Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Oh, where to begin? I think with good news. So, I'm living in Columbia on a permanent basis now. Because I got a job! With a South Carolina-based company, Hotelguides.com. I'm super-excited because they seem super-awesome. My first week was last week, so training kind of derailed my normal shooting schedule. It's cool though, you're still totally getting cookies.

And these are some damn tasty cookies. I'm a sucker for dried cranberries and oatmeal cookies. So is the baby. Seriously, Grady l-o-v-e-s dried cranberries. Especially if they're in this goat cheese spread. I know, right? See, I give him little tastes of whatever I'm eating, and sometimes with cheeses he'll take it and spit it out. But he was all. about. that goat cheese.

And I've always been a fan of oatmeal cookies. No, I don't have those trust issues some people claim to have from eating an oatmeal raisin cookie and expecting chocolate chip. No, siree. I think I get it from my grandmother. She likes raisin pie.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

It's gourd season, y'all. It's a beautiful coincidence that the time for all things pumpkin intersects with the time for all things football. I think that's sort of how my life works. Everything happens at once. My birthday is Christmas Eve, so I get birthday and Christmas all at once. And now it's not just football and pumpkins in the fall. It's also Grady-time. He turned 11 months old yesterday, and I'm absolutely floored at how he's gone from wee (although his hands and feet were never wee) and utterly helpless to large and in charge. He wants to feed himself, he can drink out of a sippy cup, and he's SO close to walking. Oh mercy, I didn't mean to get all sentimental.

I have to say I'm really excited for Grady's first birthday. My sister has a wonderful day in mind, and let's be honest, the party is really for the adults. I just know Grady will go to town on the smash cake we make him, but it's not like he'll remember any of this. All that said, let's get down to cookie business.

Triple Chocolate Chunk & Pistachio Cookies

Do you know what I love about the world? Little favors. Little favors that take a craptastic day and turn it into a less craptastic day. It's especially uplifting when the little favors are perpetrated by a total stranger because it restores just a little bit of faith in humanity.

Like two weeks ago in the Kroger by my sister's house. See, I'd found out earlier that day that we had to put our dog, Daisy, down. It ripped a hole in my heart, and I tried to make myself feel better by going to the gym. It's hard to feel sad in Zumba when you're making a fool of yourself. And I did feel better while I was there, but then it was raining and gross outside. On the way back to my sister's I decided to stop at Kroger because it was easier to get to during rush hour. I grabbed a few things and parked myself in the wine section to find a decently priced bottle (P.S. Kroger, your mark-up was a little ridic). I was checking out, and the clerk asked if I had a Kroger card. I said I didn't, and the man in line behind me said "Oh here" and had the clerk scan his card for me. I thanked him, paid, then turned back and said "If I'd known that was gonna happen, I'd have picked a better bottle of wine." He laughed, I laughed and thanked him again, and I left with my heart a little lighter because he did a little something nice.

Oatmeal Cookie Peach Crisp

I've been selfish. I could've shared this with you days ago, but I just kept eating it instead of editing pictures and writing. I'm a baaaad blogger. But! I'm sharing now, k? I know it's not quite fall, which is when I feel like I should be eating oatmeal cookies, so I decided to make it summery by sticking it on top of sweet, summer peaches. Problem solved! (Was that other sentence a run-on sentence? My high school English teacher would quite literally smack me on the head.)

Key Lime Meringue Bars

 Oh mercy, y'all. It's been a little cray-cray the past few weeks. One of the things about living in a vacation spot is that people like to vacation there. Derp. I've spent lots of time with extended family, friends of family, and the like. And it's all fabulous, don't get me wrong. It's just hard to blog is all. So I took an unofficial break. But! I made these lovely little key lime bars (twice!) because I'm a crazy person. Unless you live in like Seattle or some other lovely Pacific Northwest city, it's probably been hot as as the Devil's boiler room where you live.

Benne Wafers

First, I must congratulate my Gamecocks on making a run at a third CWS title in 3 years. That's pretty freakin' cool! Second, I must congratulate Arizona on their exceptional ball-playing in this CWS. Even though I wanted to hate Robert Refsnyder, I couldn't because he seemed like a really nice person. So yeah. And even though we didn't win, Michael Roth and Evan Marzilli (and Matt Price and Christian Walker, etc.) have my heart. This probably makes zero sense if you don't follow college baseball.

Biscoff Brownies with Candied Peanuts

When my mom was young, her family lived in Bolivia. My grand-daddy was an engineer, so they moved where the jobs took them. This included South Dakota, which my mom still counts as her least favorite state. (Sorry, South Dakotans!) So when they lived in Bolivia they had these neighbors who were alligator farmers. Um, what? They also had an ocelot as pet. When my mom and her sister would walk to school, the ocelot would stalk my Aunt Mandy. And when they were over at the neighbors' house, it would go insane if it saw her through the sliding glass door. True. Story. According to my mom. My grandmother disputes this some.

I love a good non sequitur. I've been dying to make brownies with Biscoff spread since I bought a jar. Biscoff spread is essentially...cookie butter. HOW is something like this allowed to exist?! Cookie. Butter. Like peanut butter but with cookies. Add in some candied peanuts and BOOM. Mega brownie.

Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Y'all, this is my 100th post!  I figured I should make something a little special, and it should probably be a cake.  Let's also factor in that Will's birthday was Saturday, and he wanted a cookie cake.  So we've got us a deep dish chocolate chip cookie cake.  Holy.  Moly.

Oh and can we talk about how today is the first day of spring, and we've already had days in the upper 80's?!  Y'all, that's hot.  And it's only gonna get hotter.  So if you need a slice of cookie cake and a cold glass of milk on a screened-in porch with a fan, I totally understand.

Super Bowl Sunday 2012

Y'all, it's about that time again!  Super Bowl Sunday.  I must confess, I'm way more invested in college football than I am in the NFL.  Oh sure, I cheer for the odd team here and there.  I like the Saints because I really love New Orleans.  I like the Broncos because my grandparents used to live in Denver.  But none of that really translates into a diehard fan.  I still really like to watch football of course, plus I like the commercials just as much as anyone.  So I pick a team to cheer for for the night.  I also watch the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet.  Sooooo cute!

I remember the last Super Bowl where the Patriots played the Giants.  I cheered for the Giants because something really irks me about Tom Brady.  Probably his face.  I know everyone thinks he's sooo cute, but I just don't see it.  I mean, he's reasonably attractive (and he did land supermodel Gisele), but I can think of at least 10 other athletes I like better.  If David Beckham doesn't open his mouth and talk with his Mickey Mouse voice?  Game over.

So go Giants.  Hah.  If you're still deciding what to serve for the big game, let me make a few suggestions.

Fancy Taters- Make a big ol' batch depending on how many people you serve.

 Everyone goes crazy for Ham Rolls.  You might want to make extra, just in case!

When are Fried Chicken Tenders ever wrong?

Oh jeez, forgive me for this picture.  At any rate, no party is complete without some Pimento Cheese.  You can jazz it up with bacon and/or jalapeños.

Speaking of cheese, these Cheese Wafers like to fly off the table.

Oh my goodness, more cheese.  How do I survive? Feta Squares are lovely on their own or with chili.

For something sweet, try Chocolate Chip Cookies.  What's more American than a chocolate chip cookie?

Except maybe warm Apple Crisp.

No matter who you're cheering for tomorrow, have fun and be safe!

Peppermint Mocha Krinkles

Y'all.  It's crunch time.  Gifts need to be wrapped.  Actually, gifts need to be bought.  Whomp whomp.  I'm going to get to it, promise!  Speaking of gifts, have y'all seen the trend of people making payments on other people's layaways?  I think that's pretty awesome.  It's one of the things I love about this season.  People doing good things for other people.  No recognition needed.  Doing it just because it'll make someone's life a little easier.   I'm a big believer in karma.  That's why I let cars in ahead of me in traffic (safely of course).

These cookies will totally get you some good karma if you make them for other people.  They'll also just make you happy if you eat them yourself.  So it's a win-win.  I got the idea for this cookie when I had a similar cookie from Panera.  My sister and I like to split a chocolate chip cookie now and then, and one time they were out of our usual; so I picked out a peppermint chocolate cookie for us instead.  I also wanted it to have a bit of a coffee flavor, like a peppermint mocha from Starbucks.  P.S.  I have no idea why I'm spelling krinkles with a "k" when I know good and well the word is crinkles.  It's a mystery.

Molasses Spice Cookies and Pumpkin Dip

Confession:  I probably most likely definitely watch too much TV.  No, it doesn't keep me from exercising or doing other things.  But I keep it on constantly as background noise, and I have about 1,000 shows I watch regularly.  Sundays are a big night.  Once Upon A Time, The Walking Dead, Pan Am, and I catch The Good Wife on Hulu the next day.  The Walking Dead is by far my favorite.  I'm way into creepy shows (American Horror Story anyone?!), and zombies totally freak me out.  And last night had potentially the grossest zombie kill of the season.  Gah.  I'm also into Glee and I die for Modern Family.  Modern Family might be my favorite show out of all of them.  We're pretty sure Phil is Will in 10 years.

I feel like I have to say that I like to read, too.  When I read a book, I tend to read it all at once.  I might not finish it in a day, depending on how long it it and what else I have to do, but I'll read for hours at a time.  I think I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in less than 36 hours.  I'm sure other people finished it a lot sooner than I did, but I was in grad school at the time.  Will's mom likes to read too, and there's always a book here that I pick up and read.

Super Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies. Make Them Now.

I want a corn dog.  It's State Fair time, which means fried foods of all kinds.  And delicious corn dogs.  At no other time in my life do I say "A corn dog is the only thing that will cure my hunger!" than at State Fair time.  I don't know if I'll get to go this year, but I do plan on going to the Peanut Festival in Dothan.  Oh, you didn't know Dothan, Alabama is the peanut capital?  Well it is, and they have a festival to celebrate the glorious creation that is the peanut.  And apparently the Corn Dog Man there makes the best corn dogs.  So there you go.  Or maybe I'll make my own?  That sounds like a project for another day.

Dessert Alert:  I made the best chocolate chips cookies of my life.  The edges were lightly crispy, the middle was chewy, and the chocolate was perfectly melty.  I died.  And then I came back to life and ate another one.  I wouldn't let Will hear the end of it.

3 C's: Country Concert, Chow Mein, and Chocolate

Let's start with the Rascal Flatt's concert I went to with Kaitlin.  It was an absolute blast.  Her mom and cousin went with us, and we tailgated at the Verizon Amphitheater with subs and Coronas.  Ballin'.

How do I love Sara Evans?  Let me count the ways.  She was flawless.  It's nice to hear a voice that hasn't been auto-tuned to death.  Don't get me wrong, auto-tune can be used for some cool effects, but to hear someone with a crystal clear voice just can't be matched.

I'm pretty sure she was singing "A Little Bit Stronger" at this point.  Her set was simple and feel-good.

Then came the big boys!  Oh yeah, they definitely came in three separate doors down staircases.  It was fantastic and a little over-the-top in all the right ways.

I really liked the background they used here.

They played a little bluegrass ditty!  Basically, it was a blast.  They worked the crowd, we danced, and fun was had by all.

That same weekend my sister's mother-in-law came for a visit.  Miss Susan is an incredibly nice lady who happens to make bangin' chow mein.  I'd show you a picture of it, but I was too busy eating it.  No joke, 4 bowls in 2 days.  The beef gets a little marinade-time with what we call Happy Cow Sauce.  I have no idea what the real name is because I can't read Chinese.  I have a jar of it my sister gave to me, so I'll make some chow mein soon for you guys.  The Happy Cow Sauce gives a bit of spice to the beef, which takes on a caramelized quality during cooking that flavors the noodles.  Then you have bell peppers, onions, and carrots for even more flavor.  I might be obsessed.

Now for the chocolate.  I had a hankering for a chocolate cookie, and I had some chocolate chips that needed to be used.  Thus the triple chocolate chunk cookie bar was born.