Peanut Butter Cookies

Don't ever underestimate how a simple batch of homemade cookies can show someone you love and support them - along with making them the hero of the day.

It can be as simple as the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll house Chocolate Chip package, but homemade cookies make people smile.

As my husband headed off on a week of teaching students in the Southern Utah desert recently, I wanted to send him off with something sweet both for him and the whole group.  I decided on Peanut Butter Cookies.  I knew at least one member of the group was gluten free, so I made two different batch of cookies.

If you google Best Peanut Butter Cookies, the following recipe will come up on Cooks.com.  And, I heard many times, those were just the best Peanut Butter cookies!  So I guess they aren't lying.  The recipe made enough for me to send cookies for the whole class and take some to share with my fellow ski patrollers that Saturday, about 3-4 dozen.
World's Best Peanut Butter Cookie

2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I used chunky unsweetened)
2 1/2 cups flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and peanut butter.  Add eggs and beat.  Add flour and baking soda.  Cook at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

I rolled these in chopped peanuts before putting them on the baking sheet and scoring them with my fork.

 If you know someone that is gluten free, the following recipe is the best ever to give them a treat, you don't have to buy any special flours!

I found the below recipe at Whole Foods Market. 

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
1 large egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter (I used unsweetened chunky pb)
1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla
1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat together egg, sugar, baking soda and vanilla in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand held mixer.  Beat in the peanut butter.  Stir in chocolate chips if using.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, pressing lightly with the back of a fork. (I rolled my cookies in chopped peanuts before putting them on the baking sheet.) Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly set.  Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

My cookies are a bit darker because I used unrefined sugar, but they were still yummy!

What are your favorite cookies to make for your loved ones?

Salmon Croquettes

We had a lovely meal this week, especially for a Wednesday.  I love working at home as I can prep bigger meals through the day.  In this case Salmon Croquettes are a fancy way of saying Salmon Patties, but they really were the best Salmon Patties I've ever had.  I had a recipe for the Salmon that I printed off from Saveur.   The rest of the meal, I decided on after I already had the Salmon Croquettes together.

Salmon Croquettes

Now, this Salmon Croquette recipe has quite a few steps, just a warning.  You can find the whole recipe here on the Saveur website.  Below are some of my thoughts.

First, it called for Old Bay Seasoning.  I do not have Old Bay Seasoning, which those that have seen my spice cabinet may not believe.  But, I do have every individual spice, so I just looked up a recipe for that seasoning online and made it myself.  I used this Old Bay recipe I found on about.com.  Aren't I handy?

Next, you actually simmer the fish in a mix of water, Seasoning, and white Wine.    This is a new step to me, but it imparted some great flavor in the Salmon.
You'll notice in the recipe there is a lot of let sit for 1/2 hour, let sit for 1 hour.  I think the purpose is just to meld the flavors and sett the croquettes so they don't fall apart.  You can plan ahead to do this, but note, I only let my patties sit for 20 minutes at the end and they didn't fall apart.

Now, it tells you to measure them out in 1/3 cup size and pack them in.  Check out how perfect my Pampered chef, wet and dry measuring cup worked for this!  I just packed it in and pushed the cup to get them out.  This is the best measuring cup ever for things like peanut butter, sour cream, yogurt, etc.

The patties came out in perfect shapes and sizes.

As you can see, I had red onion in the fridge, but isn't that colorful?

Butter glazed Carrots

This is called, what do I have in the vegetable drawer?  Carrots ... slice, slice and I have a vegetable.

Quinoa with Kale, Green Onion, and Toasted Almonds

Never underestimate the joy of quick cooking grains like Quinoa and Couscous.  While they cook, just slice up some green onions and greens, toast some nuts, and mix in appropriate spices.  Tada! You have a side.

Did anyone grow up with Salmon Patties?  These are just a fancy version.

A Fine Meal

I recently enjoyed a dinner I want to share.  It was at a restaurant called Toulouse Petit.  The menu, which is typed daily, says Toulouse Petit: Kitchen Lounge and Universe.

I didn't take pictures as it was dark in the restaurant so you'll have to imagine.

Cocktails
Old Fashioned no. 46
     Maker's 46, sugar, angostura bitters, orange oil, cherry
Sezerac
    rye whisky, pernod rinse, bitters, sugar

Salad
Dungeness Crab and Red Grapefruit Salad
     with Avocado and Pistachios,
    shaved fennel, wild arugula fleur de sel

Charcuterie
Duck and Chicken Liver Terrine
    super smooth with madeira, cognac, shallots, thyme

Meat Entrees
Oven Roasted Duck Confit
    over Brussel Sprouts with Housemade Tasso
    shallots, thyme, grain mustard, sherry

Amazing!

Vacation

Aloha,
I guess even people who love cooking, enjoy breaks now and then.

We recently enjoyed a long vacation in Hawaii.  I thought I would love shopping at the many fruit and vegetables stands and farmers markets and cooking in our condo.  But despite good intentions, there are no pictures of food. 

I did enjoy going to the stands, and buying local papayas, bananas, pineapples to go with my yogurt for breakfast...

But mostly I just enjoyed,

Sun ...

Lush green mountains ...

Turtles ...

The sound of the ocean, as I read my book ...

Trying new things, like stand up paddle boarding ...

Rainbows ...

Waterfalls ...

And eating lots of fresh fish, often in a dish including macadamia nuts, and drinking lots of Hawaiian coffee and beer, but not taking pictures of the stands or food, just enjoying.

Mahalo for your patience during my break.

Gelato and Biscotti

Yes, there is an Italian theme!  I got dessert duty for an Italian themed birthday dinner for a friend.  How was I going to choose among the many desserts, such as is Panna Cotta, many almond cakes, Lacy Florentines, and of course, Tiramisu?

Turns out I didn't choose any of those.  By the title I'm sure you've guessed I made Gelato and Biscotti.  I had both Mango and Chocolate Gelato with Dark Chocolate Almond Biscotti.  It was delish, if I do say so myself!  And, although we didn't take pictures you'll have to trust that the three pieces looked very pretty on a friends brightly colored plates!

Essentially Gelato is creamier and a bit less sweet than regular ice cream, otherwise it's very similar in make.

I used the Chocolate Gelato here from Epicurious.com, but I paid attention to the reviews and added a little bit more sugar, just the full 3/4 cup and I cut back on the coco to about about 3/4 cup.

I used the Mango Gelato linked here from food.com.  My only tip for Mango or another fruit is don't be stingy with they puree time.  I would have liked mine a bit smoother in texture and I think in so doing, it would have melded the pretty yellow color throughout more consistently.  I used a bag of Organic Frozen mango and that worked fine!

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

If you haven't made biscotti, you are missing out on a wonderful treat.  I think they are pretty easy, even if there are two baking times.  I used this great recipe from Giada as a base.  I just substituted the pistachios for almonds and added about 2/3 cup chopped dark chocolate.

This was an excellent recipe and your imagination is the limit as to how many variations you could make. Dried cherries would have been wonderful in these!  You can see in these pictures how you bake the biscotti the first time in one long and wide log.  Then, after cooling some you slice with a serrated knife and bake again to get that all over crispiness the goes so well with hot drinks and gelato!

The "Things To Make List"

Do you have a "things to make list".  No, I'm not talking about the normal non-fun lists like wash the walls and go grocery shopping.  Hmmm, funny how wash the walls just keeps going on the next list without ever being done....

Anyway, I'm talking about the list of fun things that you'd like to make or do someday.  It could be crafty things, or things like learn to knit, learn to refinish furniture etc. Well I've been collecting some ideas lately. Here are some of the things I'd like to do someday.

Cloth Napkins: I've been thinking for years I want to make my own cloth napkins in fun colors and patterns.  Ta-da! As soon as I get a new sewing machine these are on the list!  How fun are they?  The picture and directions are from the Kirtsy site.




Reusable Bags: Ok, I admit, I like to watch the Martha Steward show while I eat lunch.  They had a whole bags show.  I have a lot of reusable bags, more than I use!  But, this is a great cute idea. I like the idea of using the laminated cotton and I think I'm going to look for some other ideas for making this type of bag, bigger, sturdier and with handles.  The laminated fabric would be perfect for grocery shopping, so you can just wipe off spills.  This picture is from the Martha Steward site, linked above.



Cute Fabric:  I'm not a quilter, but I do intend to buy some fabric here at Quilt Home.  There is just so much cute fabric that will be perfect for my napkins and bags.

Knit Socks: You already know that knitting socks is on my list. It's been raised up as I enjoy wearing the socks given to me by my friend Ellen. This posting on Knitters Review makes it look doable!

Knitting Bags: There are lots of great books on knitting different types of purses and bags.  I've had this book for a long time looking at me from the shelf.  



Well those are just a few things on my list.  In between taking care of my plants, cooking, gardening, and staying active outside, hopefully some day I'll allow myself enough time to sit still and knit or play on the sewing machine.  What's on your fun to-make list?

What Makes You Happy?

Hopefully I'm not the only one that needs to remember every now and then what makes me happy.  Not the big things, like having a wonderful husband and friends. but it's a week to take a deep breath and acknowledge the little things that make me happy each day.

Things like:

Big snow flakes, falling slow out of the sky and piling up on trees and the deck.

Toe Socks - really your toes will be so happy!  And that color of pink on my feet, whether on my toenails or in socks, just makes me smile.

Amazing friends, who can knit!



And knit me socks!  Look at those cool heels and warm toes! 

What made you smile today?  Don't let that fleeting moment of happiness pass by without treasuring it!