Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Toasted Pecans and Dried Cherries

One of my New Year's resolutions is to make sure that my family is eating less processed foods this year. I admit it, I have fallen into a bad habit of buying convenience foods in the last 2 years. As a new mom and then a mom of two under two, it was just so much simpler. But I am determined to rid my house of prepackaged cookies, skillet meals, and frozen pizza.

Much to my husband's dismay, the junk will NOT be getting replaced in my pantry. Once it is gone, it's gone. Not only will the processed foods be vanishing from our home, I am also committing myself to a $500/month food budget.

As my family dives head-first into this healthier eating plan on a budget, I will be sharing my meal planning and any helpful tricks and tips that I come across.

As we have finished off the last of the Christmas cookies and my fridge is still stuffed full of leftovers from various family holiday celebrations, my first recipe to share is cookies.

I also needed an excuse to test out my new Nordic Ware baking sheets (http://amzn.to/2qiksCx) that are highly recommended in several cooking communities as being the best for even heating/browning. After years of using Wilton baking sheets, one batch of cookies on these beauties and I'm sold! (As an added benefit, these also have an optional lid that will be extra useful!)

These are one of my favorite cookies, packed full of good things that are even relatively good for you. The recipe was sent in an email from America's Test Kitchen quite a while ago. I've changed it just a bit to suit my personal preferences. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Toasted Pecans and Dried Cherries
Modified to America's Test Kitchen
Makes Approx 3 dozen cookies

3/4 cup chopped pecans

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar, preferably dark

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped, or chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup dried cherries (I use unsweetened to avoid the added sugar)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; preheat oven 350.

2. Toast pecans. Set aside.

3. In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugar at medium speed. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. With mixer still running on low, gradually add dry ingredients; mix until just incorporated. Gentle fold in

pecans, cherries and chocolate chunks.

4. Using dinner spoon place blobs of dough on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 minutes for chewy cookies or 13 minutes for more crisp cookies at 350. The cookies will not be brown when done, but will have flattened out and may be a tad shiny yet. 

5. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool to room temperature.

Pumpkin Roll Cake

Nothing says Fall like Pumpkin EVERYTHING. After having spent some time at the Pumpkin Show in Circleville, OH last weekend and seeing Dr. Liggit's 1900lb pumpkin, I was inspired to make something yummy with pumpkin.

Pumpkin Swirl Coffee Cake

The cool fall air has apparently made my cat lose his mind. Cats are notorious for taking off at high speeds just to go from one room to the next. My Ralph has lost control. He took off from the kitchen as fast as he could and then I hear this loud thumb as he crashes into the wall. A few seconds later he comes running out towards the kitchen again and somehow managed to get into the back of the dishwasher that I was loading with breakfast dishes. I just wish I had had my camera handy to take a picture of my cat stuck behind all the dishes in there.

While the fall season is making my little furry friend extra nutty, it is making me crave all the delicious things.

After freeing Ralph from the clutches of the evil dishwasher, I set about mixing up this delicious pumpkin swirl coffee cake.

Lemon Blueberry Sticky Buns

Let's start this week with a smile and a delicious sticky roll!

It is Monday and Monday's require an extra dose of motivation to get up and get the week started. My motivation today happens to be Lemon Blueberry Sticky Buns. Let me tell you, these little rolls are absolutely AMAZING.

I am not typically a fan of making any kind of rolls just because I can never get my dough to rise properly (mostly because I am impatient), but this dough was fool proof. It came out perfectly with little work.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes

There is a whole lot of NOPE going on in my house today. I am an extremely lazy bum who hasn't found any other motivation than to make dessert. There is always tomorrow to create a fantastic, multi-course meal. Today it's all about laying out, getting a little sun, and relaxing with a good book.

Pineapple, Lime, & Mascarpone Baked Pancake with Dulce de Leche

Happy Sunday.

This morning has been one of those peaceful mornings where all I can do is sit back, sip a hot cup of peppermint tea, and reflect on a million different and completely irrelevant thoughts.

The main thing going through my mind lately is how complicated we have made our daily lives. I remember Sunday mornings when I was little that only allowed for family breakfasts, a relaxing day around the house, and a big Sunday dinner. Stores, if even open at all, opened late and closed by 6pm. There were no 24-hour mega marts. No 24-hour movie rentals. You didn't have a choice but to stay home and focus on your family.

What ever happened to those days?

I've decided today is going to be a stress-free, relaxing Sunday. This delicious breakfast is a great way to start a stress-free Sunday. Trust me. It really is.

Apricot Galette with Almonds

I spent my Saturday exploring Biltmore House, downtown Asheville, NC, and driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was an absolutely gorgeous setting and an amazing day to just walk around and enjoy the scenery. I also got to spend this time with an amazing man who has recently come into my life.

Is a 3rd date too early to be ready to marry somebody? He's just that perfect.

It's hard to top a romantic, peaceful day spent with great company, but this Apricot Galette comes close.

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

After a long hot day there is nothing as comforting as sitting down with a tall glass of ice cold lemonade. This is a tradition I remember from my childhood summers spent at my grandparents. Afternoons were always spent on the back porch, sipping lemonade, snacking on a cookie or two, waiting on dinner to cook.

Now as a busy adult living in the 21st century, I rarely get the chance to sit down on the back porch and sip lemonade, but I still have time to grab a quick snack in the afternoons.

Since I cannot always squeeze in time for a relaxing few moments on the porch, I decided to incorporate my childhood memories into this simple to make bar. I also had a few strawberries on hand and decided to add them in too.

Palmiers...aka Elephant Ear Cookies

It was in 1988 when my mother would frequent a bakery in downtown Winchester, Va. Even though I was only 5, I still remember going into the store and seeing all the delicious pastries and other goodies in the display case. She would always get me an elephant ear. Mostly I think this was to keep me quiet while she did some shopping while my father was getting his hair cut.

Now these elephant ears are not to be confused with the huge piece of fried dough that can be purchased at any carnival or fair. These are light and flaky cookies. They demand to be eaten in the mid-afternoon with a cup of tea or coffee.

Bourbon Croissant Bread Pudding

I am excited to be off work today. I have nothing to do all day except relax on my porch swing and read a good book.

Since I have no reason to put effort into anything today, there is no reason not to add a little something  extra to my breakfast. Who ever said that you can't have bourbon for breakfast? It just requires a little creativity.

Warm Lemon Pudding Cake

Today may not be the first official day of spring, but it was certainly the first day that has felt like spring. And I was lucky enough to have this beautiful day off work. The weather was perfect and I spent the majority of the day outside, on my porch swing reading the second book in the Vampire Academy series. Nothing like an easy read for a lazy day.

While eating lunch, I happened to be looking through the April edition of Cook's Illustrated and came across their recipe for Lemon Pudding Cake. While I'm sure their  recipe was dead on, it also involved a lot of steps, which in turn would result in a lot of dishes having to be washed. So I did what all great cooks do, I improvised and skipped a bunch of steps that didn't seem necessary. My cakes turned out very lemony and perfect pudding-to-cake ratio.

Irish Soda Bread

♚ Ω ♧ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ♧ Ω ♚

As my Facebook new feed floods with random facts about today and pictures of green beer and less than appetizing green food, I am focused on a traditional Irish recipe. A simple, Irish Soda Bread, done in the more traditional style than the Americanized version that floods grocery stores and bakeries at this time of year.

The traditional version of this delicious bread has a moist, dense crumb and a thick, crunchy crust. I added in some raisins to make it comparable to an Americanized version of this bread that is sold at The Andersons, a wonderful all-purpose store located close to my parents' in Ohio. (They also have a cran-orange version that is delicious.)

Caramel Filled Brownies

♥ ❤ ❥ ❣ ❦ ❧ Happy Valentine's Day! ❧ ❦ ❣ ❥ ❤ ♥  

So this is technically not a breakfast food but it was totally my breakfast this morning.

Lemon-Berry Baked French Toast

It did something amazing here in NC yesterday. It SNOWED!

While I dislike the cold, there is something magical about watching the world around you turn white.  I watched from the windows at work as these beautiful little white flakes started floating down from the sky around 9am. I sat in a semi-dazed state, staring out the windows, wishing I could go out and play in it. I also watched snowplow after snowplow made its way down the road in front of my work.

I was thrilled at 2pm when work announced we were closing 2 hours early. By the time I left work there was about 3/4 of an inch of snow covering everything.

Salted Honey Pie

This is one of those pies that I had very little initial interest in making. I saw it in the beginning on November on Flavor NC. It sounded good but way too sweet for me.

Then an acquaintance that I know started texting me about this pie. I heard about this pie for close to two weeks. I received numerous pictures of disastrous pies that he made in attempt to copy what was on Flavor NC. Finally late one night I get a text asking me to try it. Just to see if I could make it. The next morning I make the pie.

I follow the directions, viola! I make a pie.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

It is November. That means that local stores are finally starting to stock fresh cranberries!

I hate buying the cranberries from the freezer section at my local grocery stores. First off, they are hard to find except in the high end stores. Secondly, they are often freezer burned and full of ice. At least around here they are. Cranberries aren't a popular seller in my area.

So when these wonderful little fruits first appear on store shelves, I grab up 5 or 6 bags to freeze myself. While practically inedible alone, cooked up with a bit of sugar and some other ingredients, these little berries become heavenly, adding just the right amount of tartness to so many wonderful dishes.

Cinnamon Roll Bread

A month ago, while visiting my parents, I went to one of the largest grocery stores I have ever been to. They have just about anything you could ever want. While there, I picked up a loaf of this amazing cinnamon roll bread. The loaf I purchased lasted less than 2 days, so I had to find a recipe to make this at home.

This is the BEST cinnamon bread EVER. It is delicious toasted. However because of the way it is made, you must slice it thick and put it in the oven or toaster oven to make toast. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get out of the toaster.

Baked French Pear Pancake

After an insanely stressful week, it is nice to be able to prepare a very fast, easy, and completely satisfying breakfast for my parents before I have to head home to NC.

This is one of the quickest breakfast I know how to make. It takes less than 4 minutes to put together, then the oven does the rest of the work.

Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls

This morning's breakfast is the result of a quick look on Pinterest for some inspiration.  One of the first pins that popped up when I looked at the site was for Pumpkin Pie Cinnamon Rolls. Since it is a chilly and rainy day, I had no hesitation with turning on the oven and baking up these delicious little treats.

Cinnamon-Raisin Noodle Pudding

Whenever I go to visit my parents, my mother always has a stack magazines that she's been saving for me to look at. She reads the articles, I only care about the recipes. Some of them sound horrible and some of the pictures look even more disgusting.

I often think that some magazines are out of ideas for good. One recipe combined spaghetti squash, spaghetti noodles, marinara, green olives, and raisins. Green olives and raisins aren't a flavor combination that I care to experiment with. The picture was even less appetizing.

I did find a few recipes I'm looking forward to trying out. My breakfast this morning was one of those recipes. Cinnamon-Raisin Noodle Pudding. My mom turned her nose up at the name of the recipe. It is not the normal combination of ingredients but definitely worth a try!

This could easily be breakfast or dessert. I chose to make it for breakfast. It was delicious.