Imma Machine...

...or so I feel like one when I get on my old school folding bike.  

^ Steven and I took a multi-mile bike ride to Asbury Park (can you tell I love Asbury Park) and stopped at numerous adventure points along the way.We rode down Ocean Avenue and stopped at an abandoned beach spot.  I was going to walk past the "do not enter sign" to show what a troublemaker I am, but then I envisioned myself crashing through a board on the pier and no one saving me because of my ignorance. So, I decided a picture wasn't worth a 1,000 stitches.

Also on our little adventure-ish-thing we 1. saw sidewalks ripped up from the hurricane.  2.road our bikes on the Asbury Park boardwalk. The feeling of this is indescribable to me. 3. rode around Ocean Grove, which is a quaint little town next to Asbury park.  The old houses are phenomenal. It's really something to see. 4. went on a little island (as pictured) and had a few snacks to refuel before the grueling trip back.  Sometimes I forget that as far as I ride I have to go that far back.

I'm proud to admit that I no longer have adverse feelings towards bike riding.  As a child I would cry at the thought of it. With much thought and a reattempt a few years ago, I have grown to love bike riding. 

Have you ever tried something you had previous ill feelings about?  If so, how did it turn out?

Cookies cookies cookies!

This weekend I made homemade chocolate chip cookies.  Mmm mmmm mmmmm.   There are some things that I do not think are worth making homemade like cakes (I just cannot taste the difference). Chocolate chip cookies do not fall into this category.  They are so easy to make and there is nothing like the taste.  Oh, and the smell it brings to my apartment is worth every last splatter of dough on my kitchen walls. 

I do not have a specific recipe I use for chocolate chip cookies; I actually just use the recipe on the back of the chocolate chips I buy.  It has never failed me this far, so why mess with a good thing?  This time I purchased Toll House Chocolate Chips and used the recipe on that bag. 

Fun fact: Now that I am an adult I eat a cookie as soon as they come out of the oven. (How many of you had parents who made you wait until they were nice and cool?! *raises hand high*) Needless to say: I did get a tummy ache, but results of this are inconclusive.  Is it from the excessive amounts of batter or the warm cookie? Maybe both? I don't plan on testing this theory any time soon :)

Semptember Foodzie

Receiving a package is something that can turn any mediocre to bad day great for me. Every month I'm guaranteed to have one of these days thanks to my FOODZIE box :) For my birthday, Steven got me a year of foodzie tasting boxes.  I really enjoy trying new foods, so this is the perfect way to make sure I do so. I have a very creative and thoughtful boyfriend. 

When your foodzie box arrives it comes with a little description that tells you what is in your box and where the products comes from (since the tastings come from all around the US).  Sometimes there are ingredients with recipes to try.  It's always a surprise.

This is what my box looked like this month:

What is shown: Card that has all the products* and where they are from, next two are ingredients in the box, finally me eating one of the greatest cookies I have ever had.  

The cookies were phenomenal.   They were HUGE vegan cookies. My pattern of thinking while eating this cookie went like this: 1. Try cookie 2. Take another bite 3. Eat half of the cookie 4. You mine-as-well just finish the cookie  5. Tummy ache :(   Oh well, it was worth it :-D 

*This month for my tasting pleasure I got: short bread cookies, pure raw honey, bengal breakfast tea, snicker doodle cookies, and coconut chili macadamia nuts. Can you say: YUM?!