The Winner of 2 Months of Free ACD Cookies is …  Stacy Jacobs from Illinois. Congratulations Stacy! At ACD we love giving cookies away, so please check back often to enter our latest cookie contests!

ACD ON TWITTER! Come follow us http://twitter.com/acookiedreams

We are thrilled to announce that ACD is now featured in our first and only retail location, at the Austin coffeehouse, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, which is now open for business! “The Bean” features our full line of cookie flavors both in their bakery case and packaged for “to-go”. We couldn’t be more excited! 221 South Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas.

By now you may have noticed that when I find something I love, be it a restaurant, town, store, product or even movie, I love to rave about it and share it with you. After all, that’s how I find out about some of life’s greatest pleasures. This week I’m thrilled to brag about three awesome summer picks.

Notes On Cooking: The new book from authors, Chef Lauren Braun Costello and Russell Reich, offering short, useful & insightful tips on cooking. The detailed book ranges from basic instruction “Don’t crowd the pan” to sophisticated advice, “Match the oil to the cooking method, the lighter the oil the higher the temperature at which it begins to break down and smoke” (I never knew!) I learned a lot of easy to incorporate tricks to make cooking at home not only look professional but taste delicious too. I love the tone of Notes on Cooking because it is directive yet simple enough for the novice cook to follow. My favorite section is near the end, titled “Classic Combinations“, which lists several pages of food pairings that demonstrate, “the symbiosis and synergy of powerful food combinations“. Think “star anise & mint“, “prawns & sirloin” and “truffles & leeks“. This book makes the perfect gift for a recent grad, someone living on their own for the first time, or anyone who wants to polish and refine their cooking skills.  Purchase it at Amazon. List price $21.95.

Love & Luck Jewelry: The new hot line (only open 1 month!) and already a success, by designer Casey Singer, combining semi-precious and natural materials, diamonds, and gold, in cool, hipster fashion. Mrs. Singer surely has the skills to venture out on her own, having spent many years learning and working for some of the most prominent luxury brands in the world; Louis Vuitton, Van Cleef & Arpel and Jennifer Miller Jewelry (personally one of my favorite jewelry stores). Well, her training paid off and we get to wear the benefits. Her debut collection centers around coral and jade Buddhas (there’s where the “Luck” in the name comes in) suspended from long gold chains, perfect for adding a cool touch to a white T-shirt or sundress this summer. Casey is busy at work expanding her collection and she’s says, “new pieces are coming out everyday, so keep checking back to see what’s happening at Love & Luck“. Right now there are two ways to purchase pieces from her the line. You can contact Casey directly at cznorth@aol.com, or at Jennifer Miller Jewelry stores (located in NYC, Southampton, East Hampton and Palm Beach). To keep updated on Casey’s newest collections, join Love & Luck’s Jewelry Facebook page and become a fan, I know I have! Prices start at $300.00

YummieTummie: For the past year my mother has been raving about YummieTummie, the “modern contouring shaper” by designer Heather Thomson, saying how soft, comfortable and slimming they are. Well as the saying goes, “Mama knows”! I recently received my first YummieTummie shipment which included two “Tanks” in black and white. I’m now 6 months pregnant and not feeling so slender, so for me to rave about anything that fits snugly over my belly is a shocker. However, the fabric is perfect; soft, lightweight with enough stretch to hold you in but not make you feel like a potato stuffed inside a sack, which many body shaping devices can do. For me the most exciting part was being able to shop in my own closet again. The night I received my YummieTummie, I put in on under a dress that I hadn’t worn since last summer (when I wasn’t pregnant) and knew I would avoid this summer, and the dress fit really well! I was thrilled and wore it out dinner. They even sell “Nursing T’s”, which is something I’ll need in a few months and that I know I can’t already find in my closet. I’m a devoted fan, and you will be too! Check out their collection on their online shop. Prices start at $62.00

Enjoy!

Sweetly,

Alexandra

Now you can follow ACD on TWITTER:

ACD Partners With Our First Retail Location! You ask, you get! Thank you to everyone who urged ACD to join the local retail market, we listened and we are ecstatic about our new partnership with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Now you can buy an individual ACD cookie right here in Austin! Here are some pictures from the first opening night party.

We are thrilled to announce that ACD will now be featured in our first and only retail location, at the soon-to-open Austin coffeehouse, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Opening on Saturday, on June 13th, “The Bean” will feature our full line of cookie flavors both in their bakery case and packaged for “to-go”. We couldn’t be more excited! We know you’ll love “The Bean” as much as we do. Be sure to swing by and check out their No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Blended, at ACD we are addicted!

Just like ACD, supports public education in Austin & NYC through the organization DonorsChoose.org, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is also committed to helping our local Austin community by partnering with local non-profit organizations, Heart Gift and Blue Dog Rescue as it’s official charitable partners.

The Details: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 221 S Lamar Austin, TX 78704 (512) 555 -1212 http://www.coffeebeanaustin.com

Opening Saturday June 13th, 2009

Sweetly,

Alexandra

WIN 2 MONTHS OF FREE COOKIES!

All orders placed from today until Tuesday June 16th, will be entered in a FREE drawing to Win 2 Months of Free Cookies (including shipping)!*

Order cookies now for Father’s Day (June 21st), and you could win two more months of cookie gifts for dad (or anyone you like, including you)!  Simply purchase your gift today and you can choose your future delivery date, by writing it in the “message options” section at checkout.

Here’s How It Works:
On line:
1.Go to “Our Shop“ select your cookie package(s), and proceed to check out. 2. Type your desired delivery date for your cookie   package(s) in the “message options” section during checkout.

Or Just Call Us:
p:512.482.8210.
We will happily take your order over the phone.* Each month, for two consecutive months, your recipient will receive “Share The Dream” our 12-cookie package, with a gift message, shipped via UPS Ground, anywhere ACD ships. You can select 2 cookie flavors per package.
Winner will be selected and notified on Monday June 22nd, 2009.

Good luck!

Sweetly,

Alexandra

Saturday was one of my most memorable days here in Texas! Not just because of what Rich and I did, but because it gave me such a fabulous appreciation for the natural beauty that surrounds us. By now you may have realized that Rich and I are not the “outdoorsy type”, which for Austin is unheard of.  We don’t run outside, we don’t do all day bike trips and we have never participated in any sort of marathon. However, many times we have happily jumped in the car and driven and hour and half for a good meal at some obscure restaurant we have tracked down on a random food blog. Needless to say, you get our priorities! Well, Saturday expanded our repertoire. We still ate delicious food but we also included a trip to the Enchanted Rock. We even hiked in a thunderstorm, and were given the gift of seeing a rainbow on our way down. It was as if nature knew we better make this special for the city folk! Here are some of the highlights from our day.

Austin Farmer’s Market: Every Saturday right outside our apartment is the Austin Farmer’s Market on 4th Street between San Antonio and Guadalupe. The market is opened from 9 to 1 AM and filled with vendors selling organic vegetables, herbs, fruits, soaps, and meat. You get the idea. All of which are lovely, but we go for one main reason, TacoDeli! If you haven’t eaten a breakfast taco from TacoDeli, you’re missing out. I think they are the best tacos in Austin. Now I know making a statement like this is the equivalent of pasting a photo of my head on a dart board, since Tacos and Texas, is probably one of the most controversial topics in the Austin foodie world, but I like a heated debate. Please feel free to comment below, I love to hear your opinions.  Ok, back to TacoDeli. I crave the steak, onion and roasted green pepper taco and the Thunderheart Bison Buffalo taco, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the choices. They are a bit small, but for around $3.00 a taco why not get two, and don’t forget the many varying degrees of spicy sauces for dipping. If you can’t make it Saturday mornings you can always visit the two TacoDeli locations in Austin.

Enchanted Rock: Since Rich and I moved to Austin a year and half ago, everyone said you must go to the Enchanted Rock. It’s heralded as the most scenic view in Texas, which keep in mind is a very flat state. The top of the rock reaches 425 feet above the surrounding terrain to an elevation of 1,825 above sea level (according to Wikipedia, my go-to-truthful source for everything). The Rock itself is physically like nothing I have ever seen; it’s made of pink granite “pluton”- simply amazing. The trip from downtown Austin to the Rock was estimated to take an 1:40 minutes and off we left on an exceptionally beautiful, sunny, clear, coolish (high of 89 degrees) spring day. We were about 5 minutes from the entrance to the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, and as my mother would say, “the heavens opened up”. It began to thunder and pour, and then came the lightening storm! We literally pulled off the road, and laughed. It had taken us 540 days plus 1:35 minutes to commit to this activity, and I think we were being challenged or punished for not being “out-doorsy” enough. Well challenge on! Once the rain began slightly lighten up, we continued on. Even the park-ranger was confused as she collected our $12.00 entrance fee, “so you still want to come in here?” she asked. Oh we were going in and we were hiking up to the top, even 5 months pregnant, there was no turning back for me at this point. We had something to prove. The hike was amazing, albeit wet but still invigorating, and really made Rich and I appreciate Texas’s natural beauty. The 360-degree view from the top was beautiful, even in the misty air. On our way down, nature awarded us our metal of accomplishment, a rainbow. Thanks nature!

We went back to the car, changed out of our wet clothes, and heading to the Crawish Festival in Fredericksburg. As we exited the state park the sun came out and we rolled down the windows, blasted some “CoffeeHouse” music from Satellite radio and soaked in the moment. About twenty minutes later, we arrived in Fredricksburg, a really cute German town that has managed to maintain it authenticity existing in Texas. (Check out my blog titled, Fall In Fredericksburg, to read about our trip to Fredericksburg last year). The festival was fun: live music, a chili cook-off, all the crawfish and trimmings you could eat, and a perfect end to an awesome day!

Sweetly,

Alexandra

With the warm weather quickly approaching or if you live in Texas, already here, I thought it would be fun to put together a list of my favorite warm weather things. After I wrote my list, I realized a lot of the items were under $25 dollars. Wow, I guess it is easy to save and be happy!

1.Trop 50- the newish OJ by Tropicana, 50 percent less sugar and calories and still 100%  Vitamin C. My sister, Alana, pours the juice into ice trays and freezes them to make bite size pop-sicles. Perfect for cooling down after a good workout.

Cost: $3.67 (57 FL OZ.)

2. Smashbox Blush in Radiance- adds the perfect touch of sweet-summertime glow.

Cost: $24.00

3. The Week - a magazine  published, you got it, weekly, and gives you a snippet of current events in politics, business, entertainment, food, real-estate, and sports throughout the world. Ideal sitting by the pool read.

Cost: $1.19 per issue (25 issues) or subscribe to their free daily newsletter.

4. Kindle- The latest gadget from Amazon. It’s a  wireless reading device that allows you to download  books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs, and even change the font size. We bought one for my mom for Mother’s Day and when she finally takes it out of the box, I bet it will change her world.

Cost: $359.00

5. Anything Frozen, Iced or Blended: Blizzards from Dairy Queen,  Shivers From TCBY,  Ice-Blended drinks from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.  It’s already 95 degrees here, a girl’s got to cool off!

Cost: Each under $5.00 for a small size

6. NetFliks - Greatest invention since “On Demand” TV. Rent 1-3 movies online, get the DVD’s at home in two days, mail the movie back, repeat process endlessly. I finally got Rich to watch “Say Anything” because I agreed to rent “Rocky” in the same batch. NetFliks knows how to keep couples happy.

Cost: $19.95 per month. New members get a free trial membership.

7. La Roche-Posay- 50+ daily day sun-block for the face. It’s tinted, quick-drying, lightweight and has extreme UVA protection; what else could you want?

Cost: $47.00 (50 ml tube)

8. RichRocks Jewelry- Inexpensive but looks expensive and fabulous, especially the 36″ gold and diamond zirconia necklace perfect for layering over a summer caftan. Check out my rave review of RichRocks from September 2008 on Talk Is Sweet.

Cost: Now on sale for $60.00

9. Family & Friends- Spending extra time with people you love, relaxing, eating, & drinking, and with three long weekends in the summer (Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day), it just got easier!

Cost: Priceless

10. Enough about me! What’s your favorite “Warm-Weather Must-Haves”?  I can’t wait to learn what’s on your  “Hot List”! Leave your comments below- thanks!

Sweetly,

Alexandra

If you live in Austin, and you love food, you’ve probably read Addie’s articles, blogs, posts, or tweets updating us on what’s new, fresh, delicious, and happening in the Austin foodie world. Addie’s official position is food writer for The Austin American-Statesman, both for their print edition and  their online version, Austin 360 where she writes her daily blog, RelishAustin. Addie’s voice can also be heard on her personal blog, AddieBroyles.com, Facebook and Tweeter. I admire Addie for her commitment to promoting local businesses and food ventures and her successful efforts to unite the Austin food blogger community, through the creation of “Addie’s Eat-Ups” a group formed to taste, share and enjoy food and drinks in Central Austin.

I first met Addie back in July 2008. I had been following her blog, RelishAustin and I loved her positive, up-beat energy and enthusiasm for food and Austin. I was getting ready to launch Alexandra’s Cookie Dreams and I emailed Addie about my new company, and asked to send her a sampling of our cookies. She was so gracious, and off I went to deliver cookies to The Austin American-Statesman. A few days later, I got an exciting phone call from Addie, letting me know that the Statesman would cover the opening of ACD in a sweet article the following week. I couldn’t have been more thrilled, but it meant ACD would need to be officially open by the time the article ran that Thursday. Well we did it, and what a wonderful opening kickoff! Check out the article, titled, “Big Apples Loss Is Gain For Austin Cookie Lovers”, 7/16/08.

Several weeks later, Addie and I met for a drink (at the sadly now closed Starlite restaurant) and I was immediately struck by her genuine smile, caring nature and appreciation for the opportunity she has to eat delicious food and help promote small food businesses. Needless to say, Addie is a special and intriguing woman! I thought it would be fun to interview Addie and find out more about her world…Thanks Addie for sharing your delicious life with our readers! Enjoy!

1. What’s your typical day like?

“I go through e-mails, respond to voicemails, comments and Twitter messages, write a blog post, process and edit photos, work on stories or food matter briefs for the next week. Sometimes I’ll have interviews scheduled out on the community, or other times I have to go out and check on new restaurants, grocery stores or other food businesses. My favorite part of my job is when I get to go to a farm or market or otherwise go to where people are creating great food.”

2. What are some Austin food trends in for 2009?

“Cake balls, reusable grocery bags (carried over from 2008), upscale comfort food, craft cocktails, but most importantly, local food. Everyone and their mom is getting on the local food train, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”

3. Do you like to cook? If so, what is an “Addie” signature dish?

“I love to cook, but I admit I’m not always the best at it! I’m still learning, and part of my job is sharing with readers my attempts to expand my cooking skills but at the same time feed my family something they want to eat! A signature Addie dish would be one that only requires one pan to make, be it a casserole or a stir-fry.”

4. What are three items that are always in your fridge?

“Cottage cheese, Claussen pickles and Fuji apples.”

5. Hailing from Missouri, are there any foods you miss from your home state that you can’t get in Austin? If so, what?

“Pulled pork barbecue (not that I don’t absolutely adore Texas barbecue), Boulevard beer (but they just started delivering here), custard and my grandmother’s pie.”

6. What’s the most thrilling part of your job as a food writer?

“Getting to meet passionate chefs whose skills in the kitchen put mine to shame.”

7. What’s the most challenging part of your job as a food writer?

“Navigating the tricky waters of being a features writer whose work can make or break a business. PR companies spend millions of dollars trying to persuade writers to write about their companies, but readers want real information, not advertising. Also, not gaining weight can be hard, but so far I’ve managed to maintain portion – and for me, therefore weight — control.”

8. Your son recently turned 2 years old. Are you seeing any signs of a budding foodie?

“He loves cheese quesadillas more than just about anything, except ice cream, but if I can convince him to try something, sometimes he’ll surprise me. Wakame (dried seaweed) for instance, is one of his favorites. He also recently started mixing milk and apple juice. I somehow doubt we’ll see that on fine dining menus in the future.”

9. Favorite dessert? (I have to ask this one!)

“Key lime pie.”

10. Any else you would like to share? Promote?

“Getting to know the food blogging community in Austin has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Food bloggers here are fun, adventurous and excited about eating (and drinking!). It’s an honor to know them.”

Sweetly,

Alexandra

Last week our blog, Talk Is Sweet, was named a “Top 10 Cookie Blog” by Anna Ginsberg of Cookiemadness.net (my favorite cookie blogger) and Blogs.com. We are thrilled to be included among an awesome list of cookie bloggers that I personally love, including BakingBlonde’s Weblog and Baking Bites. Check out the article and all the “Top 10 Cookie Blogs” at blogs.com. Thanks Anna & Blogs.com!

For a while now I have been wanting to create an indulgent banana bread, stuffed with Rich’s favorite two dessert items; Nutella and peanut butter. Well yesterday the bananas were turning brown and calling my name, so off I went into experiment mode. The outcome was delicious! I always add a secret ingredient to my banana bread, non-dairy coffee creamer, which makes the bread moist in the middle while still allowing the edges and top to crisp up. Since this recipe calls for oil instead of butter it’s a lot of fun to do with children because they can easily mix together all the ingredients and you don’t need to use any electrical equipment. When I was a school teacher I used to make a version of this banana bread with my 4 years old students and they loved it.  Follow the recipe below (it truly couldn’t be easier) and enjoy!

Richie B’s Fantasy Bread

Pre-heat oven to 350 F
Grease a 10″ x 3″ non-stick bread pan

Ingredients:
Dry Ingredients:
1. 1 1/2 cups of unbleached flour
2. 1/2 cup non-dairy creamer powder form
3. 1 cup sugar
4. 2 teaspoons baking powder
5. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
6. 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
7.   1 cup riped bananas, mashed (approximately 2 to 3 bananas)
8.   2 eggs
9.   1/3 cup oil
10. 1/4 milk
11. 1 teaspoon vanilla
12. 3 tablespoons creamy or chunky peanut butter
13. 3 tablespoons Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
14. 1/4 cup chocolate morsels

Directions:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients.
2. In a separate larger bowl, combine all the wet ingredients, except ingredients #12, 13 & 14.
3. Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, folding in the flour combination and slowly combining.
4. Pour half the batter into the greased pan.
5. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the peanut butter, Nutella, and an additional drop of oil (to help smooth and liquefy the sticky peanut butter) and microwave until the mixture becomes a liquid (maybe 30 to 45 seconds).
6. Pour the peanut butter chocolate mixture on top of the batter already in the pan.
7. Pour the remaining batter on top.
8. Gently move a small knife through the batter in a forward and backward motion to “swirl” the chocolate peanut butter mixture through the batter.
9. Sprinkle the chocolate chip morsels on top.
10. Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the top crust is golden brown. Check that the inside is cooked by sticking a knife into the middle to see if it comes out clean.
11. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Sweetly,
Alexandra

Please note that Alexandra’s Cookie Dreams will be closed from Tuesday April 6th until Sunday April 12th. We will re-open on Monday April 13th. Thank you!

I’m thrilled to say that last week my dear friend Lauren Sachs launched her new company and website www.SweetCityCandy.com, selling fresh and delicious retro and traditional bulk candy, chocolate and nuts at wholesale prices nation-wide. I first met Lauren when she was living in Austin, TX.  I had just moved to Austin, and a mutual friend thought we should meet. The first time we hung out, we were walking around town and decided to stop at a cookie shop for a treat. This was before I had created Alexandra’s Cookie Dreams, but always the cookie lover, it seemed like a good idea. Lauren took one look at the sugar cookie topped with multi-colored candy coated chocolate chips, and said, “You can’t get a cookie from here, they use imitation M&M’s!” I was shocked, she was right, and she knew her candy! You see, Lauren grew up in a family in the candy business and from an early age she learned what makes a quality product. Last year Lauren and her husband returned to their roots in NYC, and had a beautiful baby girl, named Ruby, as if life couldn’t get sweeter, Lauren is now using her expertise to personally oversee Sweet City Candy.

Sweet City Candy is perfect for offices, parties, promotions, or if you’re like me, an inexpensive source to keep your candy bowls filled (it’s cheaper than flowers!) Lauren also carries a full line of festive holiday treats, kosher products and even candy supplies so you can make your own sweet gifts. With baseball season upon us, I suggest ordering 5 pounds of these delicious chocolate baseballs which will for sure make game watching and little league practice a lot more fun! Check out her site, you’ll be glad you did!

If you read this blog often, you’ll know by now that Rich and I are avid movie-goers, usually 1 to 2 movies per week, assuming there’s enough “worth seeing” in theaters. If not, Netflix is definitely losing money on us. Last night in Austin was the opening of South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival and SXSW Interactive followed by the famous SXSW Music Festival. For several weeks, Austin becomes a heady mix of badge wearing, schedule holding, film lovers and actors, internet designers, music execs, bands with groupies, press from all over the world and everyone else looking for guaranteed free alcohol, food and revelry.
Our dear friend Adam at Paramount Vantage hooked us up with tickets to the opening night debut of I Love You, Man, directed by Jon Hamburg, starring Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Jon Favreau, Rashida Jones, and Jamie Pressly, all of who were present at the premiere and sticked around for a Q & A after (more about that below). The movie was hysterical, fun, easy to watch and a great escape for an hour and half, something we can all use in these hairy times. I think it’s going to be this years, Knocked Up, so when it comes out in theaters this Friday, March 20th go see it, you’ll enjoy!
Now back to the Q & A. I have never been able to watch award shows live because I find the unscripted acceptance speeches to be awkward and cringe worthy. When an actor uses his 30 seconds to make political speeches, jab at other actors, or cries until her whole face is wet, I just get really uncomfortable, not really sure why. Kind of an unnecessary emotion for me to feel considering that I’m sitting on my couch at home, I’m not part of the Film/Music/TV industry and it’s supposed to be fun entertainment. I guess I know my limits, and now I just watch the pre-show for the fashion, and the news the next day to see which nominees won. Well last night’s Q & A fell into the same boat as awards shows for me. Granted it was the first night of the film festival so perhaps the audience was rusty on their Q & A etiquette but man it was really awkward. The questions were random and barely had anything to do with the movie.  At one point someone asked if Paul Rudd and Jason Segel may have an off screen bromance because they arrived at last night’s premiere in the same car. Honestly, it was helpful that Paul and Jason are gracious, quick-witted and took it in stride, but wow what an unfunny and immature way to kick off the Q & A. The worst part for me was when Jamie Pressly, whose body was ripped last night fyi, was answering a question and a man from the balcony of the Paramount theater stood up and screamed out his question interrupting Jamie in the middle of answering the previous question. Today at 1:00 the cast will be doing a Q & A panel for SXSW Film badge holders, I hope it is easier on them and the audience!
Email me if you share my “Award Show Watching Anxiety”, just want to know if I’m alone in this….
Sweetly,
Alexandra

A friend of mine from high school just sent me this picture of her adorable kids, Logan and Skye, eating Alexandra’s Cookie Dreams Toffee Doodle Dream cookies. These kids are ridiculously cute and I couldn’t resist sharing the photo. Children eating cookies could be my new favorite photo theme. It used to be images of my parent’s daschund Lulu’s long ears blowing in the wind.  I’m really maturing!

Sweetly,

Alexandra