I wouldn’t call myself a perfectionist, but I do think that there are a few things in life worth perfecting. The chocolate chip cookie is one of them. If I’m going to go to the effort of pulling out my Kitchen Aid mixer, I want nothing less than the best chewy, crispy, chocolate-y results. My friend Lesley agrees. Four years ago, we were excited to find a recipe with potential in the The New York Times; and after test runs at home, we agreed that it was “the one.” All the credit goes to Wendy Gaynor, who runs the beloved cookie shop Ruby et Violette at 457 West 50th Street in Manhattan. My only personal tweak to her recipe, shocking as it may sound, is to cut down on the chocolate chunks by a cup to let the rich, buttery dough do some talking, too. Aside from that, these cookies need little more than a tall glass of cold milk. —Megan K.

Click through to next page for recipe!

*Wendy Gaynor’s ‘Perfect’ Chocolate Chunk Cookies

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chunks (preferably imported).

1. Place the butter in a large bowl and cream at high speed until
fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 4
minutes, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, one
at a time, until completely mixed.

2. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add to the
butter mixture at low speed until just combined and add vanilla
extract. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl down, until blended. Do
not overmix.

3. Add chocolate chunks and mix till thoroughly combined. Refrigerate
batter until cold, preferably overnight.

4. Preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees or a convection oven to
300 degrees, and line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop
heaping spoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets
and bake, turning tray once, until golden brown around edges and soft
(but not bubbly), about 9 minutes in a convection oven or 12 in a
conventional one. Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 36 to 72 cookies, depending on size.

*This recipe appeared in The New York Times on October 27, 2002.

I’ve been writing all this week about our lovely vacation, but I have some (potentially) big news looming that I’m quite nervous about: We put an offer in on a little house upstate, and this weekend is the inspection. Now, after being an apartment dweller for the past fifteen years, I have NO IDEA how a house runs. When something breaks here in our city pad, we call the super. I am aware of how crucial the house inspection is (thanks in part to this great book that Chad got me, called The Virgin Homemaker), but I must admit I’m mildly terrified. It’s so much more fun to think about beds and chandeliers than septic tanks. What if they find something majorly wrong? What if I don’t understand everything? How much wiggle room will I have after the inspection? I know that some of you are homeowners and have been through this yourself….any advice or wisdom or calming thoughts would be greatly appreciated. What’s the most important thing you learned from your house inspection? — Angela M.

P.S. The really big news? Chad & I got engaged. Yippee!

It’s spring, so my thoughts turn to, “Where can I buy cool, kitschy stuff that I don’t (necessarily) need?” Ah, the season of the outdoor antique show—I’m not talking flea markets selling big box store closeouts; I’m talking entire fairgrounds of vendors offering everything from Pee-wee Herman dolls “mint in box” to vintage Bertoia chairs. Two exceptional fleas near my hometown of Cincinnati are Kentucky’s Burlington Antique Show—where a friend scored the weird and wonderful fake food and doll heads from old store window displays—and the Tri-State Antique Market in Lawrenceburg, IN. Since moving to Seattle, I’ve become a regular at the Fremont Sunday Market (Open year-round!), but I’m itching to find the really big shows. So out with it—where’s the best outdoor antique show in your neck of the woods? And what’s your favorite thing you’ve found there? — Mary T.

In honor of the biggest TV-event of the year, the Academy Awards on Sunday night, we want to take a moment to ponder the merging of our two favorite subjects: decor and the movies! Sometimes our love of interior design can even get in the way of enjoying a film (remember those pillows in the Lake House?) but more often than not, we’re just inspired. Take for example, the house where Curtis (Jamie Fox) and Deena (Beyonce) live in near the end of the Dreamgirls. Who could be angry when you’re dining at a gorgeous Lucite table? We’d probably feel more comfy at the wood-paneled home seen in Little Miss Sunshine. So what about you? What’s your favorite movie home? You know, the house you’ve seen on the big screen that you wish was yours, or that at least could be yours for a night or two?

Angela M. says:
Where do I begin?! I remember that Apartment Therapy Los Angeles did a list of their top ten decor inspiration films a while ago, and a few on their list (Contempt, Clockwork Orange, Far From Heaven) are indisputably influential. But my all time favorite has to be the amazing Dakota classic six that Mia Farrow decorates in Rosemary’s Baby. This year, I loved all the homes in Friends with Money (especially the one that Frances McDormand’s character Jane lived in with her “gay” husband). I always love the LA homes in movies, like Laurel Canyon (more Frances McDormand!) and The Anniversary Party. There’s too many. I may have to weigh in again on this one.

Allison R. says:
No holds bar. Tony’s house in Santa Monica in Scarface. Say no to drugs!

Click through to read more of our favorites and tell us about yours!

Beth J. says:
The crazy-modern house where James Bond fights it out in Diamonds are Forever. It’s in California and there’s a tremendous write-up on it that I found when Googling the designer, John Lautner. I don’t know that I’d want to live there, but a weekend might be nice….

And as a child, of course I loved the crazy inventions for furniture and appliances using twigs and other nature-based gizmos the Swiss Family Robinson came up with.

Arianne C. says:
I really liked the loft in Closer, where Julia Roberts and Clive Owen lived (and she cheated on him). It was just gorgeous, with an open upstairs balcony-style bedroom overlooking the lower level. The whole place was just open. Memorably gorgeous.

In honor of the biggest TV-event of the year, the Academy Awards on Sunday night, we want to take a moment to ponder the merging of our two favorite subjects: decor and the movies! Sometimes our love of interior design can even get in the way of enjoying a film (remember those pillows in the Lake House?) but more often than not, we’re just inspired. Take for example, the house where Curtis (Jamie Fox) and Deena (Beyonce) live in near the end of the Dreamgirls. Who could be angry when you’re dining at a gorgeous Lucite table? We’d probably feel more comfy at the wood-paneled home seen in Little Miss Sunshine. So what about you? What’s your favorite movie home? You know, the house you’ve seen on the big screen that you wish was yours, or that at least could be yours for a night or two?

Angela M. says:
Where do I begin?! I remember that Apartment Therapy Los Angeles did a list of their top ten decor inspiration films a while ago, and a few on their list (Contempt, Clockwork Orange, Far From Heaven) are indisputably influential. But my all time favorite has to be the amazing Dakota classic six that Mia Farrow decorates in Rosemary’s Baby. This year, I loved all the homes in Friends with Money (especially the one that Frances McDormand’s character Jane lived in with her “gay” husband). I always love the LA homes in movies, like Laurel Canyon (more Frances McDormand!) and The Anniversary Party. There’s too many. I may have to weigh in again on this one.

Allison R. says:
No holds bar. Tony’s house in Santa Monica in Scarface. Say no to drugs!

Click through to read more of our favorites and tell us about yours!

Beth J. says:
The crazy-modern house where James Bond fights it out in Diamonds are Forever. It’s in California and there’s a tremendous write-up on it that I found when Googling the designer, John Lautner. I don’t know that I’d want to live there, but a weekend might be nice….

And as a child, of course I loved the crazy inventions for furniture and appliances using twigs and other nature-based gizmos the Swiss Family Robinson came up with.

Arianne C. says:
I really liked the loft in Closer, where Julia Roberts and Clive Owen lived (and she cheated on him). It was just gorgeous, with an open upstairs balcony-style bedroom overlooking the lower level. The whole place was just open. Memorably gorgeous.

We were so excited to get a copy of Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook the other day. But weighing in at 4lbs with 744 pages, we found it a little intimidating. Though we’re sure we’ll be gleaning tons of much-needed housekeeping tips from it in the future, we came up with a few ways to put it to work around the house immediately.
First gave us the extra two inches we needed to straighten a photo in the hallway.

Then we used to prop open our bedroom window to get a fresh breeze.

And, since our computer screen needed a bit of a boost, and Martha’s Homekeeping Handbook is just the right height, we thought it could live here for the time being.

How would you put Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook to good use? Leave a suggestion or send us an email and we’ll try to post it! Gold stars for those who submit ideas with JPGS! Pick up a copy of the book at amazon for $27.

Photos by Chad Hunt

We were so excited to get a copy of Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook the other day. But weighing in at 4lbs with 744 pages, we found it a little intimidating. Though we’re sure we’ll be gleaning tons of much-needed housekeeping tips from it in the future, we came up with a few ways to put it to work around the house immediately.
First gave us the extra two inches we needed to straighten a photo in the hallway.

Then we used to prop open our bedroom window to get a fresh breeze.

And, since our computer screen needed a bit of a boost, and Martha’s Homekeeping Handbook is just the right height, we thought it could live here for the time being.

How would you put Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook to good use? Leave a suggestion or send us an email and we’ll try to post it! Gold stars for those who submit ideas with JPGS! Pick up a copy of the book at amazon for $27.

Photos by Chad Hunt

Why, oh why, won’t my orchid bloom? When I brought it home in the dead of winter, I was been determined to keep it alive. After the original flowers fell off, I snipped the stem right below the bud, as I had read to do. I keep it in our bathroom, where it seems to enjoy the steady temperature, little sunlight and moist air. Every ten days or so I give the pot a 30 second dunk in warm water. But six months have passed, and even though new leaves are growing at the base, there is no sign of new flowers. What should I do now? I’ve followed most of the instructions from the Orchid society, on how to care for a Phalaenopsis, moth orchid but I’m just not sure what’s up. Should I just be patient? Do I need to repot? Snip the stalk again? Fertilize? Any advice from those with first-hand orchid experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! — Angela M.

A few weeks ago we picked up a set of Sip-A-Pop freezer molds, $4, and have been having fun pureeing and freezing every fruit in the house. First we used the left-over mint-and-blackberry concoction we had made for juleps. Then we tossed some watermelon into the blender and froze that (most recipes call for you to add sugar, but I don’t think it’s needed). These molds work fine, but honestly I’d rather find something smaller and more traditional, like maybe these Norpro Ice Pop makers, $13, or these from kitchenetc.com, $17. For the next batch, I’m thinking of trying out this recipe from New York mag, that’s for a watermelon and cucumber pop. Sounds refreshing, doesn’t it? How do you make popsicles at your house? I’d love to know. — Angela M.

Last week, Arianne Cohen told us how to know if you need a new air conditioner. Today she helps us pick out the best model.

I find the air conditioning aisle particularly disorienting: You’re hot, the packages are hard to read, and manufacturers use arcane measurement units to ensure that you’re never quite sure what you’re buying. Pay attention to two numbers, BTUs and Volts, and ignore the rest (except for price, of course).

The most important number on the box is the air conditioner’s BTU rating, which measures the amount of heat the air conditioner can remove in one hour. (BTU = British thermal unit) Help yourself by bringing along the measurements of the room you want to cool. Click through to the next page for an easy-to-use in store test.

Do the following math:

Room length x height x width x 4 = How Many BTUs You Need

You have some wiggle room on that number–if your room heats up from direct sunlight, err in the high direction; if you room is well-insulated or naturally cool, you can err toward fewer BTUs.

The second most important number on the box is the voltage. Most packages say either “120 volts” or “240 volts.” Standard three-prong outlets will support 120 volts, though most homes have a few 240 volt circuits for major appliances. If you’re not sure, buy a 120 volt. If you live in an old home and the outlets are two-prong, then you probably can’t support an air conditioner there. Sorry.

Lastly, you want to purchase an “energy saver” model, preferably one with a timer option. Timers save you ample money in the long run, because you can set them to keep things cool using minimal energy. For example, my air conditioner is set to do the following on a five-hour rotating schedule:

8am: Air condition to 70 degrees
10 am: 15 minutes of dehumidifier (which zaps humidity, which is usually the problem)
12pm: 30 minutes fan
1pm: Air condition to 70 degrees

The temperature rarely passes 72 degrees. And the cost? A cool $.32/day.

For more helpful tips from Arianne, visit her website, ariannecohen.com or pick up a copy of her book, Help! It’s Broken: A Fix-It Bible For the Repair-Impaired from Amazon.