National Cookie Cutter Week is the first week of December. Friday, December 4th is National Cookie Day. Would you say “perfect timing” for the forthcoming holiday cookie- baking frenzy?!

1. Check-out everything you want to know about National Cookie Cutter Week at  http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/national_cookie_cutter_week.html

2. For tips, tricks and techniques on how to make, bake and decorate perfect cookies go to the Best Ever Cookie Collection http://www.best-ever-cookie-collection.com/how-to-make-perfect-cookies.html

3.  Buy all kinds of cookie cutter sets and create a kid-friendly cookie making center in your home kitchen at  Kids Cooking Shop http://www.kidscookingshop.com/cook-bake-decorate/cookie-making-supplies

4. To purchase beautiful and delicious gourmet cookies check–out Cookies by Shar http://www.cookiesbyshar.com/home.htm

Monday, November 30, 2009
As cliché as the saying “Rome was not built in a day” is, I need to keep this in mind as I continue down the seemingly endless road involved with starting Sweet Attila’s. In the last week I have tested seven cookie recipes, started a website and a blog, filled my first order, and I’ve created (with some major assistance from my husband) the overall look of the Sweet Attila’s brand. While the next few months will be filled with some ups and downs and it will for sure be filled with a fair number of late nights and early mornings, in the end it will truly be worth it.

While the last week has been very busy, it is great to know I am making progress and moving forward on schedule to launch our online cookie sales in early spring 2010. So far the menu is shaping up to include a signature shortbread cookie, a handful of biscotti along with cookie favorites like chocolate chip, oatmeal and peanut butter. I should call the shortbread cookies “killer shortbread” because it is truly an off-the-hook killer good cookie with taste tasters saying it’s one of the most flavorful shortbreads they’ve tasted.

While I am still working out recipe kinks, I am very excited our menu will offer a breakfast cookie. Let’s face it, who does not LOVE to eat cookies for breakfast? I know I do! At the same time, we all know a good breakfast is the foundation to good health. I am developing a cookie that will be soft and chewy while sweet and filling with a good amount of protein and fiber, and a low amount of sugar, carbohydrates, and cholesterol. I am confident Sweet Attila’s breakfast cookie will be a huge hit. According to my taste testers, it already is a favorite Sweet Attila’s menu item.

I would love to hear from you! Please let me know what cookies you would like to see offered.

Good morning! In case you were travelling over the weekend, there was a new recipe dreamed up on Black Friday, a review of Clif bars, a day that had me blushing beet red, and a 2nd, meatless Thanksgiving.

After that awesome lunch, I needed time to digest on the couch with Montana, and then got to work on my next project.

Christmas Tree

The Christmas tree. After chopping it down yesterday and leaving it in the cold overnight, we finally brought it in. Traditionally, I do the lights and the cranberries while my mom does the ornaments afterwards; since I was moving back to my dorm I needed to do this snappily. I was happy at the end I love the lights on a Christmas tree. I think the ornaments are always nice and personal but it’s just not a tree to me if it doesn’t light up.

Afterwards we got to packing up. I dreaded this. It always feels like I have more going back than coming home, and this time I knew I did because of all the leftovers and extra clothes. Ugh. Thankfully with enough helping hands in the house this wasn’t too bad and shaped up pretty quick.

Packed Bags

I think it was a backpack, 3 bags of food, 2 of laundry, 2 of random machinery, and a stevia plant. Because, really, how could I live without all of that? We swung by my grandmother’s apartment to pick her up because she likes to come “just for the ride”. Wouldn’t it be nice to have time to go for a ride just because you have nothing else to do? 60 more years and I’ll be there.

Double Chocolate Pillow

Of course before hitting the highway we wento McDonald’s for some decaf and I broke out one of these cookies. I think it’s always the case that things grow on me after a few days, because 4 days later and I’m now becoming obsessed with them. Seriously, just smelling the cocoa–bliss. On the way down we stopped at Target looking for a movie. Alas, no luck But underwear was on sale and that’s close enough to grab, right?

Moving back in was actually quite quick and painless with enough helping hands(again). The rug looks awesome since my mom brought down her vacuum to clean it up(thanks!). I definitely lost track of time in all of this and realized I was hungry. A little cookie is not a substantial afternoon snack, but you know what is?

Laloo's Strawberry Darling Goat's Milk Ice Cream

Ice cream. I’m surprised this has survived the common freezer for so long, but yesterday I decided it was time to polish it off(only about 1 serving left anyway). I love the tang of the balsamic vinegar in this. Something tells me adding balsamic vinegar, even an organic one, to strawberry chobani wouldn’t work the same. When all the groceries were away I enjoyed staring at a full fridge.

Full Fridge

Really? Is there anything more blissful? I’m surprised I managed to cram it all in there; it looked like it might not make it and I’m glad I left some tofu at home for another weekend. I also found this which I snuck into my bag:

The Killer Angels

I don’t really “pleasure read”, and if I had time to, I’d probably choose a book I haven’t read, so I’m not sure why I brought this. But I do love and recommend this book for anyone wanting to read a psuedo-historic novel. I did a huge paper on it and the battle of Gettysburg in 11th grade. As you might know, I’m a Classics major, but besides that American history 1640-1865 is my other area of interest. There’s a movie, Gettysburg, based on this book I have yet to see but I can’t wait to find it some day.

Dinner started off a little disgusting; I went to get one of my sweet potatoes and found it covered in mold–yuck! That’s actually never happened with the food I keep under my bed but I guess there’s a first for everything. Instead, I had to improvise.

Broccoli, Turkey Breast, Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin With Lightlife Breakfast Sausages And Maple Syrup

You know how sometimes your eyes are bigger than your stomach? Yeah, story of my life day. First there was being stuffed from a stuffed tofurkey and acorn squash, and then there was this. The turkey wasn’t anything special, I just wanted to eat it up before it got moldy like a sweet potato. The english muffin with sausage was the real money maker here. Does anybody else remember McGriddles from McDonalds? That’s EXACTLY What this was like, except with infinitesimally less trans fat. Oh my God, so good. Rest assured it will be made again. Unfortunately, there was one casualty during dinner.

Broken Amazing Grass Bottle

My Amazing Grass bottle I dropped it on the floor while it was full and water went pretty much everywhere–fun. After cleaning it up I went to the bathroom and tried refilling it, wondering why it kept being empty. Smart one, Evan. I think they carry these at Whole Foods? That’s what I’m hoping at least. After getting ahead(ahead! not catching up!) on work I made a snack and settled in for A Dog Named Christmas.

Peanut Butter Soy Yogurt With Fig Jam And Peanut Butter Chips

I don’t expect much from cheesy, holiday, made-for-TV movies, but this one was even below expectations. I expect them to suck, but to also be cutesy, and the child acting in this was not cutesy. This snack also did not disappoint even though I was iffy on the flavor combo. I think I forgot to sweeten the base but thankfully I bought a Vanilla flavor. I completely forgot I even had fig preserves but they were still just as good. And the pb cheeps were nice and sweet, nothing at all like real peanut butter and yet just as magical

After I’d put up with bad child acting for an hour, it was time for a new Brothers & Sisters. Last weeks episode was not on because Adam Lambert needed to whore it up at the AMA’s, but this week there were supposed to be great plot twists and secret revealings–it did not disappoint. Midway, I snacked on this:

English Muffin With Pumpkin Cream Cheese And Honey Maple Peanut Butter Topped With Me And Goji Granola

2 english muffins in one day? I was on a roll. I liked the crunch from the granola. And the gojis I’m sure were some decent brain food. I also love “rediscovering” peanut butters I forget about. Brothers & Sisters I thought was awesome–can’t wait until the wedding(or will there even be one?) next week.

I was exhausted so I knew I wanted shut eye but for some reason, as tired as I was, I wasn’t getting to sleep. I don’t know how much I slept overall or how many times I woke up/had weird dreams. This was one harsh “welcome back” to the swing of things. When I woke up, though, I was ready to meet my old friend–the gym. I made a quickie snack.

Kashi Strawberry Flax Waffle With Banana Peanut Butter

Normally I like bars that I can take on the treadmill but for some reason this was what appealed to me best. When I got there, it was packed for 6:50am(read: 3 other people). But then it quited down and the regulars started showing up. I didn’t concern myself too much with pace or anything; I was plenty happy to be back and watching the Today Show(does anybody care about Tiger Woods’ car crash at this point? really?). In the end I did 12 miles in 1:38:59. That’s almost exactly like yesterday, which is good because I tend to be slower inside than out. When I got back, I relearned how to make a dormroom breakfast.

Pumpkin Oatmeal With Pepita Butter And Maple Frosting, Eggnog Yogurt

This microwave just ain’t the same as the one back home. For the oats I used Caitlin’s pancake frosting recipe with a little vanilla stevia. I think my cooking skills were on vacation and are just getting back, too, because everything was underseasoned/sweetened. Afterwards, I added more stevia and cinnamon to the yogurt and some vanilla sugar and salt atop the oats and that perked things up.

And so, clearly I’m relearning dorm life after a week of bliss. I suppose with finals and papers coming up I won’t even notice the time between now and Christmas vacation, right? Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s cyber Monday, and as dirty as that sounds I have some deals to catch.

Two brand new prints for your Cyber Monday shopping list!

Originally published  by my friends over at Skirt! Magazine, I present to you Gingerbread Men in Skirts No. 1

and Gingerbread Men in Skirts No. 2

Both prints are printed with the finest archival inks onto yummy epson paper.  They measure 8×10″ with a small white border for framing.

©2009 Heather L. Young

Both of these charming little prints can be found over at The Produce Stand, and you have until the end of tomorrow to take advantage of FREE SHIPPING!

My commission schedule is also getting very full, so don’t delay if you’d like a Pet Portrait or Pen & Ink…I am very  near capacity this year, and rates will go up after Dec. 1.  Thanks to all of you who have already taken advantage of my Holiday Sale! The postman may not like me much today!

For this weeks challenge I went with something a little untraditional. {Untraditional? Me?? I know; you’re shocked.}

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and thought it sounded really interesting & yummy. I like soft chewy cookies. Crunchy cookies? No so much.

I made it two different ways; the first time exactly as the recipe said and a second more healthy. Neither version had the consistency or sweetness of a traditional cookie. Think muffin or cake like texture. Or maybe “spongy” but that doesn’t sound as appetizing and these are really tasty. They’re very similar in texture to a cranberry, banana, or zucchini bread {actually tasted a lot like cranberry bread}.

You want to make them??

Carrie’s Healthy Cranberry Orange Walnut “Cookies”

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Splenda/Sugar mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 orange zested
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

First, prep:

Wash the cranberries. It’s easiest to pick out the bad ones if you put them in a colander in a sink full of water.

Then run them through the slicer attachment of your KitchenAid. Or just chop them up by hand. The KitchenAid attachment is more fun.

You want them to be good size chunks. {1/3’s or 1/4’s would work as well.}

Zest the orange.

Now for the mixing.

Blend the wet stuff.

Then all the dry ingredients.

{all the flour, not just 1/4 cup!}

Plus the cinnamon & baking soda.

Finally, stir in {by hand} the orange zest, cranberries, & walnuts.

The dough is going to be kinda sticky. Ok, a lot sticky. But that’s ok! It won’t spread like normal dough, so don’t worry.

Using the 2 spoon scoop method, spoon small blobs of dough onto a cookie tray sprayed liberally with Pam.

If you don’t spray it with Pam {or other brand of choice}, the cookies stick {they don’t have any fat in them}. Then you have to scrape them off with a giant metal scraper while trying not to scratch the pan. At least that’s my theory. Yeah… theory.

Bake on 375 for about 10 minutes.

10 minutes for these size cookies, 15 for larger ones.

{freshly just put in the oven}

{ready to be done}

As you can see, the cookies puff up a little after they’ve been baked but don’t really spread horizontally.

Yummy! Our batch made 56 small 2-bite sized cookies.

Enjoy!!

Feel free to download the recipe and try it for yourself! I’d love to hear how it went. Happy baking!

Don’t forget to head over to Kim’s blog and check out everyone elses yummy creations!!

With two degrees and three careers under my belt thus far, and the better part of my 30’s still ahead of me, I find myself still search of my professional calling. After trying for years to find career nirvana, at this point I figure it is time to do the one thing everyone agrees I do best – bake! So, in the midst of a recession, it only makes sense to start a business on my own.

Last month (October ‘09) I decided to start an online bakery named Sweet Attila’s, a bake shop. Truth be told, I am talented in the kitchen as a result of a great teacher, my mom, who has owned her own very successful cookie company for years. And it is her teachings for which I am grateful. While my mom has taught me everything I know in the kitchen, my dad was a brilliant man and taught me more about business than I ever learned in the classroom. It is for all this endless and incredibly useful knowledge that I am starting Sweet Attila’s in honor of my dad. Some people get a tattoo when a loved one passes; I on the other hand have decided to start a company focused on creating my dad’s favorite food, the cookie.

I am very excited to start this journey with the help of friends and family. Thank you all for your kind love and support. To my husband, Craig, I want to say an extra special “thank you” for all your tolerance and love and for everything you do. You are so encouraging and I love you dearly for that!

I just learned of a very sad story and since I have a special place in my heart for Yorkies, I want to share and ask for help.  Cookie is a 5 year male yorkie and he is missing!  He has been missing from his home on NW Fontana in Port St Lucie since November 15th.  He is tiny…only 4 pounds and sick.  The family is heartbroken.  The family is offering a reward but I am not going to post the amount here.  Feel free to contact me if the reward is important.  What is important is that I know there are a lot of good people here in Port St Lucie and maybe if someone could find it in their heart that if they see this dog to let me know.  Has a friend or neighbor gotten a new yorkie? Just email me their address! No one has to get involved and no one has to know who you are.  The family doesn’t care as all they want is Cookie to be home with them.   Email cookie@204Studios.net! If you have found this dog, you can even leave him somewhere and I will come and get him….just let me know where!

He is absolutely adorable and I know it’s tempting to keep him, but he needs his family and they need him!

There are cookbooks and magazines, there are the food blogs and newspapers, and there are the online recipe engines.  There are televisions shows, web casts.  Today all it takes to find a recipe is a little bit of Google and a couple keywords.  But before all of this, before all the posts and drops downs, the pages and printouts, there were mothers.  And before the mothers came the grandmothers.  Or the Nana, prefix included.

Nana, a Japanese import to the Marina District in San Francisco as I’ll always remember her, is a funny lady.  She wouldn’t share her recipes with her daughters, but hey, as a granddaughter I think I have a little extra pull.  From Nana I’ve probably inherited an over-appreciation of sugar, and under-appreciation of a balanced diet.  She was the one with Ghirardelli chocolate squares and Italian hard candies in her purse.   At all times.

There are the obvious hand-me-down recipes, sushi, real gohan, pork and shrimp gyoza, gomae, and a special pseudo-Japanese deep-fried creation kati-kati.  But there were also some surprise contenders, hidden away in the Nana arsenal.  Cornbread baked in little baths of bacon fat.  Deviled Crab, fresh lump-meat crab baked in half-shells.  Chocolate cake.  Chocolate-chip meringues.  Peroshkis, Russian bread balls stuffed with onions, meat, and noodles.  And the infamous, many-named pecan balls.  Every so often, if we were lucky—or mostly likely just being a grandchild would get us these—cartons of small, sugar encrusted pecan balls, the crunchiest, most golden and nutty cookies with an unreal golden caramel flavor would be ours.

I finally got Nana to show me, because of course there really was no recipe.  These are a sort of shortbread, wedding cookie, Kouridades, combo.  Pecan studded cookies dredged in powdered sugar.  I sat at her kitchen table and showed her the dough at many stages, with this much flour, this much sugar, a little more flour, a little more butter.  And then of course, the cooking time.  Two hours?  Three hours?  Four hours?  225 degrees?  250 degrees?  As with all grandmothers, Nana didn’t really know.  The cookies just come out right, every time.  So, although it’s taken me a couple tries to translate the know-how into an actual recipe, here they are.  Pecan balls, or as friends with a high, high level of humor named them, Crack Balls.

They are addictive.

Pecan Balls

From Nana

Makes about 50

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature

6 tablespoons powdered sugar, plus about 2 cups more for powdering

2 ½ cups whole pecans, lightly toasted and then chopped to small bits

2 ¼ cups flour

1.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Add pecans and mix until combined.  Dust butter mixture with flour, and then stir until just combined.  Continue mixing with hands until one large dough ball is formed.  Taking rounded teaspoons, form dough spheres by rolling balls between palms.  Place on baking sheet and refrigerate overnight, or for at least twelve hours.

2.  Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Bake pecan balls for 3 hours, rotating balls every hour.  Balls should be lightly golden on the outside, and dark golden on the inside.  Let balls cool completely then either roll in two cups powdered sugar, toss with 2 cups powdered sugar, or dip in tempered chocolate.  As the awful, lazy grandchild, I toss all the cookies at the same time in a large bowl with all the powdered sugar.  Nana takes the time to roll each separate cookie in the sugar, twice, which I sure departs a little something extra.

One of my favourite applications for the iPhone in regards to recipe ideas is the Whole Foods Market iPhone app. I don’t really shop at that grocery store, but they have some amazing ideas on their website! I tried out this recipe, and was so happy with it! If a gingerbread man and a graham cracker were mixed together, this is what you’d get! For Christmas time, you can even sprinkle some red sugar sprinkles onto the cookies prior to putting them into the oven, or even decorate them with some icing.  This recipe was adapted from the full 24 cookie recipe on the Whole Foods Market recipe application for the iPhone, and makes 12 small to medium-sized cookies. (Note: in the original recipe, for 24 cookies it calls for only 2 eggwhites. For this half-sized version of the recipe, I had to keep the egg white quantity at 2 because the dough was too crumbly and fell apart when kneading.)

Graham Cracker Cookies

Ingredients: 

• 156 g flour (whole wheat or unbleached)
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 each baking soda and salt
• 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 egg whites
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp liquid honey
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla

Glaze:

• 1 egg white set aside in a bowl
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• mix the sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside. 

Method:

• pre-heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. 
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add butter and work into the flour with your finger tips until completely incorporated and mixture resembles fine meal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 egg whites, brown sugar, honey and vanilla. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until a sticky dough forms. 
• Turn the dough out onto a very well floured surface and roll out into a (10-inch) square that is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 6 squares, then cut each square in half-length ways or on an angle. (Or even use a cookie cutter for different shapes!) Transfer onto prepared baking sheet about 1 cm apart.
• Lightly and carefully brush the tops of each cookie with the egg white you have set aside in the bowl. Ensure you don’t allow any egg white to get onto the parchment paper, otherwise the cookies will stick. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture lightly over each cookie. Bake until a darker shade of brown and fragrant, for about 14 minutes. (Check the cookies after 12 minutes.) Set aside to cool completely before serving. The cookies will harden as they cool. 

Graham Cracker Cookies

I’m glad to hear that I delighted some of you with my embarrassing beet story(and that I’m not the only one!). On my run today, which I’ll get to, I asked myself this: What makes someone a “full-time blogger? Is it the amount of posts they make per day? Surely I or someone else isn’t less of a blogger for posting all at once what someone else posts spread over 3 times. Is it someone who can live off their blog income alone? Ha! If somebody can do this, congrats to them and they can go f— themselves(jk here ). Or is it someone who just loves posting and is inspired by the whole community and blogs when and because they feel like it? I’d argue the last one. What do you think makes a full time blogger?

Oatmeal With An Egg, The Heat Is On Peanut Butter, And A Morningstar Breakfast Patty

Unfortunately, today was one of those mornings when my hunger was there but my appetite wasn’t. I had no clue what to make and went through a number of dishes before settling on this. Most mornings my tongue tells me what dessert(because my breakfasts always taste like a dessert to me ) I want but on the rare occasion that it’s vacationing in Rio I feel up a creek without a paddle. These oats, Green Dog Wine style, were delicious nonetheless. I decided that this morning I would run(2 days off and I feel like a sloth, haha) so after letting breakfast settle for 5 minutes I grabbed some fuel.

Apple And Double Chocolate Pillow

This fuel was fun(oh em gee, the title of this blog!). The apple was adorably small; I think any fruit that’s a little abnormal is adorable(plantains, anyone?). And why didn’t I realize how good these cookies are? When I had it on my oats Friday, I thought it was pretty decent, but needed a milkiness to it. Today, however, it was perfect: like bittersweet chocolate but with a cakey texture. That had me revved up for a strong run. I first went around the neighborhood 6 times for 6.7 miles. After that I set out on the road for my small loop around town of 5.3 miles. Both of these were my “long run” at some point so it felt awesome that I could do them both on one day now. When I got back in the neighborhood I noticed my dad had been sent to drive around and find me so I figured it was time to stop I did a great 12 miler in a little under 1:39. Not a bad “welcome back” to running. When I got back, I was ready to try a new recovery drink.

Vega Acai Berry Sport Drink

Vega was nice enough to send me some of their powders to try out a while ago and I’m just getting around to them. I’ve never experimented much with energy powders but this one seemed simple enough: just mix with 1 cup of water and shake what your momma gave ya’. It says drink before a workout but I think the nutrition still works for post-run recover. I’ve never had an acai berry, but this was rather nice; the flavor was a lot like a diluted blueberry flavor and definitely nothing I minded drinking. I’m not quite convinced yet specialty powders and drinks are necessary for optimal recovery but I guess I’ll see how this makes me feel tomorrow. Once I showered, it was time for our family Sunday lunch, which felt like a second Thanksgiving!

Carving The Tofurkey

Yesterday we picked up a Tofurkey on sale at Whole Foods and I couldn’t wait to give it a try; this is like the epitome of fake meat products, right? We cooked it in the oven according to directions, and it looked beautiful all done. It was both my dad and I’s main protein, and my grandmother even took a slice!(though I’m not convinced she had any clue what the hell she was eating). After I made my plate, I could have sworn it was Thanksgiving all over again.

Tofurkey, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Acorn Squash Stuffed With Canned Cranberry Sauce

I actually think I ate more here than at Thanksgiving lunch. Oops. Well there wasn’t going to be much leftovers so I thought I’d seize the moment The tofurkey was excellent, but it felt like a little much. I seriously think this is sitting like a brick in my stomach right now. The stuffing was amazing for being whole wheat; I wonder if they sell that seperate? I’ll need to try Tofurkey deli meat to see if it’s the same. The squash + cranberry sauce was equally excellent. I still can’t imagine how cranberry sauce is accepted as a lunch item and not dessert but I’ll take it!

Speaking of dessert, let’s not. I don’t think I have any room :-X Now I’m off to decorate the tree! And then it’ll be time to pack the car and go back to campus Boo. Can’t I just live here again and pretend like work doesn’t exist? I’ll just dream on…

Almondina makes “a delicious cookie without the guilt”. How without the guilt you ask? Well, there are no preservatives, artificial flavors/colors, no added fat or salt, are all natural, and relatively low in fat and calories. They are crispy biscotti-like cookies, and come in several flavors- Original, Choco-nut, Cinnaroma, Gingerspice, AlmonDuo, Anniversary, BranTreats, Sesame, Pumpkin Spice, and Chocolate Dipped. All of them sound delectable!
I was fortunate enough to try, courtesy of Almondina Company, the Choconut, Pumpkin Spice, and Sesame flavors.

Each of these “biscuit-cookies” are about as long as your finger and wide as two fingers put together. They are crispy and crunchy, which I give credit to the “no added fat” aspect of the recipe.

Sesame- these were different- normally I’m not a sesame person, but these were enjoyable. My mom certainly enjoyed them, she kept bugging me for more after i gave her one (does the book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie… ring a bell to anyone?? ). They had SOOOO many sesame seeds- so if you like sesame, definitely try this cookie! It wasn’t as sweet as the other ones, but it was good with some lemon/herbal tea.

Choconut- Chocolate lovers-rejoice! these had a deep brown chocolate color to them. They were mildly sweet and definietely hard and crunchy, except for the spots filled with raisins. Those were nice & chewy, and it provided a nice relief to the crunch. It had a very good chocolate flavor and a LOT of almonds. Bursting with almonds even (the cookie is 20% almonds). It was fresh and flavorful, and I got my chocolate fix.  I also spread it some peanut butter on it- delish!

Pumpkin Spice- yuumm. Brings all the flavors of fall into a cookie. It had a nice nutmeg/cinnamon after taste, alongside a sweet and pumpkin-y flavor. Once again, the cookie is packed with almonds and pumpkin seeds. Very satisfying, and paired well with some vanilla yogurt

Overall, these are pretty good. I like how you get 4 of the cookies in a serving, for about 130 calories and not too much fat or sugar. I’m giving them 4 stars overall (5 stars to the choconut flavor-yum!).Almonds are definietely the dominant ingredient, and they don’t scrimp on them in the cookie! I think they are best when paired with something soothing, like yogurt, tea, or icecream to cancel out some of the CRUNCH. I’d like to try the cinnamon  and chocolate dipped varieties as well  I’d also be interested if they ever made a variety without all the almonds or nuts, but rather a “plain” cookie, like sugar flavored or something. I’ll keep an eye out!

Sesame- 4 cookies is 138 calories, 4.8 grams of fat, 20.7 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
Choconut- 4 cookies is 133 calories, 3.6 grams of fat,22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
Pumpkin Spice- 4 cookies is 120.5 calories, 5.3 grams of fat, 14.8 grams of carbohydrates, 1.4 grams of fiber, and 3.5 grams of protein.

Sesame-Sesame Seeds, Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour), Sugar, Egg Whites, Almonds, Raisins, Natural Flavors
Choconut- Almonds, Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour), Sugar, Egg Whites, Raisins, Chocolate Liquor, Cocoa Powder, Natural Flavors.
Pumpkin Spice-Almonds, Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour), Sugar, Egg Whites, Pumpkin Seeds, Pumpkin Spice, Natural Flavors

DONT FORGET ABOUT THE HOLEY DONUTS! and CASH giveaway! Just pop em an e-mail with my blog name/website in the subject line, and win some donuts and 150$ cash! All rules and entries are HERE!

Quinoa Cookies

Surround yourself with cookies that challenge and inspire.

-Linda

Today Miss Q and I went grocery shopping while Daddy stayed home watching football with Miss S.

Naturally, we didn’t just go to the grocery store, we hit the pet store to check on the cats.  Miss Q loves cats.  We’d probably have one by now, but her daddy’s allergic.

This factoid doesn’t deter Miss Q.  She has it all planned out; “We can keep it in a box downstairs, Mama.  Daddy would never know.”  Ah, she is her mother’s child.

At the grocery store, I noticed a slight change in her demeanor, so I spoiled her with a free cookie from the bakery.  She wasn’t overly excited to get it; even though this was the first time in her life she’d received a cookie while shopping.

When we got to the cracker aisle, with half our shopping completed, the cookie fell and she started to cry.  This is HIGHLY unusual for Miss Q.  She does not cry easily.  This cry in the grocery store came complete with snot and complaints of a sore stomach.

As I stood in the middle of the aisle with a sad, possibly sick child, and a cart full of groceries, a flash of a story I heard on Dr. Phil came to me.  I don’t know why, it just did.  Anyhow: when Robin, Dr. Phil’s wife, was shopping with her two sons way back when, they started frapping out, so she marched them out of the store, leaving the cart where it stood, full of groceries.

I remember thinking, when I heard that story two things: one, I hope that happens to me; and two, that’s a really strong mum who can just walk away from a full grocery cart – I’d be trying to put my purchases back on the shelves or sitting at home feeling guilty for the melting ice cream and warming meat mid-aisle.

Miss Q wasn’t frapping in a tantrum sort of way, she was sobbing with fat tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.  So I stopped the shopping and beetled to an empty till.  Thankfully, not having to re-enact Robin’s story.

Never have I cursed the slow drivers on the highway, as I had today, cruising at 79 on the dot, with a sobbing child in the back seat trying to wiggle out of her restraints because her stomach hurt.  Just as I was thinking I was going to have to send the white convertible Golf a cleaning bill for Miss Q’s car-seat cover, the driver changed lanes.

The rest is anti-climatic.  Miss Q calmed down once inside our house.  She told her dad that she was upset because she had to pee.  (We find that a little odd, but okay.)  I read her a chapter of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, while Miss S slept in my arms.

“A Propaganda É a Alma do Negócio

Um português abre uma filial, de sua empresa de pregos em Roma. Como propaganda, fez um outdoor com a figura de Cristo pregado na cruz e embaixo estava escrito:
-”PREGOS GARCIA – 2000 ANOS DE GARANTIA!”
Foi aquele rebuliço!
O Bispo de Roma foi pessoalmente conversar com o Português e explicar que ele não podia fazer isso. Então o português resolveu fazer um novo outdoor. Colocou Cristo com uma das mãos pregadas na cruz e a outra solta, dando tchau. Embaixo estava escrito:
- “ADIVINHE EM QUAL MÃO FOI USADO PREGO GARCIA!”
Meu Deus do céu!!! Até o Papa foi conversar com o português.
- Assim não dá! O senhor não pode usar Jesus Cristo como garoto propaganda. Invente outra coisa…
-”Então vou fazer um novo outdoor…” – pensou o Português.
Colocou uma foto da cruz vazia, e embaixo escrito:
-”SE O PREGO FOSSE GARCIA, O CARA NÃO FUGIA…”

Muito bem, muito bem, muito bem bem bem! Hoje nosso blog será patrocinado por nada mais nada menos do que as propagandas que sempre quisemos ver, mas nunca tivemos a oportunidade! O objetivo aqui é estimular a criatividade e a liberdade de expressão! Afinal, se a propaganda é boa, naum deve ser censurada!!! Vamos conhecer, portanto, as propagandas censuradas que gostaríamos de ver por aí (com comentários super idiotas criativos do blog Amor com Humor)! A melhor concorrerá ao prêmio Criatividade Amor com Humor 2009! Façam suas apostas…

Candidato 1: Oi! – Pedro cadê meu “chips”?!?!

Candidato 2: Yakult! – Sucesso agora também no seu pc…

Candidato 3: Activia! - Quem disse que novela não traz nenhum benefício?

Candidato 4: Telefônica! – Custo reduzido para ligações no 7º dia…

Candidato 5: Fonoaudiologia! – Você nun cago nun cago nun ca gostou de mim!

Candidato 6: Colgate! – Experimente só o “tripla ação”!

Candidato 7: Casas Bahia! – É pegar ou largar!

Candidato 8: IPVA 2008! – Vá de GOLF (grande ônibus lotado e fudido)!

Candidato 9: Luftal! – Aquele que vc inventava que tava com dor de barriga só pq tinha gostinho bom!

Candidato 10: Natura! – Ops! Caiu o sabonete…#)

Candidato 11: Santal! – Carmen Miranda?!

Candidato 12: Trident! – Sem comentários!!!

Candidato 13: Viagra! – Por favor Não apague a luz quando sair!!

Candidato 14: Personal! – Onde esssssssstá vc meu preciossssssssso?!?!

Candidato 15: Honda! – Pedimos ao Rubinho ajudar no comentário, mas ele ainda naum chegou….

Candidato 16: Banco do Brasil! – O banco é Seu! O seu dinheiro, Deles!

Candidato 17: Hipoglós! – Item fora de estoque. Todas as unidades disponíveis foram reservadas para o jogo de hoje contra o Goiás.

Candidato 18: Hipoglós! – Boatos indicam suposto patrocínio com clube paulista…

Candidato 19: Brokeback Mountain! – Promoção! Só Hoje! Compre o DVD e ganhe uma camisa do Tricolor Paulista!

Candidato 20: CET! - Dois tomates atravessando a rua: ”Olha o carro!” Ploft! “Que carro?!” Ploft!

Candidato 21: Johnsons! – Versão feminina: “Sua filha nunca mais vai querer largar a chupeta!”

Candidato 22: Winia! – Não se faça de boba, vc entendeu sim!

Candidato 23: Chocooky! - Repita o slogan rápido 15 vezes…

Candidato 24: Jontex! – O que acha de pularmos os comentários?

Candidato 25: Levitra! - Praticamente um coelho…

Candidato 26: Tap Air Portugal! – Cabral usou e aprovou!

Candidato 27: HP! – Sem dinheiro pra comprar tinta?

Candidato 28: Loterias! - Porque o amor é cego, surdo, mudo e tem osteoporose…

Candidato 29: Velho Barreiro! - Produto de qualidade inconstestável!

Candidato 30: Vick! – Outro produto aprovado pela equipe São-Paulina!

É isso ae pessoal. Espero que tenham gostado e citem nos comentários a propaganda que acharam mais criativa! Também convidamos a todos para acessarem nossa comunidade e perfil do orkut! Basta procurarem por Amor com Humor, ou acessarem o link no menu esquerdo da sua tela! No Natal, sortearemos um convite para o novo orkut exclusivamente para os amigos cadastrados em nosso perfil! Bjundas!

Searching for a chocolate chip cookie recipe online is a minefield!  There is a lot of debate about what makes the perfect cookie: thin and crispy or soft and chewy or chunky and crunchy … the list goes on.  I fancied making some choc chip cookies this week so after doing a bit of research (and being thoroughly bamboozled by some of the recipes I found – soured cream in a cookie??)  I plumped for this fairly basic looking one, and it turned out pretty well!  Not perfect, but not bad either.  Anyway, must dash, I’ve got a cup of tea and a cookie waiting for me …

A Thanksgiving to Remember
Karina Pinzon

Thanksgiving: the one day of the year where families around America sit down at the dinner table to do two things: give thanks and feast. For most Americans this is the day their greedy stomachs look forward to, but to others… it could mean danger.

“Thanksgiving used to be a happy day,” sixteen year old Karina Pinzon said. “Then a bitch came into my life and made me fear it.”

Pinzon is a United States native who has battled Anorexia Nervosa for the past year. To herself and disordered eaters around the world, Thanksgiving does not mean food and family, Thanksgiving means an opportunity to “get fat.”

“The week before Thanksgiving, my daughter would tell me every day ‘I’m scared, mommy’” the mother said. “I tried to tell her that no one day would make anyone fat. It is all about moderation! Indulging is healthy.”

Pinzon came to understand this Thursday night when she experienced an “epiphany” that could change her life.

“As I was serving myself restrictively, I realized that this is one day of the year and I should let myself enjoy it.” Pinzon said. “I deserve to indulge like everyone else and give thanks with my family.”

As she continues to move forward in her recovery, Pinzon hopes to live every day as liberally as she did on Thursday. According the United States Declaration of independence, all humans are equal and have the right to pursue happiness. This does not include being under the tyrannical rule of another.

“I promise to never let my eating disorder keep me from enjoying and living my life again,” Karina said. “I don’t deserve to live my life in fear. Bring me the corn bread.”

Oh how I miss writing for the newspaper .

Yesterday’s breakfast: 1 hemp bagel spread with 2 tbsp. raw Maranatha almond butter, blueberries, and a chocolate protein shake.

On Thursday I lived my life liberally… and it felt great. I counted calories up until dinner and then again after dinner, making sure I reached a total calorie goal without dinner included. I thought I was going to chicken out and count dinner/restrict instead of eat intuitively, but I didn’t. I ate a bit of everything I wanted and stopped when my plate was clean, and my tummy satisfied.

I did the same yesterday at our “post-Thanksgiving lunch.” I uninvited ED to my family’s festivities, locked him out, and scolded him for trying to crash.

I had me some Tofurky, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, my mom’s famous cornbread and a side salad. I would have had sweet potatoes too but everyone gobbled them up the night before. Including me.

The freedom I felt these past two days is indescribable. I wish that everybody unfamiliar with an ED-free lifestyle could experience what I felt. I was so inspired by the experience that I ordered a veggie burger at Red Robin (on THEIR bun) and was centimeters away from buying a cookie at the movies.

All it took to make this much progress was a little push. A little determination. I honestly can not stress enough how important it is to challenge yourself in recovery from Eating Disorders. I am no expert but when you are trying to get rid of something/someone in your life, are you going to follow its orders and stay on its’ good side?

NO!

If ED tells you to do 100 crunches, don’t do them.
If ED tells you not to go your friend’s party because there will be cake there, put on your party clothes and get out of the house.
If ED chooses a salad over a cookie at a buffet, grab the cookie now.

When you obey any of ED’s orders, you are making zero progress. It just holds you back all the more. The sooner you fight, the sooner you put on those boxing gloves and give ED a good punch, the closer you will get to permanent freedom. Permanent freedom and happiness.

Happy Person Exhibit A

On an unfortunately less positive note, I’ve been unsure of myself lately… and I don’t mean physically.

You see, there is this girl I sort of know who has stolen my style, my personality, and my words, then calls them her own.

Now, I am not one to get catty and this typically would not bug me since imitation is a form of flattery, but some of my own friends have taken notice of her… and I am afraid that I may be replaced.

What upsets me the most is that her thoughts are clearly not genuine and coming from her own heart and mind, yet people are falling for it. They’re falling for her veneer: me.

I don’t like to talk about others in such a public way and this is the first time I talk about this issue, but right now I feel like I am not good enough… and like I am such a simple person to replace. A few of you may have an idea of who I am talking about.

But anyways, ballet class was cancelled this morning due to my instructor’s sinus headaches, so I had plenty of time on my hands! I did some stretches and had a delicious bowl of oatmeal. It tasted like a warm and gooey snickerdoodle cookie!

1 packet instant oatmeal cooked in hemp milk, 2 tbsp. almond butter and Jay Robb’s vanilla protein powder. Topped with 1/2 c. Kashi GoLean Crunch!, sunflower seeds, and plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.

I decided after eating that giant snickerdoodle cookie , that today would be a good day. I will set my worries aside, keep my chin up, and hope for the best.

Enjoy your Saturdays, beautiful girls and any handsome boys. Hehe.

I’m so late with this one. I can’t even blame it on Thanksgiving. But here it is, 8 days later… This post is in the series of the Hottest Women You’ll Never Meet. Seeing as how this is a site about fantasy sports, these women will almost certainly be 100% fictional. You may have run across them in various games, shows or what have you, but you’ve never actually met them. And you never will. Just sit back, read up and enjoy!

Nina Williams

Name: Nina Williams

First Appearance: Tekken, 1994

Age: 20

Birthplace: Ireland

Height: 5′3½”

Weight: 119 lbs.

Hobbies or Occupation: Contract Assassin, personal bodyguard. Retracing memories

The Shake: What she lacks in personality and general social norms, Nina makes up for in beauty. She’s a cold-hearted assassin with very few friends if any at all. She’s not much for family considering she harbors some serious dislike for her sister, Anna. She is fairly indifferent and emotionless in general toward most things and somewhat bitter toward men. Nina’s probably a tough cookie to make crumble. Nina has long blond hair and crystal-blue eyes, which if you got lost in, might be a near fatal mistake. It’s all about the beauty here.

Deal Breaker: I’m pretty sure I mentioned her bitterness toward men… It’s definitely safer that you “look, but don’t touch.”

Hello wonderful readers. I’m going to apologize now if this post falls into the lacklustre category – I think I may be coming down with something, and I’m a little at odds with life right now. Although I’m enjoying going back to school, and excited for the ultimate outcome & career change, I’m really missing “being an adult”. Just all those little things – having my own space, my own kitchen, control over the tv…stuff like that (although, I do enjoy having my laundry done for me – thanks mom!). I even sort of miss living far away from my family, which I never thought would happen. It’s just the idea of the current situation for the next 3 1/2 years is bothering me. I know it makes no sense to move out on my own, get student loans, and spend all of that money on rent/food/bills when I don’t NEED to, but sometimes my sanity thinks I do. What can I say, I’ve always been the independent one, and right now I feel like anything but.

Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s get down to Friday’s happenings. AKA – Marianne’s complete waste of a day.

I was up and at them before 6 am, chowing down on a nice bowl of cereal.

• Nature’s Path Mesa Sunrise
• puffed kamut
• puffed brown rice
• shredded coconut
• pomegranate arils
• unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Plus a glass of cranberry pomegranate juice.

I made the epic journey out to school for my one, 50 min biochemistry lecture, and then back home. I had to sprint to get the bus home, to avoid waiting 30 min for the next one. The driver had just closed the doors as I made it there, and was nice enough to open them back up for me. Then I fell asleep on the bus, only to wake up just as we were going past my house. Damnit! I managed pull the cord so they stopped at the next stop, but I had to hike back up my hill. At least I didn’t wake up at the bottom of the hill.

After all the unexpected exercise this morning, I found myself back in my pajamas and back in bed for a nap. I planned on a couple hours, so I could get up, make lunch, go flog from resumes, and get a few other things done. Too bad I slept from 10:30 am – 3:30 pm. No joke. And the first sign that perhaps my body is fighting off some sort of illness, because I never nap like that.

Before my crazy nap, I snacked on one of the Super Charge Me Cookies I made last night.

And after my nap, I had the last cornbread muffin (those didn’t last long).

I was hungrier than that, but knowing dinner would be just around the corner, I figured I’d just hold out. I set up camp on the Lazy Boy massage/heated recliner and watched TV until Take Out Friday was served.

Since pizza was last week….

…Chinese food was on the menu this week.

We had all the usual suspects – chow mein, fried rice, beef chop suey, almond chicken, sweet & sour pork, spring rolls.

It’s time like this that I wish I was back on my own – I like to order different things every time  I get Chinese, generally with more veg, but my family is so set in their ways, you just can’t deviate from the standards.

The fortune cookie after the meal.

Sign #2 I might be getting sick? This did NOT sit well in my tummy. I was chugging water like it was going out of style (it seemed overly salty this time), and had a general feeling of crappiness that I don’t normally get. Bah. I went back to the lounger for awhile, then made my way to the gym in hopes of sweating out the icky-ness. It worked relatively well. At least I didn’t feel like a sack of crap when I got back home.

So what did I go and do then? Made popcorn. What? I had a craving.

Just some plain popcorn with a little butter drizzle. Simple enough, tasted good, still gave me angry belly. Bah. I don’t have time for sickness!

There was more TV watching and general laziness. Of course, now I’m completely awake since I slept half the day away, so I’m not in the mood to go to bed yet. But I want to get things done tomorrow, so I’m going to try and force myself to sleep. I shall leave you with a picture of Sienna, trying to help my mom pick out a dessert recipe for the dinner party they are going to tomorrow.

Night!

I have always been a fan of anise. When I was in high school, my mom worked at this banquet hall and she would make bizcochitos for some of the banquets there. Her cookies were light, crumbly, and in the shape of cacti.

I wanted to make some for Thanksgiving yesterday, so I hunted down a recipe. Traditionally, they are supposed to be rolled out like a sugar cookie. I am currently lacking in the rolling-pin department so I had to get creative. First, I tried the tines of a fork, like peanut butter cookies, but they were too thick. I ended up using the bottom of a glass. I think they turned out rather well, if I do say so myself.

Bizcochitos
1 c shortening or lard (I used shortening)
1 1/4 c sugar, divided
1 egg
1 t anise seed (not ground)
3 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 c water
2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350*F. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream together shortening and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth; add eggs and anise seed and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to shortening mixture. Add enough water until dough clumps together.

And here is where we deviate from the recipe.

What you’re supposed to do:
Turn dough out onto an unfloured surface and roll to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut into diamond shapes, or cut out with a cookie cutter. In a shallow bowl, combine 1/2 c sugar with 2 t cinnamon. Dip the top of each cookie into the mixture and place on an ungreased sheet pan.

What I did:
Roll cookies into balls that are about the size of a walnut. Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture(still 1/2 c sugar + 2 t cinnamon). Place on a cookie sheet with a Silpat (or cheap Target variation) liner. Press bottom of glass down on each cookie until they are about an 1/8 of an inch thick. If glass begins sticking to cookie, press bottom of glass in cinnamon and sugar mixture and resume pressing.

And now back to the recipe.

Bake for 10 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden. Do not overcook; you want them to be a little soft.

Eat with a cup of hot chocolate.

Today is about two things. It’s about Cookie.   She’s a Poodle at the SPCA in Yolo County.  And it’s about homeless dogs (and cats too!) at the SPCA in San Francisco. 

Cookie needs a new family.  That’s a Kind Friend and a Best Friend.  I think that’s a family.  But there is other kinds of families.  So if you would like to have a Poodle to come and live at your house.  Or if you know someone.  And they might like Cookie to come to their house.  Like some neighbors, or some friends. You could tell them about Cookie. 

And you could tell them about the homeless dogs and cats at the San Francisco SPCA too.

Because Cookie is a Poodle [See About Poodles.]  Like me!   But just the Poodle parts of me.  Not the Bichon parts.   Bichon is different.  [See About Bichons.]   Cookie is about 6 years old.  That’s the same as my Best Friend.  Nearly the same.  Except he is 5 and almost 6.   But I am not as many.  I am only 1.  Or 2.  Maybe.  I think.  That’s what my Kind Friend said.  Because we don’t know my birthday.  Except we are going to make my birthday be the day I got rescued from the shelter.  But what’s a birthday?  I don’t know.

And Cookie weighs about 30lbs.  That’s bigger than me.  A lot bigger than me.  Because I only weigh 12 lbs.  

But Cookie is smaller than my Best Friend.  Because he weighs 65 lbs.   But not all Standard Poodles weigh that many.  Some are smaller.  Like Cookie.  And a Caniche Moyen.  That’s a kind of Poodle in France.  A medium size Poodle. Those kind of Caniches.  They weigh about 30 lbs. I think that’s what my Kind Friend said.  And you can see about that at the About Poodles page on here. 

But my Best Friend is apricot.  That’s his color name.  Except not all Standard Poodles are apricot.  Some colors can be black, or brown, or red, of silver.  And lots of colors.  You can see about that here too at About Poodles.  But Cookie is not apricot or any of those colors.  She is white like me.  I like white.  Even though it gets dirty.  [Happy Thanksgiving, Mucky Pup, Samuel.]  Because I can take a bath and make it clean again.

Here is Cookie’s picture from Petfinder.  But I couldn’t make it be bigger.  And she is at the Yolo County SPCA.  So you could call them and find out more about Cookie. 

Cookie: Yolo County SPCA Rescue Poodle. Courtesy Yolo County SPCA Petfinder.

They said she might be mix.  That’s like me too!  Because  my mix parts are Bichon and Poodle.  But the SPCA said that Cookie’s mix parts are Standard Poodle and Miniature Poodle.  So that’s a little bit bigger.  And a little bit more smaller.  But both bigger than me.  I forgot you could be Poodle Poodle mix.  I thought it had to be two different parts.  Like me because of Bichon and Poodle.  Or like Tilly with Bedlington and Glen of Imaal.  But now I remember that I heard about some Miniature Poodle-Toy Poodle mixes too.  There’s so many lots of mixes I get mixed up! 

I hope Cookie finds a new home very soon.  But my Kind Friend said Cookie is safe at the Yolo County SPCA.  They take good care of her.  And nothing bad will happen to her there.  Not like I would have been euthanasia because I was unadoptable.

And if you want to help some homeless dogs (and cats too) in San Francisco, you should go to Jun Belen’s website.  Because he has a lot of information about a special program in San Francisco.  It’s the San Francisco SPCA and Macy’s.  They are helping the dogs and cats find new homes.

Jun Belen has photographs about it.  And he has a link to webcams too.  So you can see the homeless dogs and cats.  And he has a corgi  too.  He is handsome.  And he is Stanford.  I like Stanford.

It’s true, the baking bug hit me again this evening. But you’ll just have to read through this post to see my latest kitchen creation. I`m such a tease

I started off my morning intent on featuring something I cooked up last night – Pumpkin Butter!

I used this recipe, only switching out the water for some unsweetened applesauce, and adding a glug of maple syrup, since I was a little short on the brown sugar needed. I cooked it on the stove top on medium-low heat, and it took FOREVER to cook to a nice, spreadable consistency.

What better way to feature this delight than on a bowl of piping hot oatmeal!

I whipped up a pretty basic oatmeal combination that I knew would compliment the pumpkin butter nicely.

• 1/2 cup oats, milk, water
• 1 banana, thinly sliced
• splash of vanilla
• 1 tbsp flax seed
• peanut butter drizzle
• blob of homemade pumpkin butter
• end of a bag of chocolate chips

Gratuitous close-ups!

With a glass of refreshingly tart cranberry pomegranate juice.

Although it lacks the exact consistency of Trader Joe’s famous Pumpkin Butter, it was still delicious. I’m hoping it will keep, otherwise I’ll be eating it by the spoonful so it doesn’t go bad!

I had a little extra time to enjoy my morning, since I didn’t need to pack a lunch. I was participating in a focus group on the new common study area in our faculty building, to see what students like about it, and what could be improved. To bribe us poor students into giving up an hour of our time, we were fed lunch. Yay!

Of course, I usually eat lunch after my first class, around 11:30 am, so I knew I’d be eat my arm off hungry by the time the focus group rolled around at 1:00 pm. I was a thinker, and packed a snack.

One of my Apple Carrot Raisin Oatmeal Muffins, and a Coconut Cream Pie Larabar (just in case the lunch was totally unacceptable – gotta be prepared). And somehow that bottle of caffeine gold made it into my bag. I have no idea how that could have happened.

Fortunately, I didn’t need the Larabar, as they served up some really nice pizza – it was on thin, whole wheat crust, and had some fun toppings, like the chipotle chicken with corn, peppers and onions (love! must put corn on pizza now), a vegetarian one, and a steak, pepper, onion one. I definitely had no fear of starving.

I met up with one of my group members during our normal class time, and we hammered out an outline for our group paper, and assigned sections to the rest of the group (who were out at their schools). Here’s hoping it all goes smooth – we have all been given extensions into the first week of exams, since so many groups were having troubles contacting their schools to do their surveys. No excuse now to not get it done, and done well.

I was able to make my way home early, which was excellent (who doesn’t like getting home early). I had the pleasure of listening to these two flamboyantly gay guys behind me on the bus, one of which I think either wanted to model, was a model, or was obsessed with models. They talked the entire time about how they didn’t want to get fat, and how one guy only ate salad, maybe with a piece of bread, but didn’t like to have too much protien, etc, etc, and then went on to talk about how they needed plastic surgery to have better cheekbones, yadda, yadda. I kid you not. It took all my willpower to not turn around and just go WTF? Seriously….I just…I had no words. And it made me sad – even these guys are completely obsessed with weight and thinness and appearance. Sigh.

I came home to the smells of homemade soup. Yum! It was split pea with ham.

Mom also baked up some cornbread muffins – they were buttery and slight sweet. Delicious.

I filled out my plate with a few carrot sticks and hummus.

I did some work on our group project (fun with Google Maps!), and then the baking bug bit again. This time, I knew exactly what I needed to make.

I made the ever popular…

It’s true, I finally got around to trying out these blog favourites. I don’t know what kept me from doing so for so long – it’s not like there is anything on the ingredient list I wouldn’t normally have in the house.

The results:

I must have made slightly smaller cookies than the recipe called for, since I got 18, and the recipe said 11 – 12 cookies. Bite sized are more fun! I probably could have gotten 19, but, ya know…I may have done some dough tasting. Tee hee.

Is there any doubt I needed to try one out for an evening snack?

I had one Super Charge Me Cookie, and another fantastic cornbread muffin, that I “iced” with some pumpkin butter.

These cookies are little bites of joy. I’m a big fan of the peanut butter/maple syrup flavour combination. Plus they have chocolate and coconut – two of my favourite things! I think if I made them again, I’ll have to double the recipe. With 4 people living in this house, they will be gone in no time.

Alrighty boys and girls – this blogger needs to get some shuteye. Night!