Have you ever used Craigslist to sell or buy something? I’ve mostly used it for selling things– microwaves, side tables, small furniture… nothing big.  All my interactions are usually college students, too. They’re always trying to find the best deal or get anything for a dollar, as long as it’s still somewhat running.

I was looking into getting a new camera lens and searched high and low on Ebay. Most of them were going for more than I would have liked, but I continued bidding my max and giving my best offers. In the last minute, I was always outbid by a sneaker buyer. You know, the people that sit at their computers counting down the last seconds and putting a bid higher than you could ever pay. Those sneaky, sneaky bidders.

After being outbid for a week, I gave up. I started looking into retail websites, but did not want to pay retail price for a lens. Those babies are expensive!

Then I remembered that my DB sold a lens once on Craigslist. *Lightbulb!* I went onto Craigslist and started typing away. Sure enough, about fifteen sellers popped up within my range. The cheapest one was only ten minutes away from me, in mint condition, and had more than four years left on its warranty. Too good to be true?

I reread the listing at least ten times to see if there were any killer-esque comments I missed out on. Hmm.. seems legit. Now what do I do?

I promptly replied to the listing asking her to meet in the morning/late afternoon. She wrote back that since she worked, the best times for her would to either be 8AM or 7PM at a local Starbucks. Looking good so far… she suggested the place (public and open) and gave me a morning time when the sun was out. It would be dark at 7PM, but she gave me another option.

Since I wasn’t planning on waking up at 7AM, I scheduled to meet with the seller when she got off work. Now onto the next step- I had to pay her in cash. That’s a whole lotta cash that I have to carry around. Well, I’ll suck it up because for the price I’m getting it at, it’s worth it.

I was second guessing myself every second while my DB drove to Starbucks. What if this is a trap? What if they target me, then have someone else grab my purse and run? Oh dear. Could I possibly lose my cash?

I walked into Starbucks with my DB and I sat down while my DB went to order drinks. I looked around and wondered what she looked like. Is it the mom sitting over in the corner with her three year old son? Who would bring a child to meet a stranger? What about that girl with pink hair and crazy piercings?

As I sat browsing and people watching, my phone rang. Shoot! My DB’s still in line. What if they see me alone?! I picked up my phone and that’s when I heard a lady’s voice sitting right behind me say, “Hi! Is this Kim?”  I immediately spun my head around. My creepy seller turned out to be the cutest little ol’ grandma with a tote bag full of goods.

She printed out the listing for me to document the transaction, chatted about cameras, had all the paperwork and original receipt, and was just the sweetest person. She had her eyes on a $3,000 lens, but had to sell some of her collection in order to get the new one. That explains the tote bag of lenses.. she was meeting up with others right after me.

After testing out the lens, I handed over the envelope with the cash. I told her to double check it and make sure it’s all there. The seller took the envelope under the table and said, “Alright, I’ll try to do this as discreetly as possible.” I may or may not have giggled. How can something shady happen with a granny? It just can’t.

In the end, she sold her lens and I welcomed one into my home. The transaction went smoothly and I couldn’t be happier with the whole process. Thank you Craigslist for a non-shady interaction!

These coffee dark chocolate chunk cookies turned out magazine-worthy. I think using chocolate chunks instead of chips were the ones to blame. They instantly make a cookie look more “professional,” don’t you think? Although the cookie looked beautiful, the texture was just a bit off. I wish they were chewier. The texture that these cookies had were kind of… stale. The coffee flavor wasn’t as strong as I would have hoped, either.

from A Zesty Bite

So my boyfriend, one of his friends, and I have officially started our dieting/exercising routine as of yesterday. It’s been one day without carbs and I’m already having withdrawals. Whoever thought that a day without carbs is a good thing?! We’re basically doing a low carb, high protein diet with at least 3 days of cardio a week. We also get one cheat day a week (which is like a cheat hour each day for me. Shhhh don’t tell my bf!). We went on a hike right by my house yesterday and it was so beautiful! 86 degree weather? Hellooooo spring! Too bad it’s supposed to rain tonight, though.

Mocha chocolate chip cookies. Coffee in cookies? Why not? It works so well in brownies. This recipe intrigued me because it didn’t dissolve the coffee before putting it into the batter like most recipes. I made these a while ago and took them into work. My coworkers loved them, but I thought they were just okay. Perhaps there was too much coffee in them? I would definitely tone down the instant coffee powder by a tablespoon next time. But hey, if you’re a huge coffee fan, then by all means go for it. I, on the other hand, can’t drink black coffee unless it has tons of condensed milk/sugar/milk/cream. That kinda defeats the whole purpose of coffee, eh? The texture was nice and chewy, so I would imagine they’d make a great chocolate chip recipe alone by omitting the coffee. These are just slightly adapted from the cookbook Baking With Julia.

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound chocolate chips or chunks

1. Whisk the flour, coffee, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

2. Beat the butter in a mixer until lightened. Add granulated sugar and beat for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat for another 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until blended.

3. Turn mixer speed down and add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add chocolate and mix until evenly blended in.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for several hours to overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350. Drop a heaping tablespoon full of dough onto sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

6. Cool on racks. They’re best when warm!