Why I love this insane weather. And...giveaway winners!

So Spring is here. And yet, the rain continues. Rain, wind, hail, lightning. Truly wintery, gray, “I-don’t-want-to-go-out-in-this” weather. Complain about it all you like—You are entitled. It’s pretty nasty—but in spite of all that, I love it.

No, maybe it’s because of all that. I love curling up inside with a warm cup of tea, listening to the rain beat against the house. I love walking about in the rain—umbrella or not—and getting that fresh, sharp, cool air into my lungs. I love the smell of the wet earth. I love clouds and rainbows. I love the way we can have spring and winter simultaneously, as though this little corner of the world were a bit bipolar. I love seeing bright pops of color in the brave little flowers that insist upon blooming through the gale. I mean, even if you’re longing for the summer sun, surely the bursts of flowery color can bring you a little cheer.

Bring on those wild weather changes. I’ve got my rainboots, layered clothing, and a cup of tea. I’m ready. Plus, summer will be here all too soon and we’ll be moaning about the ridiculous heat. Let’s enjoy some wet weather while we have it. :)

Thank you all for your comments on our giveaway post via tumblr and facebook. We have selected a winner! celery, for your inspiring, summery post about salad with avocado, you win a dozen banana chocolate chip cookies! Yay! And we will definitely attempt your tropical salad recipe very soon. (Note for summer-loving readers: This salad is quite possibly a cure for the winter-is-too-long-blues, if you’ve got them. Check out the comments section on the last post for a quick taste of island goodness.) And celery, email us at wordsandwhimsy@gmail.com to claim your delicious prize. 

Thanks for participating, folks, and if you didn’t win, don’t worry. We’ll have more giveaways soon. 

--Chelsea

Experimental cookies and a delicious giveaways

Bananas and chocolate are a perfect pair. Indeed, even the most hard-hearted person melts a little bit at the taste of a chocolate-dipped frozen banana or a slice of fresh-from the oven banana bread with a cup of hot chocolate. And you know that there has got to be a reason that banana split sundaes are so famous.

So, logically, adding a mashed banana to a batch of chocolate chip cookies is the perfect way to jazz up an old favorite. One day we found ourselves with an over-ripe banana that we didn't want to waste, and banana chocolate chip cookies were born.

They're warm, gooey and perfectly sweet. Why didn't we think of this before?

We've experimented a lot with these cookies so far, adding oatmeal for a heartier cookie, adding cinnamon or more banana for a heightened banana-bread-esque taste. The last time we made these, we chopped up chocolate bars instead of using chips. They're really delicious in any variation.

Make these cookies yourself by following our recipe below (or experiment with your own chocolate chip cookie recipe).

And as our last (and regretfully belated) food-month giveaway, WIN a dozen fresh-baked handfuls of experimental perfection. Just comment on this post (tell us about a cooking experiment gone right or wrong) for a chance to win!

1 cup butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar                                                                 

¾ cup granulated sugar

1-2 mashed ripe bananas

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 ¼ cup flour

1 cup quick oats (optional)

1 or 1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugars till fluffy. Add banana, eggs and vanilla; beat till smooth.  Add flour, salt, baking soda and mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips and oats.  Drop batter in rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.