Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

There's a temptation in the world of food blogging to mess with everything.  It seems really difficult to just make a classic and keep it a classic.  I've been known to fall victim to the temptation in the past too, I'm not saying I'm better.

And even though it can sometimes feel like you have to add browned butter to everything - you don't.  Sometimes regular butter is just perfect.  Sometimes just oatmeal and raisins will suffice.  You don't always need to add marshmallows and candy and make your cookies in the shape of some little animal.  You don't always need to add unnecessary steps just for the sake of complicating things.

Round cookies with regular butter, oatmeal and raisins are perfect.  Just the way they are.

Low Sodium Corn Chowder

This morning when I woke up, I looked out the window like I do every morning, but this time, the ground was covered in 4 inches of snow.  Sure, I live in a ski town, I'm used to snow.  That doesn't mean I have to be excited about snow when we are rapidly approaching May.

So...I guess we're not done with soup season yet.  I love soup, I just also love fresh fruits and veggies and barbecues.  I suppose there's a time for everything.

This particular soup is made with dietary restrictions in mind.  Austin's got a lot of allergies so I'm somewhat used to cooking while keeping accommodations in mind, but when I cook for Austin's parents, now I have to also think about the amount of sodium I use.

Austin's dad is on a low sodium diet and I'll admit sodium was something that I never ever looked at before.  If you do start looking, you'll notice that they put salt in everything.  Literally.  This recipe for corn chowder is low on sodium, but not on flavor - a tough task, believe me.

365: Week 17

April 21 | First time making pizza dough.

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Don't you wish every day was Sunday?  Actually, I work every Sunday, but if that weren't the case, I'd totally pick Sunday every day.

Normal people don't have to work; that's the first major bonus.  Sundays are not as assuming.  You're not really expected to get a lot done on a Sunday.  Not like Saturdays.  Sunday is the prime day for a brunch with friends or family.  It's also a good option for strolls.  Not hikes or power walks, but strolls.

I'm back to work tomorrow, so I guess Thursdays really are my Sundays.  But Sunday evenings aren't the same as Sunday mornings, are they?  Sunday afternoon/evening is when the dread of the workweek sets back in.  Guess that's why the phrase isn't, "easy like Sunday evening."  With this drink, we could keep pretending though.

Peanut Butter Pie with Pretzel Crust

I'm pretty skeptical of people who "don't like pie."  Especially, when it's just a blanket statement like that.  There are so many types: fruit, cream, nut, savory, chess...  I just feel like they haven't really thought it through.  Or maybe they haven't had homemade pie.

I'm on the other end of the spectrum.  I'm not picky at all.  However, I will say that I recently had a bad pie!  I guess if this was the only pie experience I'd ever had, I'd be tempted to say, "I don't like pie," too.

Some flavor combinations are best not experimented with.  Pineapple cherry pie with a sweet crumble topping is one of them.  It was overwhelmingly sweet!  Like, inedible sweet.

I love sweets (obviously), but they have to be balanced.  The sweet, creamy peanut butter filling of this pie is perfectly matched with a salty pretzel crust.  So, if you've had a negative pie experience, please just give it another go.

365: Week 16

April 14 | The golden egg.

Egg Salad BLT

Easter is this Sunday, and while I'm not dying eggs this year, I do always like to hard boil a few eggs so I can have some egg salad in the coming week.  Obviously, I could make egg salad any time of the year, but it just doesn't seem to happen.

I need some inspiration, I guess.

If you're like me and you need a little push, here's an idea for you: egg salad BLT's.  Bacon and eggs in sandwich form can't be bad.  Also, maybe you're kind over the basics.  You've exhausted deviled eggs and you need something new.  

If you have a favorite egg salad recipe, use that, I've added mine after the break.  Happy Easter!

Angel Food Cake

I've never touched a buffalo before but I think about it a lot.  I like to imagine what it would feel like to sink my fingers into buffalo fur.  Maybe I think about this because I really like Yellowstone and I really like buffalo, or maybe it's just because I'm a weirdo.

Whatever the reason, I always thought that their thick fur would have the same texture of angel food cake.  For that reason, I call it buffalo cake (re: weirdo).

I get it if you don't like to associate your food with animals' fur, so you can just skip to the recipe.  Lets talk about the texture of this cake a little bit more though.  It is light and a little spongy in the middle and then it's got that perfect sugary crust on top.  I like to top it with fresh berries, maybe some whipped cream too.

Angel food cake would be a perfect spring dessert to have after your Easter dinner this Sunday.  I ain't sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Cinnamon Sugar Rice Pudding

Whenever I have toast with cinnamon and sugar on it, it reminds me of the summer we first moved to Utah.  I was 11 and my sister was 15.  We were both angry to be uprooted to say the least.

My sister was particularly upset because "all we ate was toast!"  Obviously, that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but in truth it wasn't that much of a stretch.  I bet we went through a loaf of bread every other day.  My carb-loving started at a young age so I loved it.  Darcie didn't.

Whenever I have pudding, I think of staying home from school sick.  It also brings me back to the days I had to go to the orthodontist and my teeth hurt so badly, I couldn't eat solid foods for the rest of the day.  Surprisingly, these aren't really bad memories.  It meant I got to stay home with my mom, watching movies and napping.

When you combine cinnamon sugar toast and pudding, you get quite the case of nostalgia.  For me, anyway.

365: Week 15

April 7 | The new state tree of Utah.

Hamburger Sweet Potato Hand Pies

It has been so nice out the past few days which is giving me the itch to get out on my bike.  Of course, tomorrow (aka my day off) is going to be cloudy and rainy, so I probably won't get out anyway, but I like to plan my snacks just in case.

A while ago, Austin got this cookbook called, "Feed Zone Portables," on a recommendation from a friend and it's all about food that you should eat when you're out doing endurance sports.  Austin made a few of the recipes, and this one was by far the favorite.

Problem is, we usually just eat them sitting in front of the couch.  Really, I think we only packed them with us on a ride once or twice, so I'm sure that defeats the purpose.

My point is, you can eat these whenever you want, wherever you want.  I won't judge you.  And the best part is that you don't have to be starving and hot and sweating for these to taste good!

Grilled Onion and Arugula Pizza

I'm on a mission to make myself like arugula.  I think it would make me a better person.  It seems to me that people who really know what they're doing in life, all like arugula and I want to be a person that knows what I'm doing in life.

Sure, you might be thinking, that's a false correlation (or more likely no correlation at all), but I'm a pretty superstitious person, so I'm going to give it a go anyway.

Problem is, I really don't like the taste of it.  Sitting down with a big bowl of the dark green, leafy, peppery stuff just doesn't appeal to me at all.

Luckily, I found out that I really do like it when it's cooked.  Especially when it's cooked on top of pizza sauce, grilled onions and melted mozzarella cheese!

Sour Cream Bread (Bread Machine Recipe)

Last Thursday, Austin and I tried to set up our wedding gift registry at Macy's.  We found some china we liked and a mini muffin pan.  That's about where it stopped.

You'd think that a food blogger would really be looking forward to this part of the wedding planning, but it was so hard!  Sure, I love kitchen gadgets and cute dishes, BUT I also have a lot of kitchen gadgets and dishes.

Literally, the only kitchen appliance that we didn't have was a big food processor (I use my immersion blender attachment usually).  That was it.  It's really hard to register for stuff when we've already lived on our own for about 6 years and we've been slowly stocking our kitchen since then.

I mean, I even have a bread maker!  I mean, really, what more can we ask for?

365: Week 14

March 31 | Smoothies are the surest way to have a good morning.

Alamo Splash

I don't know if I've been this excited for a weekend since we moved to Utah back in December.  Nothing particularly great is happening tomorrow and I still have to work on Sunday, but I am just excited that this week is finally coming to a close.

I've had to dress up, interview for jobs, and set up a wedding registry.  All of which are apparently totally exhaustive activities.  Oh yeah, I also had to go bathing suit shopping.  Not fun.  

At least the bathing suit is in preparation for a beach vacation that's rapidly approaching.  Nothing to complain about there.  Days filled with reading on the beach, drinking fruity cocktails, and not working.  I honestly can't think of anything better!

Austin and I have been mixing up the fruity drinks lately despite the snow coming down outside to get ourselves excited and also to figure out which ones are keepers and which ones don't need to be shared and if I'm sharing it here, it's a keeper!