Today WWU's Students for Sustainable Food held a canning/preservation cooking class today at the Downtown Bellingham Co-op. We made apple sauce, a caramelized onion jam, and a spicy relish. I was in the group in charge of the apple sauce--some apples, a little ginger, a bit of sugar and salt, and oooohh boy! You are wading in sweet apple-y goodness. Can't wait to go back home for a weekend and make dried apples, apple sauce, and apple butter with the apples on our apple tree. Washington, I love you.

i love nutella

Langley Good Cheer, cha ching.

I found this sweet sweater today at the Langley Good Cheer. I examined every seam searching for a label, but done were to be found. I have come to the conclusion that this sweater is hand-knit (if it turns out it's not, I'm convincing myself it is). Although the sweater shows some wear, I couldn't resist..I'm a sucker for chunky knits with patterns. Oh and it was $4, not a great thrift store deal, but not tooooo shabby either.

Beekeeping: with the Neubauers

I've been really interested in starting my own hive, so today the Neubauers let me help them collect their frames for extraction. I still have a lot more research, but today was a launching point. I mean, who doesn't want to partake in a hobby that allows you to wear white jumpsuits?

They're Heeeeerrrrreeee: blackberries

Apricot & Blackberry Jam

Last week I spent an afternoon picking blackberries on Grimm Rd. (Whidbey Island), my newly declared "best blackberry picking spot near my house." Along with snacking on juicy berries, I made blackberry jam, a blackberry crisp, and a blackberry infused simple syrup. I love late summer.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

2 1/2 tbs coffee grounds

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.

Combine softened butter, eggs, sugar(s), vanilla, baking soda, and salt in mixer or by hand.

Add in flour and once mixed together add chocolate chips and coffee grounds.

Cook cookies for 8-10 min, serve, and enjoy.

*If you want a stronger coffee flavor feel free to experiment with the amount of coffee grounds you add in before baking. You can also leave in whole bean if you want that extra crunch. Enjoy!

Beat Connection - 'In The Water'

SEATTLE you done good, again.