee table books, not only is the content great, but most importantly is they are all so beautiful!

1. The New York Times: 36 Hours 125 Weekends in Europe 2. Rhapsody Serpent Limited Edition 

3. The Little Black Jacket 4. Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury 

5. Domino: The Book of Decorating 6. Allegra Hicks: An Eye for Design

Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches

Chocolate and marshmallows are a classic combination and always pair so well together. I found the recipe below for chocolate marshmallow cookies and decided to make them into ice cream cookie sandwiches. The rich chocolate flavor combined with sweet and smooth vanilla bean ice cream was a recipe for success and they turned out delicious, please enjoy!

Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from Real Simple

Makes: 44 cookies
Printable Version

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (6 bars), chopped
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ cups flour
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ cups mini marshmallows
• Vanilla bean ice cream

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt half chocolate (12 ounces, 3 bars) and butter in a bowl, microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring after each until melted and combined. Cool slightly.
3. Set chocolate aside and whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
4. Add eggs, sugar and vanilla to chocolate mixture, whisking together until smooth.
5. Slowly add dry ingredients to the chocolate and stir until combined.
6. Fold in remaining chopped chocolate and mini marshmallows.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes and let cool completely.
8. Sandwich together 2 cookies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in between.