M&M's, I'm In Love!

Shall I start yet another post with "When I was in Paris..." ? Hmm? No? Okay! You're lucky, because this post doesn't take place in Paris. Well... Not completely. Half İstanbul, half Paris. Just like my love story.

No, this is not a love story, but it's a story about love. I don't exactly remember how the discussion started. Romance is not something rare in my life. Thanks to my amazing B. it bursts out and cherishes with joy and fulfils me to another level of happiness.

Yes, I'm in love. For the last three years of my life, I'm so much so deeply in love. Not long ago, we celebrated 3rd anniversary of our relationship. We met in late July 2009. I always suck with calculating dates. I suck so badly that, last year when we decided to go on a road trip in Morocco, I made it happen on our anniversary so we could celebrate it with a beautiful vacation. On the exact night that should be our anniversary, -regarding to my calculations- I cheered and said "Happy anniversary, love!" He gave me a smile that made me go weak and replied; "Happy anniversary baby, but it was last month."

Can you imagine my face at that moment? Weak memory on anniversary issues runs in the family but is it really an excuse? Once my aunt invited us all to a party on a cold winter night. We attended, dressed well and toasted for their anniversary with her husband. Then my grandmother, with a very low voice, asked; "My dear, I remember wearing short sleeves on your wedding. There must be something wrong?" Aunt screams with a sudden realization and declares that it's her anniversary with the former husband! Like a joke, eh?

Well this year, I made sure to remember it on the right day. I even got him a cute gift. He was in France by then. He said he got me a silly gift. Oh... the curiousity! I would go on and off asking him questions about the gift. All the info I got was the colour! Pink, white and red. So, I started waiting. Finally, the day has arrived. There he was, with a single red rose and a heartshaped box of... Guess what?!

Heartshaped box of pink, red and white M&M's! And my name written on 'em!!!!! :o

Isn't it the lovliest thing ever? He ordered them while ago and got "I love you, Aslı" written on them in my language! Since we couldn't eat the whole pack, I decided to make some chocolate chip peanut butter cookies with them. 

 Well my cookies were designed to be peanut butter chocolate "chunk" cookies but in wrong hands, very wrong hands, they turned into peanut butter chocolate "chip" cookies because I enjoyed cutting chocolates A LOT! Aaand I used many small tricks on that recipe! Giggidy ;)

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

80 grams 70% cocoa dark chocolate

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (I made my own!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup butter, softened 
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and put aside.
• Beat peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Have I told you I don't have a mixer? So I had to beat it myself. It wasn't easy to get it creamy even the butter was softened, so I went out to garden and kept beating it under sun. It was way easier and it got smooth and creamy within 5 minutes. (photo below)
• Beat in eggs. 
• Gradually beat in flour mixture. 
• Cut your chocolates on a cutting board, you can use a food processor if you wish but cutting is sooo much fun! When you're done cutting, stir them in.
• Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets; press down slightly.
• Bake for 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. After cooling down for 5 minutes press your M&M's in so that it could look all cute and nice.