Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

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Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

It is cold outside. The small corner of my world has been in a bitterly cold spell the last few days, keeping everyone indoors and wearing thick wool socks. The weatherman cheerfully informed me this evening that the windchill will drop to -40 degrees F/C, which is actually colder than the South Pole at the moment (I checked). While my mind drifts to white sandy beaches and hot sunshine, my body reluctantly heads out into the cold air, bundled up in so many layers I can scarcely see the sidewalk beneath my feet.

The cold bites and slashes against my face, bringing tears to my eyes like a punch to the gut. The wind, when it strikes just so, steals my breath away as I gasp and struggle to open my lungs against the icy air, muttering unheard expletives from my lips.

Can it be spring yet, please?

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

These past few evenings, I have found myself beneath a pile of blankets with a hot drink between my palms. With nowhere I need to be, I've turned the oven on for heat, roasting up dinners and making simple comfort foods. Staying warm can be its own art form.

As I finished off another mug of hot cocoa this afternoon, I was fondly reminded of the several batches of homemade marshmallows I made over the winter holidays. Though I have had this recipe in the cue for a little while, the time finally seemed right to pull it out. I can't be the only one with a hot chocolate addiction this time of year, can I?

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

When the idea of homemade marshmallows was first proposed to me, I wasn't terribly interested. Couldn't I just buy what I needed from the store? Nevertheless, I wouldn't be a proper baker if my curiosity didn't get the better of me so I set out to make a batch of them for myself. The process was surprisingly easier than I had imagined it to be, but the results are what really knocked me off my feet. Friends, homemade marshmallows are divine. Store-bought marshmallows pale in comparison, both in texture and taste. I can't turn back.

I was so smitten with my marshmallow discovery that I made several gift bags for friends and family over the holidays and served them alongside the Christmas cookies. Plain or dipped in warm chocolate, these marshmallows will certainly bring a smile to your face.

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows

Vanilla Bean Marshmallows are soft and pillowy, with a bright flavor profile. Both vanilla beans and vanilla extract lend an intense flavor to these sweet marshmallows. Whether plain, chocolate dipped, or soaking in a mug of hot cocoa, there is no wrong way to enjoy this simple treat. Though the directions for the recipe may appear long, the process is simple. I wanted to provide you with the clearest instructions so there was no confusion along the way.

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Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

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Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

I have a handful of memories from when I was very young. My oldest memory comes from when I was only eighteen months old. I was laying on the table in a doctor's office as the doctor hovered above me, putting stitches in my chin, the damage the result of falling and cracking my chin open on a stone fireplace. I do not recall any pain or suffering, but I do remember my mother singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star while rubbing my foot to soothe my cries—a snapshot of tranquility in a scary world for a young child. I have often been curious why this particular moment caught in my mind, both vivid and cloudy at the same time.

Perhaps it is a reminder of my mother's love for her daughter.

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

On my third birthday, my mother gave me the independence to choose the outfit I would wear for my party. I remember standing in the laundry room, surveying my choices with excitement. I felt so proud of the pink, frilly outfit I chose. It may have been a simple decision for my mother, but the freedom felt so special to me on that day. I wore my polka-dotted dress with confidence, spinning around to make the edges of the gown flare up.

After my sister was born, I remember sandwiching her between my cabbage patch dolls while she slept, believing she might need some friends her own size. When she awoke, she looked to her left and right and let out a terrified wail. Not expecting her reaction, I found her frightened cries hilarious enough to send me off into a fit of giggles. The moment was amusing enough to hold onto for many years to come.

And, I fondly remember the first time I stole a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

I couldn't have been older than four or five. It was a cold winter night and the house was filled with cozy warmth. My mother made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies, leaving them to cool on the counter's pull out cutting board. After she left the room, I paced back and forth in front of them, wanting a cookie, but feeling guilty that I didn't have permission. I ended up stealing one before my mother came back to check on them. I hid underneath the table and ate my forbidden cookie in silence, hoping that if my mother came back into the room, I would be hidden from her prying eyes. I did not think far enough ahead to realize that my mother would notice that a cookie was missing, but the crime had already been committed. Even so, I was satisfied with my quiet defiance.

My early memories hold moments of independence, rebellion, silliness, love, and chocolate chip cookies—a portrait of a happy, healthy childhood.

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies are a twist on the traditional chocolate chunk cookie. Dark brown sugar, ground ginger, and a hint of molasses lend a dark and spicy undertone, adding a new dimension to the cookies. A surplus of chocolate chunks gives these cookies a little attitude. Warm from the oven, these over-sized cookies are soft and chewy, gooey from the melted chocolate, and much too easy to make disappear.

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Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

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Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

The routine of everyday life is a necessary evil. As much as I'd like to believe I enjoy spontaneity and the thrill of the unknown, when it comes down to it, I'd rather have my day planned out by the hour than have it be a complete mystery. This isn't to say I don't love to give into the occasional impulse or act on a whim—I do—but my life needs strong framework in which to build off the quiet improvisations of life.

As much as I may object to the idea of a life of routine, I need the structure and control it provides me. I like to know when I am going to wake or eat breakfast, what television shows I can look forward to watching, or when I can plan on tucking into bed for the evening. It may not often be an exciting life, but it is all my own.

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

I have been on a different routine the last two weeks and it has been a struggle to adjust. I mentioned it briefly before, but I never expected the transition to be this difficult. I've read that it can take a month or more to develop new habits, to adjust to a new schedule, and the thought makes me feel defeated. The good habits I kept up are dissolving before my eyes as bad ones are starting to take their place. I am fighting against it, struggling to stake my claim on a chaotic world, but some days I fear I am losing ground.

My body is used to waking up with the sun and eating a slow breakfast before heading off to the gym. My mornings are now rushed; I'm lucky to have five minutes to eat a makeshift breakfast. I only have time for the gym after a long day at work, when the last thing I want to do is climb onto an elliptical machine. It's a work in progress.

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

I am developing a new habit that makes me a bit worried, however. After suddenly gaining several more hours in the evening, I am not sure what to do with them. I can't resort to my traditional hobbies—it is often too late to bake and too dark to photograph—so I nibble on chocolate chips or munch on apple slices, snacking to make the time pass by quicker. As a previous non-snacker, this new pattern makes me nervous.

As I work to fit my routines around the new framework of my life, there are still a few constants (and baking is one of them). Last weekend I made a batch of muffins, trying to find a way to incorporate the ground flaxseed that has been taking up space in the cupboard. I didn't expect much from these muffins, but they took me by surprise and I found myself sincerely enjoying them. I made another batch and froze them to enjoy for a quick breakfast over the next week. As I work to find my footing in this new routine, these muffins have already redeemed many a rushed morning.

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins

Cranberry Flaxseed Muffins are a simple, healthy breakfast muffin. Low in both fat and sugar, these morning treats really do deserve a stamp of approval. The nuttiness of ground flaxseed is wonderful against the sharp sweetness of dried cranberries and helps to keep you feeling full much longer. With a hot mug of black tea, this is a breakfast that is hard to beat on-the-go or savored slowly.

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