Chocolate Chip Clouds

These meringue cookies are called clouds. And it makes perfect sense. They are light and airy and looovely!

They melt in your mouth but are somehow chewy at the same time. And when they're warm? Somehow these incredibly light (and fat-free!) cookies taste rich and decadent. The chocolate makes them feel indulgent. But you're not really cheating on your diet. So we're good all around, really.

I had never made meringues before and even though they're usually super pretty (when I make a non-chocolate chip version someday I am def. going to try to make the swirly pretty piped kind!) and seem crazy intimidating--it's true that they are SO simple to make! Really really easy, honestly. Girl scout's honor!

And since these clouds are not piped they're even easier.

You just whip together egg whites with some cream of tartar and sugar and then mix in cocoa powder and chocolate chips. And you plop 'em on a silicone baking mat. And bake. The end! The hardest part is consistently inspecting your whipped egg whites to see if they're "stiff" yet. Which I'd say is something we can all deal with, yes? Yeah-we're smart, talented people!

Here are your orders: make 'em. Place one in your mouth (when just slightly warm). Let melt in your mouth. Chew. Smile. Repeat! :)

Brown Bag Microwave Popcorn

Popcorn and I have had a very intense relationship over the years-we've had a lot of ups and downs.

For some reason, up until the 2nd grade-I thought I didn't like popcorn. Then, when I tried some, I realized I LOVED popcorn! I began to eat it a lot-a movie theaters, but especially microwave popcorn at my house. Eventually I was up to eating 1 bag of microwave popcorn PER DAY! I was very picky about what kind as well. Act II Butter Lover's Popcorn was the only popcorn for me. In high school, when I was worrying about my weight a bit more, I cut back to only a few bags of popcorn a week. This kept up through my first year of college. Then, in the midst of my 2nd year...something happened. I sort of started to get over it. I began to eat popcorn less and less. I realized movie theater popcorn made me sick, and I was sort of microwave-popcorn'd out. So, me and popcorn took a break. 

While I was shooting in Maine and discovered Michele's popcorn, my love was reawakened, but in a new form, now I'm more into the occasional sweet popcorn (such as caramel corn). 

Recently, I learned that microwave popcorn bags are lined with all kinds of stuff that is bad for you (yeesh I wish I'd known that as a kid). I don't have an air popper. Using oil/skillet/etc. seems messy and complicated.  So I was VERY excited when I learned there's a safe, easy, fat-free way to make popcorn in my own microwave! It's so seriously simple: Take a brown paper bag, put the kernels in (you don't even need oil!), tape it shut, microwave and VOILA! YOU HAVE POPCORN!!

So cool. Just....so cool. 

(HEALTHY) Chocolate Chip Cookie Pancakes

Sometimes I make pancakes.

Not often.

I'm concerned they're not super healthy for breakfast.

I've never shared any recipes with you because....

my pancakes always turn out ugly.

Apparently I am unable to cook pancakes and have them look pretty.

Or at least-I was!