And without further ado...

Thank you so much for all of your thoughtful comments!  I am overwhelmed by your kindness, and I must say that I am so happy to be able to send a copy of Fairy Tale Knits and the yarn for the Flower Fairy Cloche off to one of you.  We had way too much fun with this little contest.  I got a big charge out of writing your names on the little slips of paper.  As I wrote them I couldn't help but think how much fun it would be to sit and knit together, talking and laughing and sharing a little something yummy (you do know that all calories ingested while knitting don't count, right) and a cup of tea or coffee.  What fun that would be!

Anyway, I tossed all of those names into the pretty silk bag usually reserved for my current sock project...

And then I waited for this character to come home from school and play his part.

He actually wanted me to film the proceedings and include a video clip here, but alas, I am not that technically savvy yet, so the pics will have to suffice for now. 
First, shake the bag to make sure that everyone gets an even chance, then reach in and pick a piece of paper...

Try to read Mom's pathetic scrawl...

And now without further ado...

The winner is...

Congrats Tonia, I will be sending you the yarn for the Flower Fairy Cloche and a signed copy of Fairy Tale Knits!  Please send me your address and email so that I can send your package off to you!

Right before my trusty assistant ran off towards swings, he announced that, "This was really fun!...we should do it again sometime!"  I couldn't agree more!... I will be hosting another book and yarn give away in the coming days!...stay tuned, but in the meantime I would like to share a little something with everyone who stopped by...

Sorry it's not knitty, but this is my family's hands-down, all-time, favorite chocolate cookie.  Even the non-chocolate eaters in my house (weird, I know) love this cookie.  It is that good.  Filled with little pieces of toffee and so fudgy, almost like a brownie, but not, it is absolute perfection with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.  To give credit where credit is due, this recipe is a modified version of an ancient Bon Appetit recipe.  These cookies have been the main attraction at many parties, picnics and after-school snack fests, thankfully everyone loves them, so they don't hang around long enough for me to eat them all.    

The Shopping List—
       1/2 c all purpose flour
       1 t baking powder
       1/4 t salt
       1 lb. bittersweet chocolate chips
       1/4 c unsalted butter
       1 3/4 c (packed) brown sugar
       4 large eggs
       1 T vanilla extract
       1 bag of Heath toffee chips (or toffee bars chopped—about 7-8 oz total)
       1c toasted, chopped walnuts—you can toast walnuts in the oven on a cookie sheet or in a pan on the stove)

The Making—

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt   
Mix the chocolate and the butter together in the top of a double-boiler over
simmering water (or a stainless steel bowl placed over a small pot of simmering water) until melted.  Once the mixture is completely melted and smooth, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool until lukewarm.
With a mixer set to medium speed, beat the brown sugar and eggs until thick (about 5 minutes).
        

Beat the chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract into the egg mixture.

Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the toffee chips, and finally walnuts (can toast them in the oven on a cookie sheet or on
the stove) to the above mixture.

Chill the batter until firm (45-60 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment and drop
batter, by 1/4 cupsful (an ice cream scoop works well for this) onto the
lined baking sheets.  Space cookies 2-3" apart—they will spread to about
3-4" across

Bake until the tops are dry and beginning to crack, but still soft to the
touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets and then devour!

Being new to blogging, it can still feel a little odd at times—like a new pair of shoes (shoes I like muchly, but new all the same), it feels sort of self-absorbed, typing the little projects and happenings of my life out into the ether.  My dream for this blog is to create a place of sharing, a place that will encourage me live more intentionally, with more presence to those near and far and with more consciousness of the choices that I am making throughout my day.  It will grow to be, I hope, a place for me to explore new ways of creating and new ways of reaching out of myself, even if that means getting a little outside of my comfort zone sometimes.  But I like the stretch here,  the opportunity to grow in new directions with something that simultaneously gets me out in the world and encourages me to look inward.  I am finding that chronicling the little moments that make up a life is a good exercise in observation and reflection, and I really want more of that in my life.  It is so nice to know that there are others out there, typing and reading, on their own journey.  I truly appreciate the time that it takes stop in, so once again, thank you ever so much.  Enjoy the cookies and happy making!...Alison