March is a great time to advertise on A Chow Life. The blog has fantastic hits, a loyal readership, and a growing base of new readers! Also, as the year progresses and seasons change, hits rise. It’s spring fever. Everyone is searching for something fresh whether it’s a new meal made with spring asparagus or fun links to warmer weather fashions.

Just drop me a line at: achowlife(at)gmail.com for rate information.

I love short weeks! Enjoy some links, dear people.

A street art blog. I love it and I love street art. Kirk took the above pictures in the Mission District of San Francisco. Pretty fabulous.

A beautiful tote bag. Possibly, the prettiest ever?

Coffee art.

Book lust. Secret Ingredients.

Whenever parenthood has me exhausted and feeling like I can’t find a moment to write or create, I reread this article. It’s always inspiring. Anne Lamott has a a new book
coming out too! You can pre-order it.

Speaking of parenthood, this post made me cry. It’s alarmingly true and raw. Powerful stuff.

My next wee one will definitely be getting one of these. So gorgeous.

I am obsessed. The cast of Downton Abbey– off screen.

It’s confirmed. No one really likes salad.

The world’s cutest bookends.

Who doesn’t want to know where to find New York City’s best dosa?

Would YOU like to advertise on this very blog next month? Contact me at achowlife(at) gmail.com for rates.

On most days, my little girl is very reasonable and a great partner in most domestic escapades. She loves a trip to the park or the bookstore. She doesn’t complain when we pop into a thrift store or take the odd trip to Anthropologie. I’m not naive, however. I know this won’t last forever.  There will come a day when Maeve is no longer a little girl. She won’t be grasping at my pant legs and crying out for mama.

She will decide it’s more fun to spend time with her friends or, better yet, to enjoy a long afternoon at the library reading ahead in all of her advanced textbooks. I will be a bit misty, but I will feign understanding. Or, will I?

As far back in my memory as I can recall, going shopping with my mother was boring. There was so much I wanted to do more than mill about a department store. I protested and protested. I hid underneath the racks and pulled all the tags off the clothes. I invented games and counted flecks on the carpet. It was torturous and I once got lost in a store on purpose to spice up our trip. It was fabulously exciting. Did you know there are little rooms in the employee area where the salespeople harbor lost children? It’s true. Everyone was kind and nice. There’s was candy there too. And, to make it all the more wonderful, they put out a dramatic call for my mother over the intercom. The attention was intoxicating. The punishment later that afternoon at home, however, was quite another story.

I know my mother either needed the company or was without an alternative. She didn’t use baby-sitters. I was her youngest and, therefore, often the child who was along for the ride. I’m sure this was hard for her, but, at some point, she hatched a method of luring me into submission on these trips. Food. That was her ploy. She knew me too well. If I agreed not to fuss and to join her on a shopping trip, there would be treats. Sometimes, it was thin mints or chocolate covered cherries. I loved both of these endlessly, but the best bait of all was a box of Cheez-It crackers. That might sound weird, but I am a salt and savory girl through and through.

I would eat those cheddar crackers until my throat was parched from the salt overload and my fingers were orange. They were, and still are, a favorite snack of mine. This is why I was delighted to come across a recipe for homemade Cheez-It crackers. It’s incredibly easy too. In fact, you likely have every ingredient in your cupboard at this very moment.

Today, I give you Cheez-Its. They’re perfectly salty, savory, and bursting with cheddar. They’re addictive too. Sure, it’s not gourmet fare. I imagine there are plenty of other stops on the internet where you can find your foie gras today. But, think about it. Many of you are probably going to need a good baiting technique someday. Your wee ones won’t always be so cooperative. Why not lure them with a homemade cheesy cracker?

I’m not sure it gets much better than this.

Homemade Cheez Its

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded

½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons ice water

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cheddar, butter, and salt until soft and combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed (the dough will be dry and pebbly). Slowly add the water and continue to mix as the dough forms a ball.

Pat the dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a very thin (1/8 inch or less) 10 x 12-inch rectangle. Using a fluted pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares, then transfer to the baking sheets. Use the tip of a chopstick to punch a hole into the center of each square.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until puffed and browning at the edges. Watch carefully, as the high fat content of the crackers makes it a fine line between golden delicious and burnt. Immediately move the crackers to racks to cool.

Adapted from ReadyMade Magazine

What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? Anything fun?  We are going out on Wednesday night to avoid the crowds. I’m not sure where we are going. It’s a surprise. Hooray for sweet husbands! Hooray for baby-sitters!

Here are a few last minute lovey links.

How about downloading some adorable temporary tattoos? 

Printable valentines can be found here. Whew!

Whip up some heart candy? How about marshmallows? Or, truffles?

DIY heart elbow patches.

 A photo series for lovers.

Alright, I’m all out of Valentine’s Day suggestions. Let’s just talk about some cool things I found this week.

The most adorable top and bloomers for a wee little girl.

I will be using this list next month to eat dim sum in San Francisco.

Wow. Papercuts.

Kids grow so fast. Put your baby clothes shopping on autopilot.

A favorite new etsy store with the sweetest little things for babies.

What do you know? What a great application.

An amazing photographic website for anyone who ever wanted to fly.

These are amazon’s top picks for 2011 children’s picture books. Each one is a gem.

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

The Man in the Moon

Press Here

Tumford the Terrible

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Grandpa Green This one is so wonderfully imaginative and beautiful!

Llama Llama Home with Mama

I used to share office space with a woman who decorated her desk for the seasons. In the springtime, there were lots of stuffed white bears clutching colorful hard plastic eggs. At Thanksgiving, there was always a smattering of multi-colored leaves tucked into between tiny stuffed animals adorned in pilgrim attire. During the December holiday season, you would find the typical santas and elves along with much tinsel. There was always lots of tinsel.

My colleague didn’t discriminate. She seemed to appreciate all the holidays equally. It didn’t matter whether the holiday was religious or one created by a greeting card company.  I suppose this egalitarian approach is sort of admirable, but I imagine most people are not at all like this. Am I silly to think nearly everyone picks and choses their favorite holidays? It seems more realistic. I know folks who just adore Christmas and can’t wait for Thanksgiving to end so they can light up their houses like the Las Vegas strip. I have neighbors who blow up an enormous leprechaun for their lawn every St. Patrick’s Day. There are also a surprising number of people in Seattle who celebrate the summer solstice by cycling naked through the streets of Seattle.

If you think I’m kidding about that last one, I am not. I was once accidentally caught up in the parade while riding my bike to the farmer’s market. I was entirely clothed, but taunted for appearing so. It was horrible. I like summer, but I don’t celebrate the solstice and I don’t ride my bike or go out in public without clothing. Quite honestly, I am a Thanksgiving girl. I love food and I can’t imagine anything better than cooking and eating with friends all day long. Oh, well, I suppose an entire week of cooking and eating might be better if one could somehow avoid the inevitable tummy trouble, which results from such indulgence.

The point I am making concerns the holiday that is rapidly approaching. It’s Valentine’s Day. And, for some of you, Valentine’s Day is your day. It’s Thanksgiving for lovers. I get it and I think it’s wonderful. Love is certainly a good thing to celebrate.

I didn’t decorate my house in hearts or wear a appliqued cupid sweatshirt this week, but I didn’t forget you lovebirds. I made something special for you and the rest of your Valentine’s Day gang. I really hope you like them. They’re pretty. They’re pink and, of course, they are shaped like lovely little hearts. These candy peppermint hearts are sure to induce warm feelings in even the biggest Valentine’s Day crumudgeons. I just know it. They’re smooth and utterly sweet. If you are a candy addict like me, I know you’ll appreciate them.

If Valentines Day isn’t your thing, I understand. You will still enjoy these candies. You can make them for any holiday. Cut them into triangles, shamrocks or stars. They will be delicious any day of the week.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Peppermint Candy Hearts

2 tblsp. salted butter

2 tblsp. vegetable shortening

3 tblsp. warm water

5 cups sifted confectioners sugar

2 drops of red food color

1/4 tsp. oil of peppermint

Combine butter, shortening, 2 tblsp. warm water and 2 cups of the confectioners sugar in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining sugar and 1 tablespoon warm water. Mix. (You might need to add 1 tablespoon more confectioners sugar if the mixture is not stiff enough to roll out.

Dilute the 2 drops of food coloring in teaspoon of water. Pour the coloring into the sugar mixture and mix until the batter is pink. Add the oil of peppermint. Mix again.

Roll out the dough onto a surface lightly dusted with the confectioners sugar. It should be rolled until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut it into shapes and lay them flat for about 2 hours to dry and form.

Store in an airtight container. The recipe makes about 42 hearts.

Adapted from Homemade Candy

Hello friends,

It is officially one week until Valentine’s Day.  I do have something delicious and special to share with you tomorrow, but I thought I’d send out a quick list of some of my favorite lovey dovey gifts. Just in time!

I love this card and this folk art card too.

Craft hearts.

Charming DIY garlands here and here.

And, of course, DIY favor bags for your party.

Why not send a needlepoint valentine this year? Or, a crochet one?

I’ve always wanted to wear a crown of hearts in my hair. Or, possibly, an arrow?

Rose gold heart studs. Treat her!

Or, a pretty heart shaped locket?

Excellent chocolates.

Homemade chocolate cupcakes. 

Aren’t the cookies in the photo precious? They are from a gorgeous Scottish wedding.

This is a picture of Toy Boat Cafe in San Francisco. Many moons ago during high school, I spent countless hours in this place. I took Maeve there last month. She loved it and you can probably see why.

And, now, here are some fun links to end your week.

Have you seen this shop? El Sage is one of my new sponsors! I want everything in the shop, of course. Wouldn’t this hip onesie be the best gift for a newborn? I love this shirt for Maeve too.

And, Please Note Paper is another new sponsor. The shop is fabulous and fun, but I particularly love this set of cards. What a fun way to invite friends to brunch!

Speaking of brunch, I say yes to this fabulous jam cookbook.

This book on Urban Farming looks so interesting too. It’s a local author and there will be a reading on February 8th here in Seattle. 

Handy dandy. Chalkboard spice jars.

I’m curious. Are you ‘illin? Join the debate.

I don’t have homework anymore, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting a cute pencil box.

Mason jars are the new duct tape. You can even use them for an herb garden.

How did they make the beloved Sophie the Giraffe?

TED talks about food.

Pretty bowls.

And, finally, pretty pesto……

Classic Pesto from Kinfolk on Vimeo.

Some things seem like a good idea at the time, but later turn out to be bad or poorly timed ideas. Take white towels, for example. You admire them in Dwell magazine and scurry off to the store where you purchase a set of four. They are so fluffy and perfect they nearly gleam.  You hang them carefully in your bathroom taking care to make perfect folds. The room is instantly transformed and so are you.  You leave the room and glance back over your shoulder. Gorgeous. You pat yourself on the back. You are sophisticated and chic.

Two weeks later, it’s a different story. The beautiful white towels are nearly gray. Your resolve to avoid using your towels as a quick method to remove your eye makeup lasted only a few days. Those towels are headed to the rag bin. You curse. It seemed like a good idea but, clearly, it wasn’t.

I could go on here for a bit. Accent walls. Precious house plants. White tiled surfaces.

Sound familiar?

It’s possible I hit a nerve, but there is good news. Some ideas are pretty darn great at the inception and remain so to execution. A dinner of pizza is one of those wonderful ideas. Do we ever tire of a home-baked pizza? Around here, we do not.  It’s definitely in our regular rotation and there is good reason for this. After bad idea followed by bad idea in the form of complicated evening meals, I learned a thing or two. My daughter literally clings to my pant legs in the evenings, which makes ingredient-laden, multi-course meals quite a challenge. Pizza dough, however, is something I can throw together in the morning while she naps and have it rise quietly until I am ready to use it.

It’s easy to put together and the ingredients for any decent pizza are so simple it’s nearly criminal to order pizza for delivery. The other great thing about pizza is its utility in using up leftovers. You can throw nearly anything on there and it will taste good. That half of an onion that is just about to turn in the crisper? Throw it on there. The selection of tiny cheese hunks? Use them all.  To quote one of my absolute favorite youtube videos, “Put it on the pizza.”

For our Sunday meal, I did just this and, by happenstance, discovered the perfect combination of ingredients. It was simple, but the flavors were savory and delicious. Salty salami and earthy fennel marry perfectly on a thin and crispy crust to make an ideal bite. Top it off with slivers of fresh basil and you have a bright hint of summer in every mouthful.

I’m actually salivating thinking of it now. Is it too much to eat this everyday? Would that be a bad idea? I’m not positive of the answer, but I am quite sure I will be finding out shortly.

Caramelized Fennel Pizza 

1/2 batch of pizza dough

1 tblsp. semolina flour

1 medium fennel bulb, sliced thinly

1 and 1/2 tblsp. olive oil

1 cup tomato puree

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly

3 ounces sliced salami

kosher salt, to taste

1 tablespoon fresh basil, slivered

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper by cutting the paper to fit in the sheet with 1/2 inch of overhang. Douse 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil on the parchment paper and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the semolina flour.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the fennel and cook over medium heat until it is very tender, about 15 minutes.

Take your pizza dough and roll out on a lightly floured surface until thin (1/4 inch) and nearly the size of the baking sheet.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet with parchment paper. Top the dough with the tomato puree by spooning the puree and spreading it evenly over the surface. Next, spread the cheese evenly over the surface.  Then, add the caramelized fennel and spread it evenly as well. Top with the salami taking care to distribute the slices equally over the top of the pizza.  Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the top.

Place the pizza in the middle of the oven. Cook until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes.  When the pizza is just about ready, turn on the broiler to high and cook for  just under 1 minute to brown the top of the pizza.

Remove the pizza from the oven and using the parchment paper, transfer it to a safe cutting surface. Top with slivered basil. Cut and serve hot.

Maeve loved her recent visit to the Seattle Art Museum.

Do you take your wee ones to museums? Where do you go? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Now, some links.

What room is complete without a sweet wall decal?

Learning to sew? Here is a brilliant post on hemming.

You probably already have a cute wall calendar. If not, however, I like this one a lot.

The alphabet never looked so beautiful.

I’m currently lusting after this baking cookbook.

So timely. Perfect hot chocolate.

I never thought I would put Maeve in ruffles until I saw this amazing romper.

I need this bag for spring.

I’m still sort of a quilting novice, but if my friends keep pumping out offspring, I will be an expert. In the meantime, I love the idea of whole cloth quilting.

Did you see the latest copy of Seattle Bride? A wedding shot by my talented husband is featured!

Happy Weekend.

Do you have some guilty pleasures? I will assume you do. I will also assume that along with reality t.v. shows, Colin Firth movie marathons, and trashy magazines, there might be a few guilty pleasures associated with food. Or, quite possibly, more than a few? A lot?

I knew it.

I wonder, however, if you actually experience guilt when you eat any of the things that typically fall into this category or engage in any of the aforementioned activities? I might guess you do not. Wouldn’t it be more correct to call these embarrassing pleasures? I think it’s more accurate. I don’t feel a lot of guilt when I buy a package of bright pink peeps and a stack of fashion magazines. I might be feel a little embarrassed. My cheeks might grow hot too. Shame pleasures? That sounds a little raunchy, I suppose. Either way, I think you know what I mean.

I’ve had some time to ponder these things. I was stuck inside my home for days and days. The snow that I discussed with great fondness in my last post disappeared briefly only to return with a vengeance. For nearly a day, it was gorgeous and lovely. The world was blissfully white and wonderful again. We felt really lucky and Maeve gazed out the window most of the first morning. Her wonder was infectious. We all felt a bit dreamy and warm while we watched the snow blanket the streets, lawns, and cars until nothing looked familiar.

However, one can only behold the beauty outside the window so long. A case of true restlessness hit me hard on the second day. I was the sole entertainment for a spirited 1 year old. It’s hard and exhausting work. There were no play dates to be had. There were no cafes with play areas full of vaguely clean toys with which to play. I started to grow a bit batty. By day 3, my all day variety show really fizzled and I started searching my cupboards for things to bake. I needed to occupy us all with new activities and something sweet. Baking seemed like a good idea.

Of course, I was forced to bake within the constraints of my pantry offerings. No matter. I love a good challenge and when I found my secret stash of malt balls, I knew I had stumbled across a beautiful thing. Oh, and yes, you heard me correctly. I said malt balls. They are, indeed, my embarrassing pleasure. Maybe they are yours too?

The moment I found those glorious malted milk balls I knew I needed to bake cookies. What could be more perfect for a snow day? And, quite honestly, the malted milk balls called out to me in a way that chocolate chips never have. And so the recipe was born. It’s a good one. Delicious and chewy with a touch of that salty malt flavor, you will love these cookies. Maybe we should have a couple more snow days so I can really sort through my pantry and secret stashes of guilty pleasures?

After all, isn’t there a saying about necessity and invention? Yes, I think I heard something like that.

Malted Milk Ball Cookies

1 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

pinch of salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 tblsp. granulated sugar

6 tblsp. (packed) brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 and 1/2 crushed malted milk balls (see above photos)

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Light grease 2 baking sheets.

Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl.

Combine both sugars, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Beat until light. Beat in the egg. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until smooth.  Stir in the malt balls.

Drop the batter by rounded spoonful onto the cookie sheets.  Bake 5 minutes. Remove the sheets from the oven. Rap the cookies twice on the counter or stove top. Return them to the oven. Bake until the cookies are dry on top and golden.  About 4 more minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.