Posting Recipes!

I recently found out that recipes cannot be copyrighted. (Source) Worst case scenario, they're patented (seems unlikely) and even then, I'm not selling this to you or even selling these cookies to you and thus, I think this fits neatly under the "Fair Use" umbrella. Now, I'm going to share the recipe for the yummiest cookies I've ever made. They're fast, too!



Oatmeal Banana Nut Cookies (My cookbook calls them Banana Everything Cookies)
1 very ripe medium banana
1/3 cup canola oil -- I used safflower oil and some substitute applesauce for this
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking (not instant) oatmeal or rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts -- I used finely-chopped ones
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)

Yield: About 2 dozen cookies.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.
2. Mash the banana with a fork. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix with a fork. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and mix until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Add the oatmeal/oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips and mix well. If the dough is too slippery, add a few extra tablespoons of flour.
3. Clean your hands and roll the dough into balls slightly smaller than a golf ball. Flatten it a bit in your hands and place each ball about 2" apart on the cookie sheet. (They don't spread much, if at all, so it may not be crucial that they're exactly 2" apart.)
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Written February 05, 2012

Favorite (Simple!) Treat

J and I received some delicious hand-made truffles for Christmas from Gramma B and J's Aunt Leah. My favorites are the ones that Gramma B said they made because they had extra chocolate and just threw in nuts that were around the kitchen. I thought that was brilliant. Then, I got to thinking  and came up with a simple not-terribly-unhealthy and very tasty treat.

Granola Chocolate Bunches
1/4 mug of chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
1-2 tsps milk* (I use almond milk)
~1/4 cup of granola (I have a fancy one with fruit and nuts in it)

* optional -- I use this if the chocolate takes a long time to melt

Combine the milk and chocolate chips. Melt them in the microwave. Every 30 seconds, take them out and stir thoroughly, so they don't cook too quickly. Once they're completely melted, start slowly pouring in granola. Add granola until it's all very well coated and there's a little extra chocolate (ie. you could put a little more granola in and it would get covered, but don't). Drop spoons full onto a sheet of wax paper and allow to dry. Once they're dry, peel them off the wax paper and place them in an air-tight container.

Easy, cheap and oh-so-tasty!



Written Jan 30, 2012

Mentorship Update

Miss M and I have done some fun things recently! We went to a lab class and learned how to make slime, ooze, and ooblek! We've got some fabric to make a neck warmer for each of her parents and we've had a lot of fun at the park and library, so we'll probably do more of that in the future. We even made a zebra cake! (Instructions here.)

A couple weeks ago, she showed me how to make manzanas picadas. You cut an apple into chunks, then squeeze half a lime over it, sprinkle a pinch of salt, and dip the slices in chili sauce. We couldn't find the right sauce, so I used my rooster sauce (Sriracha) and that worked great. They were also great without the spicy sauce!

It's funny, because I wanted a relationship where I could help someone get into college the way that my mentor helped me but what I've gotten so far is a little friend that I can be silly with, teach things to, and learn things from! We have a lot of fun together.



Written Jan 15, 2012

Home Life Update

Same old same old. House is less clean than usual. . . gotta change that. . . I'm exercising more and eating less, which has helped me get closer to my weight goal. I'm using Fitbit.com to track my food intake. I tell them what (and how much) I ate and they tell me how many calories I've eaten and how many more I can eat if I want to lose X pounds by Y date.

It took me a while to learn how to tweak their "Activities" so that it gave me credit for the right amount of calories burned and not a ridiculously high number. I didn't lose much weight until I figured that out! Since then, I dropped 70% of the weight I've lost while using this website! As for how much weight to lose, I've tried two different (reasonably credible) web sites and my weight goal looks like it's exactly what it should be for a person of my height and body type. That is, until I build up some muscle, but that comes later. First, I get to a healthy weight. Then, I tone. If I gain some weight back, in the form of muscle, that's okay. I just want to get my risk of Diabetes lowered and, frankly, to look a little thinner, first.


Written Jan 30, 2012

It's a Beautiful Day

It's so bright, warm and sunny outside! I wish I could go for a jog or ride my bike today. I'm pretty busy, but I do get to at least look at and absorb some of the sunshine today. In honor of this lovely day, here's one of my all-time favorite songs (and favorite videos). I hope you're having a lovely day, too, even if the weather *isn't* what you want it to be.






Written Jan 3, 2012

Career Update 2

I'm continuing to help with an open-source project for my favorite company. Also, I am in the process of scheduling an interview as a full-time contractor for them and have the hopes of scheduling an interview for a different, full-time (not contract) position with the same company! Wish me luck!