"Beautiful things don't ask for attention."

To see things thousands of miles away,

things hidden behind walls and within rooms

things dangerous to come to,

to draw closer,

to see life,

see the world,

that is the purpose of life.

"just to love, and be loved in return"

Vincent van Gogh supposedly said:

The way to know life is to love many things.

To me, this is easily one of the most beautiful thoughts ever had.

The way to know life is to love many things.
.
But it is my guess that he was lonely when he spoke these words.

The way to know life is to love many things?
. 

The way to know life is just to love.

Beantown Brunch #2

Beantown Brunches #2 : Doo Wop Diner 

You know the type. We all have one: that go-to hole-in-the-wall breakfast provider and hangover healer beloved by locals and misunderstood by everyone else. For Bostonians that grew up down the Orange Line anywhere from Wellington to Oak Grove, this place is the Doo Wop Diner on Main Street in Malden. Between its $3.50 breakfast plate and its two-block distance from the city's high school, there's probably not an adolescent in that corner of greater Boston that doesn't know the place. It can't hurt that it's only a block away from the New England Coffee Company either.

 Unless you're from the Everett-Malden-Medford area, Doo Wop's hardly a destination brunchspot, but if you find yourself at that end of the Orange Line, I recommend the Ted Williams with a nice hot mug of Beantown's finest joe (sorry, Dunks). 

Stay far, far away from the oatmeal, though.

Outfit of the Day 12.04

Wednesday, 4 December 2013

I encourage you, reader, to do as I did 

on this lovely first night of December.

Megan Chance wrote:

"You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. 

To deny is to invite madness. 

To accept is to control."

Take a walk in the place you feel most comfortable 

and face the matters you find most uncomfortable. 

You might just stumble upon some control. 

Cookbook: Oreo Trifecta Cheesecake

 Oreo Trifecta Cheesecake

• For Crust: 
• 26 Oreos, chopped & crushed
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 
  
• For Cheesecake Layers:
• 3 8oz pkgs cream cheese (@ room temp)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 large eggs (@ room temp)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 8oz container sour cream
• 12 Oreos, chopped & crushed
• 9 Oreos, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup butter

• Crust: 

Grease two round 9" cake pans. Gradually mix the melted butter into the finely crushed oreos. Press mixture into one pan. Another tbsp of melted butter might be necessary. 

preheat oven to 325 degrees

• Cheesecake: 

Beat the cream cheese on low, then medium, until fluffy. 

Beat in 1/2 cup of butter until mixture resumes fluffiness. 

Gradually beat in the sugar by the tablespoon. 

Beat in eggs one at a time. 

Beat in vanilla.

Mix salt and flour in a separate bowl, and beat in gradually. 

Beat sour cream into mixture until well blended. 

Remove and turn off mixer before adding chopped chopped & crushed Oreos by the spoonful. 

Pour half of batter into pan with pressed Oreo crust. Top with coarsely chopped Oreo pieces.

Pour remaining batter into crustless pan. 

Bake pans on top rack of oven and bake for approx. 1 hour. If cheesecake is not firm, but instead jiggles after 1 hour of baking, cook for another 10 minutes. If cheesecakes are still not firm, continue to cook at 5 minute intervals until desired firmness is reached. 

Remove from oven and refrigerate for 24 hours or until cheesecake has set. 

little things #5: the best kind of friend

It's officially Peppermint Mocha Season, and my friend Elise is the best kind of friend.