Welcoming 2015 with a word: Waypoint

I always love this time of year as we set intentions and prepare to embrace the new. In that spirit, I'm sharing my word for 2015 a little early this year. 

I'm going with waypoint. 

For centuries before GPS, waypoints such as a rock formations, mountains or other landmarks were used as reference points to make sure you were headed in the right direction. Pretty simple really. You set your waypoint, then sail towards it. There may be several waypoints on any given journey or perhaps one key point on the horizon by which you steer. It’s about where you're headed.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve felt like I’ve meandered a bit -  sometimes aimlessly, sometimes not. Sometimes with awesome results, sometimes not so much. Always with good learning. It’s time to be clear about what I’m doing, why it’s important and where I want to go. 

For me, waypoint is... 

… about moving consciously towards what I want 

           (instead of simply moving away from things to avoid/change)
… in other words, setting goals and moving steadily in their direction 
...making thoughtful, intentional choices
…course correcting as needed, but keeping my eyes on the destination

Sending huge hugs to all of you for a spectacular 2015! I am always so grateful and inspired to hear the words others have chosen. 


In case you're new to this, here's the deal:
It all started nearly 20 years ago at a holiday dinner. We were all sitting around the table lamenting the tradition of New Year's Resolutions. We all had them, or attempted a list, but we never managed to fulfill them and it made us feel bad. So we scrapped the whole idea. Instead, each of us came up with a single word that would set the tone for the year to come. It could be anything, it just had to inspire. The idea is that this is YOUR word for the whole year - a singular rallying cry, intention, reminder, kick in the pants, inspiring thought.... use it however you like. Live it for the year. See how you feel.

This year’s early favorites are:

Hustle

Adventure

Environment

Loud

Balance

Joy

Healing

Serenity

Relationships

Advance

Nimble

Available

Acceptance

Potency
Maintenance

Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies

I've been on a quest for the perfect chewy, dense, chocolatey cookie and I finally found the recipe. This recipe is from Saveur who adapted it from Tartine No. 3. They emphasize rye flour as the secret ingredient for chewiness. I totally agree. It was a little hard to find (Whole Foods had it) but definitely worth seeking out! Note: It's important to work with cold dough so they don't spread too much.

Salted Chocolate Rye Cookies

Makes about 25 cookies

INGREDIENTS

            ¾ cup whole-grain dark rye flour

            1 teaspoon baking powder

            ½ teaspoon kosher salt

            2⅔ cups finely chopped bittersweet chocolate

            4 tablespoons unsalted butter

            4 eggs, at room temperature

            1½ cups light muscovado or light brown sugar

            1 tablespoon vanilla extract

            Maldon salt or fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, 5 minutes. Remove bowl from pan; set aside.

Place eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; whip until fluffy. With the motor running, slowly add sugar until eggs have nearly tripled in volume, about 6 minutes. Add reserved chocolate mixture and the vanilla; mix until combined. With the motor running, slowly add dry ingredients until a soft, loose dough forms. Cover dough with plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350°. Using 2 tablespoons for each, drop cookies onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spaced about 2” apart. Sprinkle cookies with Maldon salt or fleur de sel; bake until cookies are puffed, 8-10 minutes.