Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies!

It's not only been easy, but pretty unfortunate that I have been so caught up in my "everyday routine". Wake up, rush out the door to class, scarf down lunch, go back to class, race home to eat more food, study. Repeat. That's my the life. I haven't talked to some friends in a few days or even checked in with my family. I find myself just going through the motions. Worrying about things instead of enjoying the adventure. I know it's not a switch I can turn, but a process that I have to change. Approaching each day with a better mind set and reflecting on the opportunity that I do have will hopefully allow me to make the most of each day.

It's the night before my first medical school exam. I should probably be learning more about the heart and nervous system and where all the blood vessels drain into God only knows what. But I am not. I decided to take a little break from it all to hopefully calm me down a bit. I think my CCL group will appreciate it :)

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
1 TSP baking powder
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts
2 cups chocolate chips

preheat the oven to 375. cream the butter and sugar together. add in the vanilla and eggs. stir in the flour and baking powder. then add the chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

use a spoon to make semi-even sized cookies. bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes depending on how large the size. I like mine a bit softer so did not cook them too long!

let them cool and enjoy with a refreshing cold glass of milk...or be a good team player and wait to enjoy tomorrow with your classmate to celebrate anxiety of test one disappearing!

It's not that I haven't been doing my best or working hard. But I think that I have been losing sight of some pretty important things. I am hoping to get back to a better balance and remember that I am a person, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and classmate. I am looking forward to enjoying a fun weekend and making the most of it!!

Powerbars!

I love traveling. Seeing new sites. Exploring big cities. Wandering aimlessly around town.

Last week I had a blast in San Fran. Visited some awesome eateries and had delish, fresh seafood, toured an amazing winery, hiked with the big redwoods! It was awesome.

I'm usually afraid of heights, but I was climbing/crabwalking on high overlooks. The scenery was beautiful and it was so peaceful. I didn't have time to get scared.

me and the world!

Cali residents are all about going green. Earth loving people. Recycling. Composting. Made me think a bit more about how much I waste. So I decided to try something a little different when I got back...

Powerbars!
2 cups oats
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flaxseed
6 tablespoons water

preheat over to 375. mix flaxseed and water in a small bowl.
combine dry ingredients together. stir in chocolate chips and cranberries.
mix together syrup, honey, sugar, and peanut butter. add to flaxseed and water mixture.

the not so pleasant-looking, peanut butter-flax goo...

add wet ingredients to dry and mix. for a while. keep going. until fully incorporated.
press into a baking dish. bake at 375 for 15 min.

allow to cool. then cut into bars!

I am not exactly a tree hugger. Or vegan. But I did stumble across a delish new concoction that I will take with me the next time I encounter Muir Woods!

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, Walnut Cookies

Cake? Bars? Cookies? 

Chocolate Chip? Peanut Butter? Oatmeal Raisin? Nuts?

Yea I get a little carried away sometimes. And overwhelmed by all the possibilities cause I want to create the best thing possible. Especially when I haven't baked in a while. But I was having difficulties coming up with something this time. 

I weighed the pros and cons. Multiple times. Back and forth like a yo-yo. 

Most people like cakes for their birthdays. And I have a pretty famous Layered Chocolate Raspberry Cake. But I don't really like cake. At least the traditional, frosting-loaded type. And I made that a time or six before...

Cookies always please me. But is that enough to make someone feel special on their birthday? It's not my birthday.

Bars are a bit more unique. Maybe fancier than a simple cookie?

Ever feel like you get so worked up about the dumbest things? Things that should be fun, enjoyable, or not so stressful? Yea, I found myself falling into this category...again...

So finally I decided to put down the computer. Stopped looking at cookbooks. Started throwing around ingredients... 

Awesomeness. 

Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, Walnut Cookies

something I created

1 stick butter 

1/2 cup oil 

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 - 2 cups flour

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

beat butter, oil, sugars, eggs, vanilla together. mix in baking soda, powder, cinnamon, rosemary. fold in oatmeal, flour, cranberries, chips and nuts. 

use a teaspoon to place onto cookie sheet. *or press into a baking dish to form bars*

bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.


I like my cookies a bit softer so I watched the timer very closely and did not overcook them. 

yummo!!

 *I clearly could not decide on bars or cookies so I did both! :)

the bars!

I will place a candle in the cookie bars and present it to the birthday queen in just a short bit. Hopefully they will not be overcooked and will be soft, chewy and moist!


At the end of the day, I think it's best to go with you gut. Trust yourself to make good decisions. It's ok to be cautious, but sometimes it's ok to not over-think everything. Once you make a decision, stick with it. Confidence is key. You learn with each mistake. And decision.

Happy 2011!!

Happy 2011!! I am still in denial that another year passed, but 2010 brought lots of new things.

I enjoyed a fun graduation celebration for lil bro and a great Christmas in Iowa last week. It was awesome baking dozens upon dozens of cookies and other treats with Mom, trying to beat Dad in Backgammon, catching up with the besties, and, yes I’ll admit it, shoveling and sledding! I guess a little bit of the white stuff isn’t too bad every now and again…

I also think it is safe to assume, we may have altered an old family tradition. I have fond memories sneaking out of my room to partake in Monopoly matches. It started as a fun and friendly way to pass time so we could stay up late enough to witness the Times Square magic. Family friends started joining the party, the snacks got a bit more sophisticated, and I eventually toasted bubbly at midnight. I treasure the Monopoly bragging rights and it didn’t seem right if we did not play at least one game.

This year, Dad got Monopoly Deal as a gift. (I do need to sincerely thank my din din date pals for introducing me to the most addicting card game!) Needless to say, my week in Iowa was filled with many, many cut-throat matches of Monopoly Deal. I think the transition from board game to card dealing was well received by all despite my awesome wins! J We stayed up nearly every night together battling it out!

While I accepted the small change in the family game, I could not move on without the guest star New Year’s treat. It’s no New Year without the shinny silver coin buried in the cake and bread. 2011 marked the first year I ventured to create my first New Year’s cake.

New Year’s Cake (Vasilopeta)

a Greek family secret!

½ lb butter

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

6 eggs

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup warm milk

½ teaspoon baking soda

juice of ½ lemon

chopped walnuts and sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the flour and stir until it is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time beating after adding each one. Stir the baking powder into the warm milk and add into the batter. Mix the baking soda and lemon juice together and stir in. Mix well and pour into a greased 10 inch cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and sugar mixture on top after 20 minutes. Bake for another 20-30 minutes until the cake is done all the way through.

my lovely new blue platter!!

Mom would wrap a quarter in tin foil and plop it in the cake batter, and also with the New Year’s bread, before baking. Dad would carve our initial on top of one piece and we would search for the shinny piece. The person that got the coin would have good luck for the entire year!

no silver...

I have a 50/50 chance this year as my sister and I are searching for the lucky piece! I am looking forward to a fun filled 2011 and know that more changes are coming, but this Greek family tradition is here to stay! 

Apple Cranberry Bolster

Dinner dates with friends make me :) It had been a long time since our last one, but I think it was worth the wait. We quickly planned a delish din din menu:

Edamame. Lightly sea salted.
Mixed Field Greens with fresh Pear, Pomegranate, Goat Cheese, and Pecans.
Steamed Carrots.
Mashed Rosemary Red Bliss Potatoes.
Pork topped with blackberry sauce.

No one mentioned a dessert. If the oven is being turned on, doesn't it make sense to bake? So I got the wheels turning and ditched on helping with din din to make a secret dessert instead!
Apple Cranberry Bolster
idea from butter, sugar, flour, eggs
2 Granny Smith apples

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almonds
3 sheets Phyllo Dough, thawed
3 tablespoons melted butter

preheat the oven to 375. wash, core and chop the apples. I leave the peel on for added fiber and nutrients. plus, I think it tastes better with the peel! toss with the lemon juice, zest and vanilla.

wash and sort cranberries. add to food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. add in sugar and briefly mix.

finely chop the almonds. or buy them already chopped if you're smart/lazy.

this is mid-chop. they should be smaller than this...

now the fun part! place one sheet of phyllo dough on a greased pan. **if you have not worked with phyllo before, be prepared. make sure that it is fully thawed before using. it dries quickly so once you take it from the fridge, keep it under a towel or work fast. it also tears easily, so be gentle!** lightly butter the sheet. sprinkle the chopped almonds on the top. you can also add some extra sugar...

butter sheet #1

lay another sheet on top of the almonds. lightly butter the top. sprinkle more almonds. lay the final sheet. lightly butter. add the chopped apple and cranberry mixture to the final layer leaving about one inch on the ends.

starting at one end, roll the pastry into a log. lightly butter the top of the log and add the remaining almonds on top. bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

let it cool for 15 minutes. cut carefully into sections and serve with some tea!

Merriam-Webster believes a bolster is:
- a long pillow or cushion
- a structural part designed to eliminate friction or provide support or bearing

I think it's a great fall treat that is not too sweet.