time to relax and what do i do?

why head for the kitchen of course... :)

here's a peek into my afternoon in the kitchen this weekend.

I painted these with simple chalkboard paint and I love how they turned out!

This is admitting one of my guiltiest pleasures- checking out cookbooks from the library. Currently reading Flour by Joanne Chang and drooling over every page.

Food processor = kitchen wonder tool. This one was assembled for us by our brother in law, all from parts he found at the Goodwill bins! (I was making bread crumbs!)

Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crips, created to be like the ones you can buy at Trader Joes. I used this recipe. They're tasty with some cream cheese on top.

Two things I can't live without in my kitchen. Misto- like Pam nonstick spray, only you fill/refill it with olive oil to grease pans, spritz on popcorn, and a myriad of other uses. We like it because we get to buy the big jug of olive oil from the Lebanese store down the street. The other tip- if you're still living in the last century like me and use paper recipes, slip them into a plastic sheet protector before you expect them to brave your kitchen. That way, they survive all the drips, spills, and splatters of your creative cooking!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Courtesy of Wendy Shaver
2 c butter (room temp)
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2c flour
2 c whole wheat flour
5 c quick oatmeal
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
24 oz semi sweet choc chips
Opt. 2 cups of chopped pecans or walnuts
 
In a large bowl or mixer, cream butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend, then vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together, then add to butter mixture. Mix until moistened and blended. Mix in choc chips. Bake 375 degrees for 8-10 mins. *This makes a big batch of dough, so I always bake some right away and with the leftover, I scoop it into balls, freeze it in a single layer, and then keep it in a Ziploc. This way, you can pull out however many you need and always have cookies- warm from the oven. Or you can pop a frozen dough ball after a hard day!*

why do i have such a way of making such a messy kitchen? good thing at our house, the philosophy luke aspires to is, "i cook and he cleans!"