29 October 2010
28 October 2010
Thursday
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)
1. Set the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat just until blended.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients.
5. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips or chunks and nuts, if using.
6. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.
7. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Rotate the sheets halfway through baking to ensure even baking. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for a few minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Adapted from "Too Busy to Cook?" Volume Two
** notes ** I find this recipe easier to make in the stand mixer than by hand or with the a hand mixer, with the exception of adding the chocolate chips in the end. I also omit the nuts. While I generally love all variety of nuts, I don't care for them in my cookies.
26 October 2010
It's Halloween...
25 October 2010
Monday Daybook
Outside my window ...the sounds of the cars passing on the highway.
I am thinking … that I'm off to Galveston in a few weeks. It's for a conference, but it's at the beach!
I am thankful for …my wonderful, awesome, crazy family
I am reading … Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I need to brush up before I see he movie in a few weeks.
I am hoping …that maybe Grandma will come visit in April. I told her the Red Sox were playing. She said maybe :)
On my mind ... work work work. Lots going on right now.
I'm learning … the winds in Texas can be fierce. When it's so flat, there's nothing to stop it.
Noticing that … I still haven't watched the NetFlix selection from 2 months ago. I think that was a failed experiment. Time to cancel
From the kitchen … pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for the staff potluck on Thursday.
Around the house …I think it's time for another closet purge.
One of my favorite things … A&W diet soda - the root beer or the cream soda. Both are tasty.
23 October 2010
O-H-I-O
22 October 2010
21 October 2010
Thursday Recipe
Ingredients
Bars:
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15-ounce can pumpkin
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
-
Icing:
- 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.
20 October 2010
Wednesday Daybook
I am thinking … about what to get Kennedy for her birthday. I think I've decided.
I am thankful for …this great opportunity I have here in Texas. It's very rare in higher ed to be able to start your own school.
I am reading … Spoken From the Heart. Laura Bush's memoir, it's an interesting read.
I am hoping … that Ohio State makes up for last week's embarrassment by beating Purdue (sorry Purdue fans).
On my mind ... deciding what to do about Christmas. Go home or stay here. I want to go home, but tickets cost money...
I'm learning … that fall comes really really really late in Texas. It's still not here yet.
Noticing that … I need to reorganize my files. I think that's a November project. I've always wanted a labelmaker...
From the kitchen … maybe whipping up a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies this weekend.
Around the house … I cleaned this past weekend - I love a clean apartment (I just hate the cleaning that gets you there).
One of my favorite things … tap class, it's Wednesday night.
19 October 2010
One Month
17 October 2010
Random Thoughts
16 October 2010
Lost in RI
15 October 2010
14 October 2010
Thursday Daybook
I am thinking … that bum shoulder or not, I need to run the vacuum this weekend
I am thankful for … my family. They really are the best - Keith and Amanda's wedding was a blast.
I am reading … Spoken From the Heart. Laura Bush's memoir, it's an interesting read.
I am hoping … that Ohio State has another win this weekend.
On my mind … my NSCU friends - they're taking their comp exam tomorrow. Good Luck!!!
I'm learning … to love Texas. It's not North Carolina, but I like Texas.
Noticing that … it is time to take Jack to have his claws trimmed.
From the kitchen … it's time to go grocery shopping.
Around the house … I am loving my new dining table. I love buying grown-up furniture :)
One of my favorite things … hanging out with my sister! It was great to see her last weekend.
13 October 2010
Just Desserts
12 October 2010
11 October 2010
Good Buzz
10 October 2010
Wedding!
Keith and Amanda at the altar
Cousins!
Melissa and Katie
08 October 2010
07 October 2010
Thursday Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce)
- 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)
- 4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)
Directions
Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler.
Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth and light (you can also use a regular blender). Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy.
Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
06 October 2010
Who Says You Can't Go Home
That lasted pretty much through my years at MES. I bailed on attending junior high and high school in my hometown, opting instead to attend BayView, a catholic girls school. The thing I loved most about growing up where I did was that my family was all around. I saw them all the time. I wasn't one of those people who had cousins they'd never met, or aunts they never saw. I saw everyone, all the time. I grew up with my cousins. If I was going down the street it was to pop into my aunt's house, or my grandparents'. I have to say, that's one of the best things about living in Rhode Island - you can get anywhere in the state in less than an hour (I wonder how many Rhode Islands could fit in Texas?). All that to say that I love coming home to visit. There's usually something new to see (the wind turbine of 95 anyone?), the chance to eat some of my favorite foods (twins pizza...chowder and clam cakes...), and time see my family.
05 October 2010
The Best Show on TV
04 October 2010
The Social Network
03 October 2010
Over the River...
02 October 2010
Thank Goodness She Was Prolific
01 October 2010
It's That Time of Year...
**normally I will have the 31 for 21 badge at the bottom of the post, but blogger is not cooperating this evening...