Cookies and Cake
Yesterday I didn’t actually cook a meal. I made toasted cheese sandwiches for lunch, and three dozen Chocolate Chip Cookies that were promptly eaten by Dexter and his friends. Then I made a Texas Sheet Cake for the family. Dave did Habitat for Humanity all day with his team from work and he ate a big lunch so he didn’t want dinner, neither did the boys (cake and cookies…oh boy!) so I had some Trader Joe’s Cotswald cheese, a Honeycrisp Apple, and some nuts with my glass of wine. Honeycrisp apples are a cross between a Macoun and a Honeygold apple. They were developed by the University of Minnesota and they are crisp, juicy, sweet, yet tart…the perfect apple.
This morning I made a bagel run to Bagels Forever and we had bagels and cream cheese. Dave and I added some lox and capers that I picked up at Trader Joe’s. Then Lovejoy and I headed out for our walk. It is a crystal clear, bright blue day with a brisk wind out of the north and the temperature is about 45. I haven’t used my iPod when I go hiking because in the summer I like to hear the birds and the insects humming along. But now the only sound is the wind so I wore my iPod and listen to Cat Power and Death Cab For Cutie. We walked to the Pheasant Branch Conservancy and headed up the hill. I saw two Redtail Hawks riding the updrafts. They would soar toward each other and then grab at each other and tumble down until right before they hit the ground and then they would straighten out and soar off. I saw them do this two times and I wonder if they were playing?
This is a picture of me and my dog, Lovejoy. He looks crazy in this photo because he was all excited and wouldn’t hold still for a photo, so I promised him a Greenie biscuit which I’m holding in my right hand…the one he is eerily staring at. He’s a mix of Cardigan Corgi and Canaan Dog, we think. Lovejoy is the illegitimate love child from a dog show romance. He is the smartest dog I’ve ever had, he can take commands as we walk, he is always trying to herd people, children, and other animals. He is incredibly protective and loyal. He barks a lot and is very protective but that quality also makes him a good guard dog. He’s a big dog in a small package.
This afternoon I’m going to continue reading Edward Rutherford’s Sarum. This book tells 10,000 years of history of the Salisbury plain in England through the stories of five families. I’m up to 2000 BC. It is a interesting book and I’m enjoying it. We’ll be traveling in that area next summer and I can’t wait to see Stonehenge.
Dinner tonight will be simple: grilled pork chops, artichokes, and roasted potatoes.
Melissa’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe came from my neighbor Anne. I think it came from her sister in law, Melissa. I’ve made some changes:
2 sticks unsalted, cultured butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Put the butter in the mixer bowl and mix on medium with the paddle beater until creamy and smooth. Add the sugars and mix again until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips and mix until combined. Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop arrange sixteen scoops on your parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8 -10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 4 dozen cookies if you don’t eat the dough first.
System note: We’ll be bringing down the server tonight and parking the blog. You’ll be be able to view but not comment after 10 pm and then Dave will bring it all back up tomorrow.
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