Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Baby, it's cold outside

Jacket on, boots on, open the front door - Wowzers, glaring sunshine! Run back up the stairs for my sunglasses. Sunglasses in December, that's just how we're rolling in the pacific northwest these days. I am full of anticipation that my errand of walking to the store will be fruitful because of what I will get to make upon my return. My use of the word fruitful may have been misleading in reality my list had no fruit on it. It consisted of an 8oz block of cooking chocolate, a bag of chocolate chunks and some onions. (The onions were for a different recipe)

I digress...as I left the house my daydreams of chocolate chunk cookies kept me warm for a few blocks before reality hit. And by reality I mean frost bite. It has been a long time since I have been that cold and I think I was in the boonies of Tibet - no exaggeration, in fact, Tibet may have been warmer. I was too far gone in the direction of the store to return and bundle myself in more layers. I knew if I went home I would not venture out again that day, knowing the cold fate that awaited me. My determination for the cookie ingredients, fueled by my overwhelming desire to eat said cookies kept me going until I got to my sacred place, Albertson's.

Inside the warm and wonderful grocery store I wished that I had a much longer list which would keep me inside for longer. Sadly, my shopping came to an end very quickly. As I browsed up and down aisles of glorious yummies, I had the stark realisation that number 1, I WOULD have to leave the store at some point and head back into the arctic conditions outside (the fate of the cookies depended on it) and number 2, that if I left with a mountain of extra shopping in tow, I not only would be cold but I would also be very frustrated at having to carry such heavy bags. I put back my non essentials and left with the things on my list, some freezer bags, vegetable broth and bread. Not bad for me. Also as an impulse buy at the register I got one of the 99 cent re-usable grocery bags which on that day could not have felt more like a Christmas miracle, the longer straps meant I could carry it over my shoulder making the whole things way more manageable.

One thing I have never fully appreciated about Seattle until now is that we have coffee shops IN our grocery stores. Albertson's is home to a Tulley's Coffee and before I ventured back outside I stopped by and picked up an extra hot, decaf, peppermint mocha. And yes, I got whipped cream on it, judge me if you will but any extra fat I am carrying is just good insulation at this point! My groceries over one shoulder and my purse over the other left my gloved hands free to sip away as I walked home. Each step being moment closer to the cookies. I made it home in 10 minutes.

The Rosie Thomas Christmas album blaring, I baked the cold away and ended up making the best chocolate cookies in the world.

I am having some girls over tonight for the annual viewing of 'While you were sleeping', I hope to offload some of the chocolate goodness on them.

Where ever you are today stay warm. I hope the joy of the season is filling your heats...

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