2014 in Review With 101 Challenge Update

Friends, 2014 has treated me very, very well, and I hope it's been the same for you.  I have grown and been stretched and challenged so much, and I can confidently say that I'm a better person than I was this time last year.  It's very encouraging to see the ground I've covered and to know that I'm still moving forward.

Here are a few highlights from the year!

New Books Read in 2014

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

This is my most recommended book from the year.  Especially in light of the situation surrounding The Interview and the government of North Korea's crimes being brought before the UN, I think everyone should read this book to become more familiar with what life is like in NK.  This book is fiction, but it is an amazing and wide open picture into North Korea.  Read it.

The Hunger Games trilogy, The Book Thief, The Noticer, and Divergent also made it into my hands.

101 Challenge Update

My blog went through some major changes, which I'm really happy with.

I believe Caleb and I are on track to pay off all our student loans before my challenge ends!
I'm still really glad I have set these goals for myself.  They keep me going, and it's cool knowing I'll be able to cross more off my list in 2015.

New Foods in 2014

I got pretty serious in the kitchen a few times this year.  Nothing like a real challenge to make you pray dinner won't be disgusting.  Besides all the new things I've cooked, here are the new things I've eaten:

Edamame, coconut oil, umemashi, somen noodles, fried oysters, and rose water
Our favorite restaurants in Atlanta: bartaco, Noni's, and Miso Izakaya

Other Updates

I was selected as a Yelp Elite last this summer!  It was a total surprise, and I take it as an honor and a responsibility.  I also got to meet some other Yelp Elite at an event, which was super cool.  I'd never done anything like that before!

 I won a giveaway for the first time ever, and I hosted giveaways for the first time ever.
Caleb and I have made friends in Atlanta!  We've gotten to hang out with people from church, I've made some friends at my belly dance classes, and I've also met two girls from the internet!  Woohoo!

Year in Review Holiday Postcard

Happy New Year!

Paula Dorf review: Lipstick and Blush Reviews

 Every lip needs a touch of legend.

Put a pop of passion in your day.

These are the slogans for the products I got to review this week.  Paula Dorf's lipstick in "Legend" and blush in "Passion."  And once again, I have before and after pictures for you, because science.

Recommended with Big Hero 6

If you have the chance to see Big Hero 6, take it take it take it!

 This is my new favorite movie.  It's set in San Fransokyo, a city made up from San Fran and Tokyo.  It reminds me of Serenity, and I would totally want to live there if it were a real place.  The graphics are beautiful, and I love the combinations of American and Japanese aesthetics and culture.  My favorite part of the movie, though, is the characters.  They are each absolutely perfect and round and real.  The story is great, too.  I laughed, I cried, and for the first time since The Incredibles, I wanted to be in the movie.  This was one I wanted to see again right after it was finished.  When you go see Big Hero 6, be sure to stay through the end, like the Marvel fans do, then let me know what you think of the movie!

Gift Ideas for the Budding Nail Artist

New polishes are always fun, but here are some things besides polish that can take nails to the next level.  If there's someone in your life who loves to do nails, I can guarantee that she'll appreciate anything off this list.  By the way, this post is very information heavy, but it's all for you!

Recommended with Baked Chicken & Mushroom Skillet

I've tried another recipe from Damn Delicious, and once again, Chungah hits it out of the park.  Last week, I made her baked chicken &mushroom skillet for a wonderful dinner.  This was my first time using mustard in a recipe (I used a garlic whole grain variety), and I loved the new flavor.  The sauce was so beautiful creamy, the mushrooms were perfect (I used button mushrooms), and I couldn't get enough of this dish!  I have no added notes-the recipe is great as is-just a strong recommendation to try this soon!  Yummy, yummy, yummy.

See this week's recommended links after the jump!

Foxy Holiday Giving Inspiration

Just like with the star gazer collection last week, I've curated some foxy favorites for gift giving inspiration.  I tend to pin lots and lots of fox things, so this collection took me a long time to narrow down!

Old Factory Candles Review + Giveaway

I've had the opportunity to try out some new candles, and I want to share my experience with you!  Old Factory Candles advertises their candles as "true to scent," which had me super excited, especially when I saw which scents they sell.  I've never heard of a candle that smells like chai tea, and even if the candles weren't true to scent as advertised, I was definitely willing to bite at the chance to test them out.  And so, when it was time to decide, I chose the Coffee Shop scent trio, which includes a coffee bean, hazelnut, and a chai tea candle, all in adorable little 2 oz. bottles.

Homemade Masala Chai!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you all!  I love-love-love chai, and I felt like a thrilled little kid when I found out I could make it at home last year.  It wasn't until this summer that I had all the ingredients I needed for a good chai, and to be honest, there's still one ingredient I leave out, but I am very pleased with what I have, and I want to tell you about it!

Recommended with Masala Chai

I know I usually put my recipe and my links together in one post, but I decided to split these up since the pictures of the homemade masala chai (!!!) process take up a lot of space.  Here are this week's links, friend!

Inspiration for gifts for the stargazer

Guess what!  I've been working on my Christmas present to you guys, and I'm planning on releasing it next week!  (Here's a hint.)  I've been working on it bit by bit since August, and I'm hoping it's going to be really valuable to you.  In the meantime, though, here is some night sky gift inspiration for the stargazers among you.

What Are You Like When You're Sick?

Last Monday, I woke up with a dull headache in the back of my head, the kind that makes you want to be in bed with no responsibilities and with the lights out.  Instead of going back to sleep, I had to head to work, which momentarily became my least favorite place to be.  Thankfully, most of my human interaction was over the phone that day, and I noticed that I was especially gentle and kind whenever I had to speak to someone.

My Awesome Husband and His Awesome Birthday

Caleb's birthday is today!

My best friend of 4 years and my husband of 1, this man has had a huge impact on how I have grown, changed, and deepened in my adult life.  Fun fact: there were many times during our dating when I thought we could never be together forever because we are so different.  Most of our core values are the same, we both enjoy the outdoors, and we're both devout Christians, but beyond that, we're on opposite sides of the spectrum in many ways.  For example:

Caleb: "You don't know who Guns n' Roses is?"
Me: "Uh... should I?"
Caleb: "Oh my gosh, I give up."

Me: "Wait, how can you not appreciate The Avett Brothers?!"
Caleb: "Because their music is terrible."
Me: "You suck."

Good times.

Recommended with Twelve Angry Men

 Instead of a recipe, I have a movie recommendation for you.  Twelve Angry Men (1975).

A couple years ago, my parents forced my sister and I to watch this movie and To Kill a Mockingbird for education and character building purposes.  I really appreciate that they did that.  Both of those movies have stuck with me, but Twelve Angry Men did the most.  A few weeks ago, Caleb and I watched it together for his first time.

Yes, the movie is black and white.  Most of the story takes place in just one room.  No special effects.  What matters in this movie is the dialogue.  The audience is given a look into the hours 12 jurors spend debating over race, socioeconomic status, respect, perceptions, and truth.  It's a powerful movie.  When watching it for the second time, new things jumped out at me about how we interpret and express emotions and facts.  It was all very good to think over after watching Dear White People.  Our thoughts and words have so much power, and Twelve Angry Men sheds light on all of that.  If I have kids, I will undoubtedly force them to watch this when they're old enough.  I can't force you, of course, but I would say that this movie is required watching.

Twelve Angry Men is currently available on Netflix and YouTube and at many local libraries.

When you watch it, I'd love to hear what you think!

Holiday Shopping Inspiration: Gifts That Give Back

With Black Friday just around the corner and holiday shopping gearing up around the hemisphere, I wanted to share some causes I care about and great ways to support them while getting presents for family and friends!  

Internet friends IRL

I've been getting easily bored with the internet lately.  When Caleb and I get home, we'll make and eat dinner, throw the rope toy for Mako, then either watch tv or do our own stuff.  Caleb's been playing Destiny on the PS4 lately, and I'll usually head to my smart phone or laptop first, but there just doesn't seem to be much to keep my attention there.  It's not very fulfilling stuff, anyway, you know what I mean?  Writing and reading are good things, and hanging out in the blogosphere is something I enjoy, but once I've gone through everything new, I'm left feeling listless, and I close the computer.

Thankfully there is life to be had outside the internet!  Belly dancing classes, nail painting, chai recipe perfecting, puppy training, and now, meeting internet strangers in real life!

If you haven't struck up a conversation with a complete stranger recently, I highly recommend it.

Recommended with Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

 I've got another winner to share with you all.
Crock pot Chicken Tikka Masala from the kitchn!

image by Emma Christensen via the kitchn

3 Reasons Why I Believe in Counseling (and why I think everyone should go)

I've been to counseling during two different points in my life when I was dealing with things that had gotten far out of my control.  The first time was in college when I had an uncontrollable sexual addiction.  The second time was this year when I felt like my marriage was a wreck.  Both times I met with female counselors who cared about me, who cared about my problems, and who were able to help.  Here's why.

image by colinlogan

A Proclamation a Poor Puppy!

Lindsay Eryn is now on Facebook!!  I bit the bullet and created a fan page for the Lindsay Eryn blog, so now you can connect and see all new posts in your newsfeed as their published!

And finally, my goofy dog can't catch!  Scroll down to watch the video laugh at him with me.  Poor lamb.

Recommended with Zuppa Toscana

Happy Soup Season, y'all!

I've had a love-hate relationship with soup for years.  There were some that I liked, some that I loved, and some that made me think I hated soups altogether.  I've been talking with Caleb to try and find soups that we both like.  We all know that when you make soup, there's going to be a lot of it, and it would take a long time to eat an entire pot on my own.  Roaming through Pinterest last week landed me on Annie's recipe for Zuppa Toscana of Olive Garden fame, and even though it was a soup we hadn't discussed, I decided to try it.  It has meat in it (which Caleb would approve of), it has kale in it (which I've been wanting to experiment with), and it looks creamy and hearty and just perfect for fall.

Guys.  Using this recipe was an excellent decision, my soup was better than what you'll get at Olive Garden, and I highly recommend it.  See my notes after the jump.

Free Haircuts in Atlanta!

I got a free haircut last Monday, and if you're in the Atlanta area, you can too!

Van Michael is a posh salon in Buckhead, and they offer stylist classes and continuing education courses.  The stylists taking these courses always need people to practice on and be tested on, and that's where I came in last week.  I connected with a girl named Victoria on the internet last week who told me she needed to complete a long layers cut to finish her course.  I've had that cut for years, and November is haircut month, so we quickly made an appointment, and I was in her chair the same day.

Recommended with Miso Ramen

Guys.  I made Japanese miso ramen two weeks ago, last night, and I'm making it again on Sunday because it is awesome.  I'm so glad I decided to make not just the ramen soup but also the shoyu eggs and chashu (pork belly) to go on top.  It brought the ramen from amazing to killer amazing.  So really, I have three recipes to share with you today.  Even if you don't have the pork belly, though, this stuff is so darn good, and there are plenty other creative toppings you can use!  Mung bean sprouts, seaweed, chili oil, carrots, etc.  I'd love to know what new things you come up with if you try it.

Sponsor Post: Paula Dorf 2+1 for Brows

Today we have our first little adventure in makeup together!  I had an opportunity to try out this brow kit from Paula Dorf, and I wanted to go for it.  Of course you might have already known this, but I've been learning more about makeup since August, and I found that lots of girls will fill in their brows if they have sparse spots (like me).  I wasn't sure if I wanted to make eyebrow coloring a part of my daily routine, but I did want to see what the difference would be for me, and Paula Dorf was kind enough to oblige.

I received my brow kit just yesterday and was able to try it out this morning.  Now I've only ever used one other brow product, ELF's brow kit with the floppy brush. That kit and my natural brows are all I have to compare to.  Without further ado, here we go!

5 Songs That Make Me Happy No Matter What

With the fall weather bringing in the bitter wind, it's much nicer staying indoors these days.  We just moved into an apartment with many large windows which let in the sun, and I love them.  When green and the warm sunshine take their winter break, it's easy for me to get into a funk.  I have a few ideas for staying positive and facing forward this season, and I think great music will be a big help.  I wanted to share some of my favorite fun songs, and I'd love to hear your recommendations, too!

5 Songs that make me happy no matter what:

Let's Discuss Dear White People

Yes, I'm disrupting the usual Friday tradition of recipes and links, but I promise to be back in regular programing next Friday.  This was worth the disruption for me.

Last week, I talked briefly about seeing Dear White People.  Have any of you seen it yet?  There were a lot of different questions and ideas brought up that I want to talk through.  After the movie was over, Caleb and I had an engaging conversation about stereotypes, the black experience in America, and how people become easily offended.  One of the tricky things is... Caleb and I are both white.  Our perspective is somewhat limited, and that's why I want to talk about this with others.

There were plenty of things talked about in the movie that seemed ridiculous and even hilarious.  In fact, promo videos like this are supposed to be funny.  (See more here.)  Some of the other points, though, make me wonder.  So, here are some of my thoughts.  Some might be nit picky or even off the mark, but I'd still love to hear your thoughts on them.

Let's discuss.

Tea Tree Oil Review

I can't remember if I've talked about this before on the blog, but I've been increasingly interested in essential oils and their alleged benefits.  Stress relievers, mood revitalizers, digestion aids, immunity boosters, all these things sound very good to me.  The thing about the properties of essential oils (EOs) is that they haven't been properly studied by medical folks.  Know why?  Because EOs can't be patented, which means they can't be sold as medicines, which means medical companies can't make money off of them.  All the information we have on EOs is actually anecdotal evidence.  Still, there's a lot of anecdotal evidence out there, and I've been wanting to give all this a shot for a while.

Into my life came Apothecary Extracts with a free 4 ounces of Tea Tree Oil for me to try!  They're also willing to give a lucky reader a sample, too!  For free!  (Scroll down below for a chance to win!)

Our Autmn Bucket List

I enjoyed creating and checking things off our summer bucket list so much, I flipped over the paper and made one for fall, too.

Recommended with Dear White People

When I saw Dear White People on Sunday, we settled into a moderately radially mixed audience.  I made a comment to Caleb as the lights dimmed and the movie began, "Are we allowed to laugh at the jokes?"  When we saw the trailer a few months ago, we both laughed at the funny parts, and we both wanted to hear what the movie had to say.  We both know that there are kids in America who create race issues where there aren't any, but we also know that, contrary to what one of the characters said in the movie, racism definitely isn't over in America.

I really want to talk about the movie with people.  Please go see this movie then get back with me so we can discuss, okay?  I'm going to post some of my thoughts next week.

Recommended with Dear White People...

Simple Nail Art Collection

I've got a few more looks from the summer to show you.  (Yes, I'm still trying to catch up!)  These ones were all very simple, but pretty.  See all the details below after the jump.

My Easy New Plan for NOT Overeating

One of my biggest vices is not saying no to food when I know my stomach is full.  It's been a habit since becoming an adult, and it's gotten me into some very painful stomach aches.  Also, it's a wasteful thing.  Taking more than you need is wasteful and unhealthy.  It's not good for me to overwhelm my stomach, and I never feel well when I do.  So, I've come up with a plan.

Recommended with this NEW Turkey Avo Sandwich with Special Sauce!

 We have a Caleb Sutton original for you today, and I'm super excited to share it, because it's delicious!

The Intentional Blogging Challenge

Do you have a blog?  Do you enjoy it, want to improve it, or want to improve your writing?  Come join the Intentional Blogging Challenge with me!  Jeff Goins is hosting it and is giving us great stretching challenges like finessing your about page, setting up an email newsletter, and writing different kinds of posts that boost traffic.  Even if you're late, you can go back and look at the previous challenges and catch up.

7 Things New Puppy Owners Learn

My husband and I haven't even had our furry bundle of joy for a week yet, and we've gone through a whole lot more emotions than we expected.  Our pup Mako already knows how to sit, and he's slowly getting better with crate training and not crying when we leave, but boy has it been a whirlwind!  We've had to make some serious adjustments real fast and we've discovered a few surprises, too.

The Window Boxes of Charleston

During our summer vacation in Charleston, I was taken by the many charming window boxes on the houses downtown.  You could tell that they were tended to constantly, and I imagine that their gardeners took great pride in them.  I started taking pictures for future inspiration.  Aren't they beautiful?

Recommended with Oven Roasted Potatoes

This recipe from My Adventures in the Country.  You need to try it.

My Work Space (and My Dream Work Space)

As it turns out, I do a lot of my blogging while in my work office, either on my lunch breaks or after closing time.  I've only got a laptop at home and no desk, and using the desktop computer at work makes a big difference.  It has been absolutely necessary, therefore, that I set up the space so it's relaxed, creative, and not too terribly professional.

Health Journey Update + FREE Online Health Course!

The last time I wrote about health was back in March, and boy has a lot happened since then!  A lot of exciting things!

• I started taking Juice Plus vitamins in February, and while I still do have the occasional sniffles and scratchy throat, I haven't missed a day of work due to sickness since starting!  Not even during allergy season!
• Fun cardio!  I started taking weekly hip hop classes and I'm going through a 5-week belly dance class right now.  I really enjoy these classes, which means I prioritize them and make sure they happen.
• Quite a few months saw me drinking hot tea almost every day.
• I've started substituting stevia in for almost all the sugar in our recipes.
• I started using Mary Kay's Timewise collection, but I'm now in the process of filtering in other products that will be better for my skin.
• We now only eat whole wheat pasta.  This change was a hard one because I just hated the whole wheat consistency at first, but now I don't even notice the difference!
• We've started using coconut oil a whole lot more in cooking, and I put it into my smoothies, too, when I have them.

Tree Climbing at Panola Mountain State Park

My mother-in-law bought some Amazon Local coupons so that all us kids could do an assisted tree climbing at Panola State Park.  Now I know what you're thinking.  "Assisted tree climbing?  That sounds super lame.  Why can't you just climb the trees like normal?"  I hear ya; I was thinking the exact same thing, but believe me when I say that this was much cooler than you'd expect.

Recommended with Kimchi Fried Rice

Guys.  I made the perfect kimchi fried rice earlier this week.  When I started making kimchi rice this year, I began with Rubyellen's recipe to get a handle on the dish, and I've worked from there to adjust the recipe to suit my tastes.  Here's my own personal recipe!

While preparing for this week's dish, I realized I didn't have any green onions, so I chopped up half a white onion instead and sauteed it in butter until translucent.  That got me thinking about adding butter to the recipe later... I also forgot to cook the rice until late, so the kimchi ended up frying in the pan for a very, very long time.  This helped cut down some of the kimchi's spicy bite, and it mellowed out the entire dish a good bit, which I appreciated.

Now, the most important part!  Once the rice was in, we had to wait a good long while before the chicken nuggets Caleb was making were ready, so the kimchi rice just sat and sat in the hot pan until perfect rice crispiness formed at the bottom.  When I saw that, I got really excited.  This crunchy stuff is always really good, and I'd never thought to cook the dish long enough to get it.  It made the fried rice just that much yummier.  I usually can't get enough of this stuff, but this time was my very favorite.

Let me know if you try it!

Notes: I think the oyster sauce is very important, because it makes the overall flavor much rounder. You could also add in ketchup or chopped spam, bacon, or carrots, and you can see Rubyellen's recipe about adding on a fried egg. She also has notes on why you should use old rice and what to do if you don't have old rice.

Recommended with Kimchi Fried Rice...

Most Exciting News!

By this time next week, this is going to be my new family!!

Summer Nail Art Round Up

I wanted to share some of my different manicures from the summer.  I post them on Instagram, but here they are with the details listed.

I started doing my nails in 2011, started to get creative in 2012, and started to get crazy in 2014.  (One time I spend $80 in one month on new nail stuff.  I'm a little ashamed.)  If you have any questions about anything you see or if there's something you'd like me to try, just shout.  And if you're in Atlanta, I'd love to do your nails!  Drop me a comment or email!

Recommended with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

A while back when we were working really hard to save money, Caleb found a recipe for homemade teriyaki sauce.  It called for sake, but that wasn't in the budget, so he did some research and decided to use mirin instead.  Mirin is a rice wine similar to sake, and you can buy it at Asian markets and probably elsewhere, too, just not at the Howell Mill Kroger, we checked.  Anyway, this cheap version of the sauce is awesome, and we both love having it on our teriyaki chicken and rice.

(If you do have sake, just split the 4 tbs of mirin into 2 tbs of mirin and 2 tbs of sake.  You could also try subbing agave nectar in for the honey.  Let me know if you try it!)

To make some excellent teriyaki chicken, combine all the sauce ingredients and poor over thawed chicken thighs laid in a hot cast iron skillet.  Cook on medium high until the chicken is done and the sauce is thick.  Sometimes our chicken gets a little crispy on the edges.  We like it that way.

 Recommended with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce...

Inspiration for minimalist hanging planters

I love-love-love plants.  Inside plants and outside plants.  My parents' house is nestled in the perfect Southern wood with ferns everywhere, and it's one of my most precious places.  My parents will be moving next year, so I won't be able to visit my precious place anymore, but instead of being super sad about it, I've decided to try and bring some of the ferns from the woods into my apartment.  What I really want to do is make some hanging planters for them.  I think seeing my childhood ferns hanging from the ceiling would be so cool and pretty!  My ideal is something that looks simple and clean and that doesn't involve any macrame.  Lucky for me, lots of other people have the same idea!

Minimalist and modern hanging planter inspiration:

PSA: $14.99 for the most comfortable heels

Ladies!  The most comfortable heels I've ever worn are now on sale at Payless!  If you've been looking for some pumps that you can wear all day, to work and to dinner, you definitely want to try these out.  I never knew heels could be this comfortable, and I want to spread the good news.  From today to next Monday, these bad boys are half off!

Check out the sale here!

Do you have any go-to heel recommendations?  What do you think of these from Payless?

Organization Tips : Introducing Trello

I usually go for pen and paper when I need to make lists, but my friend Sarah Becker recently mentioned Trello, and I wanted to see if it would work for me.  Turns out, I had some great new research to categorize and share with Caleb, and Trello has been the perfect medium.  See my first board (and a very special announcement) below!

You can interact with this board by clicking here.  FYI, this is currently an active board, so expect some changes from this picture.

Recommended with Asian-Spiced Meatballs and Noodles

This is one of my very favorite dishes!  I made it on Tuesday, and can't get enough of it.  The recipe is very easy and quick to make, and it's got noodles in it, so it's an immediate winner with me.  The sauce is actually my favorite part of the dish.  It tastes so good, I almost always overeat when I make this!  Here's the recipe from Bev Cooks!

Picture and Recipe for Asian-spiced meatballs with noodles from Bev Cooks

I've used two different kinds of noodles with this recipe.  Japanese soba noodles have a softer bite than spaghetti and are pretty slippery, so the sauce doesn't stick well.  Korean glass noodles have a strange texture to most American palates, but the sauce sticks to them like glue.  Let me know if you try it!

Recommended with Asian-Spiced Meatballs and Noodles...

DIY Lace Project Inspiration

To be honest, lace isn't typically my style, but I've found some subtle ways to bring it into my life that I really like.  Take this cuff, for example.  I think it's beautiful, and I love how I can make my own and completely customize it.  Here's the tutorial at Verily Mag!

Tutorial at Verily Magazine

Looking through the tutorial gives me a lot of ideas.  What if I fixed two bands together?  What if I sewed on small beads or jewels?  What if I used thin lace or wide lace or fastened it with a button?  I've used lace trim before for a few projects (here and here, sorry for the poor photo quality), but I had never thought that fabric stiffener could open up so many possibilities.  Like this!

Here's some more subtle lace project inspiration...

Travel Destination: Atlanta Treehouse

This tree house looks unbelievable!  Seriously, can you believe it's in the center of Atlanta?

A Fox Village in Japan!

Mark this on the list of places I need to visit before I die.

Zao Fox Village in Japan!

via RocketNews24 via Matome

3 Things I Learned in My First Year of Marriage

We made it!  Caleb and I made it!  Today is our one year anniversary!

Can I get real with you for a bit? This year was really, really difficult, and I just want to let you know how thankful I am that my husband and I had this first year.  I knew that things wouldn't be peaches and cream.  Smushing two lives together into one tends to be a little sticky sometimes, and I'd heard many times growing up "The first year is the hardest."  Well, I didn't know it would be this hard, and I didn't know it would be this hard because of these reasons.

Caleb and I one year ago!
by Sarah Becker Photography

Recommended with Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't usually care for cookies, not often, at least.  On Sunday, though, I got a hankering for a soft, wonderful chocolate chip cookie.  Because I'm an adult with a kitchen, I realized I could make them myself instead of going out to buy them, and so I did!

I Googled "the best chocolate chip cookie" and landed on Handle the Heat and the "Ultimate Guide Chocolate Chip Cookies" Tessa has published there.  (Check it out, she's got some really valuable information on her blog!)  The recipe she uses in her guides is just the regular one from Toll House, so that's what I used, too.  I guess the recipe isn't all the earth shattering, but seeing my cookies come out beautiful and perfect and biting into the most wonderful chocolate chip cookie I'd ever made was pretty awesome.  Cooking them on airbake sheets with nonstick aluminum foil underneath allowed them to slide right off of the pan, which was a very nice surprise.  And just look at how gorgeous the cookie bottoms are!

 By the way, do you know how to make cookies ...less sweet?  That's the only thing I would change about the batch I made.  Call me crazy, but I wish they were less sweet.

Recommended with Chocolate Chip Cookies...