Sorry My Kitchen is closed today

Sorry about the closure today.. I couldn't get to the recipe for the Fabulous Sante Fe Chicken Wrap.. but I did go to the store to get the ingredients that I needed.. Come back this weekend I am going to serve them to my company.. I think they will enjoy them too.. I have a Chick meeting tonight to make May dya flower vases for an Elder Care home residents and tomorrow night I will seeing a presentation at our local theater Ross Raglund, called Diva Nations with the Klamath falls Charming chicks too.. then Saturday I get ready for the company that is coming.. So tonight  it may just leftovers, and maybe even take away for the next couple nights.

More cookies.... What Can I say?

I made Chocolate Cookies last week and they disappeared so quickly, even though I packaged 1/2 of them up & put them in the freezer.. Dear Husband found them & WE ate almost every one. I need to take some with me to the Beach next week.. So Since the weather is SNOW I decided to make some more today, including his favorite "Oatmeal Raisin"

(But instead of making just those I made another batch of My favorite the chocolate chip.. )Sneaky huh?  I must find a better hiding place for these.)

Oatmeal raisin sounded kinda boring to me so I added in place of the raisins dried cherries & dried cranberries with a few  roasted macadamia nuts tossed in... Yummy!

You may need to find  your own hiding place....they will disappear sooner than you think....

* Recipe is the for the one under the Quaker oatmeal lid.. but here is my version.

OATMEAL MACADAMIA NUT W/DRIED CHERRIES & CRANBERRIES

* use recipe on lid of Quaker Oats & add dried fruit)



½ POUND BUTTER ( 2 STICKS ) SOFTENED 

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR FIRMLY PACKED

½ CUP GRANULATED SUGAR

2 EGGS

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1-½ CUPS ALL PURPOSE FLOUR

1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA

1 TEASPOON CINNAMON

½ TEASPOON SALT ( OPTIONAL)

3 CUPS OLD FASHIONED OATS ( UNCOOKED)

½ EACH DRIED CRANBERRIES & DRIED CHERRIES.



HEAT OVEN 350

BEAT TOGETHER BUTTER.SUGARS UNTIL CREAMY

ADD EGGS & VANILLA BEAT WELL

ADD FLOUR, SODA, CINNAMON, SALT MIX WELL

STIR IN OATS & DRIED FRUIT

DROP ONTO UNGREASED BAKING SHEET. BAKE UNTIL GOLDEN BRWN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.. LET COOL 1 MINUTES BEFORE REMOVING TO DRYING RACK.

BON APPETTIE

Inspired Cooking comfort food

This morning I awoke to more than a dusting of snow.. Wind and just a wintery day again. To lift myself from the funky mood I have been in I decided to do something positive.. I rummaged through the freezer & my pantry to find some good ingredients to bring comfort to my poor deprived body... and mind. I love lentils and there they were on the shelf.

(I often cook by eyeballing ingredients except when I bake when I find it is more important to follow a formula recipe..)

Checking in the freezer I found a couple ham hocks & left over ham steak.. I had everything! Placed it all in my dutch oven  and simmered everything except the lentils, (shallots, carrots, garlic, black pepper, celery seed with 3 cups of chicken stock & 1 cup of water.) for about 45 minutes and set it aside to get happy. About 35 minutes before dinner time, I tossed in the lentils *about 1 lb and cooked them gently until they were tender. add water as needed to keep from getting too thick. Threw in a 1/2 package of baby spinach and about 1 cup chopped cilantro.. .

.

They really cooked up nicely and yummy too.. but comfort lentils & ham was not enough for this gal..

I had so much extra time and got really inspired with the comfort I was feeling just being back in the kitchen after a few days AWOL.. I heard the Milk chocolate chips calling me from my chocolate stash.. and with in an hour or so I had these mouth watering goodies ready to sample.. So what do you think? A cold winter Blah day turned into a Spirit lifting afternoon. and now I have cookies for those down in the dumps winter days still forecasted.

 Now where will I hide them from my husband? Maybe I should freeze a few.

Heavenly Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies



2 ¼ cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla
2 eggs ( room temp)
2 cups Milk Chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 F. Stir flour with baking soda and salt: set aside. Beat butter with sugars at medium speed until creamy and lighted in color( about 4 minutes)
Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time mixing on low speed until incorporated.
Gradually blend the dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, and nuts
( if desired) Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Should make at least 3 dozen cookies. More if tablespoon is used to scoop dough.
I scoop mine with a small level ice cream scoop .

~"Spice is Nice"~

Today I thought I would share some spice Knowledge.
I will try to post a different spice daily in "Spice is Nice" You will find a new spice or herb listed in my posts.

Let's start with ALLSPICE

Allspice is dried spice berries slightly larger than peppercorns. TASTES:
of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg: hence the name.
AVAILABLE
in several forms:
Dried whole berries, ground and oil. Grind in a peppermill.
ORIGIN:
West Indies, Jamaica
BEST USE:
Excellent in cakes, cookies, pies, breads, steamed puddings,barbeque sauces,catsups, pickles, sausage, pate's, corned beef, soups, meats, vegetables, fruit pies and French toast.. Good whole for pickling and marinating and in stews, casseroles sausages,& curries.

 It has been suggested   Whenever possible buy whole spices in small quantities and grind them yourself with a spice grinder, pepper mill or  mortar & pestle . Store them in a cool dark place.  I hope you will try some new spices in your cooking adventures.
Bon Appetite!