My Current Favorite Hangout Spot

As someone who has the awesome option of making anywhere with my laptop and an Internet connection my office, it's often hard for me to buckle down and get focused on work when I'm at home. As a result, I find myself spending many hours per day in coffee houses. There is something about the abundance of caffeinated beverages plus being in an environment with other people lost in their own laptop worlds that really helps me get my work done.

Coffee Bar is definitely my favorite daytime hangout spot right now. It's clearly set up with the laptop-toting freelancer in mind. It's a big space with lots of windows and a loft-like feel. There's a much higher ratio of power outlets to seats than I have seen in any other coffee shop. And the place is generous enough to offer free wireless internet.


I think Coffee Bar might come off as slightly intimidating because it's nestled in the gray area between the Mission and Potrero (hence, hipster territory) and when you walk in you'll immediately be faced with rows and rows of MacBooks. However, I have never owned an Apple computer in my life, and I occasionally even have to do work on a dorky client-issued ThinkPad, but I have never once felt shunned. The people who hang out at Coffee Bar are nice, so you'd better be too if you go check it out. The smaller tables are reserved for laptop-free lunch patrons, so coffee-sipping laptop workers sit at either the counters/bars or big communal tables, which I quite like. I've even experienced a table of total strangers establishing a rotation for using the power outlet so that no one's battery got too low.

A couple tips: The food I've had was yummy but be warned that their chipotle mayo packs quite a good punch. The basic espresso menu can be found on the big roll of kraft paper, but also look out for the tiny daily drink specials menu on the little easel by the register. It took me a few times to figure out how other people knew that Vietnamese iced coffee was offered when it wasn't on the big menu.

Here are some of the things I love about Coffee Bar.

• Free wi-fi.
• Free parking nearby with no time limits.
• I like the coffee. It's not in-your-face artisanal like Blue Bottle, but it is satisfying.
• I also like that they have simple syrup at the cream-and-sugar bar, since cane sugar doesn't exactly dissolve easily in iced coffee.
• Friendly staff and fellow patrons.
• Lots of natural light.
• Lots of power outlets.
• Pretty latte art. That is how you know your drink was made with love.
• It is not freezing inside. (I love me my Starbucks, but I'm convinced that every location constantly pumps cold air on customers to get them to not overstay their welcome.)

Do you know any places in the Mission/Castro/Potrero area that meet several of these criteria? If so, leave me your recommendations!

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Blueberry Season

Now that it is blueberry season, I love getting little packs of blueberries and sprinkling them on top of salads. All you need to do is get a lettuce mix and whisk together a simple vinaigrette and once you top it with a small handful of blueberries, the salad instantly turns into a pretty culinary masterpiece.

Blueberries are also brilliant because they are the only blue food I can think of that occurs in nature. (I try to steer clear of foods that are colored in ways that do NOT occur in nature.) And while these pretty, blueberry-colored things aren't too edible, they will certainly have a longer shelf-life.

| 1. J.Crew, Secret Wash Van Buren Gingham Shirt | 2. CARLOS by Carlos Santana, Prestige Pumps | 3. Kate Spade, The Royal Bazaar Lapis Studs | 4. Rachel Roellke, Zinnia Lino Print |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; 1–4. See links provided. |

Restaurant Review: Zazie

If you're as afraid of commitment at the brunch table as I am, then Zazie is the place for you. The best part about the brunch menu at Zazie is that almost every item can be ordered in quantities of one, two, or three. So, if you can't decide between committing to a whole stack of buttermilk or gingerbread pancakes, you can get one or two of each. Or you can sample a couple of the options on their diverse Eggs Benedict menu. Just get there before 10:30 if you're going on a weekend, in order to save yourself from yet another 45-minute San Francisco brunch line wait.

Service: The host manning the sign-in sheet seems like the type who recognizes regulars easily and was still very friendly to a non-regular like me who doesn't make it out to Cole Valley too often. The waitstaff was polite, nice, and not intrusive. The busboy was attentive, and slowed down the cleanup of the table next to us when he noticed I was photographing the latte bowls on it.

Food: Nick, who orders French toast at every single brunch place he goes to, testifies that their challah French toast stuffed with caramelized bananas and walnuts is the second best French toast in the city (the first being a butterscotch and pumpkin bread French toast from the specials board at Dottie's). The poached egg presentations that I have tried there have all been quite flavorful and the combinations have been exciting; however, most recently both the eggs I received were practically hard boiled and I was slightly disappointed by not getting a runny yolk that I could soak up with my English muffins. I probably would have put up a bigger fuss about it if the other ingredients weren't cooked as perfectly as they were.

Ambiance: I think the place is going for a rustic Provençal look, which does work with the comforting breakfast items on their menu. Big fluffy pancakes and French toast are served on brightly painted plates and lattes are served in big lavender bowls. There are tattered vintage French posters on the pale yellow walls. With the worn-down cushions on the wooden benches, it feels a little bit like eating in an old countryside home if you ignore the other patrons.

Rating: Recommended.

Zazie is located at 941 Cole Street, San Francisco, California 94117.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Mini Garden Gnome

This little guy hangs out in my one-pot herb garden. I got him at Target for only four bucks. I was so amused by how these little garden gnomes existed for people like me who want to pretend they have a real garden even if it is one that is tiny and indoors.

My garden has changed a lot since Nick and I first planted it back in April. We ended up transplanting the basil to a separate pot because it needed different watering conditions from everything else it was sharing soil with. The lettuce was growing like weeds at first but quickly withered and the oregano seems to have been crowded out by the thyme. We added mint to the mix though, after not having luck with some of the other plants, and that has been growing like crazy. Lifestyle Tip: If you aren't very good with plants but you want to try growing something you can eat, start out with mint because it will be the most encouraging.

What other herbs are easygoing and worth trying to grow indoors at home?

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Wedding Cards From Non-Romantics

Last week I found myself staring at a rack of wedding cards for at least a half-hour at the store. I wanted to pick a great one for my friend Cate to tell her how much it meant to me that she'd chosen to include me on her wedding day and how I wanted to congratulate her on finding love. But all the cards I was looking at had these random quotations about love and, a) were made by someone I hadn't even heard of before, and/or b) I had no idea whether Cate and her groom actually viewed their love in the particular way conveyed by the quote on the card. I definitely didn't want some greeting card company telling my friends how to define their love. Maybe I am just not a very romantic person but I ended up leaving the store empty-handed, and going home and making this card instead.

This way, if they were so inclined, my friends could fill out the front of their card with a statement that did capture the way they viewed their relationship and my message of congratulations and thankfulness inside would apply to whatever that statement may be.

True confessions time: This was an unusual card for me to make because I typically make cards that involve more paper cutouts and rubber stamps and less drawing and lettering by hand. But I had an idea so I gave it a go. I was really happy with the way it turned out—except that one of the last lines I drew was the bold one on the very bottom and when I moved the ruler away, it took some of the wet ink along with it and totally smeared that line. It is with the magic of Photoshop that I concealed this tragic flaw from all of you; this is what the final card looked like in real life. FAIL. Because the magic of Photoshop could not be used for real-life objects, all I could do was include an apologetic note to Cate and her groom in hopes that they not misconstrue my views on their wedding as being so smeared. I can't be perfect all the time.

Dear Cate: If you are reading this and it is a total spoiler for the box of cards you have waiting at home, well, you shouldn't be on the internet during your Jamaican honeymoon, now should you?

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Today's Flavor: Pandamonium

Here are some photos of what happened when I tried to get Lillabelle to wear my panda hat. You can read more about the company that makes these hats and why they are so popular in San Francisco right here.

I think that one of the reasons I find pandas so appealing is because of the way they sport that classic combo of black and white. I'm a little confused by why they have not expanded their dietary horizons to something a little more nutrient-rich than bamboo by now considering their carnivorous digestive systems, but at least they look good while being inefficient. And while wearing a big, goofy panda face on your head might not be a look that works for you, anyone can sport this classic black-and-white spotted look with these finds.

| 1. Coach, Alex Sneakers | 2. Mini Figure USB Flash Drive | 3. Mossimo Mix & Match, Polka-Dot Twist Bandeau Swim Top & Polka-Dot Mock Side Tie Swim Bottom | 4. Tanya's Scrappin' & Stitchin', Panda Cupcake Toppers | 5. Iwako, Black Panda Eraser | 6. Jessie Steele, The Lady's Apron | 7. Mini Panda Skillet |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; 1–7. See links provided. |

The Head Panda

In no way do I consider myself a sports fanatic. You'll never catch me checking stats on my BlackBerry or staying at home just to catch a game on TV. But I will admit that after the SF Giants' success last season, I have jumped onto the Giants bandwagon. You'll never see me threatening to divorce my spouse on Facebook if he roots for another team and I don't feel a personal need for the players to succeed in order for me to carry on with my life. (I see folks who are really into sports make these types of hyperbolic assertions.) But I can appreciate how the Giants' success has brought the people of San Francisco together and I want that city-wide pride to continue. So, it is for these reasons that I purchased my first piece of sports fan gear ever. You'll see people wearing these panda hats at Giants games because player Pablo Sandoval's nickname is Kung Fu Panda—presumably since he is quite nimble despite his panda-esque physique.

When I bought the hat at the SF Pride festival, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the co-creators of this now-famous hat style. He and his business partner did not seem much older than me and all they had was a unique idea that they pursued. He told me about how they were just selling the hats outside in the cold when the Giants Dugout Stores approached them about selling their hats at the ballpark. I love hearing unexpected success stories about people who are brave enough to pursue their dream jobs. The Head Panda has since expanded to carry other cute animal hats for zoos, other sports teams, and schools. Prices are much lower than at the Giants Dugout Stores if you buy your panda hat directly from the source.

| Photo Credit: N. Morello, for The Yuppie Lifestyle. |

Sparkly Ribbon

Instead of conventional souvenirs, when I travel, I like to visit the local arts and crafts stores and pick up little knick-knacks that I cannot find at the stores near where I live. While I was in Iowa City over the weekend, I picked up some of this pretty sparkly ribbon from Hobby Lobby. Hobby Lobby is a chain very similar to Michael's except they also carry fabric and have a very different selection of ribbon. Sparkly things have really been catching my eye lately so this was a perfect addition to my out-of-control ribbon collection. Despite its glittery appearance, it has a soft, almost velvety, texture. I am already regretting that I only bought four spools.

What quirky things do you collect when you travel?

| Photo Credit: Me. |

A Rainbow of Cupcakes

Here's a photo from last weekend of the KaraVan cupcake display window at the San Francisco Pride festival. The theme this year was "In Pride We Trust" and it is by happy coincidence that the reflection of the flag got in the shot.

This will be the last post of the week because I'm spending the rest of it getting ready for my friend Cate's Alice-in-Wonderland-themed wedding! I'm looking forward to lending my crafting hands to some of the prep. I'll be back next week with regular postings. For those of you living here in the States, Happy Independence Day.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Recipe: Nutella Cookie Sandwiches

I'm not into really sweet things most of the time but every once in awhile, I get a craving specifically for Nutella. This recipe was spawned from one such craving.

I used this shortbread cookie recipe as a loose guide. I tend to avoid cookie recipes that require the dough to chill for a period of time, as is the case with most shortbreads; instead this recipe is super fast and only requires a few simple ingredients. The shortbread cookies turn out slightly sweet, a little crunchy, and a little chewy, and they allow the Nutella filling to take the lead with flavor.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
Nutella, for the filling

Directions
Allow your butter to soften at room temperature. (Do not melt in the microwave as this will change the consistency of the cookies.) Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract. Then, gradually add in the flour until the dough comes together.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the palm of your hand, press each ball down until it is flattened to a little less than half of its original height. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, or until the edges start turn a light golden brown.

Remove the cookies and allow them to cool. Overturn one cookie and spread the desired amount of Nutella on the flat side. Place another cookie flat-side-down on the Nutella filling. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Makes 9–12 cookie sandwiches.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Peanuts on Parade

Since Charles Schulz spent a great deal of his life in Santa Rosa, there are tributes to him and the Peanuts cast all over the city. "Peanuts on Parade" is an art installation that raised money for art scholarships; each Peanuts character was designed by a local artist. While I was there earlier this month, I tried to photograph as many of the Peanuts on Parade statues as I could find. I later learned that there is this very handy map which tells you where all the statues are located but I think that it was a lot more fun just to drive around hunting for them.

I think this type of scavenger hunt would be a fun activity to do when traveling with kids. Here in San Francisco, we have something similar with the "Hearts in San Francisco" installation; there are large heart sculptures all over the city as part of fundraising for the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. In 2010 there was the "Elephant Parade" in London to benefit Asian elephant conservation and in 2008 there were "King Bladud's Pigs" in Bath to raise money for city improvements. What other cities have a version of this type of art installation? Do you have something similar in your city?

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Summer Picks From Zara for Less than $40

I bought this skirt from Zara last weekend. I don't usually wear things with floral patterns but I thought the flowers were small and abstract enough and I really liked the combination of orange and yellow over a soft cyan. The store is currently filled with great pieces for the summer—lots of bold-yet-bright colors and light fabrics. It's really too bad that Zara doesn't have an online store for those of us who are Stateside because I'd probably have a lot more Zara items in my closet if they did.

Zara is a label that has always baffled me because some of their stuff is very reasonably priced while other items will give me mild sticker shock. I wouldn't expect a thin, polyester-rayon T-shirt to be $60 but I'd expect to pay more than $40 for a well-constructed, 100% cotton, pleated skirt. I know they have the more casual, youth-oriented Trafaluc line that is priced lower overall but their main collection also has plenty of dressy items that are half the price of similar items at, say, J.Crew. These are some of my favorite summery items from their site, and they're each less than $40.

| left. V-neck Dress With Belt | top-right. Full Skirt | bottom-right. Sequinned Skirt |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; bottom. See links provided. |

Recipe: Chicken Nuggets for Grown-Ups

Just because chicken nuggets are marketed to children with poor taste does not mean that they are not actually a delightful food, if prepared correctly. They have real potential to be bite-sized packets of flavor and work well both as a main meat dish or a hand-held appetizer for a party. I serve my chicken nuggets with some sweet potato fries, a frisée salad, and a variety of dipping sauces for a casual, fun dinner.

Ingredients
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 heaping teaspoon ground sumac
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3–4 tablespoons flour
salt
vegetable oil
chives (for garnish)

Directions
Cut your chicken into the desired nugget-sized pieces. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the soy sauce, sumac, and Herbes de Provence. Toss everything together and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes.

To make the batter, whisk together your eggs, milk, white pepper, and a pinch of salt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour. If you prefer your batter to be thin and airy, you can probably stop here. I prefer my batter to be a bit more on the soft but thick side, so I would whisk in an additional tablespoon of flour.

Since I don't have a deep fryer, I cook my chicken nuggets in a sturdy 9-inch skillet. Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Fill the skillet 1/2-inch deep with cooking oil and allow the oil to heat up. Work in small batches of 6 to 8 nuggets; coat the chicken pieces with the batter and gently place them into the oil. When they turn golden brown on one side, gently turn each nugget over and fry until they are golden brown on the other side. Place the nuggets on a brown paper bag or paper towels to allow the oil to drain off.

When all the nuggets have been fried, transfer them to an oven-safe dish and place them in the oven to finish cooking (about 10 minutes). Look for small bubbles of oil sizzling on the surface of the nuggets or cut one open as a tester. Transfer them to your serving dish, finely chop some chives, and sprinkle the chives over the nuggets as a garnish. Serve with spicy ketchup if desired.

Makes 2 dinner servings.

| Spicy Ketchup | In a small dish, add a dollop of ketchup and as much Sriracha sauce as you dare to use. Mix thoroughly.

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Little Gingko Leaves

I took this photo of a gingko tree in Golden Gate Park. I think it is neat to find old trees with new baby shoots growing out of them. I really like the shape of the gingko leaf; it's less woody and more delicate looking than most other iconic leaf shapes. It kind of looks like a paper fan but less perfect.

Here are some cute gingko-inspired everyday objects. My favorite are the gingko-leaf-shaped post-it notes, which are almost too cute to write on.

| 1. Tasha McKelvey, Little White Bird with Ginkgo Leaves on a White Bowl | 2. APPREE, Gingko Leaf-It | 3. Sumiko Braithwaite, Stoneware Chopstick Rests | 4. Red Bird Ink, Ginkgo Coasters |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; 1–4. See links provided. |

My Childhood Stamp Collection

I visited my parents' house last month and while I was there, I rediscovered my stamp collection that I saved from when I was a little kid. I explained to Nick that instead of just cutting the stamps out from envelopes, I soaked them in water to dissolve away the adhesive so I could peel off the envelope backing and get just the stamp by itself; then I'd let the stamp dry flat before putting it in my special album for displaying stamps. He thought that was pretty hardcore.

I know my stamp collection doesn't have any actual value from a stamp collecting perspective because none of the stamps are in original pristine condition. They've all been used and have all been marked by the postal services in the mailing process. But as a kid, I didn't care so much about the value of the collection as the idea that these stamps represented places all over the world and journeyed to me from countries that I might never visit in my lifetime. I think the stamps look pretty together even though they've been marked.

What do kids collect nowadays? Are sticker and stamp collections too old school for newer generations?

Rice Pudding in a Loving Cup

There are cupcake shops and ice cream shops and yogurt shops all over this city. And then there is Loving Cup. Loving Cup is a rice pudding shop. They have their own unique way of serving yogurt too, but when I saw rice pudding on the sign, I knew I had to go.

Their rice pudding is the English style; it's soft, gooey, creamy, and substley sweet. If you, like me, like deserts that are mild and not too sugary, then this is for you. I've tried their Madagascar vanilla base and the one that had tiny bits of English toffee stirred in and they were both amazing. They also have flavors like coconut, rum raisin, Nutella, and chai spice.

If you prefer your desserts on the less-gooey and more frozen side of things, Loving Cup serves up their frozen yogurt in a way that's totally different from your trendy yogurt joint. You choose a vanilla or chocolate base and toppings from their extensive list, and they put everything in a special machine that blends it all together. They pass it through the machine twice to make sure everything is thoroughly blended and what you get is a frozen yogurt treat that has been custom-churned just for you. I recommend getting cookie dough, Oreos, and animal crackers for the ultimate cookies-and-cream experience.

Despite the totally unique and modern concepts that the shop serves up, Loving Cup has a cool retro feel to it with their vintage-soda-fountain-style yogurt menu and the jars and jars of different toppings lining the counters. The staff are super friendly, everything is compostable, and the portions are generous. I've already been there twice in the last three weekends even though it's on the other side of town so yeah, I really like it there.

Loving Cup is located at 2356 Polk Street, San Francisco, California 94129.

Copper Rust and the Color of the Sea

I took this photo while I was walking along the waterfront behind the Ferry Building—something that never gets old. These copper plaques are on pillars that help make up the guardrails that overlook the water. I like the way the coppery color of the rust has bled into the turquoise paint of the pillar and the rusted parts of the copper plaque have turned a sort of turquoisey color. It's like time and weather have unified the two.

I've been seeing a lot of turquoise around lately and I like the idea of pairing it with copper and other metallics. I think this color combination makes people think of the sea even though it might not really be these colors. Here are some ways to bring thoughts of the sea to your life.

| 1. 2 Dogs Wood Working, Barn Wood Chunky Wide Picture Frame | 2. RJ Graziano, Bead and Crystal Stretch Bracelets | 3. Flora Forever Doorknob | 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs, Natasha Cross-Body Bag |

| Photo Credit: top. Me; 1–4. See links provided. |

3 Russian River Valley Wineries to Visit

A couple weekends ago, Nick and I went up to Sonoma County to celebrate our one-year anniversary. If you're looking to do something a little different in the wine country instead of the wine train or the big-named tasting rooms along the main highway road that goes through Napa, I'd definitely recommend hopping among small wineries farther west. We even had to cross this rusty one-lane bridge—something I thought only existed in movies.

We'd set out to visit Hawley Winery because we loved the 2008 Viognier we'd served at our wedding and we'd visited their tasting room in downtown Healdsburg during our honeymoon. This is a photo of some of the crazy signage we encountered while weaving our way through the smaller wineries tucked in Russian River Valley. At that point I felt less like I was in the wine country and more like I was in Tulgey Wood.

(I'm going to disclose right now that I am in no way an expert of wine. I simply know enough about what I enjoy in wine to articulate what I like and don't like about the wines I taste. I look for whites that are crisp without being too tart, smooth while still having structure, and not super dry. I don't like reds as much but will be drawn to ones that are not too tannin-y and have a creamier finish. My advice to regular people when buying wines is to ask yourself whether it tastes good, or you think it would taste good if you knew more about wine. Don't buy wine that doesn't actually taste like something you'd enjoy drinking.)

Hawley Winery I think at this point I've tasted enough of what they've put out in the past three years to say that this is my favorite winery. It's run by a father and his two sons, one of whom conducted our tasting. We were the only ones there, so he even gave us a sneak peak of their next batch of Pinot from the barrel. It was really cool to know that the relatively small, barn-like building full of barrels was literally the entire stock if their next release. What we bought there: 2009 Zinfandel, 2010 Viognier, 2010 Sauvignon Blanc.

Nalle Winery Austin Hawley recommended that we go here next if we were interested in another father-son production. Apparently Dad Hawley and Dad Nalle went to school together before settling in Russian River Valley to make wine. This one had quite a few more visitors, but we were still welcomed by Andrew Nalle for a laid-back tasting. What we bought there: 2008 Chardonnay, 2009 Pinot Noir.

Porter Creek Vineyards While at Nalle, we met a lovely couple who coincidentally live in the same zip code as we do, and they recommended Porter Creek. Porter Creek has a cute little shack that they use for a tasting room and lots of big, pretty roses. There was a friendly and inclusive vibe even when the room got a little crowded. What we bought there: 2008 Zinfandel, 2009 Chardonnay.

Here are more photos from our rainy trip.


| Photo Credit: Me. |

Cheap Skinny Belts

Lately I have been obsessing over skinny belts. It started with this one from Anthropologie that I have in green and wore practically every day for the first two weeks after I bought it. Skinny belts are great for cinching boxy dresses and wearing over long cardigans. I also think they are easier to work into an outfit than those extra-wide belts.

I recently bought these three skinny belts from H&M. H&M is usually hit-or-miss for me but I've been digging a lot of the stuff they've put out in the last few months. One of the great things about these belts is that the cost of all three of them combined was less than the cost of the one belt from Anthropologie. Yes, I do notice a difference in the quality (the ones on the left and right have a particularly plastic-y feel to them) but when you are just looking to update your collection of fun everyday accessories, I don't think that necessarily matters.

What accessories do you look for in quantity over quality?

| Photo Credit: Me. |

Recipe: Cookie Dough Truffles

On our one-year anniversary, Nick and I picked up a large pizza from Goat Hill Pizza and I made these cookie dough truffles. (Not setting ourselves up for longevity, eh?) Cookie dough truffles are like classic ganache truffles except instead of ganache rolled in cocoa powder, I rolled balls of raw cookie dough in it. Since you're not baking the dough, you can use your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and just leave out the leaveners like eggs, baking soda, and baking powder. You'll need to use a little more butter and vanilla extract to make up for the loss of moisture from the eggs but there's no need to worry about measuring precisely since you're not baking.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tiny pinch of salt
3/8 cup flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
Bring the butter up to room temperature or pop it in the microwave until just a little bit of it starts to liquefy. (Do not melt it all the way to a liquid state.) Cream together the butter, brown sugar, regular sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Add the flour a little bit at a time until the dough holds itself together; you may need a little more than 3/8 cup depending on the texture of your butter. Add the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Scatter the cocoa powder on a small plate. Using a 1-inch cookie drop/ice cream scooper or a small spoon, drop a 1-inch ball of dough onto the cocoa powder and roll it gently until lightly coated. Tap off the excess cocoa powder and repeat with the remainder of the dough. Refrigerate until it is time for serving.

Makes 10 truffles.

| Photo Credit: Me. |