A Cook's Quest

First I want to thank everyone who visits my blog for the reading my ramblings about food, making food, and my perspective of food.  Without everyone who visits I don't know that I would have enjoyed this process as much as I do.  Blogging and cooking really are activities that bring me great joy, but so is  going to school and participating in the many events my children do.  I am at a point right now that something has to give and with the upcoming college term fast approaching I realize that I have to step away from the areas of my life that don't support my family or my education.  This blog is one of those things.  No I'm not quitting all together, but rather giving myself permission to slow down and not apply undo pressure to myself.  So what does this mean?  My goal is to post at least once a week, maybe more if my schedule allows, maybe less if I just can't get to it, but I will still be here and as my schedule allows I will add recipes....

In my quest for great cookies to try out this holiday season, I stumbled onto these tasteful bites that contain two of our favorite things in this house--peanut butter and chocolate.  While they aren't exactly a cookie, I can definitely see the brilliant snacking potential they offer, not to mention the who wouldn't want them as part a holiday hostess gift?  Simple,  easy, cost effective and most importantly, delicious, these buddies won't last long once prepared.  Cook's if you have plans that include wrapping and removing the buddies from your house you may want to do it when those people who love to sample all the goodies in your house are gone, sleeping or distracted in some way.  Otherwise, they probably won't make it out the door...mine didn't!  Enjoy!

I am a notoriously picky eater.  So picky that when we call in food orders at work I am usually forced to do the calling because no one wants to assume responsibility if my order is wrong.  As a young child my grandfather would tell me the same story every time we visited, usually while we at Sunday dinner, about the summer that he "learned to like tomatoes."  Yes, that is how it goes.  He didn't like tomatoes and then learned to like them.  His aunt, her name was Pete and the stories about her fascinate me but that is for another blog entry, came to visit and care for him while his parents were away.  One evening grandpa and I'm assuming, his siblings too, were presented with a plate full of tomatoes for dinner.  Nothing else.  No bread, no meat of any kinds, just sliced tomatoes.  He had two choices he would tell me, either eat the tomatoes or be hungry.  Of course he chose to eat the tomato...

If you are looking at these rolls thinking they are just another roll, look again my dear readers. These rolls are the new love of my family.  They posess a soft and flavorful exterior that is dotted with crunchy bites of salt, combined with a light yet chewy center which creates the most most perfet roll. A roll that tastes like a pretzel, and so delicious that it is easy to eat a bunch few without even realizing it.  I was amazed that the simple step of poaching the rolls in water and baking soda would yield a flavor that is exactly the same as a soft pretzel.  My next plan is to make them in pretzel form, covered in cinnamon and sugar.  Until then, pairing these up with a warm winter soup is ideal.  Enjoy!

I am a lover of lemon and lime flavors most especially in the form of dessert.  Maybe it is the fresh flavor they bring to the end of a meal or the simple fact that most of the time a cook can interchange them in any recipe.  They are just simply delicious and I look for every opportunity to make something new.  I saw this recipe over at Closet Cooking and decided to adapt it to lemon from lime for the simple reason that I didn't have any limes in the house.  The result was a tasty lemon shortbread cookie that literally melted away in your mouth without too much sweetness. A great holiday cookie that is pretty to display and delicious to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee on a cold winter afternoon.  Enjoy! Lemon Meltaways Recipe Source: Adapted from Closet Cooking 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature) 1/3 cup powdered sugar Zest of one lemon 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract...

Because it is cookie month , and also because I wanted to make a special treat for my in-laws who had volunteered to watch all three kids for a majority of the weekend, I went searching for a fun cookie to make.  When I saw this giant cookie at My Kitchen Cafe I knew it would be perfect.  Sure, it tastes just like a regular cookie but I have to admit there is something special about a dessert that is typically small in nature and making it crazy big.  I let the kids help me with this recipe because it is your basic cookie recipe (except for the size) and very easy to mix up.  My favorite part is that after the dough is prepared you can mix anything into it that you want.  We raided what was left of the plain chocolate Halloween candy, chopped it up, and found a sad little bunch of butterscotch chips that were in the freezer but you can use anything. Wrap it up with a pretty bow and you have a very fun gift!  Enjoy!

Yes it sounds strange, but I promise you these cookies are very good.  They hold a very special place in my heart and are one of those foods that remind me of childhood.  My late Grandma W. used to make these cookies to serve with ice cream for dessert after Sunday dinner.  Always looking for a way to be thrifty, she would save her potato chip crumbs in a baggie until there were enough to make a batch.  These cookies are  rich, salty, and sweet all at the same time. They taste very good by themselves or with ice cream as Grandma always had them  Enjoy!