Cookie Crazy

There is really only one tradition in my family when it comes to Christmastime. And that is my beloved Peanut Butter Balls. They are a sweet reminder of many, many happy Christmases past. I make them at least once each holiday season, and in fact just took them to a party last week. But when Mep of Not to Brag asked me and two of our other beautiful friends, Heather and E..., to be a part of a virtual cookie party, I thought it might be time to try something new.

As my now no doubt nervous in-laws are aware, I have a penchant for trying new dessert recipes. Unfortunately, my ability to create these masterpieces is severely outmatched by my desire to pick the most complicated and obscure recipes available. The year of the pumpkin flan comes to mind. It is to their credit that at each holiday event of the past 7 years, they have gamely nibbled on my creations. And not once have they made gagging noises or spit anything out, even though I am quite certain that they have all wanted to on at least one occasion. Even my husband, who is a human garbage disposal of food has on occasion been less than complimentary of my efforts. Which means it was BAD. So for this challenge I was really determined to make something that was not especially complicated and more importantly, tasty.

I looked over my cupboard and with a distinct aversion to the idea of a trip to the grocery store on this cold evening, I found a recipe that made use of the materials I had on hand. Which as it turns out, weren't so meager as I had feared. I was able to produce two ingredients that are favorites of mine, and most amazingly, in a quantity adequate for my needs. Specifically: white chocolate chips and cranberries. And with the discovery of some quick oats on the top shelf, I knew I was on my way.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 6 ounces white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the sugar, brown sugar and butter; mix well to cream together. (I used my Kitchen-aid stand mixer for the whole process. I don't know how I lived without it.)
3. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.
5. Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips - making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed.
6. Drop teaspoonfuls (or roll into balls, but that is quite messy and doesn't make a discernible difference) about 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.

I wish you could see the nice little red cranberries that accent this cookie, but that color just doesn't show up well.

They came out a little crispier than I was expecting. That might be due to the pan I used. It might be due to overcooking. It might be that I used light butter. Really, none of that matters because these cookies are HEAVENLY. They are exactly the right mix of crispy and chewy. When I set the plate down in front of Neil, he said "looks good" in a non-committal way. I can't blame him. But after one bite, he was making yummy noises and proclaimed them "damn good!" Which is a far cry from the usual "fine" that passes for high praise in this house. 

I definitely recommend giving them a try, I just know these little beauties will be crowd pleasers! Enjoy!


And be sure to visit Mep, E... and Heather to see what yummy confections they made!

The Best Time Of Day

One of my favorite times of the day is just after Neil gets home from work. Usually by that time, Sophie and I have just about had enough of each other. She is to the point of doing things just to get a rise out of me and I am to the point where I go straight to yell rather than my usual progression of soft instruction, then firmer, then louder, then yell.

I have always enjoyed cooking (which would come as a surprise to my 7th grade Home Ec teacher who gave me a D), but these days, that enjoyment goes to a whole new level, because now it is my time. No grabbing, shouting, running, knocking things down, squealing, crying and in every way distracting toddler to divert my attention. Neil takes Sophie down into the basement family room while I throw on some music and get to work crafting our meal.

It doesn't matter what I'm making, somehow it almost all winds up taking me 30-45 minutes. In the old days, when I typically didn't get home from work until 7pm or later, that would have been a burden. I would most likely have skipped a better, more healthy meal for something quick and easy. There's a reason Hamburger Helper is so successful. I don't want to say we single-handedly kept them in business, but their stock is down these days. You do the math.

Neil would be happy either way, but now that I have to think not just about my expanding waistline but the needs of a growing child, our meals have taken on a new context. Now they must be nutritious and tasty, but not gratuitously fattening, not always an easy balance to keep.

It was always my intent that we institute a family dinner just like I had growing up. Regardless of what was going on, we all sat down to dinner together every. single. night. I just didn't realize that the preparation would become as much a part of the ritual as the meal itself.

Just one more example of the MANY things that I never would have expected prior to having a child.

Wednesday Wonderings

- I cut up three jalapeno peppers and my hands are still on fire, like 10 hours later. Does anyone have any tips for preventing/fixing this?

- I'm having a helluva time sleeping lately. Not sure what the deal is, but I am not liking it. Update: Sophie let me sleep in this morning until almost 9am!! That is unheard of around these parts. She is normally up before the sun. Of course she was necked and covered in pee when I went in there, but it was a lot easier to tolerate after a good night's sleep.

- I really love it when it cools down enough at night to open up the windows.

- There is a lady at my gym who is there every time I am and she is always chewing her gum with a big open mouth (even though there is a gym rule against gum). She looks like a cow with her cud. It's disgusting.

- My allergies are going crazy right now. I touched my raw nose with my jalapeno hands. HUGE mistake.

- I believe my daughter might be a cheerioaholic.

- I can't decide what to do with my hair. I have an appointment this weekend and I don't know if I want to start growing it out or clip it back up short. Decisions, decisions.

- Just two weeks until Blogher. Squeeeeeal!

Grits, Grits, Grits - The More Times I Say The Word, The Weirder It Sounds

A while back, further back than I want to say, I won a fabulous prize from the fabulous Lula. The package of goodies included fun springy dishtowels, piggy paint (that's toenail polish), a Hello Kitty clip board, adorable ribbon hair clips for Sophie, yummy peanut M & M's AND a $25 gift card for Target! How freaking awesome is all that?
















But wait, there's more! The best part was a Paula Deen Cookbook! I must confess a love for Miss Paula. I love her accent (which, btw, is how I imagine Lula sounds), I love that she cooks in full bling (the woman never wears less than 10 carats) and she never met a stick of butter she didn't like (a woman after my own butter-lovin' heart). So when I got the cookbook, I was very excited to delve into all of the tasty goodness.

One of the things I really like about Paula's recipes is that they are very accessible. I typically have most of the ingredients on hand, but if I don't they're not unusual stuff, so it's not the kind of thing where I have to buy a whole bunch, bottle or whatever only to use a pinch and the rest either goes bad or languishes in my spice cabinet never to be used again. I have made a number of recipes from the book and each time we have really enjoyed it. There was one recipe that I kept stopping on and then passing by, though, because I felt some trepidation at attempting.

Because I have a confession.

I have never made grits before. Now, I was born in Georgia, yes that's right folks, I'm a peach, but we left when I was four, so I wasn't raised on the stuff. In Kansas, where I grew up, you can get it, but it's not a staple. I guess that's probably true of Maryland, where I currently live, as well. Neil had never even tried them. I know, GASP!

So after months of looking at the tantalizing picture, temptation finally won out over fear and tonight, for the first time, I made grits. More specifically, I made Shrimp and Cheese Grits*. (Her website does not have this recipe listed, so I've linked to another site that shows it.)

Simple ingredients:
Grits
Shrimp
Butter**
Cheddar Cheese
Bacon
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Parsley
Salt and Pepper



Basically, you cook the grits (why was I so afraid of this, it was easy!) and then mix in the cheese and butter. Meanwhile, you fry up the bacon, remove it, and cook the shrimp in the bacon grease (um, YUM!). Throw the lemon juice, garlic and parsley into the shrimp. Scoop shrimp mixture over grits and garnish with crumbled bacon. Easy peasy, y'all.
















And let me tell you: it. was. so. good. At first, Neil said, "hmm, it's different." But after a couple of bites, he was won over by it's bacony, cheesy, buttery deliciousness. As he was wiping his plate clean, he said, "I would eat that again. And again! And again!"
















So a big, giant (and much belated) thank you to Lula for all of the wonderful stuff. A whole new, grits-making world has been opened up to me.

Have a great weekend, y'all!

*Thanks to this one dish, I will be spending the next three days on the elliptical. It is not for the faint at heart.

**I am so irritated that I didn't notice the butter was upside down when I was staging that picture. Now, it's ALL I can see.