Well, things are going ok here. Summer is winding down and I feel like very little I wanted got done actually got done. Our remodel has not made any progress for almost three weeks which is super frustrating. I hate the state of our house right now. I feel like I have to put off my decorating, organizing not to mention cleaning plans for the house. I love our new wood floor but can't really enjoy it since the house is torn apart and progress is at a standstill.
Will is hurt pretty badly and can't run while my running is finally feeling better again and I'm slightly motivated for my next marathon. I am attempting to stick to a plan and feeling mostly ok about it. I ran a 5k this past Saturday that left me frustrated with myself. I did not run well and can't explain why. I had a great 15 mile long run yesterday and a fun bike ride, so I'm feeling moderately good about my running. When other things aren't working well I tend to rely on my running to give me a sense of self confidence so when my running isn't going great I feel very low. We're hoping to get Will's bike this week so he can start riding with me and get some cardio and exercise since he cannot run.
I LOVE cookies and baking continues to make me happy and I have began to realize that finding happiness isn't about some magical bolt of lighting coming out of the sky and making me happy, it's about doing little things that make me happy and make me who I am. Cooking, baking and photographing are those little things and it's important to make time for that.
Spending time with Will makes life so much better. I love him so much. He helped me shell all these pistachios for these cookies and he makes me feel better about myself when I'm sad or things don't go well (like my race). As I write this he is doing the laundry. I am a very lucky girl :)
Pistachio + Dark Chocolate Salted Cookies
Recipe from Joy the Baker
Makes about 24 cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
Kosher salt for topping
Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and beat in for about 1 minute. Add vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the mixture all at once to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until just incorporated. Finally mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.
Dollop or scoop cookie dough by the 2 tablespoonful onto prepared baking tins. Leave about 2 inches of room between each cookie. Sprinkle generously with smoked sea salt.
Bake cookies for 18 minutes, or until just golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
