November 13, 2010

Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I know it's not time to be thinking about Christmas. We still have two weeks to go before Thanksgiving. But I've already finalized my Thanksgiving menu and have no need to test out any recipes. I'll be serving most of the same dishes from last year, with a few changes. I had a free Saturday morning, which is when I usually bake something for the week. So, I decided to try out a cookie recipe for Christmas! 


  • 3/4 c. butter, softened
  • 2/3 c. packed dark brown sugar
  • a little more than 1 1/2 c. oatmeal
  • 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2/3 c. dried cranberries
  • 2/3 c. white chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter and brown sugar and beat on medium high until light and fluffy in texture and color, about 3 minutes, while you gather other ingredients.
3. In large bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, stirring to combine.
4. To butter and sugar add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine well after each addition, then add vanilla.
5. Stop mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn back on lowest setting.
6. Add oatmeal mixture, then cranberries and white chocolate, beating just until barely combined. Remove bowl from stand mixer and bring over to baking sheets. Best way to do this is with your fingers (albeit messy) 7. Pick up loose balls of dough about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter and place onto baking sheets at least 2 inches apart (I place 11 cookies on each sheet, dividing dough into 22 cookies total). If you have leftover cranberries and white chocolate chips, top cookies with a couple of each.
8. Place in preheated oven and bake for exactly 10 minutes.
9. Remove from oven, cookies will be slightly golden around edges and middles look a bit underdone.
10. Let cool 5 minutes on cookies sheets and then place on wire racks to cool completely before serving.


It looks like a lot of steps but it's actually pretty easy. And they are sooo good, I've already had four. :)

November 9, 2010

It's Like Christmas

Yesterday I came home to find this in my mailbox.


I was SO excited. I've been waiting for it to come for what feels like eons. Her magazine has got to be my all-time, and I don't even know why. I pour over the pages lovingly. I look for the longest checkout lane in the grocery store just so I can look through it. And now I have a subscription to it!

SO EXCITED.

Can you believe just a year ago I despised her recipes? The ingredient list was just too long. They never took me 30 minutes and I wasn't a fan of her quirkiness. Until I discovered her daytime talk show while I was unemployed with nothing to do. I started to look forward to her show everyday. I felt like I had made a friend during a rough, lonely time. Now I adore her.

I stayed up late last night reading it. Until my husband found me with the light on. He has deemed me insane, but this is not as surprise. We both know I am.

Look out for some of her recipes!! I've marked a ton. :)

November 7, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

This week's menu plan has a bit more of a variety. We are huge pasta eaters (or, rather, I am) and have pasta waaaay too often. I'd like to limit the number of pasta dishes we have per week. This is not going to be an easy task for me... but there is only one pasta dish on the menu this week!



My problem is coming up with sides. I rotate rice, pasta, quinoa, and potatoes along with a vegetable. Pasta is by far my favorite. What are some of your favorite sides?

November 6, 2010

A Shoutout to Santa Claus

This wasn't supposed to turn into a Christmas post. I wanted to post my recent bookmarks and then I realized, I only had two new ones to share...


Yes. I know.



Another contender for Thanksgiving?


The reason behind the lack of food related bookmarks?

It's November. And that means everyone is already starting to ask, "What do you want for Christmas?" So I have begun my search...

Have you started yours yet, or am I just crazy?

Here are some things I want this year.









I don't have any of her cookbooks. I really really want this one.



This is not going to happen. We don't have space for it. It's really expensive. But I want it anyway, Santa.



Please share any recipes you've bookmarked lately. I'm slacking and would like some new ones!

November 1, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

There's a new recipe on the menu this week. I watched Rachael Ray make this Lazy Florentine Lasagna the other day and it looked pretty good and easy. I've been looking for some new dinner ideas, seeing as all I ever do it bookmark sweets and desserts. Have you tried anything new lately?

I'm so excited that today is the first day of November! Thanksgiving, here I come...I've already planned out the menu!




What's on your menu plan this week?
 
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