Makin' Whoopie Pies

I've been seeing these delectable desserts all over the place lately. Apparently cupcakes went out with Sex & the City, and the whoopie pie stepped in to fill the trendy overpriced dessert vacuum. The name is rather catchy. In any event, I thought it high time I gave them a try. I mean, what's not to like? Chocolate cake and marshmallow creme, all in a compact, easy to hold sandwich form? I'm sold (but I'm easy). So this afternoon, I donned my happy homemaker apron and used this recipe to whip up some simply lovely whoopie pies, all the while humming this song.

Oh my goodness, can I just tell you how fabulous these are? I'm a southern gal, so the best way I can describe the deliciousness of the whoopie pie, is to say that it is sort of the Yankee version of a Moon Pie. But, even though I feel like a traitor for saying it, a whoopie pie is about a zillion times better than any old moon pie I've ever had. For one thing, I've never had a homemade moon pie. A moon pie is just something you buy at the gas station and unwrap as you crack open your RC cola on the way to the lake. I'm not really knocking the moon pie, I'm just saying whoopie pies are infinitely superior. There's no obnoxious graham crackery crustiness to get through; it's just dense, moist chocolate cake and sweet, fluffy marshmallow cream. There's something so childlike and mischievous about biting into a whoopie pie. You can't think about calories or worry about getting marshmallow creme all over your face. Just dive in and enjoy!

*Update: I've just hit the whoopie pie recipe jackpot! Martha always knows a good thing when she sees it, but damn her and her alphabetized linen closets.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

Halloween Whoppie Pies

Banana Whoopie Pies

Coco's Greenhouse

Last Christmas, I made it a point to purchase as many handmade or locally sourced gifts as possible, and I look forward to doing the same this year. One of the shops I bought several pieces from was Coco's Greenhouse. This ETSY seller is a lovely lady and a fellow North Carolinian. Her jewelry is so pretty and elegant, drawing inspiration from the natural world, with a splash of vintage sophistication thrown in for good measure. The poppies in the wind necklace pictured above is one of my favorites. And aren't these French inspired earrings just delightful?

Imogen Heap

Okay, so Imogen Heap may not be new to a lot of you, but somehow, I had never heard of the British singer/songwriter before reading a piece about her in Conde Nast Traveler magazine. It's somewhat ironic that I discovered this artist through a traditional print venue, since her success is so deeply rooted in the internet world of social media. In addition to the fact that I enjoy her music, the thing I'm most impressed with is her mastery of technology, from both a musical production standpoint, as well as her use of sites like twitter, facebook, youtube, and all the usual social media suspects that landed her latest album, Ellipse, into #5 on the Billboard charts. Her success really showcases the incredible benefits of the transparency of the artistic process and the direct engagement with fans that this new platform of digital media allows (and requires).

I'm most intrigued by her video blogs, which chronicle both the creation of the album and also the renovation of her parents' house into her home/studio. It's the perfect fix for someone obsessed with music, production tech geekery, and home design. I've only watched the first ten so far, but I'm loving them! Here's the first one and you can find the rest over at her YouTube channel.

Les Paul and Mary Ford

I was so excited to stumble across these old "interludes" created by Les Paul and Mary Ford in the 1950s. In this one, Mary is unpacking groceries and singing along, while Les perches on a kitchen stool and plays guitar. Wouldn't a kitchen serenade make the drudgery of domestic chores so much more fun? The kitschy retro Listerine commerical break is hilarious!

Reading.....Flapper

I just finished this book, and WOW! I absolutely loved it. The book centers around the concept of the "flapper," but really is more of a comprehensive social history of modern culture. Before I read this book I mostly associated "flappers" with superficial things like glamorous 20s fashions, bobbed hair, and the Charleston. The ostentatious rebellion present in this new method of dressing and behavior didn't really resonate with me until I read this book. Although I think it's fair to say that every generation feels a tension with their parents' generation, the chasm between Victorian values and the advent of the modern world was much greater than that between, say, me and the baby boomers.

Zeitz structures the book around some of the more prominent individuals of the decade, including:

F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

Lois Long

Coco Chanel

Louise Brooks

Although I've always been intrigued with the Roaring Twenties (who isn't?), after reading this book, I'm looking at that era of excess and indulgence in a somewhat darker light. Basically, we have the 20s to thank for the pervasive mass consumerism of our culture. It was at this time that Madison Avenue advertising executives transformed the flapper into a caricature and turned from advertising based on objective, factual information to advertising based on the concept of selling a dream or a lifestyle. It was also in the 1920s that the homogenization of American culture began in earnest, as farm girls in the midwest learned to emulate big city styles and mores. Unique regional values and traditions started to slip away thanks to radio, advertising, and the advent of silent films, leaving a culture based on pipe dreams and credit. As with any form of progress, it seems we often merely trade one set of problems for another.

Pumpkin Ginger Waffles

I've been catching whiffs of fall in the air for weeks now, but since Labor Day has come and gone, I suppose it's official now. I only jumped the gun a wee little bit when I made these absolutely divine pumpkin ginger waffles for breakfast Sunday. I whipped up the batter, and Mark (who has infinitely greater patience) manned the waffle iron. The result was utter perfection and one bite sent my brain reeling with images of brisk walks through the woods, cozy knit hats and scarves, vibrant leaves fluttering down from the sky, and hot cider slowly savored around a bonfire. Can you tell I've got a soft spot for autumn?

Social Stationary

As much as I love social media and the amazing opportunities it presents, sometimes I find myself just a wee bit nostalgic for a time period I never knew. Back when ladies donned big fancy hats and carried beautiful, ornate calling cards for visiting friends and acquaintances. I love the simplicity of a calling card as opposed to the rigid parameters of a business card and all the implications of "networking." Which is why I'm completely smitten with these gorgeous custom calling cards from happygirlgreetings. The artist uses pen and ink drawings sourced from old dictionaries and encyclopedias to create a unique line of stationary that exudes simple vintage elegance. I'm partial to the steeplechase and the old typewriter myself, although the artist encourages you to suggest any image you like. Gorgeous!