I couldnt make enough of these for exchanging but one for each lady – maybe?! Thanks NotMartha UPDATE: Her directions make these cookies sound sooo easy to make. They aren’t. Mine looked apocalyptic.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies from Marta Writes.
UPDATE: VERY easy recipe but came out more like muffin cookies and freeze weird.

Grandma Boo’s Cookies from Giver’s Log
3/4 c. shortening

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

2 c. quick rolled oats

1 pkg. chocolate chips

3/4 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Cream together shortening and sugars. Add eggs. Add remaining 
ingredients in order and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees until done.
 (About 10-11 minutes.)

I just cannot resist the Starbucks Spiced Late. I hope this recipe works!

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup of strong brewed coffee

Recipe from SherylJordan. OH YUM!

Ingredients

* 3 ⅓ cups cake flour (not self-rising) shopping list
* ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened shopping list
* 2 ¼ cups sugar shopping list
* 3 large eggs, at room temperature shopping list
* 6 tablespoons red food coloring shopping list
* 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa shopping list
* 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract shopping list
* 1 ½ teaspoons salt shopping list
* 1 ½ cups buttermilk shopping list
* 1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar shopping list
* 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda shopping list
* Frosting: 1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces shopping list
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces shopping list
* 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract shopping list
* 5 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar shopping list

How to make it

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Grease and lightly flour three muffin tins. Place cupcake papers in the tins.
* To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
* In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
* In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.
* In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
* Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake each tray for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
* Frosting: In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes.
* Add the vanilla and beat well.
* Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating continuously until smooth and creamy.
* Cover and refrigerate icing for 2 to 3 hours, but no longer, to thicken before using.
* When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting liberally on the cupcakes.
* Makes 36 cupcakes.

Gingerbread animals here we come! Thanks to the wonderful cookie cutters from ikea and this recipe from Allrecipes

Ingredients

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup molasses
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions

Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

I recently finished reading Julie and Julia & I loved it. I didn’t expect to like it – in fact I was determined to dislike it. The story is compelling and so similar to the times that I lived through (though my apartment was in Williamburg).

I’m playing around with going through another cookbook as a way to get myself cooking. I’ll have to skip or modify a lot. It certainly it won’t be french food and I won’t be eating brains. How about Alice Waters The Art of Simple Food? Except mine might be backwards and mixed up based upon whatever comes in my CSA share – but she’d like that right?

Tonight… Sweet Corn Soup. Maybe the onions will break through this headache.

I made this salad tonight & it is really very good (even if you skip the lemon and parsley because you don’t have any and are hungry)! I cannot remember which blog I copied this recipe from and I can’t seem to find it again. It is the perfect summer time salad.

potato salad with green beans, cherry tomatoes, red onion and parsley
2lbs yukon gold and new potatoes, mixed, sliced as above in half moons 
(cook faster this way, less heated moments in the kitchen)
2/3 pint organic cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 lb haricots verts or other long beans such as green or waxed, even broad beans would work here, i do like haricot verts best
1/2 red onion sliced reasonably thin, then soaked in ice water for 15 to 30 minutes (removes the bite, sweetens, while maintaining, even enhancing the pleasing crunch)
1/4 cup flat parsley leaves, lightly chopped
 
dressing
6 TBSP olive oil
4 TBSP champagne vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
fleur de sel
pepper
a bit more chopped parsley
adjust dressing seasonings, it should taste delicious before you add it.

okay then. first slice up the onions and leave them to soak in the ice water. next, boil the potatoes. set a large pan of cold water on the stove, salt liberally. add the potatoes. bring to boil. while the potatoes are cooking slice up the cherry tomatoes. wash, and trim up the beans, slice in two. the potatoes will be tender in 5 to 10 minutes, so you’ve got to work fast. when potatoes are just tender, drain thoroughly. reuse the potato water to cook the beans. they’ll be tender in 3 to 5 minutes. place potatoes in a large ceramic bowl. add tomatoes, onions, green beans on top. don’t stir just yet. mix dressing, pour over the top of the salad, let soak in for a moment and then mix all the ingredients. it is important that the potatoes still be quite warm while the mixing and dressing take place. it brings out the flavor of the tomatoes and sweetens up the shallots and onions to give you a nice sweet/salt/tart  balance. serve at room temperature. really good cold the next day.

Home from a worldwind weekend. I bought several bottles of elderberry syrup & I’m excited to make this drink c/o Apartment Therapy :

Blackberry Elderflower Spritzer with Mint
makes about 1 liter pitcher
1 liter soda water, chilled
1/2 cup elderberry flower syrup, chilled
1 lime, juiced
About 1/3 cup blackberries, washed
1/4 mint leaves, bruised
Whisk the soda water and elderberry flower syrup with the lime. Stir in the blackberries and muddled mint leaves and serve immediately.
This is also very nice with lemon juice and strawberries.

from JustFood.org

Featured Recipe:  Maple-Vanilla Panna Cruda Adapted from “Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection,” by Jessica Prentice

1 cup cream or crème fraîche 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon Bernard Jensen’s gelatin or 2 teapoons Knox gelatin Tiny pinch of salt 1/2 cup maple syrup, or to taste (this amount may be too sweet for some-start with 2 tablespoons and then taste) 1. Put the cream or crème fraîche into a bowl with the vanilla extract. 2. In a very small pan, heat the water until almost boiling. Add the gelatin and tiny pinch of salt. 3. Simmer the water for a minute or so until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. 4. Stir the gelatin-water mixture into the cream. 5. Add the maple syrup to the cream mixture, and taste it. You want it sweet but not too sweet. 6.  Pour into three or four wineglasses, ice cream dishes, or little parfait cups.  Place in the freezer for about half an hour or until just gelled.  Transfer to the fridge if you’re not ready to eat.  Alternatively, just put the dishes straight into the fridge and allow a couple of hours for the mixture to gel. 7. Serve as is, or with fresh seasonal fruit. Serves 3-4

Yum. We picked up some shitaki mushrooms fresh at the Inwood farmer’s market this morning. Here’s a wonderful recipe for sauteed mushrooms perfect for a snowy day!