The other night, Noelle and I visited a bookstore.
We both sipped on tea.
Sitting in the cafe, we watched people filter in and out of the seating area. A woman, carrying a stack of fashion magazines, arranged herself in the corner. Her chunky bangs partially obscured her eyes, and I wondered if the glossy models would have been better appreciated if she had worn a headband.
Two deaf men played chess near the cash register. They both wore tightly fitted sweaters and ran their fingers through their beards as they moved around the board. After finishing a game, or perhaps only pausing for a coffee refill, they began to sign to each other, and I sat watching them, transfixed.
A few minutes later two noisy couples sat down beside my sister and me. One couple spoke in a heavy foreign accent, while the other couple seemed as if they had been born and bred in Texas. They shared the biographical details that we all toss out to a new friend or just a stranger (Where they went to school...The state or city they grew up in...How they fill their days.)
And then adjacent to us sat an older man with glasses and gray hair. His table was clear except for his book, which he turned with delicacy, being sure that only the tip of his finger touched the newly printed pages.
As I saw all of these different people...all of these different connections, I thought about the importance of communication in our world. We communicate in intimate secrets, we share through boisterous laughter, we connect through reading a novel or a poem or a story in the paper.
We both sipped on tea.
Sitting in the cafe, we watched people filter in and out of the seating area. A woman, carrying a stack of fashion magazines, arranged herself in the corner. Her chunky bangs partially obscured her eyes, and I wondered if the glossy models would have been better appreciated if she had worn a headband.
Two deaf men played chess near the cash register. They both wore tightly fitted sweaters and ran their fingers through their beards as they moved around the board. After finishing a game, or perhaps only pausing for a coffee refill, they began to sign to each other, and I sat watching them, transfixed.
A few minutes later two noisy couples sat down beside my sister and me. One couple spoke in a heavy foreign accent, while the other couple seemed as if they had been born and bred in Texas. They shared the biographical details that we all toss out to a new friend or just a stranger (Where they went to school...The state or city they grew up in...How they fill their days.)
And then adjacent to us sat an older man with glasses and gray hair. His table was clear except for his book, which he turned with delicacy, being sure that only the tip of his finger touched the newly printed pages.
As I saw all of these different people...all of these different connections, I thought about the importance of communication in our world. We communicate in intimate secrets, we share through boisterous laughter, we connect through reading a novel or a poem or a story in the paper.
Without these connections, we would struggle to feel alive. We need to reach out and hear the voices of those around us, we need to reach out and share our own words.
Part of the reason that I blog is that it connects me to people, near and afar. I hope that by visiting my site, you feel a bit more connected to me.
Part of the reason that I bake is that it brings me closer to my friends and family. Baking allows me to tangibly offer an expression of my love and gratitude.
So whether you spend this weekend talking, writing, reading, baking, signing...rejoice in your ability to connect. I know that I will.
The recipe below is simple and will delight any chocolate lover. High quality cocoa powder and milk chocolate chips meld together to create a moist loaf that is both rich and intense. The batter comes together in only a few minutes, and the loaf tastes amazing with a thin (or thick) layer of peanut butter. Just remember to pour yourself a large glass of milk!
Part of the reason that I blog is that it connects me to people, near and afar. I hope that by visiting my site, you feel a bit more connected to me.
Part of the reason that I bake is that it brings me closer to my friends and family. Baking allows me to tangibly offer an expression of my love and gratitude.
So whether you spend this weekend talking, writing, reading, baking, signing...rejoice in your ability to connect. I know that I will.
The recipe below is simple and will delight any chocolate lover. High quality cocoa powder and milk chocolate chips meld together to create a moist loaf that is both rich and intense. The batter comes together in only a few minutes, and the loaf tastes amazing with a thin (or thick) layer of peanut butter. Just remember to pour yourself a large glass of milk!
Dark Chocolate Loaf
*Adapted from Baked Explorations
3/4 firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces milk chocolate chips
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan, dust lightly with flour and knock out any excess flour.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix until well-combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until blended, then add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; whisk until combined.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry ones, mixing until just combined. Stir in the milk chocolate chips with a spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (it is easy to overbake this bread). Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wired rack to cool completely.
Spread with peanut butter...if you know what's good for you.
*Adapted from Baked Explorations
3/4 firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces milk chocolate chips
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan, dust lightly with flour and knock out any excess flour.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using the paddle attachment, mix until well-combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until blended, then add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; whisk until combined.
4. With the mixer on low, slowly stream the wet ingredients into the dry ones, mixing until just combined. Stir in the milk chocolate chips with a spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs (it is easy to overbake this bread). Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wired rack to cool completely.
Spread with peanut butter...if you know what's good for you.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
*I'm very close to having 300 "likes" on facebook. I'm not sure exactly why this matters, but I would love for you to join the clan.
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
*I'm very close to having 300 "likes" on facebook. I'm not sure exactly why this matters, but I would love for you to join the clan.
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