Hello Lovelies:)

My cool friend, comedienne Janet Varney has an awesome podcast called The JV Club (where she interviews women about the highs and lows of adolescence) and I was lucky enough to be her guest on yesterday's episode! Tune in if you want to hear about my super bad fashion choices and a few of my crazy nannies.

Here's the link.

And here's the cookie recipe we discuss on the show:)

And how about that head-to-toe white lace outfit I wore to 7th Grade Winter Formal???  Jealous?

Happy Friday!
love,
Jolie

fourteen mini-posts in one

1. My mom and I were once shopping in an old knitting store that was ridiculously crammed to the gills with yarn. It was stuffed into cubby-shelves and stacked high atop every available flat surface. While there was a great selection (understatement of the year) it was physically uncomfortable to be on the premises. It was like being trapped in a hoarder's apartment, like the yarn was swallowing you alive. At one point a skein threw itself on the floor in front of where we stood. My mom and I froze, staring at it until she said, "Even the yarn wants out of this place." 

This is not unlike Lena's crazy-thick coat this time of year. The hair is literally throwing itself out of her body in giant puffs. With all the brushing and vacuuming and bending over and picking up, I am counting it as an extra workout. 

2. I've made a bunch of impressive (if I do say myself) desserts lately for dinner parties. This red velvet cake was perfection. I reduced the powdered sugar in the frosting by 1/2 cup and omitted the berries, otherwise the recipe was followed to a T. I made it for a Sunday family supper and it even got rave reviews from my super picky five-year-old nephew who exclaimed, "I LOVE RED VELVET!!!" I second that emotion.

3. I made zero amendments to this Smitten Kitchen strawberry/rhubarb pie. It was a huge winner at a recent poker/dinner party. Even not being a huge pie lover, I whole-heartedly recommend this one. And her all-butter pie crust too. Yum.

4. Wish I could say the same, however, about this rhubarb upside-down cake. First off, it's not gonna win any beauty pageants. That would be forgivable if it was crazydelicious, but alas, it was sadly just so-so. I did a bunch of rhubarb recipe research and the most entertaining part about that was finding the extremely niche-y website The Rhubarb Compendium where you can not only search copious databases and learn everything you never wanted to know about the stalky vegetable with poisonous leaves, you can also buy a t-shirt that says Got Rhubarb? and participate in a poll by stating what color rhubarb is your favorite. The recipe section includes such gems as "Rhubarb Peekaboo" and "Cold Rhubarb Soufflé" and says things like, "Try this great tasting cake. Definitely one for all you rhubarb fans out there." I ask this: what non-rhubarb fan would be trolling The Rhubarb Compendium in the first place? Another fun feature is a Star Trek section including a recipe for some sort of Klingon rhubarb bread. Which makes me so perplexed as I know zilch about Star Trek. They had rhubarb up in space? WHAT?! If anyone can shed some light on this, please enlighten me. Anyway. I ran out of rhubarb and patience before I could get this cake recipe right for official posting and now I think rhubarb is past its prime season. I'm gonna go check The Compendium to make absolutely sure.

5-9. Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.

10. For most of my life, my name has been butchered. I've been mostly called Julie but also not off-limits? Joelle, Josie, Jolene, Joey and Jody. Even Zoe. My seventh grade computers class teacher, Mr. Dotson, pronounced my name "Jolly" during every single roll-call for the whole semester. Early on, I made a handful of feeble attempts to correct him but they fell on deaf ears (perhaps literally) so Jolly I was. And wasn't.

After a lifetime of this, I recently started telling people my name was JJ (my actual initials) in order to avoid having to repeat/spell my name when ordering Starbucks or take-out food. You'd be shocked how many times this bright idea has backfired. Apparently, it's me.

11. I love words and I adore Bananagrams.

12. I just realized that Jacaranda season and rhubarb season coincide! Next year let's make a (much better) rhubarb cake and eat it under a canopy of purple trees! (DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO SAY 'JACARANDA' IN KLINGON?)

13. Game: Can you find Lena? Bonus points if you can spot any dog hair.

14. This is the view from my desk where I sit always. Can you tell I like trees?

Happiest week to you times fourteen!
xoox
jolie

P.S. All the pictures in this post are from my Instagram account as I am newly (and seriously) obsessed with Instagram. Are you? Let's follow each other! (I'm @joliejenkins:)) Check out the great photos of @arielealasko, @weelicious, @thiswildidea, @hirozzzz and @rebs820. So fun.

aw, nuts

I should get an Emmy for the brilliant acting I do at the Drycleaners.  When they start sorting through my pile, sticking that stain-tape all over every single one of garments, I feign utter ignorance.

"Huh," I'll say, squinting as the Drycleaner Lady rips more tape off the roll to stick it near a grease spot. "I have no idea what that is." 

Even though I know it was me who sat a leaky buttered popcorn on her lap and it was me who dipped her elbow into balsamic vinaigrette and it was me who backed her ass up against a frosted layer cake (don't ask) and then tried to blot it off with a dirty-ish kitchen sponge.

They're very decent drycleaning people who go along with my lies. They don't even charge me extra for all the stain-tape I require. 

Today I proudly shuffled in the door with a sweater to be cleaned, feeling super cocky that I didn't need to lie act for once as it was actually  STAIN FREE! Glory Hallelujah! As the Drycleaner Lady typed in my phone number I made idle chatter:

"Some weather we're having, huh? It's beautiful out there!"

"Uh huh," she said, distractedly as she started sorting.

I wanted to tell her it was STAIN FREE but decided to act cool and let her discover for herself.

"Oopsie," she said. "Looks like chocolate."

"Yeah, I don't think so." My cool was slipping away.

"Look," she said, holding it up.

"Where?!" 

"Here. You spilled it down the inside! Bravo."

So it turned out to be a good performance after all. 

And: I need to buy some of these.

Salty, Sweet, Spicy, Savory Bar Nuts
Union Square Cafe, NYC
makes 2-1/4 cups

These nuts are so freaking delicious that it'll be worth it even if, after eating a handful, you wipe your hands on your silk shirt. A caveat: you shouldn't make them if you're not willing to live with having eaten the whole batch. They're even better with a cocktail.

2-1/4 c pecans (or any assorted mix of nuts you enjoy)
2 T coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 t dark brown sugar
2 t Maldon or other sea salt
1 T unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the nuts for about 10 minutes until golden and fragrant, being careful not to burn. (It's hard to tell when pecans turn "golden" but 10 minutes is perfect--when you can smell them, they're done.) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the rosemary, cayenne, sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and mix well. Toss the nuts in this mixture until evenly coated and serve warm.

xoxo
jolie