sea salt brown butter cookies... (just like the cayucos cookies!)

SONG OF THE DAY:  CHAN CHAN : Buena Vista Social Club

SEA SALT BROWN BUTTER COOKIES

             yummm- these little guys are sooo good!  I have yet to find a better salted cookie.  The place I discovered these is in Cayucos, California at the Brown Butter Cookie Company.   After many trials and friggin' errors! I have finally found the recipe that fits!

recipe:

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 sticks (12T) unsalted butter

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. baking soda

 preheat oven to 325.  brown butter; browning butter is easy but you have to watch it!  and constantly stir with a wooden spoon.  This process takes about 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Once you brown the butter pour into a mixing bowl, add brown sugar, and vanilla and stir until incorporated.  Add dry ingredients to a separate bowl and gently whisk together.  Add dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until you get a nice blended round bit of dough.  roll into 1 inch balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheet- or if you have a silicon mat that will do even better.  gently press each cookie down a bit and sprinkle with sea salt.

bake for 13-15 minutes - let cool (the hardest part!) and enjoy!

see the butter start to brown! so cool!

and the butter browns a little mo...

 

if you want cocoa cookies, decrease the amount of flour by 2 T and add 1/4 c. dark cocoa.

                

Family went back home, but it was a great trip.

  Song of the Day:  (For mom and pa) "Roundabout" by YES.
more accurately though it should be "owner of a lonely heart"


I am sad!  But I cannot wait till their next visit.  The day was gloomy and that has played into things a bit.
We did so much and there is still so much more to do!  But the best was just hanging out together.  It always is ya?
We saw Timmy tim allen doing stand up at the laugh factory and that was surprisingly funny!  It was really good!  and like most older people he got a little too political at some points but didn't rant on the subject which was good.  otherwise I would have for sure fallen asleep.  I guess Rickles daughter performed before Tim allen and she was the worst.  I appreciate her courage and I respect all stand up comedians- but she just seems like and over privileged house wife with expensive obnoxious non matching items of clothing and jewelry which also played into her personality.  I can't stand it when women resort to crude jokes when they can't get laughs.  I love crude humor- it's great, but over and over and over-  it gets to be too much.  We get it- you have a vagina- it's big and overworked cause you have kids.  yes.  next joke:  sperm joke, next joke:  menopause no more periods joke.  ugh!  too much!
Next night we went to the improv.  That was super fun.  such a great cast and line up.  we sat up at the top so the opener (one of my favorite comedians to begin with) of course singled us out and that was fun.  Jon had a clever line of response back- pa chimed in, audience roared in laughter- a memorable evening.

Malibu Beach

Picnic at Griffith Park

walking beachwood...

sorry for the hand in the photo- dammit pa!  but they came out nicely anyway.

I have had the best time with my family,  and my love Jonathan had the greatest time too- that is always  the coolest thing!  My parents rock!  I am grateful and so thankful everyday for their love.  

Thank you my Johnson family.  Love ya'll.

Mr. Black's Bean Dip! The best black bean dip ever!

The best black bean dip and so easy to make! 

                                  

Great for Superbowl time too!  

Combine all ingredients in your ninja blender, or vitamix, or food processor!

RECIPE:

1 can black beans

3 lil bell peppers

2 cloves of garlic

3 slices of red onion

olive oil and balsamic

a little (about 1/2 teaspoon- 1 teaspoon)...

cumin (powdered or seed is fine)

Sriracha

chili paste

lime juice (1/2 lime)

cheddar cheese (a couple slices off a block)

salt and pepper

-Blend ingredients in the processor until well mixed and combined and boom-shaka-laka!!! It's done!

Enjoy with chips and veggies or whatever you enjoy!

Happy Superbowl you fans you.

song of the day ... don't worry be happy

Song of the Day:  Don't Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin...

I can't begin to describe how nice it is to wake up without nauseating anxiety in my chest.   Hence the song of the day.  Moving used to be as easy as pie to me but this was a tough one.  And now that the brutal training process is over, I have finally officially started and am on my own serving at the South Beverly Grill.  A restaurant part of the Hillstone restaurant group which is a great job.  I still have high hopes for another position but TBA!
Anyway- back to no stress Thursday.  Never thought I would enjoy watching old episodes of Friends so much.  I didn't think I would still even like this show as an adult but turns out I still do! considering I used to also love watching Chuck Norris' Walker Texas Ranger.  yikes.
I have a very good feeling about this new year... I am not sure what that means but I see good things!
That could mean traffic will be light this week but let's be real- traffic is never light.
Its crazy how people measure everything in miles here.  "oh I'm two miles away" or "oh wow six miles?! how long does it take you?!"  such a weird LA concept but I am getting used to it.
I love where I live.  which is good.  the neighbors next to the complex I am in are a bit crazy- but I am determined to be-friend them anyway because they have a pool... I know I know how selfish! but if I can't share it with you then who?!
Positive thoughts for future:
happy man
UCB
auditions
music  (band- production- writing)
and writing in general.

I can do this.  oh! learn a new language!  become fluent.  Is that stretching it?  I don't think so.

ok... Time to suck today's dick!  (sorry friends with soft ears)


j