Marble Cookies

Today I came back home to Dallas after a long and fun week of Texas Soccer camps. The first thing I do when I get home (after saying hello to my family and precious doggies, of course) is BAKE. What’s on the menu today? Marble cookies. Chocolate chip cookie dough and brownies wonderfully crafted into one delicious cookie. These cookies are always a huge hit among my friends, but they sure do have a lot of chocolate and are rich rich rich! The recipe is simple but takes a while because you have to bake a batch of brownies before creating the cookie. But hey, these cookies are worth every minute.

Here’s the recipe:

First of all, you have to bake an entire batch of brownies. You can either make it homemade or do what I did: use a box mix. It’s such as yummy and tastes just as good when crumbled up in the cookie. I suggest using Pillsbury’s Classic Fudge Mix. However, when making the brownies, make sure to put chocolate chips all over the top of the brownie batter before putting it in the oven and undercook the brownies 1-2 minutes less than the time specified on the box. This way the brownies do not overcook and they stay ooey-gooey on the inside.

Once the brownies, have finished baking, set aside to cool and proceed to the cookie dough making.

The cookie dough ingredients include:

• 2 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup butter flavored Crisco
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 and 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• And of course the brownies we made earlier!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the Crisco and sugars on high in your electric mixture for 2-3 minutes until it appears light and fluffy while a pale brown color. Once this texture has been attained, add the 3 eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined and then add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, and salt). Try not to make too much of a mess when adding the flour and mix until combined. Then add the chocolate chips and we’re almost ready to go! Finally, cut the brownies into squares and add them all to the dough and mix for 10 seconds. Finish mixing in the brownies with a spoon so as to make the dough a marble dough instead of a complete chocolate brownie takeover! But if that’s what ya want, by all means, go for it!!

Scoop the dough by the tablespoon onto an un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes. I like my cookies bigger so I use a tablespoon and a half but it’s your own preference! Once they’re done, take them out, get a glass of milk, and enjoy your wonderful over-the-top chocolate chip cookies!

These cookies are mouth-watering delicious and solve the problem of not knowing if you want a chocolate chip cookie or a brownie for dessert! It’s both! Bon appetit! Xx.

With much love,

Brinkles Sprinkles

Lick.

Lick: Honest Ice Creams. Located on down the way on South Lamar, this ice cream shop is my new favorite place in Austin. With the heat that accompanies Texas summers, ice cream provides the perfect cool down after some time in the sun. And Lick is by far my number one choice for the best ice cream in town.

Lick’s has some outrageous flavors such as Hill Country Honey & Vanilla Bean, Cilantro Lime, Sweet Cream with Strawberries, Roasted Beets & Fresh Mint, and Honeyed Peach with Rosemary. All of them are will tingle your tastebuds with happiness. And don’t be afraid to ask to sample tons of the flavors…everyone behind the counter is super nice and totally understanding and realize that what type of ice you choose is a big decision!

I opted for Mexican Marigold & Blueberry Swirl and Fresh Mint & Chocolate Chunk in a waffle cone and Julie, my teammate, went for Hill Country Honey & Vanilla Bean and Milk Chocolate. Both proved to be killer combinations.

With the unique flavors, quirky atmosphere, and friendly service, this place screams Austin and is definitely a place you’ll find me during the summer. You scream, I scream, we all scream for Lick Ice Cream! Xx.

With much love and lots of ice cream,

Brinkley

P.S. Julie and I then went on to ride home in her convertible with the top down, music up, and savoring every bit of our ice cream. Perfection at its finest!

Best Friend Blog

Meet Rachel. Rachel has the biggest heart. She also has the warmest smile and the gentlest touch. She’s always happy and optimistic and so loving towards her friends. These are only a couple of the reasons why I say I’m so lucky to call her my (very first) best friend.

Rachel and I first met in preschool at Highland Park United Methodist Church. Her and I instantly bonded over our hatred of naps, our love of McDonald’s chicken nuggets, and over our matching PowderPuff Girls tennis shoes. We celebrated our October birthday’s together, shared our snacks with one another, and had crushes on all the same boys in our preschool class.

Growing up, even though she and I went to different schools, we’d still see each other at sunday school and when we started to drive, getting frozen yogurt at YogurtLand was always our thing. Even though we might have gone a couple months without seeing each other, we would instantly pick up where we left off as if there were no time missed in between.

And even though Rachel and I go to different colleges now (Hook ‘Em Horns, for the record), Rachel and I always make time for monthly hour long phone calls to catch one another amidst our crazy busy lives! Not to mention plenty of texting in between.

Tomorrow, Rachel is off to do some big things overseas. She is going to East Asia and Hong Kong for a month-long mission trip to teach children english using the Bible. I am so unbelievably excited to see what God has in store for her while over there. Rachel couldn’t be the more perfect person for the task at hand. Her patience, consistency, and joy are just a couple of the characteristics that God has blessed her with that make her the exact person that the children in Asia need. The Lord is going to do such great things with her, I just know it. Not only in East Asia and Hong Kong but also throughout her lifetime, as well.

Rachel, I can’t tell you how proud I am of you for undertaking this crazy adventure that you’re about to be apart of. I’m so excited for you and know that the Lord is going to shine right through you when pursuing the kids. You’re going to do amazing over in East Asia and Hong Kong and have so much fun too. I’m praying for you like crazy and can’t wait to hear all about it when you get home!!

Rachel leaves tomorrow morning and has a direct flight to Korea and then a short plane flight to her first stop in East Asia. I urge y’all to pray for he safety, her courage when talking to the kids and also her wellbeing while in the foreign country. I also want y’all to pray for the kids whom Rachel will be working with and that they’ll listen to her with open ears and take to heart what she’s teaching them.

In Philippians 4:6-7, it reads:

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

To Rachel and everyone else, give your worries and fears over to God. Pray like no one’s watching and let Him be the person you go to when scared, happy, sad, or anything in between Pray to God for what you need and thank Him for what He’s done. In this, you will find peace. Pray, pray, pray.

Love ya, Rach! Can’t wait to hear about your amazing journey. Xx.

Brinks

travel diaries summer 2013: j’adore Paris, part two

Falafel in La Murais

Giggles and Laughs at Versailles

Repetto

Repetto

Pierre Hermé at Galleries LaFayette for Macarons

Laduree for Afternoon Lunch and Macarons

Parisian Street Market Flowers

Bassin d’Apollon (Fountain of Apollo) at Versailles

“Mona Lisa” at Louvre

Patisserie

Love Lock Bridge

Parisian National Archives

More Parisian Pastries

Bienvenue! Welcome back! I couldn’t have possibly fit a week’s vacation to Paris into one blog post, now could I? No. There’s no way. So alas, more pictures from my breathtaking trip to the City of Love.

The food in Paris was absolutely incredible. Some of the best food I’ve had in my entire life. For example, the falafel that we had for lunch one day in the La Murais area was amazing. For those of you who don’t know, La Murais is the Jewish district and falafel is a typical Jewish dish that consists of ground chickpeas mixed with spices and lightly fried. The fried chickpea balls are then put into a pita pocket and topped with purple and white cabbage, roasted eggplant, fresh tomatoes, and a topped with a harissa sauce. This might sound a little daunting for those of you who are non-adventurous in your food choices, but let me just say: I am forever a changed person after eating this falafel. It has a special place in my heart as one of my favorite foods. But you must go to L’As du Falafel (The Ace of Falafel) to get this wonderful creation. This place always always has a long line because it’s the best. Trust me, you mouth and belly will thank you after you eat it though.

Next up, sweets. One has to have something to wash down that hearty and rich falafel, right? What better than a macaron from Pierre Hermé or Laduree? Why not macarons from each patisserie ..? Well, Emily, Amy, and I frequented both places while in Paris and we’re glad we did. Laduree is famous around the world for their macarons in classic Parisian flavors (strawberry, pistachio, chocolate, raspberry, etc.) and the lovely atmosphere one can enjoy over lunch. Pierre Hermé, on the other hand, is a little more adventurous in their flavors than Laduree. Think of Pierre Hermé as the rebellious little brother to the classic older sister in the macaron family. Pierre Hermé has flavors such as apricot and pistachio, milk chocolate and passion fruit, olive oil with mandarin orange, pure origin peru dark chocolate, and hazelnut praline. However, when you visit, you must try their creme brûlée flavor. It is heavenly. The creme brûlée particular macaron was absolutely my favorite treat that I had during my entire time in Paris – now that says a lot.

In addition to having macarons for our mid-day snack while galavanting through the city, every morning Emily and I would have a freshly baked chocolate croissant…a pain au chocolat, if you please. Butter, bread, and chocolate. ‘Nuff said.

Another little treasure in Paris is the shoe store, Repetto. This was my favorite shop in Paris. Repetto is a ballet store that specializes in fitting ballerinas with pointe ballet shoes and tutu’s but they also are famous for their ballet flats in every color imaginable. If you can think of the color, they probably have it. You must stop by one of their stores and just marvel at the fun window displays and countless pairs of their iconic shoes.

Emily and I also dropped by the Louvre and said hey to Mona Lisa as well as dreamed about putting a lock on the Love Lock Bridge with our future husbands and throwing the key into the Seine while we were there! Oh, how cheesy but how romantic! A girl can dream, right?

All in all, I don’t think Emily, Amy, and I could have had a better time in Paris. The city was great, the food fantastic, and the sites incredible. And spending it with two of my dearest friends was the cherry on top to the perfect trip! Paris, I adore you. Xx.

Avec beaucoup d’amour (With much love),

Brinkley

travel diaries summer 2013: j’adore Paris, part one

La Tour Eiffel

Musée du Louvre

Fresh Baguettes

Scrumptious Ice Cream from Île de la Cité

Versailles

Wandering the Parisian Streets

Patisserie

Notre Dame

Sacré Coeur de Montmartre

Seine River and the Eiffel Tower

Bonjour madame y monsieur!

As you may be able to tell, one of my many passions in life is traveling. Be it a road trip to Seaside in the summer, a drive to Fort Worth to go get a hamburger from Dutch’s with my daddy, visiting my grandparents in Virginia, or most recently, my trip to Paris and London (pics and blog coming soon!), I find traveling so exhilarating and fascinating. I love exploring the in’s and out’s of new cities. Experiencing life as a tourist and an insider. I love the new food, the exciting people, and the countless number of experiences and memories that go along with it.

My most recent trip was to Paris, France with my best friend (since elementary school, might I add) Emily. We traveled there in the middle of May for two weeks. Half of the time was spent in Paris and the other half in London. While in France, we had the pleasure of visiting my across the street neighbor – but we call each other “sisters” because we are much much more than neighbors – Amy. She was studying French for six months in the beautiful country since January, by herself, and Emily and I thought she needed some company.

So, we decided to leave a couple of days after our final exams ended and head on over! After a long overnight direct flight and a couple of Tylenol PM’s later, we had officially arrived in Paris at ten o’clock on a Friday morning. Once there, we hit the ground running and never looked back. We took in absolutely everything Paris had to offer. No time for jetlag, mind you…In the words of Sweet Brown, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”

Amy, having lived there for 5 months already, practically knew the city by the back of her hand and was able to weave us seamlessly in and out of the metro system and into all the the essential attractions. From the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Coeur, Montmartre, Versailles, Musée du Louvre, Musée du Orsay, Notre Dame, Seine River, Galleries Lafayette, Patisseries, and Champs-Élysées…we did it all and so so much more.

However, because of Amy, we were able to get the insiders tour as well. We went to places that we wouldn’t have dreamed (or even known of…) of going to if it weren’t for her. Amy was such an angel for taking us around the city – there’s absolutely no way we would’ve had as much fun as we did if it weren’t for her (Love you, Amy!). We had some of the best hot chocolate in the world at a little bistro with dainty blue shutters in a quaint building in the middle of confusing, windy roads. We had hot tea and delicious middle eastern pastries at a mosque. We went shopping at local boutiques where the people didn’t know a lick of english (another reason why Amy was our savior…Emily and I knew no French at all!). We went to the largest street market in the world about 30 minutes outside of Paris. We found the grocery stores tucked away on street corners and found little treats most people wouldn’t have even known about it they were to stick to the “touristy things”.

We had enough chocolate croissants and French baguettes to last a lifetime. We practically lived off of bread, cheese, and chocolate…thankfully we walked at least 10 miles everyday so I did not feel an ounce of guilt! All of those French pastries were so irresistible and melt-in-your-mouth yummy.

I had the best of times traveling with my best friend and visiting my “sister”. So many memories were made that I will forever remember. It was the trip of a lifetime and I wouldn’t have wanted to share it with anyone else! I wish I could go back right now!

Well, until next time. Xx.

Au revoir!

Brinkley

Shoutout Sunday: SONYA RENÉE

 

Let’s talk about how much I love Sonya Renée earrings. Oh my goodness, I’m obsessed…as you can tell from my crazy amount of her earrings. And yes, I do have the same pair of earrings in three different colors…guilty. But they’re so cute that I couldn’t resist! Sonya Renée jewelry is a Dallas-based jewelry line that is simple yet elegant. She creates timeless pieces that you can instantly incorporate into your everyday jewelry routine. She creates countless pieces from precious stones and can tailor the earrings to your exact desires! For example, the light blue teardrop earrings were made especially for me at my request. I chose the color and shape and voilà-my new favorite pair of earrings! I think that’s pretty awesome. Also, Sonya Renée sells tons of necklaces, rings, and bracelets as well. All of which are right on trend with today’s fashion, yay! You can’t go wrong with any of their pieces. I just love Sonya Renée and I know you will too if you check out their website: http://www.sonyarenee.com. You can purchase her pieces online and instantly be the talk of the town with your new accessories!

For all of these reasons, Sonya Renée definitely deserves my first shoutout title for shoutout sunday! Her stuff is simply amazing. Xx.

With much love,

Brinkley

Milk and (Chocolate Chip) Cookies

Can you resist a chewy, ooey-gooey, melt-in-your-mouth, right-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookie? No, you can’t. That shouldn’t even be a question because the answer will always be “No.” You couldn’t possibly resist it.

Chocolate chip cookies are by far my favorite type of cookie on earth. Because of this, I wanted to perfect the recipe so I could satiate my sweet-tooth at anytime during the day! This was the first recipe that truly sparked my love for baking after making them over and over with my mom and ever since, I have never stopped baking!

The recipe for these cookies are so simple that anyone can do it! They’ll come out great every time ..and truthfully, the dough is just as good as the actual cookie if you don’t feel like finishing the baking process. Because, let’s be real…no one cares that there’s raw egg in the dough. Cookie dough rocks. But the actual cookies are exceptional as well!

Here’s the recipe:

1 cup Butter Flavored Crisco Shortening

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup White Sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1/8 tsp. Cinnamon

2 and 1/4 cups Flour

2 and 1/4 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees.

Combine the crisco and sugar and beat on high in an electric blender for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. This is by far the most critical step…make sure the mixture is a very light brown color and fluffy texture. Mix, mix, mix. And then mix some more when you think you’ve mixed it enough. No, but seriously.

Next, crack two eggs in the bowl and add the teaspoon of vanilla and mix until combined with the other wet ingredients.

Combine the dry ingredients (baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and flour) into a separate bowl and add it slowly to the wet mixture so as not to make such a mess in the kitchen! Or go crazy with high speed and watch the flour go everywhere…your choice.

After the flour mixture is all mixed in, throw in the chocolate chips and mix for couple seconds and your good to go!

Scoop the cookie dough with a small ice cream scoop (about a tablespoon per scoop) onto cookie trays and bake for 9-10 minutes at 375 degrees. The cookies wil be lightly browned and a little under baked but just keep them on the tray for a couple of minutes after removing them from the oven to continue cooking from the heat of the tray. And then eat, eat, eat!

This recipe will make 2 and 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies…depending on how much cookie dough you eat while baking!!

These cookies never seem to disappoint! The butter flavored crisco and the dash of cinnamon are my mom and I’s secret ingredients and the shortening makes the cookies so much softer than using butter! But, then again, everything is better with butter flavored crisco….

I suggest getting two cookies and putting a huge scoop of ice cream in the middle and making an ice-cream cookie sandwich…nom nom nom. My mouth is watering while I write this.

Happy baking! Xx.

With much love,

Brinkley

That’s A Wrap: Texas Soccer Camps 2013

That’s a wrap to Texas Soccer’s first day camp of the summer! I think I’m going to need a couple of days to recover. Not only have I lost my voice but I also have bruises all over my body from getting pelted with soccer balls by the boys in my group. But hey, it’s all part of the game and I would not trade it for anything. It sure is a fun way to spend my summer…especially because my teammates help coach at the camp as well so we all have some funny stories at the end of the week!

These 5 and 6 year olds have more energy that I can imagine. And they love to scream, I think my ears are still ringing. But all my campers sure do make me laugh. I couldn’t help but write down some of the funny things they said and share them with y’all:

“Coach B, can I kick you in the face with this ball?” -camper

“Uhm, you’re kidding me, right? No way. Sorry bud.” -me

“Arghhhhh why not?!?!” -camper

**camper runs away because he can’t kick me in the face**

_______

“Hey hey hey, look at this.” -camper

**proceeds to dump his entire water bottle all over his head/body and is dripping with water**

“What are you going to do? You have no more water left! Uh-oh!” -me

“I can just lick myself when I’m thirsty. I’m a walking water bottle.” -camper

_______

“Brinkley, that boy punched me.” -camper

“Oh no! I’m sure it was an accident. You’ll be okay though!” -me

“No, I won’t be okay. I’m going to go give him the biggest wedgie ever!” -camper

**camper sprints off towards the boy and I run after her trying to prevent the inevitable**

As you can tell, my little campers sure did have big personalities! I loved all my little divas though and sure hope they come back next summer! While more playing and messing around was done than actual soccer, it sure was a fun-filled, exciting, exhausting, and crazy week. Hook ‘Em Horns! Xx.

With much love,

Brinkley

P.S. Happy first day of summer! And don’t forget that it’s also National Wear Your Lilly (Pulitzer) Day! So pull out that cute dress you’ve been wanting to wear and celebrate one of the most iconic, preppy, and classic designers out there! Enjoy!

June Favorites

Hi y’all! So I thought it’d be fun to do a special post each month about some of my favorite things that I’ve found, bought, or lucked upon and share them with everyone so maybe y’all will fall in love with the stuff just like me. I’ve got shoes and food on the mind today…yay for June!

First off, shoes. I’ve fallen in love with Tory Burch’s Snake Print Miller 2 Sandal.

Living in Texas with our crazy heat, I find it an absolute must to have a “go-to summer sandal” that you can throw on with anything and hit the town running. Thankfully, I think I’ve found the perfect one. Tory Burch is one of my favorite designers and I find her clothing, shoes, and purses so classy but fun. This Miller Sandal in snake print exemplifies expertly what I love so much about her stuff. Not only is the snake print a fun one for summer but the shoe is versatile enough that you can instantly use it to dress an outfit up or down. And they are very very comfortable as well! These shoes are a definite must-have for your summer wardrobe. I ordered them from Tory Burch’s website but these sandals are also sold at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, or pretty much anywhere where Tory Burch shoes are sold!

Next up, I’ve got two new foods that everyone needs to know about: Clif Mojo Bars and Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter Blend.

What better way to jazz up a typical pb&j than with Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter Blend…talk about yummy, this stuff is lip-smacking good. Now, I could eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch everyday and I love finding new ways to change it up a bit. This peanut butter has an awesome sweet and nutty flavor and can make any peanut butter lover’s mouth water. Now to find that special jelly that’ll go perfect with it….

During the summer, I travel back in forth between Austin and Dallas to work Texas soccer camps and workout with my teammates in preparation for preseason/season in the fall. My days sometimes get extremely busy and Clif Mojo Bars make the perfect breakfast or lunch on the go. My favorite type is the Mountain Mix flavor (the teal blue colored one in the picture), although all the flavors are delicious-trust me, I’ve tried every one! Mountain Mix is basically all the fixings of classic trail mix all made into a bar. Think nuts, raisins, and of course, chocolate chips, and BAM, you’ve got the perfect Mojo bar. I buy this stuff from Central Market but I’m sure you could find it at your local grocer as well. Check out their websites to see all their yummy products and treats…you won’t regret it!

That’s all I’ve got for today but I hope you enjoyed some of my June favorites! More to come next month! Xx.

With much love,

Brinkley

A Little Bit About Me

Hello hello hello everyone…see that picture up there? That would be me. My name is Brinkley Field. But all my friends call me Brinks.

I attend The University of Texas at Austin and am a very proud Texas Longhorn. Hook ’em Horns, right? YES.

Life around campus is a busy one. But that’s just the way I like it. I play soccer for UT’s women’s soccer team and I am also a Wyldlife leader (the middle school version of Younglife) here in Austin.

Younglife is a Christian ministry organization that pursues kids of all ages to teach them about the Gospel and tell them about Jesus’ unconditional love for each and every one of them. Younglife was extremely instrumental in shaping my faith during high school and by having the opportunity to be a Wyldlife leader in college, I get to help kids experience what I felt in high school. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and I want them to experience my same joy and happiness. Waking up in the morning and reading Scripture before my long days is definitely a highlight to my mornings. (Acts 4:10)

But back to UT soccer, I am so thankful to be a member of my team. My teammates are my best friends and sisters. We spend, what seems like, 24/7 with one another and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Other than Jesus and soccer, my hobbies include spending time with my lovely family in my hometown of Dallas, playing with Tex and Rosie (my two golden retrievers), traveling, shopping, and baking.

I love to shop ’til I drop with my mommy, aka Mama Susan to my friends. We’re what you call “power shoppers”. There’s no messing around when The Field Girls take on the stores. It’s one of our favorite pastimes. Our weakness is shoes. But a girl can never have too many shoes. We can talk more about my fashionista side later. There’s more y’all need to know…

I love baking. My dream job is to open up bakeries around the world and make people happy with all my varieties of cookies and cakes. I bake when I’m stressed, I bake when I’m happy, I bake because my friends want my cookies. I love to bake…plain and simple. I like making people smile and my homemade treats do just that.

I’ve thought about blogging for a long time now but didn’t really know what I’d blog about. However, around 11 pm last night, I just decided to go for it. Why not? I have all these random thoughts I want to share with all my friends and family, so why not write it down as well and share it with everyone who wants to know? So here goes nothing…one post down and many more to go on this grand adventure! Xx.

With much love,

Brinkley