week9: cookies

another new recipe this month based on one i found in CL. the CL version is called chocolate cherry heart smart cookies, but i wanted to bake something right away and i didn't have cherries or chocolate in the house (believe it or not) so i subbed cranberries and almonds. these are delicious!

Cranberry Almond Oatmeal Cookies

1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbs. unsalted butter
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla (or almond) extract
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine first five ingredients (flour through salt) in large mixing bowl and whisk together.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan on low heat. Remove from heat, add brown sugar and stir until smooth.
4. Add sugar mixture to flour mixture and beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. (At this stage, my batter did NOT look at all like cookie batter, but I pressed forward and everything turned out great. So don't panic.)
5. Add cranberries, vanilla/almond extract and egg; beat until combined. Stir in almonds.
6. Drop tablespoons onto cookie sheets (use cooking spray or silicone baking mats).
7. Bake at 350 for 12 mins. Cool on sheets for 3 mins, then remove from sheets and cool completely.

Makes 30 cookies. The original version (with cherries and chocolate) has 94 calories per cookie and only 3.2 g fat. It also has 1.5 g protein and 1.3 g fiber.

snowday the sequel!

we got another big snowstorm, and they closed our office right at the last minute this morning, so we got a second snowday this year! here are a few pics...

to give an idea how deep the snow was...



a couple snowy branches...





and some random close-ups...











and some snow dog to finish up.

week8: ring repair needed

i discovered this morning that the stone was loose in my engagement ring. :( i must have snagged one of the prongs on something and pulled enough to loosed the setting. thankfully, the stone didn't come out entirely!! i think i found a jeweler who can put it right for me, just need to get there and show it to him. the week's snowstorm is limiting my mobility!

look at the top left prong...

week7: tulips

bought some pink and white tulips because i am feeling ready for spring! they are so pretty!



i took one flower out of the bunch and put it in this cool vase i got from my mom for christmas (thanks mom!).

barbecue chicken sandwiches

my new recipe for february actually came from the november issue of cooking light: black pepper and molasses pulled chicken sandwiches. yum!

according to cooking light, the recipe was supposed to make enough for four sandwiches, but they'd be really small sandwiches. so i increased the amount of chicken here (to 1.5 lbs). alternatively, i'd use 2 lbs to make six sandwiches, which is how many kaiser rolls come in a pack anyway. this recipe is pretty forgiving, so you can alter the amounts of flavorings and sauce ingredients to suit your tastes.

3 tbs ketchup
1 tbs cider vinegar
1 tbs prepared mustard
1 tbs molasses
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 kaiser rolls
dill pickle slices

1. combine ketchup through chicken in medium saucepan. bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 23 mins or til chicken is tender.
2. remove from heat, shred chicken with 2 forks.
3. split rolls, pile on chicken and sauce, top with dill pickle slices.
4. serve with coleslaw and wavy chips!

(i prefer mayo-free coleslaw to contrast with the gooey barbecue sauce -- just toss the shredded veggies with bottled vinaigrette dressing.)

week6: snow day

big snowstorm this week! we got a snow day from work, so i documented the snow accumulation from home. started snowing around 4am i think.

by 830am we had this:


945am:


1045am:


1130am:


1245pm:


145pm:


215pm:


345pm:


445pm:


830am the following morning:

week5: awwwwwwww!

sean wanted to listen to some new CDs last night, but i was watching TV so he decided to use his headphones. the cord isn't very long so he had to sit on the floor near the stereo. naturally, zoe took this as an invitation to sit in his lap. i had to snap some pics.