My four-year-old son, Lincoln, has been hugely into hopscotch lately (and by extension, this means my little Henry is too, since he thinks he can do anything his brother is doing).  Living in central Texas, it’s not practical for us to spend much time outside in the summer hopscotching.

Enter:  masking tape hopscotch in our living room!  This is an easy-peasy project for any day that is too hot, too cold, too windy, or too rainy to play outside.  And can you imagine how fun would it be to have hopscotch in your hallway or mudroom?  Very.

Guess what items are needed?  Yep!  A roll of masking tape.  It doesn’t get simpler than that.

Masking tape hopscotch has stayed on our floors for up to a week with no ill-effects (but you will definitely want to test it out in an inconspicuous area first to ensure your floors won’t be marred.)  I’ve even done some light mopping over the design without any trouble.  When you’re tired of hopscotch adorning your floors, simply pull up the tape.  This was Henry’s favorite part.

What are your favorite ways to keep busy inside when the weather outside is less than stellar?

Do you have any special memories of indoor play from your childhood?

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Crystal stops by GiversLog a couple times a month to share her fresh ideas. When she’s not writing for GiversLog, Crystal can be found mothering, knitting, and cooking. Stop by and see what’s new at her etsy shop: monograms, Greek keys, and chevron stripes. Oh my!

My freshman year of college, there seemed to be boys everywhere. They turned up all over the place, so it was nothing to stop seeing one if you didn’t particularly like the way he spoke to your roommate or the way he went straight to see another apartment full of girls right after yours (really. the nerve). You just replaced him with the next boy you stumbled across. But then, I spent a semester away as a sophomore, and came back mid-year. Suddenly boys were scarcer. Many had been spoken for. That’s when I discovered this critical life strategy:

Every girl needs a secret recipe.

A secret recipe adds to a girls’ mystique. Don’t you think? It doesn’t even have to be secret, it can be signature. Either way, I’d go so far as to say that I don’t think any girl should be sent off to face the big wide world without one. So I am here for the girls today, to offer a few words of advice for picking out your secret recipe, should you need one. (I am going to have to work on a set of rules for men. Somehow I’m sure that they differ.)

AmberLee’s Rules for Choosing a Secret Recipe

1. Your dish should have romance and intrigue. No one is mystified by a secret recipe for rice crispy treats, as buttery and chewy -good as they are. But the secret to perfect crepes suzette? That holds some intrigue.
2. Romance and mystery are not essential, however, if your secret recipe is a well-made, homestyle classic. Think cinnamon or dinner rolls.
3. The recipe must have mass appeal. No controversial ingredients allowed. Save the controversy for poli sci class. For example, I’m the first one to sing the praises of asparagus, but you need something you can use to knock the wind out of almost anyone.
4. The dish has to be something you can talk up. No good choosing broccoli casserole, you’ll never talk it up no matter how creamy the cream of mushroom or how crispy the crisp onion strips.
5. The recipe should be able to stand alone. Even the humble dinner roll can do that.
6. The dish has to be something you can imagine you and your friends sitting back and enjoying over an hour-long conversation about life.
7. When all else fails, go with something involving breakfast or chocolate.

I learned these rules the hard way. I tried impressing everyone with a homemade pasta sauce, and it was amazing. But it just wasn’t central. Once I got wise, I finally settled on a set of favorites that I believe won me the adoration of roommates, friends, and boys alike. My picks? Cinnamon rolls. That was one. And chocolate mousse. That was two. And at risk of sacrificing a little of my intrigue, I’ll share the chocolate mousse recipe with you today.

AmberLee’s Secret Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into pea-size pieces (this is any good, sweetened chocolate bar, scharffen berger or valrhona would be amazing, but on a college budget, guittard will work just fine)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I use dutch-processed)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
3 yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped

Method
1. Tie on a cute apron. Secret recipes should only be made while wearing a cute apron.
2. Place glass or stainless steel bowl over warm water in a saucepan to make a double boiler. Add butter, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup of the water, and chocolate. Stir with spatula until chocolate is almost melted, remove from heat and stir until completely melted.
3. Whisk yolks, sugar, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water in a bowl until mixture lightens and thickens a bit. Add chocolate to egg and stir until combined. Let cool in the fridge about five minutes.
4. Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
5. Using rubber spatula, fold chocolate into cream until no streaks are left.
6. Refrigerate about 40 minutes until chilled, more like 20 if in individual cups. Make up to one day in advance.
7. Pull out a few spoons and enjoy.

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Still to come. Crystal will be by tomorrow to say hello, so be sure to stop in and see her. And I have a special something for you on Friday. We’ve talked about men who give good gifts before, well I have a special guest coming by to introduce to you someone you will adore, and gifts he gives that you will also adore. I promise.

Also, I have one final First Kitchen Love story on the way.

(mousse photo from here)

We have been making macarons more often around here lately. I’ve gotten so I can make pretty quick work of it. Though in order to speed things up, I finally had to admit to myself that it was not worth making my own almond flour every time. It took me a while to concede, but now I just stop by Whole Foods and pick up a bag that is ready to go. I also like to keep things simple by sandwiching something inside that is premade, already in my fridge. Two of my favorites are a simple, good berry jam and, because I love all things lemon, a scoop of lemon curd. Yum.

I’ve also taken to spelling out messages with them.

Have you ever had an inkling to try a batch? You can see the recipe I use with a few of my favorite tricks right here. I’ve been pleased to get notes from several of you who found the tricks helpful and were pleased with your first batch. You know I love hearing about your adventures in the kitchen. So if you’re up for it, get my notes here. And stop by and let me know how it goes.

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p.s. I like to send macarons by mail every now and then, and have found this container to be the best, most protective, shipping solution. Careful when you stack them, if you sqiush them at all their fragile shells can crack. So just leave a little cushion room and you’ll be set.

We are officially in back to school mode here. Wake up at 6:15, get ready, do chores, practice violin, and out the door. I survived taking my kindergartner to his first day of school. Barely.

And just as school started I received my own fun pack of school supplies. A few things I picked out from UGUiSU, all packaged up and sent happily trans-ocean from Japan to my door. I had a couple projects in mind when I picked these out and will share soon.

As promised, Sophistimom has put together the quintessential kitchen essentials list for grads. And, should you need an extra recipe to tuck inside when you give one of the fun kitchen tools listed, I recommend this raspberry tiramisu, pictured below. Heavenly. And now, I’ll leave you to Jaime of Sophistimom (thanks, Jaime!)

1. One thing I can’t live without is a versatile baking dish. I like this 11 cup rectangular dish from Pyrex. It has a cover for storing leftovers, and is perfect for everything from casseroles, to marinating, to baking cakes.

2.  The Spoonula from Williams Sonoma. This is an absolute must for me. I use it for baking, sauteing, and anyplace I would normally use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. It does the work of both. And it’s red. Very cool.

3.  As much as I don’t like nonstick pans, if I’m making eggs, there’s no other way to go. I feel a little better about hard anodized nonstick, which won’t peel or scrape off and find its way into my food. These Calphlon Unison pans, are supposed to be fine for metal but I use my spoonula with them just to be safe. Hard anodized is expensive but Calphalon is having a special on this pair of these indispensable skillets.

4.  Busy college students and anyone with an active social life won’t have time to cook all day. I would suggest a simple Crockpot and a gourmet cookbook to go with it.

5.  This is a tool a lot of people forget until they’re making a pot of pasta. When it’s ready to pour out, don’t risk burning yourself by improvising. Use these fabulous strainers, which also double as flour sifters.

6. No kitchen is complete without a cutting board. I love a good wooden one, but this polypropelene one guards against bacterial growth and is dishwasher safe.

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Stop by next week. I have have a secret recipe to share, plus a couple others I consider essential for grads.

Help me welcome the talented Brittany Egbert from One Charming Party. I am a huge fan of Brittany’s and her endless supply of crazy-beautiful party ideas and tutorials. If you’ve never been by her blog, you will love it (and her newsletter too), and if you have been by, I know you’ll love the side of Brittany you’re about to experience.

I ate inexpensive meals in college because I liked to spend my money on cute clothes instead. Not a bad plan because I eventually learned to cook really well and I still get to buy lots of clothes. Oh, and let’s not comment on how unhealthy these meals are. Because I was going for cheap back then. And these are not to be served to your date to prove that you can “cook.”

microwaved potato: Scrub a plain old potato to get all of the dirt off. Poke holes in it with a fork. Hope that your roommate cleaned out the microwave. Microwave the potato on high for 5 min while you text your friends. Turn it over and microwave for another 5 minutes while you text some more. Let it sit in the microwave for a few more minutes while you get your toppings ready. Cut your potato down the middle to open it up. I used to top my microwaved potato with salt & pepper and some grated cheese.

pasta: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add some pasta to it. You probably won’t need to cook the whole box of pasta. So don’t. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Let your pasta sit in the hot water for 1 1/2 times the amount on the cooking directions (so 15 minutes if the box says to boil for 10 min). Now go and watch TV until it’s ready. And believe me, your roommates with thank you for not making pasta that boils over and gets the stove top all messy. After the time is up, drain the water and serve the pasta with a little bit of olive oil and some veggies, or Parmesan cheese, or bottled marinara sauce.

cold oatmeal: This is NOT how I ate oatmeal in college, but I wish I had. Right when you get up in the morning and before you start getting ready, put 2/3 cup dry oatmeal into a bowl and cover with 2/3 cup rice milk (or regular milk if you drink that). Add some nuts if you’d like–try walnuts–and drizzle some real maple syrup or agave on top. Add a small handful of frozen berries on top of that and let it all sit for 20+ minutes. After you’ve finished getting ready, grab your breakfast on the way out the door and eat your cold oatmeal while trying to balance the bowl on your lap and drive to your 7:30 am British Lit class. (Why did I sign up for such an early class again?) It’s so yummy and refreshing.
cute shoes. totally worth scrimping.

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A hint for tomorrow’s guest. She forever has the most tempting things to say about food and books (be still my heart) and manages to lure me into trying whatever she suggests. See you then!

Hello, friends. I am so pleased to introduce you today to a favorite blogger of mine, Marta of Marta Writes. If you’ve never been by Marta Writes, go now. Today. And soak up some of her goodness. And while you’re in the neighborhood, don’t miss her mini mart. She makes the most charming handmade mini diaries. And now, I will leave you in Marta’s capable hands.

i am delighted to share one of my favorite recipes with you, as it also brings back such happy memories. newlywed memories.

i got married when i was only twenty years old. yes, it’s true. i was young, optimistic and fresh out of the nest. i felt anxious to be a good wife and handle real life out on our own. i felt pretty equipped to handle my new responsibilities. luckily for me, we were so head over heels in love, we didn’t really notice how poor we were in those college days. well, we may have noticed it while eating cereal for dinner, but i suppose we just didn’t mind it.

life was spent discussing the details of our future; making plans, conjuring exciting adventures and dreaming of career opportunities. it felt like our lives were in the palm of our hands, as if we were in control of our futures. we spent hours thinking of what we’d be when we grew up, what jobs we’d get, how many babies we’d have and where we would live and build our dream house. later i would realize that life pretty much takes a grip on your hand and runs with it. i would later realize that life gives you lemons and making lemonade is sometimes a full-time job! but i don’t mock our old selves for making such lofty plans, that is what being young is all about. it’s the first steps into figuring yourself out. it’s making sure you’re prepared for the life you hope to lead. it’s all about finding out your genuine self, so the next several years you will be able to give of yourself without worrying and fretting and moaning about who you really are.

the first few years out of the nest should be devoted to testing new skills, acquiring specific tastes, developing talents, and accomplishing goals. being pushed to a new potential. yes, working two jobs in a college town with crappy pay, late night studying and mr. and mrs. attempts to weave our schedules together to include quality time was difficult, but we made the most out of it. little did we know these were the years that were carving us into man and wife. we continued trying to be thoughtful and loving, putting each other’s needs over our own. i’d meet my husband at school with a brown bag picnic or he’d stop in and surprise me at one of my crummy jobs. i remember ordering a heart-shaped pizza and root beer for our romantic date night for valentine’s day that year.

dan’s birthday rolled around and i wanted to do something special. with hardly any extra money in the bank, i decided to whip up a candlelight dinner featuring his new-found-favorite meal (thanks to my new cookbook library). meatloaf. he loved my meatloaf. thank goodness. if anything, the man i married is a meat and potatoes kind of guy and that is exactly what i served him that night. i love this recipe because it is so simple, requires few ingredients and is delicious and ready in an hour. it is not frilly or showy or even real pretty, but it is real good. which kind of reminds me of those days back then. mmm. mm. meatloaf.

MARTA’S MEATLOAF
Bake: 1 hour at 350° / Yield: 5 servings

1 pound hamburger (very lean)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 T. dry onion
salt and pepper
2 T. ketchup
2 or 3 slices of white bread, toasted and crushed or 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs

SAUCE:
1/3 cup ketchup
1 T. mustard
3 T. brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg and milk together.  Add hamburger, onion and ketchup.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss breadcrumbs into mixture and combine ingredients well, it really is best to use clean hands for mixing. Form meat into a loaf shape and place into a greased bread pan. In a small bowl, mix sauce ingredients together.  Pour sauce over meatloaf and smother all sides with sauce.  Cook uncovered. Let cool for ten minutes and slice. Serve warm with garlic mashed potatoes. Enjoy.

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I have my next kitchen guest lined up to go tomorrow. She writes a blog that is stock full of party inspiration, I can never get over her photos, so inspiring, so perfectly styled. (I have not been able to get my fill of her back-to-school ideas.) And besides throwing beautiful parties, I am sure she is the life of the party wherever she goes. Stop by tomorrow. You will see what I mean.

Mariane of Cook You Some Noodles dropped by to let me know she used my fabric mailbox pattern to put together this adorable mail set. She is the mama of one lucky three-year-old. Stop by her blog to see that cute three-year-old modeling the mailbag and to see her template for the felt mail. Thanks, Mariane!

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If you have an idea to share, we’d love to hear it. Stop by here to submit. Below are a few of the categories I’m always looking for: Handmade Gifts | I made a Giver’s Log Tutorial | Big Surprises | Little Surprises | Happy Mail | Thoughtful Gestures | Pretty Packaging | Party Favors | Food to Make and Share | Simple Entertaining Ideas | and of course, a story for Give That Man a Hand

Are you the type who can go to a café all alone? Would you ever go to the theatre and watch a movie solo? I have a confession to make. I totally can. In fact, there’s no place I’m happier than in the middle of a big city, a new one if possible, alone and free to explore and take in the people and the sights.

My husband, who knows my vagabond-like tendencies all too well, surprised me with some very fun gifts for my birthday. Among them, an entire day off. I was given a spare but carefully chosen collection of supplies, including a very small picnic blanket and equally small library. And I was set free on the city. I roamed streets, met warm and wonderful strangers, and picnicked in the company of Hemingway. It was the most delicious day. Oh, and he also gave me a birthday dress.  (His bday is in less then two weeks. I am feeling a little pressure. Just a little.) The pic above is me about to be let in on what I’d be doing all day.

I was also spoiled for my bday by friends and family and by wishes from you.  So thanks to all of you.

And now, I am dying to know. What would you do with your perfect day off?

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Speaking of warm and wonderful people. I have one stopping by tomorrow as a kitchen guest. Here are two clues to get you ready. She has mad writing skills (not to mention handwriting to die for), and knows how to take a good road trip. Okay that was three. Be sure to stop by tomorrow to say hello and make her feel at home.

You’ve heard me talk about Select Registry before. I just received a few copies of their latest guidebook in the mail. It is 250 pages of the best Bed and Breakfasts in North America. How fun is that? And how do I know those inns are the best? I’m glad you asked. A B&B can only make the Select Registry by passing rigorous and secret SR inspections. Each inn on the SR is regularly visited by SR’s pro inspectors, who check in and stay the night completely undercover, then report to SR.

Flipping through page after page of dreamy inns is a pretty enjoyable exercise. You should give it a try some time.

I have four copies I can mail for your perusing. If you’re interested, leave a comment below and I’ll choose four names at random next week. (I’ll email winners and post them here.) You can also find the online version here, or if you buy a SR gift certificate, you’ll receive a card good to any of their inns, plus a guidebook to go along with it, all wrapped up in a pretty gold box.

UPDATE: Congrats to my winners, I will be in touch!
#26 Katie
#19 Allison
#30 Trudy
#18 Michelle

p.s.

Thank you for my birthday wishes. You made me feel spoiled. We’ll be doing a little more celebrating this weekend, though I am not being told what that means. I hope your weekend is lovely. I have new guests next week for my first kitchen love series. See you then. xo

Today help me welcome Stephanie of Stephmodo, a favorite of mine for all things kitchen and French (be sure to stop by her Etsy shop of French imports, you will be charmed). Stephanie put together this kitchen essentials list, perfect both for grads and seasoned cooks alike, and was so good to do it besides being 8 months pregnant (see her adorable maternity photoshoot here). I’ll let her take it from here. And thank you, Stephanie, for taking a moment from your preparations to bring us this list (friends, do you love those bowls?!)

1. Martha’s melamine bowl set (those colors…)
2. Wusthof Mincing Knife (perfect for cutting pizza, quesadillas or pb&j–my husband has a few things to say about this too)
3. Vintage Cast Iron Dutch Oven and Skillet (both found at an antique shop, although ebay is a good source too; we use these all the time.  I love the way they sear fish on the grill, roast chickens, and roast vegetables)
4. Microplane Zester (great for lemons or parmesan–best zester ever)
5. OXO Salad Spinner (say goodbye to wilty lettuce forever–I also use it as a crisper)
6. Zyliss Garlic Press (there is no other garlic press worth having around)

I adored LoraJean’s vintage wallpaper boxes the first time I saw them, so of course, I was thrilled when she dropped me a note to say she had, with the help of her 5-year-old videographer, posted a video tutorial. LoraJean wrote, “I was wishing I had a box to wrap in wallpaper when I realized I could just make the box itself with the old wallpaper.” So inventive, so lovely. Can’t you just imagine stacks of these at a party or wedding all filled with take-home momentos?

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If you have an idea to share, we’d love to hear it. Stop by here to submit. Below are a few of the categories I’m always looking for: Handmade Gifts | I made a Giver’s Log Tutorial | Big Surprises | Little Surprises | Happy Mail | Thoughtful Gestures | Pretty Packaging | Party Favors | Food to Make and Share | Simple Entertaining Ideas | and of course, a story for Give That Man a Hand

Nikkala of the Crafting Chicks sent me a note this morning about the gift she packaged like this and mailed to her niece. I promise you I will be doing this within the month. If you’ve been around for a while you know how I feel about happy mail. Thanks, Nikkala.

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p.s. Tomorrow is a big day for me. I will be turning 32, which isn’t really an important number, but feels big, like I’ll officially be well into my 30s. I am treating myself in two ways (I had plans for a birthday dress but didn’t manage to get one in time).

Treat 1. I am rereading Anne of Green Gables. I just can’t help myself. I’m always in the mood for it this time of year.

Treat 2. I’ll be featuring my next kitchen guest. An all-time favorite I’ve followed for years for her impeccable fashion advice, her elegant but real meal plans and recipes, and oh yes, looking at photos of the cottage she renovated and lets out in Beynac dosn’t hurt either (see more here). Thanks to her, I have my next trip to Paris planned to the minute. I even know what to pack. Now all I need are plane tickets and a couple grandparents who are looking for a some kids to hang out with for a week or two.

Hey everyone! I’m Jen from the Haystack Needle and one half of the shop Cabin 7. I’m thrilled that AmberLee asked me to share a little post here about what helped me transition into living on my own in New York City. In two words, weekend brunch. But let me start at the beginning, which is with my mom’s pancakes.

My mom is one amazing cook, and food is definitely one big way she’s always added a sense of comfort and community to our family. Since we were kids, I can remember brunch being a big deal in our house. The meal was never complicated — we’re not talking rosemary bacon or chorizo scramble. I tended to be the first up and would beat out my brothers for pick of what brunch dish Mom would make — I always chose pancakes. And so Sunday mornings started with the inviting smell of buttermilk pancakes and me following my mom around the kitchen. Her pancakes were not even made from scratch. My mom took a pancake mix and then added in buttermilk and fresh blueberries (or some other fresh fruit). But something about her tweaks, the fruit, and her touch made them some of the lightest, best pancakes I’ve eaten to date. The big trick is my mom put fresh fruit in her pancakes while they heated on the skillet. The baked blueberries in the pancakes —heavenly.

After college, when I moved out to New York, I was living in a studio with an icebox for a refrigerator and one dinner I could make: taco salad. But I soon found myself drawn into the culture of New York brunch. That magical meal weaves together a sense of community in a city of millions. There’s something so comforting about breakfast foods. But what’s even more comforting is starting your weekend around a table with friends recounting your week, ranting about your work or some subway ride, and swapping stories that make you laugh. Honestly, not even some fancy lemon ricotta pancakes at a restaurant will ever compare to my mom’s blueberry pancakes. But I’ve luckily found that sense of comfort and community in gathering for weekend brunch. New York City brunches were one of those little rituals that made this big city feel less scary.

ps. If you’re in New York, my favorite brunch spot is Cafe Mogador in the East Village. (The pancakes are good, but their Moroccan Benedict is the best brunch dish ever.)

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Thank you, Jen! If this is your first time experiencing Jen talk food, you have to get over to her blog. Or see a photoshoot she styled here with goodies from her shop and you will be instantly in awe.