Hi there,

Thanks for visiting Umami Girl. I'm Carolyn Cope, and since 2008 I've been blogging here about a lifestyle based on whole foods, mostly plants. Over the years Umami Girl has grown from a resource for the members of a Community Supported Farm I helped organize into a large and vibrant community of smart, free-thinking people. We really dig improving people's lives by making nourishing food irresistible and providing food for thought -- but we are so not fans of preachiness or that creepy self-help vibe. (You know the one I mean.)

Like the rest of the thinking world, this space is always evolving. The blog is the beating heart at the center of things, and in the next little while I'll be rolling out some new content as well -- a free Getting Started Guide for folks who'd like a friend to walk them through the transition to a whole foods lifestyle, and a just-for-fun podcast series called First-World Rants, because big talk about small problems makes people weirdly happy.

Lots of nice people have said lots of nice things about Umami Girl, and I am very thankful for them all. Click here if you'd like to read more about it.

To learn more about us, click here. And if you'd like to join our community and receive weekly updates in your inbox, please sign up for our email newsletter at the bottom of the page.

All the best,
Carolyn

Glamour Shots

If I were blond like these beauties, I might invest in a wind machine and stand on the receiving end of a glamour shot or two, maybe once a year, around Christmastime. I might even tuck that photo into the holiday card I’d send you. I might, and I might not. Probably not. As it stands, I’m the brunette on the taking end of the glamour shots. It’s all good, though. Photographers always end up with the models at the end of the day, charming them with worldliness and ravaging them with their teeth, and what have you. Let me be the first to say, it’s no different when the blond is a Ghirardelli Classic Blondie. It’s not anyone’s fault, mind you. You may run across a white-hot photo in a book and not be able to get it out of your head. If you happened upon it again here before a week had passed, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s fate knocking on your oven door, practically begging for the recipe.

Well, if you really want it, who am I to deny you? Here you have it. For once, I might add, it’s every bit as good as you’ve dreamed. And, speaking of Ghirardelli, don’t forget to enter to win a $100 Visa gift card from BlogHer and Ghirardelli. For a chance to win, just read this post and leave your best answer to the question in the comments. Good luck, blondie!

Classic Blondies

Adapted from Ghirardelli. Makes 16 bars.

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces white chocolate, broken into pieces
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center. Into an 8-inchx8-inch baking pan, place a piece of parchment paper to cover the bottom. In the microwave or a double boiler, combine the butter and white chocolate. Heat, stirring occasionally, until just melted and smooth. If melting in the microwave, use half power in 30-second bursts, stopping to stir thoroughly in between.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Add the brown sugar and the vanilla and beat to combine thoroughly. Pour in the butter-white chocolate mixture and beat until well combined. Add the flour and salt, and mix with a spatula until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and stir to distribute.

3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for at least ten minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.