Wednesday, November 2, 2011

runnin' on dunkin'

Recently I acquired a gift card to one of my favorite coffee spots. It is called Dunkin' Donuts. Perhaps you have heard of it? :)  I made a special stop there this morning because I was jonesin' for some Dunkin' coffee (and I may have also indulged in two chocolate munchkins. they are my absolute fav. judge if you must). And I say special stop because there is not a dunks between my place and work. So I am looking at a 30 pit stop in the morning and trust me when I say I rarely have that kind of time to spare in the mornings.


Throughout my undergraduate years, however, to drive 30 minutes out of the way to find a dunks (what I have lovingly coined the place) was not necessary. You see, I went to college in New England. If you have never been there, I highly recommend visiting (during the months of May-October). My disdain for the cold weather shines through. But I digress...

In New England, there is a dunks on almost every corner. Sometimes two right across the street from each other. And definitely one inside the grocery store. Amazing. You never have to drive (or walk) very far to find a dunks. I clearly could go on and on....

Dunks' original brew is one of my favorite plain types of coffee. I love it. If they have fresh brewed vanilla or hazelnut, I would go for that as well. But more than my love for the coffee and the munchkins and bagles though, dunks makes me nostalgic for my undergrad years. (This happens to me when it has been too long since I have seen my best friends from college. And yes 3 months is too long) The years of blissful ignorance. I was not thinking of student loan debt (though I should have been) or worrying that my bills would paid. Though I did not realize it at the time, those were some truly carefree years. You put a dunks coffee cup in my hand and I go back in time about 4 years. It makes me miss my friends, being surrounded by people who drop their r's at the end of words (or all r's whehevah they fall in a word), and even studio (evah so slightly). Nothing bettah than pulling up to the dunks drive-thru window at 4am to get a coffee and bagel because you had been up all night in studio and you knew sleep was nowhere in your future due to the amount work you had left to do :)

Isn't it funny that something that only cost 2 bucks and comes in a foam cup (with cream of course) can do that to you?

Now DO NOT get me wrong. I am very confident that I am exactly where I am supposed to be (praise the lord). I just so happen to be married to the most amazing man, working and living in the warm weather. I would trade it for absolutely nothing in the world. 

But it is fun to take the occasional trip down memory lane and to be so incredibly thankful for how far one has come :)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Happy (belated) Halloween!

So I am a day late, not very surprising! Happy Belated Halloween! But I have a cute Halloween recipe to help make it up to you! (I know, I know, it might have to wait until next year since I waited until November to actually post it)....

Mini Black and White Orange Cookies


Theses cookies are perfect when you are looking for something different than your everyday cookie to bake!

The only change I made to this recipe was mixing red and yellow food coloring into the white icing (sadly, it is not orange flavored icing). :) Sorry, G. Be sure to ice the flat (bottom) side of the cookies. It is MUCH easier!!!


Bottom side up to ice!

My icer got creative with our 2 test cookies :)


Happy Halloween! And always remember.......