While I love sweets of all kinds, including cookies, cakes, brownies, cupcakes, etc. – I could go on and on – I have neither the skills to whip up delicious baked goods or help in eating them, as my husband’s sweet tooth is practically nonexistent. If I bake a bunch of brownies, those suckers will sit there until I eat them all.

After our adventures with the slow cooker, I’ve gained a bit more confidence in the kitchen. When I was in the mood for some kind of pumpkin goodie, I Googled “pumpkin cookies” and these came up on the first results page:

http://www.theppk.com/2008/10/pumpkin-oatmeal-cookies/

I didn’t even realize I’d stumbled upon a vegan website until I started preparing the cookies. I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, but was attracted to the recipe because I love pumpkin, oatmeal in cookies and recipes that don’t require too many ingredients. These were very easy to make. I did not use flax seed, FYI. With the pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon and molasses, they smell incredible while baking. I ate about 20 of these the day I made them. Not kidding.

They are incredibly delicious and sort of healthy, with the pumpkin, raisin, nuts and oatmeal. I’m a fan of any kind of cookie, but cookies that are both ridiculously tasty AND sort of nutritious? They were gone in two days (though I did give some to family). Even John is a fan of these. They come out almost cakey or muffin like and just have a “fall” feel. I think they will be my cookie standby.

This weekend, since we were having family and friends over Friday and Saturday nights, I decided to make a double batch, only I used chocolate chips instead of raisins in one batch. As good as pumpkin is alone, chocolate only makes things better. And that variation was just as good, if not better, than the original. These seemed to be a big hit this weekend. I’d love to try making these using mashed bananas instead of pumpkin, because I also love the combination of chocolate, bananas and nuts.

I also made these

http://www.theppk.com/2008/10/chewy-chocolate-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I also did not use flax seed for these. And instead of soymilk, I simply used warm water, as someone in the comments suggested. They came out pretty flat but have a great crispy-chewy texture. They are fairly oily, though, so I may try making them with less oil next time. These also got rave reviews.

I think I’m hooked on baking. Now that I have the right tools — actual quality cookie sheets instead of pizza pans of different thicknesses, real cookie racks to replace trivets, nice mixing bowls and measuring utensils — it makes it easier to get things right. Baking is a science. It’s frustrating when something doesn’t turn out right but it feels awesome when what you made is delicious and crowd-pleasing.

Got a favorite cookie recipe? I’d love to try it out!

Among random musings and other things, I hope to share my adventures in cooking on this blog. Lately, it’s been concentrated on slow cooking. For the past few weeks, John and I have been making a new dish each week in our Crock Pot, which was one of my bridal shower gifts. He’s made chili and cassoulet; I’ve made pulled pork and shrimp creole. Tonight, we layered lasagna in the slow cooker. The best part about slow cooking? The incredible smells that build as the food cooks. What’s the worst part about slow cooking? The torture of smelling the food for hours and not being able to eat it! I am not a patient person. I can smell the cheese and sauce bubbling away and I am ready to dig into this lasagna, Garfield-style!

As I am probably the biggest pasta-eater outside of Italy, lasagna has always been one of my favorite foods. It was actually one of the main dishes served at our wedding. And who doesn’t love that you can throw several things into a Crock Pot and just let it go for a while? As a lazy, messy cook, I’m a big fan.

Here’s the recipe we used – it’s pretty standard – found in Real Simple magazine…

Spinach and ricotta lasagna (serves 6)

Ingredients:

2 10-oz. packages chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess moisture

1 cup ricotta cheese (we used a bit more for extra cheesiness!)

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 cups marinara sauce (we used an arrabbiata sauce – I would think any red sauce would work well)

6 regular lasagna noodles (not no-boil)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarrella cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together spinach, ricotta and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. In a second bowl, mix together marinara sauce and 1/2 cup water.

Spread 3/4 cup of marinara mixture in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Top with 2 noodles (breaking to fit), 3/4 cup of the remaining marinara mixture, half the spinach mixture and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella; repeat those 4 steps. Top with remaining noodles, marinara mixture, mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover and cook on low until the noodles are tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

*** Post-chow-down thoughts: It was good. Not as blow-your-mind good as I was hoping for, but it was a solid lasagna. I’m glad we used arrabbiata, because it gave it a bit of a zing that just marinara might not have. For the amount of cheese used, it wasn’t as truly gooey-cheesy as I thought it would be, but still good. I think next time, we might try to use fresh spinach, to see if there’s a taste difference. Has anyone tried that? Thoughts?

But I took issue with the test because it asked some silly questions, like why it’s bad if a car has a leaky exhaust. I don’t know and don’t feel like I should have to know; that’s what the mechanic is for. I also tend to overthink things, and spent too much time stressing about certain questions instead of choosing the simplest answer.

But, I passed, so it’s all over. Sigh.

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I haven’t updated the blog lately because I’ve been busy at work and taking care of things like, ahem, driver’s license issues. I’m currently the only reporter for the Herald and it’s a bit stressful. However, I don’t want to miss something – if you’ve got an idea for me or know of something that needs covering, please give me a call or send me an e-mail: 919-718-1219 or cmullen@sanfordherald.com.

Each couple was unique and had their own interesting story about how they met, what they love about each other and how they make their marriage work. I talked to a newlywed couple as well as couples that have been married 60 years or more.

The couples were all extremely gracious. They welcomed me into their homes and shared so much with me, a complete stranger. I’m sure it was odd for them: a person they don’t know wants to hear all about their relationship and the ups and downs of their marriage. But once we became comfortable, the couples opened up and shared the secrets of their unions.

Listening to them talk about their histories was amazing. I am fascinated by love stories, so this assignment was a dream. I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

But while I waited in anticipation Friday afternoon and it was exciting to see, I was ready for the snow to clear out by Saturday. This kind of weather is exactly what I got sick of in Illinois. And hearing we might see more of it this weekend is depressing. I’m hoping 60 degrees make its return and fast. My boyfriend John is visiting for several days and I’d love for him to experience sunny and warm days in February… hoping Sanford has seen its last snowstorm of the season.

I’m having trouble inserting the link, but to check out the snow stories I wrote for the Herald, go to www.sanfordherald.com.

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A few friends and I have been meeting Tuesday mornings for breakfast. It’s something I really look forward to each week because I love the company and I’m a fan of any and all breakfast food. We ate at the Dairybar for a couple weeks and Mrs. Wenger’s last week. Today we had breakfast at the Landmark in Jonesboro.

I think my favorite place so far has been the Dairybar, because I really like the pecan waffle and hash browns I’ve gotten there. Mrs. Wenger’s had good sausage and the Landmark had sugary, thick french toast. But something about the Dairybar sticks with me, and I really enjoyed the food. Simple but delicious.

Know of any other breakfast places I should check out?

On Thursday for lunch, I ate at Mrs. Wenger’s and had a great meal of fried chicken (white meat), mac and cheese, turnip greens, biscuits and sweet tea. It really doesn’t get more Southern than that (at least for me). I was stuffed to the gills and it was all delicious. The turnip greens weren’t my favorite part – I’m not a huge fan of sopping wet greens – but they still had a tangy taste to them that I liked. And the more I try fried chicken down here, the more I love it. Didn’t get too much of it in Illinois. The most we’ve got up there is KFC.
Mrs. Wenger’s biscuits deserve an award. I haven’t tried too many different biscuits around here yet, but I’ve heard Mrs. Wenger’s are the best in Sanford. I believe it.

Bud’s Barbecue for lunch Friday was also tasty. I got the barbecue sandwich, hush puppies and sweet tea. Bud’s hush puppies were probably the best I’ve ever had. They were the round ball kind I like, and they had a great cornmeal taste without being overpowering. And nice and fluffy.
Their barbecue had just the right amount of tang and it was deliciously juicy. Came on a great bun, too.

Both places don’t look like much on the inside, but that’s the kind of place I like. The food is what matters. And at Mrs. Wenger’s and Bud’s, it’s fantastic.

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For Valentine’s Day, I’m hoping to do a package about love and share different love stories. I’d like to find a good mix of people: a newly married couple, a mother and her child, a couple that’s been married 60 years, etc. I think it would make a nice centerpiece for the paper. Got any other ideas for me? Would you be interested in telling your love story or do you know of a couple that might? My number is 919-718-1219; my e-mail is cmullen@sanfordherald.com. I’d love to hear from you.

I ate at La Dolce Vita on Charlotte Avenue Wednesday night. I’ve eaten there before, but this meal was much better than my first at the restaurant.

The first time I went a month or so ago, I ordered the Roberto sandwich, with artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, onions and mozzarella. But when it was brought out to me, they had put chicken in it. I like chicken just fine, but I wasn’t expecting it to be in the sandwich and it threw me off. Not a bad sandwich, but not exactly what I had ordered.

On Wednesday, I ate at La Dolce Vita with my coworker Jon Owens and had a great meal. I ordered the veggie lasagna, which was one of the specials for the night. It was delicious and the portion size was perfect. I ended up eating it all because I was hungry and love my Italian food but there was enough that I could have taken some home if I wanted. I really like La Dolce Vita’s bread, too… it has a certain rosemary-ish flavor to it that’s good without being overpowering.

We also got a dessert, the Quadruple Chocolate Mousse Pie… it was heaven! It had raspberries and whipped cream and plenty of chocolate. The restaurant has a lemon cake that I want to try next time; I love lemon bars, cookies and cakes.

The service is great at La Dolce Vita and I like the atmosphere… they don’t try too hard. Next time, I’d love to get some pizza or try a calzone.

I hope 2010 is half as good!

I don’t know that I have any firm New Year’s resolutions… but I know I can put more effort into my work. My excuse up until now has been that I’ve been getting settled after a big move. But I’m settled now and need to give 110 percent. I’m going to step it up. I can do better than I’ve been doing.

I’m also an over-thinker and I often get ahead of myself in just about everything. So this year, I’ll try to take things slower and have more of a “one day at a time” mentality.

I’m excited for everything to come and I’m happy for each day I get in 2010. It’s a wonderful life!

Susan wanted to tell me about Larry Jordan, a 71-year-old Sanford man living in Sanford Health and Rehabilitation who doesn’t know how to read or write. He will begin taking classes at Central Carolina Community College Jan. 6 to learn to do both of those things. Here’s the story: Herald feature on Larry Jordan

This story really struck me. I’m sure many of us take reading and writing for granted; I know I do. We learn these skills early on in life and use them every day, but we don’t often think about what life would be like without these abilities.

Larry Jordan has never read a book. He’s never been able to send someone a letter. (I do both of these things constantly.) He couldn’t read to his step-children as they grew up. Love notes were never left for his wife. Forms must be filled out by someone else. Birthday cards are read to him.

I think it’s especially hard for me to understand Larry’s situation because my job revolves around writing and reading. As I sat talking with him about it, new things popped into my head: “So, you couldn’t do such-and-such?”

“Nope,” he’d reply.

It was one of the most trying interviews for me, not at all because of Larry, but because I wanted to be very careful with my questions. I didn’t want Larry to feel dumb, or feel like I pitied him. I wanted to be sure I worded my inquiries correctly, but I found that there really isn’t any good way to ask someone, “Why’d didn’t you learn to read and write?”

Larry was extremely nice and answered my questions honestly. He seemed matter-of-fact about his past and strong in his desires to learn to read the Bible. Stories like Larry’s make me a better journalist. Talking to Larry and getting to tell his story was my pleasure.

It just felt so good to be back in Chicagoland. As much fun as I’m having in Sanford and exploring this area, I do miss it at home. I’m glad I lived so close to the city for that long; it was such a special thing to have only an hour away. Visiting museums, going to the beach, trying new restaurants, shopping, concerts, sports games … Chicago is awesome! Lucky to have spent so much time there growing up.

And of course, I miss the people there… my aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents. Most of my friends are off in other parts of the country like I now am, but their families are still in the suburbs, too.

Much of my trip focused on eating: getting a Chicago hot dog at Portillo’s was my first priority. Now, a Chicago hot dog has to be just right, with mustard, celery salt, relish, tomato, onions, pickle spear and sport peppers. I take the sport peppers off so I guess I break the rules a bit. And it has to be on a steamed poppyseed bun. For those that aren’t familiar, Portillo’s is a Chicago-area chain that serves hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian beef, sausage… all the good stuff. And yes, it’s a chain, but it’s not too large and their food is fantastic. If you’re ever in the area, it’s a can’t-miss spot.

John and I also had our anniversary dinner at The Palette (where I get the pulled pork sandwich because they smoke their pork on site and serve it on a salted roll; it’s the best I’ve ever had), breakfast at our favorite college diner The Junction, sushi at Fushi Yami, sandwiches at Shawn’s, lunch at Potbelly. These are all places I had really missed, so I’m glad I got to revisit them and indulge. John and I also happened to stumble upon a (free!) wine tasting and found a great bottle to take home to celebrate three years together.

I had a fantastic time, catching up with family and friends, playing with my kitties and spending lots of much-needed time with John. Now I’m ready for him to come down here in February to visit me so he can experience Sanford! I’m putting together a list of places I’ll have to take him… any suggestions? (Food or otherwise)