White Dresses, Good Friends, and Pumpkin Cookies

Yes, my friends, that is a Silpat in the above picture. My Silpat. My very own to have and to hold and to bake lots of yummy things on!

I spent the weekend in Dayton, OH with some of my favorite people: Ben and Bekah, and Danny. I pretty much owe my life to them. Not only did they (and another friend, Jacob) save me from certain death when I (purposely) jumped off a 45 foot cliff into a lake and broke my tail bone and could not walk for a day, they also provide awesome conversation and I know that they will be there if/when I need them.

For 3 consecutive days, I did not have to work, so it was obvious that Bekah and I should go up to Dayton to visit her beau, Ben, and shop for wedding dresses. We were quite succesful in both endeavors (Bekah's dress is perfection). While we grocery shopped for dinner (Basil Chicken Parmigiana, recipe to come in a few weeks), we happened upon a lonely Silpat that was on sale. I was tempted, but stood my ground due to my strict budget (aka: my need to spend the majority of my money on transportation, rent, and organic dairy products). Then Ben, like the great guy that he is, insisted on putting the Silpat into his grocery cart. I must say, I am still a little sheepish about it, but very thankful. Yay.

To celebrate the homecoming of my Silpat, I made these soft cookies (also, I have a bunch of canned pumpkin that is sitting on my book shelf next to my bed and just asking to be eaten).

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from Gooseberry Patch's Family Favorite Recipes

I made these on Monday afternoon and they were gone before lunch on Tuesday. Pretty sure the kids ate these faster than any other cookies I've made (including chocolate chip).

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour (optional: 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon (I use 1.5 teaspoons if I am using cheap cinnamon)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat sugar and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, beating until blended; set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl; gradually add to shortening mixture, beat well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by large, rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and browned on bottom. Remove to cooling racks.

Makes 2 dozen.

Vanilla Almond Cherry Granola

Just in case you are not up on the current price of store-bought granolas, they are ridiculously expensive. Homemade granola has become something of a staple food for me. I love being able to control the proportions of nuts, fruit, and coconut, as well as the size and number of clusters. Honestly, homemade granola with Silk vanilla almond milk is like a dessert. Soooo good. I think I will have that for breakfast tomorrow, actually (dessert for breakfast, what could be better?).

If you're interested in other flavors and varieties of granola, I strongly suggest you follow the link under the recipe title. It is a great article and has so many different variations. Whether you are new to granola and would like some guidance, or if you are a Granola Master and are looking for some inspiration, the NYTimes article has it.

Almond Cherry Vanilla Granola

Adapted from USA Weekend

This recipe is great because it makes just enough for me to have it around for about 2 weeks, then it's all gone and I get a chance to try a new flavor variation.

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup milled flax seed

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 Tbs. flavorless oil, such as vegetable or canola

1 Tbs. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat oven to 275 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal pan with cooking spray, then set aside. Mix oats, wheat germ, flax seed, brown sugar, salt, almonds, and coconut in a bowl. Bring syrup, oil, water and vanilla indicated below to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Drizzle over oat mixture, and stir to combine. Pour mixture onto prepared pan. Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps (do not skip this, it's what makes those delicious clusters). Bake for 30 minutes. Stir in cherries. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool.

Granola can be stored in an airtight tin for up to two weeks, although it never lasts that long in my house.

My Latest Crush

School girl crushes can be such fun, although it's rather bitter sweet when you realize that the object of your affection is an expensive celebrity that you have no intention of purchasing because you lack the funds to do so.

No, I am not talking about a mail order husband, nor even a person for that matter. I am talking about Silpat baking mats. They are magical little sheets that will not let anything stick to them. That's right, no more parchment paper, no more greasing pans. Just simply put your Silpat on the bottom of the pan, place your scrumptious delights on top, and bake! The blogs I have been reading say they aren't just for cookies and such, but can be used for veggies even and do not retain smells/tastes like garlic or onion.

::crush crush crush::

Oh, and just in case you are trying to win my eternal love, here's the website: Silpat

One reason why I would love to have a Silpat is because, if I had one, I would not have to go buy more parchment paper this week. I ran out when making maple cookies today for the Tuesday night get-together. I was planning to make orange-chocolate filled cream puffs, but I did not cook the butter to high enough temperature (I got excited and forgot to follow the directions), so I had to scramble for something else to make. I pulled out this simple recipe that doesn't take much hands-on time to put together.

Maple Cookies

Makes 24 to 30 cookies.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for dusting

16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the 3/4 cup sugar and the butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the maple syrup, vanilla and egg yolk and beat for 1 minute. Sift together the flour and salt directly onto the butter mixture, then beat on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Butter 2 baking sheets.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using a rolling pin, roll out 1/8 inch thick (seriously, go thicker than you think you need to in order to avoid a burnt cookie). Using a maple leaf–shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. As the cookies are cut, place them 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Then, using a small paring knife, mark each cutout in a pattern resembling the veins of a maple leaf. Gather up the scraps, reroll and cut out as many additional cookies as possible. Repeat with the second dough portion, placing the cookies on the second prepared baking sheet. Dust each cookie with about 1/2 tsp. sugar.

Place the baking sheets on separate racks in the oven. Bake the cookies until the edges are light golden, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through baking. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).

Blueberry Banana Wake Up.

Ever since I tried making a smoothie with banana, blueberries, milk, coconut, lime juice, and ginger, I've been trying to figure out how I can put those ingredients into pretty much everything. My answer to my blue-banana-coconut-ginger-lime craving this morning was oatmeal. Mmmmm. There's pretty much only good things in this! Calcium to fight osteoporosis, complex carbohydrates for energy, blueberries for antioxidants, banana and coconut for yumminess, lime and ginger for some help waking up.

There were Pillsbury cinnamon rolls in the oven for the kids when I started work today (which, incidentally, taste nothing like cinnamon rolls to me, but are tasty anyway, especially when topped with homemade orange-mascarpone icing), so I was pretty glad to have something that would keep me full and satisfied a tad longer than cinnamon rolls, in addition to being yummy enough to distract me from the oh-so addictive cinnamon roll icing. Ok, so I did give in and lick the spoon after icing the little boy's roll, big deal =).

Blueberry Banana Oatmeal for One

1/3 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup milk

1/2 frozen banana, defrosted/mashed

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon coconut (unsweetened, shredded)

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon of lime juice, optional

Mix together in 2-cup microwave-safe bowl, microwave on high for 2 minutes. Let cool and thicken for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Lemon Cream Puffs

Attending a private college was an expensive investment that, upon reviewing my debt, often leaves me questioning my sanity. However, it is people like Grace and Allen, my hall parents from the dorm hall I lived in my first two years, that make me realize that going to Asbury University is a priceless experience because of the relationships that are formed and the way God moves in that place. I know that I am truly cared for by the staff, faculty, and community of Asbury. Even the other day, I met an Asbury alumnus in a nearby town and they give me their contact information, "just in case you ever need any help at all."

Grace and Allen had some of us former First Glide (my hall's name) girls over for a delicious dinner on Sunday evening. We had bang-bang shrimp, biscuits with honey-cinnamon butter, an Asian salad, and strawberry cakes. It was all delicious. They also shared some other recipes with us, like the lemon cream puff recipe below. I made them today to see how they'd turn out and will probably be making them again on Tuesday for the get-together. I always thought cream puffs would be a long and arduous process, but I was definitely wrong.

These are easy and way too easy to just pop in your mouth, one after the other =). I think I will try a chocolate filling on Tuesday, yum.

This makes about 20 cream puffs. 20 is great if you are serving this as a finger food or appetizer or have guests who are trying to not overdo dessert.

If you are serving it as the main event/dessert, you may want to make 10 very large cream puffs instead (you would then use double the filling on each puff).

Cream Puffs

1/2 cup (1/4 lb.) butter, cubed

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 recipe of filling

In a 3- to 4-quart pan, combine 1 cup water and butter; bring to a boil over high heat. Add flour all at once and stir quickly until mixture pulls away from pan sides and masses together. Remove from heat and stir until flour is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Let cool about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mix by hand, add eggs, one at a time, to warm butter-flour mixture in pan, stirring after each addition until dough is smooth and satiny.

Spoon Cream Puff Dough into 20 equal mounds (about 1 tablespoon each) about 2 inches apart on two lightly buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

Bake in at 400° until puffs are golden, about 30 minutes; if baking the sheets at the same time in one oven, switch their positions halfway through. Transfer puffs to racks to cool completely.

Slice the top third off each puff. Fill each bottom with a very generous tablespoon of filling (actually, about 2 tablespoons). Cover with tops, and drizzle each puff with 2 to 3 teaspoons chocolate ice cream topping or sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.

Lemon Filling

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup butter, cubed

2 cups heavy whipping cream

4 teaspoons sugar

In a heavy saucepan, combine the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 5-7 minutes or until mixture is thick enough to coat a metal spoon.

Remove from heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; press plastic wrap onto surface of filling and chill for 1 hour or until partially set.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream and sugar until stiff peaks form; fold into chilled lemon mixture.

Chocolate Mousse for Two

Nothing is coincidence, which is why it is fate that my heavy whipping cream's expiration date is February 14, 2011. The universe was asking me to make something delicious for Valentine's Day and I, as any good universal citizen would, was happy to answer the call with a chocolate mousse garnished with strawberries.

I know it's weird, but I kind of like Valentine's Day, even when I am single. In fact, the only time I had a horrible V-day was when I was in a relationship. Sometimes I feel like there is too much pressure on people to make February 14 some important, meaningful occasion and all of that just ruins the day. Really, it's just a day to be reminded to slow down, take a break from the busy pace of life, and spend some quality time with someone.

As a single person, I view Valentine's Day as a fun day that gives me an excuse to have some good friends over and eat well. Valentine's Day does not mean gorging myself on cheap chocolate; I'd much rather have a small bit of something decadent, which is why I chose chocolate mousse.

Confession: I am going to the local coffee house, Main and Maple, with a few girls to take advantage of their Valentine's Day Cupcake Decorating Extravaganza and am keeping the mousse all for myself. I have no regrets.

Chocolate Mousse for Two

(Adapted from Tyler Florence's Chocolate Mousse for 6)

*Warning: mousse contains raw eggs

*Also, this makes a small serving, about half a cup. I recommend tripling the recipe if you want 4 large servings.

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large egg, separated

1/6 teaspoon cream of tartar (a scant 1/4 teaspoon)

1 tablespoon+1 teaspoon sugar, plus 2 teaspoons sugar

1/6 cup heavy cream, cold (2 tablespoons, 2 teaspoons)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (peppermint, rum, or almond would also be yummy)

Optional: strawberries or raspberries and a little whip cream for garnish

Put the chocolate and butter in a medium-size microwave bowl and microwave in intervals of 15 seconds, stirring in between, until butter and chocolate have completely melted and combined. Set aside and let cool slightly. Separate egg, reserve the egg white in another bowl, and whisk egg yolk into the chocolate mixture until smooth. Set aside.

Take the bowl with the egg white and beat until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 tablespoon+1 teaspoon sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream until it begins to thicken a little. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar and the vanilla extract (or w/e extract you want) and continue beating until the cream holds soft peaks.

Now that you've got the three elements prepared, put it all together. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then, fold in the whipped cream. Take care not over work the mousse or it will be heavy. Divide the mousse between 4 individual glasses. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with whipped cream and fruit before serving.

Quick, Fairly Healthy Dinner

Every once in a while, I cook dinner for the family who I babysit for. It's rather exciting, since I get to cook, but it's also a challenge to create a meal using a pantry that I didn't stock and, to my knowledge, was not stocked with any particular meal in mind.

Trying to rack my brain for a tasty, nutritional meal that would only require the ingredients that I have on hand, I decided on a broccoli chicken divan and whole wheat dinner muffins. I used my own whole wheat flour in the muffins, which allowed me to eat the left over muffins for breakfast the rest of the week =). I was totally fine with that.

The broccoli chicken divan is good. It's definitely a recipe to keep around due to it's ease, yumminess, and requirement of pretty much no fresh food (yay pantry recipes).

The muffins might be the yummiest complex carbohydrate addition to any dinner. They are also good for you! I think my favorite part about them is that they are just as delicious for a quick snack or breakfast as they are for dinner.

Wheat Dinner Muffins

1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour or graham flour

2 Tbs. yellow cornmeal

3 Tbs. firmly packed light or dark brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs, separated

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, or sesame oil or olive oil

1 cup buttermilk (or, pour 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a large measuring, then fill to the 1 cup line with milk)

2 Tbs. sour cream or plain yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Unsalted butter or jam for serving

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Grease 9 standard muffin cups; fill the unused cups one-third full with water to prevent warping.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, buttermilk, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until evenly moistened. The batter will be slightly lumpy.

In a clean bowl, using a mixer with spotlessly clean beaters on medium speed, or a balloon whisk, beat the egg whites just until they form soft peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter until blended.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one level with the rim of the cup (seriously, fill to the top).

Bake the muffins until they are golden, dry and springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins and serve warm or at room temperature, with butter. Makes 9 muffins.

Adapted from The Williams-Sonoma Cookbook, Edited by Chuck Williams (Free Press, 2008).

Broccoli Chicken Casserole (serves 4-6)

3 cups frozen broccoli

1 1/2 pounds chicken, raw, cubed

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon wet garlic

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of *whatever* soup

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream or mayo, whatever you have on hand

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Cook broccoli according to decorations on bag (I put mine in a microwave safe bowl with a 1/2 cup of water and cook in the microwave for 3 minutes and then drain). Place the cooked broccoli in a 8x8 inch baking dish.

Place onion and garlic in a sauce pan over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Season chicken with paprika and oregano, then add to the saucepan and cook about 10 minutes or until white all the way through.

In a bowl, mix the soup, sour cream, and milk, and pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and then sprinkle bread crumbs over the cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.

Graduate School Bars

Another week is here, which means I made another dessert for the Tuesday night get-together.

I have to admit, I made this the day before, on Monday. It was partially because the kids and I were looking for something to do on Monday, since we had already danced for an hour and read some books and making these bars seemed like the perfect activity, but it was also because just 10 minutes prior, I had received some of the best news ever: I think I got into graduate school! Woo!

The reason I think I got into graduate school is because I received an email from the program director asking me if I would be willing to do my MBA after my diplomacy and commerce masters if I won the fellowship for which I have been nominated me. The email did not say I had been accepted, nor have I received an acceptance letter, but I am pretty sure that, if the director of the program emails you to ask if you would be willing to do some courses out of the traditional order so that you could accept a fellowship if you won it, it means you are in, right?

These bars are known as Millionaire's Shortbread and come from Baked in NYC (www.bakednyc.com). Many thanks to my friend, Kathy, for checking out Baked's cookbook from the Lexington library for me so I could drool over the beautiful pictures and actually make the delicious treats.

Essentially, these bars are a homemade twix bar. They are pretty much nothing but sugar, flour, butter, and chocolate, but if you're gonna go for dessert, you just need to throw caution to the wind and try these. Crisp shortbread/cookie foundation, chewy and sweet caramel middle, and thin (but completely satisfying) dark chocolate top. Yum.

The kids enjoyed playing with shortbread dough and pounding it into the 9x13 pan, as well as watching the sweetened condensed milk turn colors and become thick like caramel.

Warning: these are rich and this recipe makes an entire 9x13 pan. Make sure you have lots of friends nearby to help you eat them.

Twix Bars/Baked's Millionaire's Shortbread

SHORTBREAD:

1/2 c sugar

1 1/4 c butter, softened

2 1/2 c AP flour, divided

1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten

CARAMEL:

28 oz sweetened condensed milk

CHOCOLATE:

6oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (60% cocoa)

1 t light corn syrup

1/2 c unsalted butter, softened, cut in cubes

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the sugar and butter together until blended.

Add 2 cups of flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few second, or until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6x6 inch square. Turn dough and sprinkle the tip with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c flour on the surface of dough. Fold dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle.

Transfer rectangle to prepared pan and press into pan.

Prick dough with fork all over and bake in the center of the oven for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack and let cool.

Put sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave safe bowl. Cook on 50% for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cook on 30% for 12 to 18 minutes, until very thick and caramel colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes, until smooth.

Pour caramel filling over cooled shortbread and place the pan in the refrigerator until cool, about two hours.

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.

Put in fridge for one hour, until the glaze hardens.

Remove pan from fridge 30 minutes before serving so as not to crack the chocolate glaze. Cut into squares and serve.

The bars can be stored in fridge, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

A Good Lunch on a Cold Day

For some reason, soup always seemed to me to be this intimidating mystery dish that only restaurants could properly serve. However, I have recently gotten over my fear and made a few. All of them have turned out well enough that I will be making them again, but the recipes, even when halved, make such a large amount that I end up with enough soup for two or three weeks. Thank goodness soup freezes.

While looking for a soup that would go with my Irish Soda Bread, I came across a recipe for split pea soup and it sounded like the perfect combination with soda bread, since both soda bread and split peas make me think of shoe-string budgets and cold winter days. I just can't bring myself to eat a green soup though, so I found this recipe for a red split pea soup. It looks much prettier than eating green mush.

Rosemary Split Pea Soup (served with Irish Soda Bread and garnished with shredded cheddar cheese)

1 1/2 cups green split peas

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

2 cups chopped onion (I used 3 T of onion powder)

2-3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 cup diced carrot

1 oz cooked pancetta, with grease

1 large bay leaf

2 teaspoons wet garlic, plus 1

1/3 teaspoon minced rosemary, plus 2/3 teaspoon

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

4 cups water

2 cups chicken stock or 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth

2 teaspoons parsley

1 teaspoon salt (If you use canned broth instead of Vegetable Stock, omit the added salt)

Wash peas; cover with water to 2 inches above peas, and set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, pancetta, and bay leaf; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 teaspoon rosemary, paprika, and pepper; cook 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and soy sauce; cook until liquid evaporates, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.

Drain peas. Add peas, 4 cups water, chicken stock, parsley and salt to onion mixture; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour, stirring often. Discard bay leaf. Place half of soup in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Pour pureéd soup into a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining soup. Spoon soup into bowls, or let sit in the fridge for a day to allow flavors to come out (tastes much better the second day, as most soups do).

Adapted (only slightly) from Cooking Light.

A Simple, "Dairy-Free" Half-Birthday Party

I am not sure if you have experienced the sadness of almost always having to go to school on your birthday, but I assure you, there is an equal sadness when one is never able to go see friends for a birthday due to summer vacation.

Personally, I have a birthday so close to Christmas that I only had to go to school once on my birthday and it was the year I was home schooled. However, my dear friend and roommate, Sarah, has a summer birthday and often laments the fact that her friends are usually out-of-state when she turns another year older.

Sarah does her best to remember other people's special days and make sure they are not forgotten. She is the kind of person who throws together an impromptu party or goes the extra four (not just one) miles to ensure that the bridal shower is amazing. Although I am not as proficient at party-throwing as Sarah, I wanted to do something special for her, so I invited her and some of our close friends to a dinner party in honor of her half-birthday.

Despite Sarah's best efforts to force her body into accepting dairy products, she is definitely lactose-intolerant, so I tried [and kinda failed] to plan the menu accordingly: William-Sonoma's Chicken Prosciutto and Balsamic with Ina Garten's Pesto and Pea Pasta, and then my mom's Forgotten Cookies for dessert. The only problems were the Parmesan in the pasta and the chocolate chips in the cookies. But that's why there are lactose pills, I suppose.

Forgotten Cookies

These cookies are somewhere in between a merengue and a no-bake cookie. My mom always made them around Christmas time. Also, because you have left over egg yolks, making these is also the perfect excuse to try your hand at a chocolate pie for the first time, like I did.

Ingredients:

2 egg whites

2/3 cup sugar

Dash of salt

Dash of vanilla

1 cup of chopped pecans

1 cup of corn flakes

1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat eggs whites until frothy (not yet peaks).

Add sugar, dash of vanilla, and dash of salt. Beat until stiff peaks.

Fold in pecans, corn flakes, and chocolate.

Drop mixture by spoonfull onto foil covered cookie sheets. Place in oven.

TURN OFF HEAT and leave over night (8-10 hours).

DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR until morning.

My First Try at Chocolate Pie

I will be trying this again, but I think I will try to go for a pie with a thicker consistency next time. The Baked cookbook, the bakery in NYC, looked like it had a fantastic chocolate pie recipe. I'll let you know when I make it.

OMS Bread!

I wasn't planning on posting this recipe, but since several people have asked about it and a.) don't own a printer and b.) am too lazy to write it out for them and c.) don't know some of their emails/facebooks, I have decided to post it here and give them the blog url.

The original creator of this bread, The Bunnery in Jackson Hole, WY, calls it the OSM Bread. However, there was a missions group at my college called One Mission Society, OMS, and so I can't help but call this OMS Bread. This recipe was adapted by Proof of the Pudding blog in its 11-20-08 post (www.proofofthepudding.wordpress.com). It is so delicious. I recommend it for anything from toast for breakfast to a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch (good quality ham and cheese, of course), or just with butter and honey for a snack.

Just a note: The original recipe calls for canola or safflower oil, but I use olive oil. Much like my flour collection, the variety of oils in my possession is pretty sad, but is growing with time. Also, I just love the taste of olive oil.

Oh, and if you use an 8x4 loaf pan, it gives you a taller loaf. I don't have one, so I just fold up some of my used/saved tinfoil and make my 9x5 more like a 8x5. -Yes, I save my tinfoil. I also wash and re-use my plastic baggies. Got a problem with that?

Oat, Millet, Sunflower Bread (OMS Bread)

1 package (2 1/2 teaspoons) dry active yeast

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup canola or safflower oil

1 1/2 tablespoons salt

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup millet

2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)

3-4 cups whole wheat flour

If you wish to halve the recipe for one loaf, like I do b/c I have no room in my freezer and not enough stomach to eat 2 loaves:

1 1/8 cups lukewarm water

1 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast

1/4 cup honey

1/4 canola or safflower oil

2 1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/8 cup sunflower seeds

1/8 cup millet

1 cup bread flour

1 1/2 to 2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix together the lukewarm water and honey in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir until dissolved. Allow the yeast to proof for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast rises to the surface and starts to foam.

Stir the oil into the yeast mixture. Then add half (1 cup if whole recipe, 1/2 cup if half) of the bread (or all-purpose) flour and half (2 cups if whole recipe, 1 cup if half) of whole wheat flour and beat with a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment until the batter is smooth and glossy. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Add the salt, oatmeal, sunflower seeds and millet to the bowl; stir down the dough and blend in. Add the remaining cup of bread flour and stir well. Gradually add in the remainder of the whole wheat flour. When the dough becomes too stiff to stir, turn out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for about 10 minutes (or, switch to the dough hook on your mixer — this will take less time), until the dough is soft, but not sticky. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been oiled, cover and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.

Grease two 9x5 loaf pans well. Punch down the dough and knead lightly and briefly to deflate. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a loaf, and place a loaf in each pan. Allow the loaves to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

About 20 minutes before you bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the loaves for about 40 minutes, until the loaves are nicely browned and sound hollow when tapped (the internal temperature should be around 200°F). Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for a few minutes, then remove from pans and let them cool completely.

Yield: Two 9″x5″ loaves (Or one, if you did a half recipe)

Like a Fat Kid Loves Cake

Allow me to introduce to you my new favorite kitchen tool: the 6" offset spatula. He holds up even against tough situations (such as icings that have gotten a tad hard because you left them to read a book to the kids) and cleans up beautifully.

I considered the fact that I could probably save some money and just use a basic knife to ice the cake and spread the filling, but that is just not as fun and I intend to completely master the art of cake decorating and take over the world by charming it with my beautiful cakes. Obviously, an offset spatula is a necessity.

Here is what my off-set spatula and I made -a banana cake with a banana creme filling and chocolate ganache frosting. I brought it to that weekly get-together at Sarah and Nick's and there was none left to bring home =).

There was plenty of left over ganache, so I combined it with two children under the age of 5, and a pinch each of creativity and patience. The result was yummy, though not very pretty, truffles. Mostly because the ganache melted in our hands and then just turned into goop when we covered in melted chocolate.

I learned my lesson: next time I will freeze the ganache for 45-60 minutes after forming into balls, then stick a tooth pick in each one to hold and drizzle the melted chocolate coating over the each one, turning as I go to make a smooth and even coating.

Of course, one must sprinkle them with coconut or almonds to make them pretty and yummy. Mmmm, almonds.

Banana Cake with Banana Filling and Chocolate Ganache Icing

Fyi, before leveling the layers of my cake, I wrap them in cling wrap and place them in the freezer for an hour to make them easier to work with. Also, I just use a large bread knife to level them, nothing special. (Hmmm, a cake wire is yet another thing I need to make my world-conquering cakes).

CAKE:

This is my momma's recipe. She swears my dad would ask for it almost every week when I was little.

And yes, it is from a mix, I know. However much of an abomination a cake mix is, this cake really doesn't take like a cake mix cake.

My mom would top it with homemade cream cheese icing and sprinkle with coconut, but I decided to take a different route.

Make yellow cake mix according to directions, minus 1/4 cup water

add 1 cup bananas mashed

1/8 tsp baking soda

and 1/2 cup nuts if desired

Bake as directed on box

FILLING:

I found this online, not sure who to attribute it to.

7oz Marshmallow Fluff

1 package Banana Instant Jello Pudding Mix

1 cup milk, more if needed

Make the instant pudding according to package directions, but with 1 C milk instead of the full amount required (add more in small increments if needed)

Use a mixer to combine the banana pudding with the marshmallow fluff.

It thickens some once placed in the refrigerator and is a really nice consistency.

ICING/GANACHE:

This recipe can be found in The Cake Bible, which I received from a friend's parents. It's probably from the 1980's and his parents were considering it throwing it away, but gave it to me instead =).

12 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% cocoa; I used Ghirardelli morsels)

1 2/3 cup sour cream

In a double boiler set over hot water or in a microwave on high power, stirring every 10 seconds, melt the chocolate. Remove from the heat and add the sour cream. Stir with a rubber spatula until uniform in color. If the pan feels warm, transfer to a bowl.

Use at a once or store, and when ready to use soften by placing the bowl in a water bath or a microwave for a few seconds, stirring gently.

For Anyone Who Might Be Curious: My Flexible Meal Plan

This is based off of a meal plan my nutritionist gave me.

Breakfast

1 Protein

1 Calcium

1 Fruit or Vegetable

1 Complex Carbohydrate

1 Fat

Lunch

1 Protein

1 Calcium

1 Fruit or Vegetable

1 Complex Carbohydrate

1 Fat

1 Fun Food

Dinner

1 Protein

1 Calcium

1 Fruit or Vegetable

1 Complex Carbohydrate

1 Fat

1 Fun Food

Snack

1 Protein, Calcium, or Fat

1 Fruit or Vegetable, Complex Carbohydrate, or Calcium

On days you engage in vigorous physical activity, you will need to eat snacks. You can eat them through out the day, or whenever you feel hungry. Women: keep in mind that your menstrual cycle affects how much fuel your body needs. Certain weeks of it will see your body working harder and so needing more fuel. Try to track these and respect them by adding snacks, if needed.

1 Protein = 3-4 oz of meat or 2 eggs or 4 tablespoons tofu, 2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 Calcium = 1 cup milk or yogurt, 2 oz cheese

1 Fruit or Vegetable= 1 whole fruit or vegetable

(use discernment: carrots you would have 2 or 3, broccoli florets would be 6-8)

1 Complex Carbohydrate = 2 slices of bread, one side of a full-size bagel, 1 cup cereal, 2-3 oz pasta

1 Fat = 2-3 teaspoons butter or oil, 1 tablespoon salad dressing or cream cheese, 1/4 avocado

1 Fun Food = a cupcake, a small bag of chips, 2 cookies, ice cream, small order of French fries, whatever foods you may have tried to avoid because they are supposedly "bad"

Note: You may eat a protein and fat in the morning if you are not too hungry or are in a rush (example, bagel and cream cheese), then go back around 9 or 10am and eat the rest (ex: yogurt with fresh blueberries and two eggs). So you don't have to eat the entire meal at one time.

Make a goal to eat all of the categories at each meal every day. It will help your body learn what it needs to eat, how to tell you when it needs something, and will help you trust it.