Tweaking the Cookies

A couple weeks ago, I was involved in a discussion about how many bakers and cooks fall into two different categories. There are those that eye their measurements and just toss them in and somehow everything manages to come out great. Then there are those that measure religiously and don't vary from the recipe hardly at all.

Because I didn't grow up with any love for baking and have only recently become a fan, I'm of the latter group. In fact, I get nervous when I have to make substitutions or if I can't find a half tablespoon measure because I'm afraid I just won't get it right by eyeballing the same amount in a full tablespoon measure.

Recently I made these cookies and were really happy with how they turned out. In fact, they seemed to be well received when I took them for hot pot night. This is one of the few recipes that lends itself to substitutions that seem fairly easy. For instance, I baked these again today and used regular sugar instead of confectioners sugar. The texture is slightly different but I almost prefer the texture of this new batch. Also, instead of the vanilla pudding, I added pistachio. The taste is wonderful if you're a fan of pistachio (which I am). Now my thoughts are turning to add ins for this cookie: cherries, peanut butter, and toffee are a few I've come up with in conjunction with the pudding variations there are.

My next experiment? Butterscotch.

Bento and Lunch Boxes

My future brother-in-law is spending the summer in San Francisco and recently surprised me and Jon with some gifts. No more do I have to take lunch in boring rubbermaid and plastic grocery sacks.

This little lunch set has been used everyday since I got it, and I absolutely love it. That little box there in the back between the bag and thermos is two stackable containers, perfect for cereal and hardboiled eggs. The only thing I'm not yet sure about is if that container in the front there is microwaveable. Even if it's not, it's the perfect fit for a sandwich.

Thanks R!

Baking Double Time

This past week I've done a little bit of baking, not just because I enjoy it but because it was kind of therapeutic during my grieving for my grandma period. (http://hobbygoround.blogspot.com/).

Tonight I realized I had to go shopping soon and was low on a few baking essentials. I also had a few things that needed to go, like the ripe ripe bananas that were sitting in my kitchen and the strawberries that needed to be used before they went bad. First recipe was Strawberries and Cream Banana Bread.

The first time I made this earlier in the week, I forgot to grease the pan (doh!), so it kind of mutilated on the bottom a little bit. This time, I remembered and it came out beautifully. We had a slice tonight, and the rest will be good for breakfasts this weekend.

Second was Soft Buttermilk Sugar Cookies. These are a little weird. They're not dense like sugar cookies you get from the store. Instead, it's like eating a cloud...or a fluffy piece of cake. Definitely tasty, but very crumbly if you're careful.

No picture of the after, just be careful when removing these bad boys. Also, I used buttermilk but was informed this week that you can actually make recipes calling for buttermilk with slightly soured milk. It sounds weird, but maybe worth a try in the future.