four vanilla cupcakes with cookie butter frosting.

There are some days when I have the urge to bake just so I can feel productive. Making something from scratch always gives me a sense of accomplishment when I have been just a little too lazy.

Wednesday I decided to make cupcakes for my roomies because they deserved a little treat for just being so great all the time. And I wanted to use my cute floral cupcake holders. I was nervous about using almond milk in the cupcakes, but they turned out GREAT! The consistency was fluffy, but somehow still dense? Don't ask me how that happens.

vanilla cupcakes
makes 4

4 egg whites
4 tbsp butter, melted
4 tbsp sugar
1 3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
3 tbsp almond milk (I used Trader Joe's Original)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until it has a smooth consistency.
2. Add in vanilla and butter. I kept whisking away but there was still some butter clumps. Mine still turned out great!
3. Add your dry ingredients.
4. Once mixed, add in the milk.
5. Pour your batter into your cute liners (they really do get you excited about baking!)

Bake for 10-15 minutes. Mine took longer than I thought they would, but I would just wait until a toothpick (or if you are a college student who owns nothing, a knife) came out clean.

While your cupcakes are cooling off, prepare your frosting! Luckily my roommate let me use a little bit of her milk!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp cookie butter

Combine all the ingredients, except the cookie butter, and beat with a mixer on low. Once mixed, beat everything on high. Once your frosting is smooth, add in your cookie butter! I'm sure you could even try peanut butter, nutella, or teaspoon of your favorite jam! The frosting is very thick and basic, so feel free to play around with it!

Put your creamy CREAMY frosting in a ziploc bag, cut the corner, and swirl away!

REMEMBER TO SPRINKLE IT WITH SEA SALT. I'M NOT KIDDING. IT MAKES IT!

Who wouldn't want to make these sweet faces things all the time?
Wow. Now I know why everyone says I'm "The Mom."

what a Good Friday.

Today was one of those sweet days where you realize near the end how wonderfully you spent your time. I talked hiked some trails, ate good food, and listened to some wonderful music- all with beautiful people. Just all around solid.

Songs of Water at Harvest House

God made a whole beautiful earth and decided to put you in it, to experience all of this beauty. You can't do that watching television all the time.- Donald Miller

Watch this if you want to rejoice (and maybe a cry a little...) about the greatness of what happened when God came to Earth. 

spring break...part one.

Five days off school equals nine days of no responsibility. A break from work, school, and the confines of a Boone winter that is still going on strong.

TODAY

This year I couldn't pick between two options, so I kind of forced both. The result was a loss of sleep and savings, but lots of memories. When you have to choose, I think you should usually choose the one where the regrets are only temporary. 

Things I learned in Florida:

1. Everyone goes crazy after 12 hours in a car.

2. No body looks good in a wet suit.

3. God created us to be in community.

4. Our hearts all want the same things, even if you are just visiting us from China :)

5. Manatees are scary up close.

I got back late to Huntersville on Thursday night thawed out from the warm sun and with some new friends. Then I repacked my backpack and tried to get some sleep so I could wake up for my 7 am flight to NEW YORK CITAAAAAAAY.

I can't wait to share all about this short, but very sweet, trip to one of my favorite places! 

a sigh of relief.

Spring is here. It's still cold in Boone and it is supposed to snow this weekend, but the cloudless sky today will help me get through it. It's reminding me of what's ahead. Perfect Boone days where you feel guilty if you aren't outside. Longer afternoons. More time in the morning to get up and watch the sunrise. Everyone comes out of hiding and we are all friends again. Ahhhh.... we are so close.

But for now old school Avett Brothers is playing in this cozy and light donut shop and I'm pretending that I don't see the weather forecast.

Chocolate Espresso Glaze Donut from Local Lion

(I told myself I wouldn't eat the whole thing.... Oops.)

Speaking of Avett Brothers, watch this if you want your heart to be happy. 

orange & pear // spring-please-come-quicker salad

Salad: Spinach, Pumpkin Seeds, Blood Orange, D'Anjou Pear, Feta, Balsamic Vinaigrette  

Soup: Trader Joe's Organic Butternut Squash soup with Pumpkin Seeds

an obsession with sea salt.

I have always loved baking and cooking and discovering new recipes. When I'm cooking, I always try to find the best seasonings to make my food spicy hot or give anything a more distinct taste. Then I tried a chocolate brownie with sea salt and it was a GAME. CHANGER.

I became obsessed with sea salt.

Every recipe, whether it was dessert or dinner, was given a pinch of sea salt. It brings out the flavor without completely turning it in to something else. The coarser the salt the better. Its ended up in soups, puddings, vegetables, ice cream. My sweet friend Ashley B is often with me when I'm making my messes and would point out my consistent use of the stuff. So I started pointing it out too. 

Always with sea salt, I would say.

She told me it would be a great blog name and I thought she was wrong. And I had already decided that I would never have a blog.

Then I applied and was accepted to go to Chicago, IL this summer with Here's Life Inner City. I wanted to have a place where I could share what God was doing and all that, and I knew that a blog was the best place for it all. This was the only name that kept coming back to me.

I was extremely hesitant to use it because it sounds like a little cooking blog and I'm not really qualified to make one of those (which doesn't mean I won't try...), but then I remembered Jesus's words in Matthew:

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world-like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:13-14

 Salt draws out the subtle good flavors in food and preserves what would otherwise spoil (The Voice Bible). The Message translates it as Jesus saying we are here to bring out the God-flavors of the earth.

What would it look like to bring out the flavors of God? To let the Lord use you to show:

His beauty

His goodness

His love for justice

His wisdom

His truthfulness

What would my daily life be like? How would this help me actively communicate with God? How would I treat all of His kids? How would this help me cultivate thankfulness?

So I decided that yes, the name is appropriate. I don't want a life that is bland and lacks meaning. I want each day to be filled with little adventures. I want to create because I'm able. I want to be bold and honest. I want to be selfless and loving. I want a life of beauty, prayer, drive, generosity, faith, joy, purpose, and flavor. 

Here is my humble attempt!

Clearwater, FL 

Emily and Me

SB2K13

P.S. This doesn't mean I won't take the flavor part literally sometimes. I love feeding other people and myself tasty things, and I don't think Instagram cares...  and at least here I will be less aware of social media's approval ;)