I put together a little introduction to ifttt, one of my new favorite web-based tools.

Like every proper community, you’ll have your trolls. I’m entertained.

I agree. Via these guys.

The past three months have been, on a whole, what I expected. A lot of sitting in front of my computer, diligently job searching, emailing, networking. Catching up with friends and contacts, networking and meeting new ones. Happy hours! (Atlanta, you really need to get with it on this one.) A little snow, a little sun. A lot of music. I’m still eagerly searching for an exciting new opportunity.

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe given to me by my friend Heidi. It is super easy for even the non-cooking type, quick, and vegetarian friendly.

Cranberry Almond Brown Rice
Yields: 4 servings

9 oz brown rice
2 oz almonds pieces
5.5 oz orange flavored dried cranberries
1 small bunch of mint leaves chopped
1 small bunch of arugula chopped
3 green onions sliced
1 zest and juice of lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic crushed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the rice according to the directions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

While the rice is cooking, roast the almonds pieces in a dry pan over a medium heat until they are lighty browned.

In a bowl mix the rice, cranberries and almonds. Add the rest of the ingredients, toss well and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Social Media Week is coming up next week. I am not speaking this year but planning to attend a handful of sessions and events. This morning I stumbled across this pretty funny video produced by Social Media Week, “Future Hipsters,” which I had to share.

I’m moving to New York. This is no surprise to many of you. I joke that I have been half-living there for about five years from the sheer quantity of time I have been spending there for both work and pleasure. In 2008, I spent over 200 days camped out there! Every time I left, it would get harder and harder. I’ve decided to stop fighting that feeling. It’s obviously where I want to be. So I am relocating myself at the beginning of 2012 to Brooklyn.

Now that I am home from my world travels, I am beginning my job search actively. I look forward to finding a small creatively-focused agency with a great mix of clients, or a great brand, preferably including the entertainment vertical, which I miss working with very much.

New York is my favorite city and I look forward to living there full-time, with its incredible energy, diversity, creativity and business. I can’t wait to be closer to friends I don’t see often enough. I will have to make it a mission to find proper Mexican food in the city! I have yet to unearth any. I’m anxious to get started on a new project and am excited at the prospects I have already come across.

I adore Atlanta and the South, but I know I can always come back. Drive A Faster Car will remain focused on Atlanta, Decatur and Athens. New York doesn’t need it. DaFC turned ten years old this December 2. It’s a little hard to believe. I feel like I have a child. I have blogged for ten years. This mark feels like as a good time as any to proceed with the changes in store.

I believe that covers most of the questions that have come my way. If you have others, feel free to reach out to me. I’m saying my “see you soon’s” on January 7 in Atlanta, if you’d like to come out. I’m planning to be in New York as of January 9.

Yesterday was CupcakeCamp Atlanta! I love baking. I adore Earl Grey tea and it’s subtle bergamot flavor. I’ve been obsessed with the combination of Earl Grey and lavender together since falling in love with Mariage Frères‘s Earl Grey Impérial. I have seen plenty of Earl Grey cupcake recipes before but typically with a lemon buttercream which didn’t excite me as much as the prospect of lavender. As always, use good quality ingredients for the best results. Thanks to everyone for voting me as Most Unique Flavor! I am thoroughly entertained by my Kinky Cupcakes prize.

Earl Grey Lavender Cupcakes
(Yields about 16 cupcakes)

1 cup milk, at room temperature
3 tablespoons (3 teabags) ground Earl Grey tea leaves*
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender, finely chopped
2 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

* I ground my loose tea leaves in a mortar and pestle.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the ground Earl Grey tea leaves and dried lavender. Cover and let it sit and infuse for about 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it is pale and smooth, which should take 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition.

Sift the two flours together into a separate bowl. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat well. Pour in one-third of the infused milk and beat again. Repeat these steps until all the flour, milk and tea leaves have been added.

Spoon the mixture into the cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until slightly raised and browned. Insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake to make sure they are done.

Remove from the oven and leave the cupcakes in the pan for about 10 minutes before carefully placing on a wire rack to cool. Once they are completely cool, you can frost them with the lavender buttercream below. 

Lavender Buttercream

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg white

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon lavender extract
Violet coloring, to your preference

Whisk the egg white and sugar together in a large metal bowl over a pot of simmering water until the sugar is smooth in the mixture.

Remove the mixture from the heat and whip until it turns white and doubles in size. Add the lavender extract and coloring, whipping throughly into the mixture. Add the butter and continue to whip until completely smooth. It will take some time! Once the cupcakes have cooled to room temperature, spoon the frosting into a pastry bag and decorate or just grab a knife and apply. If you attempt to frost before they have cooled, your buttercream will melt! I also sprinkled clear sugar sprinkles on top since these aren’t super sweet cupcakes. Decorate to your preference!

You tend to get told that the world is the way it is, but life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact; and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you… Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.

- Steve Jobs in PBS’ “One Last Thing”

There’s a new agency model in town: Catvertising. It’s a solid two and a half minutes of smile.