Whatcha' Cookin' Wednesday - Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal cookies with Pecans and Dried Cherries

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving... And despite all the turkey and stuffing (or here in the South, dressing) and cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole and corn casserole and on and on and on... We all need a really good COOKIE.

So here ya go. You can thank me in gold bullion.

Chocolate-Chunk Oatmeal cookies with Pecans and Dried Cherries
(Makes sixteen 4-inch cookies)

1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¼ rolled oats (old-fashioned)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 cup of dried cherries, coarsely chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks about the size of chocolate chips (about ¾ cup.)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, pecans, cherries and chocolate.

In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium sped until no sugar lumps remain, about one minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. About 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until evenly incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

Divide dough evenly into 16 portions, each about ¼ cup, then roll between palms into balls about 2 inches in diameter; stagger 8 balls on a baking sheet, spacing then about 2 ½ inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1 inch thickness. Bake about 8 minutes, rotate sheet, bake another 8 minutes until the edges have begun to set but centers are still soft – cookies will seem underdone and will appear wet, raw and shiny in cracks. DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Hair Raising

When I was about 7, I got a HAIRCUT. The long, blonde hair I'd had for all those years:



...came off in one fell snip.


I think the new style was meant to be some sort of modified Dorothy Hamill cut only it didn’t turn out so cute.

But apparently was really good for dance class.


Ugh.

I don't remember much about getting the haircut but chances are I was told to sit in the chair, get my haircut and keep my mouth shut.

End of story.

Now there are special salons just for kids.

Holy. Mackerel.

The last time the kiddos needed a trim we just popped into Fantastic Sam’s on a whim and that was that. But this time I thought it might be fun to try the neighborhood “kid salon.” Why not?

This place was a scream.

Literally.

It was LOUD and colorful and crazy-looking and full of sparkly stuff to buy and FULL of flat-screen TVs that were blaring some sort of hair salon-branded cartoon show. Yup, the place had it's very own CARTOON SHOW.

The kids froze.

I instantly had a headache.

When they got in their chairs they were handed bubbles and a computer mouse so they could "control the action" on the aforementioned flat-screen TVs.

S & J are TWO AND A HALF.

"Control the action?"

When did haircuts become entertainment?

And why do we need to hypnotize kids just to their hair cut? (Old lady question: Did we need such distractions when we were kids?)

I guess the important thing is that we got the deed done:




And they had a good experience, I think, although they had that "deer in the headlights" look almost the entire time.

What about the next cut? Not sure. I'm doing my best to raise kids that enjoy the experience for what it is... Does something as benign as a haircut need to be masked in such drama and sensory-overload? Maybe. Maybe that's what a haircut experience looks like these days and I should lighten up and enjoy the ride. Maybe I'm raising myself as much as I'm raising S & J.

Whatcha' Cookin' Wednesday - Pumpkin Bread

In honor of Thanksgiving, and in honor of keeping things SIMPLE at Thanksgiving (don't we get a little wacky with the food, people?), posted below is the yummiest, easiest and healthiest Pumpkin Bread recipe around. Most pumpkin breads are no more than glorified cakes with cup and cups of sugar to each loaf. Not this one. Only ONE cup of honey for two loaves.

Lovely.



The kiddos LOVE it. And we do too. And it freezes well. (And did I mention it's really, really good?)

Enjoy. :)

Pumpkin Bread
(yields two loaves)

1 cup honey
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
16 oz. of fresh, roasted pumpkin (or one can of solid-pack pumpkin) [ed. note: Roast fresh pumpkin by halving and removing seeds then place flesh-side down on cookie sheet lined with foil coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for one hour or until soft and mushy.)
4 eggs
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In Cusinart or blender mix honey, eggs and butter. Add pumpkin. Blend well. Transfer mixture to big bowl. In seperate bowl sift together dry ingredients. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Divide batter equally between two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes; invert pans to remove loaves and allow to finish cooling on racks.

The End of the Poop Initiative - Cheerio!

For those of you that want an update on The Poop Initiative:

I've estimated that over the next year we'll save about $438. in diapers.

YAY!

I would HIGHLY recommend the "No Pants Day!" strategy and go cold, um, turkey for a few days until, um, success is had.

The kiddos wear diapers at night and naps and have the occasional slip during the day but I think we can safely call The Poop Initative a done deal.

Now to get Sam to aim for the Cheerio....

A mother's work is never done...

(I can't WAIT for them to read this blog someday... WAY more embarassing than naked baby pics in the bathtub. Maybe I can arrange for this to be played during their respective wedding receptions...)

Twice as Aware

As a child, death was an unreal concept to me. I was absolutely, positively convinced that someone would discover a way for people to live forever. Maybe it was a pill. Or a machine. I just knew that I would live forever.

I can tell you the exact moment I realized I would die.

I was a freshman in high school and was sleeping over at Alison's. We were watching some funny TV show, stretched out on those comfy, expensive-feeling couches in her den and it hit me. Like a ton of bricks. I have no idea what spurred the thought. A cold chill ran through my body and I absolutely froze. I literally felt ice-cold. I remember thinking that one day I would not be on this earth. And I was absolutely terrified.

And then I quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

In the years that followed I didn't really think about death much, in fact, I’m not sure I thought about it again until I turned 21 and was quite surprised that I was still alive. I rarely said no to a dare. I took lots of chances. I didn’t follow instructions. I didn’t listen. I had FUN. All the time. I made bad decisons to see what would happen. (Usually nothing too bad.) I experienced all I could. I drank it all in, I lived life fully. (Some people might tell you TOO fully.) I never did anything illegal (not entirely true, let's just say nothing FELONIOUS) but I didn't always put safety concerns at the top of the list. I had no fear.

None.

Everything changed after the twins were born.

I was suddenly aware of death again. Twice as aware.

This morning, at daybreak, a fried of mine died. For 16 years she fought a brilliant and brave battle with cancer. She was at home, surrounded by her husband of 43 years and her loving children and their spouses.

Death seems to be very much around me these days. We lost someone we knew in that horrible train wreck in L.A. in September. A neighbor's cancer has returned.

Having children paired with recent death experiences has made me more aware than ever

And I think it’s good that I have this awareness back.

Despite the extreme exhaustion and lack of brain power these days, I try my best to live my life fully and yearn to experience everything. My “life” motivation is different than before. It’s not because I know I will die one day. It’s because I want show our children this incredible world before I die; I want to share all that I have… I want to make a difference, if only in their lives, but hopefully beyond that too.

I am aware.

Whatcha' Cookin' - Coke Butt

Seriously. Coke Butt. As promised last week, it's Wednesday so we're cookin'. (And, no, this recipe is not meant to go with the past few days' theme of potty training. I swear.)

So, back to Coke Butt. Not a very appetizing name, I know… Perhaps "Boston Butt ala Cola" is better? Or "Butt Surprise"? "Butt Bonanza"! O.k. whatever… Call it what you like, just call it GOOD.

I made this last week and it almost changed my religion. It was amazing.

Enjoy.

COKE BUTT
4-4.5 lb. Boston Butt roast
1 – 12 oz. can or bottle of Coca-Cola
½ cup of soy sauce
1 Tblsp. oil
1 medium onion, peeled and halved, then thinly sliced

Trim excess fat then salt and pepper meat and sear/brown all sides in hot oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven, about 3 minutes each side.

Take meat out and put in 6-quart crock pot.

Sautee onion in pan with meat drippings until clear. Add coke and soy sauce and scrape all the brown bits on bottom pan.

Pour coke/soy sauce/onion mixture on top of meat, put lid on crock pot and set to low for 10-11 hours, turning twice.

Take meat out and pour liquid in Pyrex cup to cool so you can separate fat. After skimming fat strain the mixture and use as “au jus.”

This makes great BBQ (just flake apart and add sauce...my fave is Montgomery Inn, you can sometimes find it at Wal-Mart of all places) and is also good in soft tacos.

Bring it, Day #4

Reporting from Day #4 of The Poop Intiative....

Yes.


We.


Can.

Wonderful successes so far and now can see the light at the end of the, um, tunnel.

More inspiration:

(Thanks to Guy Kawasaki...)