In which I cultivate my culinary prowess

"Cookies! I want COOKIES!"
That's how I was greeted when the Wifester arrived from work on Monday...
apparently she's having sympathetic cravings for her sister-in-law.

You may remember my last post about my attempts at baking...
Since then, I've found some variations of oatmeal cookies that I am quite comfortable with and have found to be particularly satisfying.

I had some apples that I wanted to use up, so this time I made Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies! I've never had them before, but you can bet your sweet cookie I'll be having them again!
Here's how I made them:

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
  
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cup quick oats
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
  
• 1 cup diced and peeled apples (your choice, I used red delicious)
  

(you may want to add nutmeg, and walnuts or pecans I don't, for The Wifester's safety)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Fold in the oats and apples. (if adding nuts, do so when folding in the oats and apples) Drop dough by spoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. * I've found that using an ice cream scoop is perfect! * Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven.

While the oven was still hot, and it was time to begin dinner...I thought hmmmm...I really am tired of the "dog food" we've eaten so often lately. What to make for dinner that does not resemble the Sunny-dog's meal, does not contain meat, and is sure to please the finicky Wifester? As I've told you before, I could really do without meat all together, but the Wifester, she loves her meat and potatoes.
I came up with an ultra satisfying compromise. Oh she questioned it when I told her what I was making. But upon first bite, she was sold. Never question my culinary genius, I told her. Never. She even asked for more tonight!
This experiment was a tofu-veggie loaf. Or as I named it for her sake, meatless meatloaf.
The Wifester luvs some meatloaf. We usually make it with ground turkey, but even that is just too much meat for me to sink my teeth into at one time. If I make meatloaf for her, I usually have something else for myself. And I was just not up to making two meals last night. After all, I had played Cindarella all day long, scrubbing baseboards, washing walls, cleaning carpets, and organizing the house. Plus I did accomplish some heavy duty studying and baked cookies...A one dish dinner it would be, no doubt.
Meatless meatloaf was surprisingly delish and relatively easy. It smelled wonderful and baked up beautifully.
I know a few of you who will be wanting this recipe...

Meatless Meatloaf

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 pound firm tofu (for a small loaf, feeds two to four people)
  
• 1 -2 cup dried bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
• 1/1 cup whole wheat flour
  
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (optional)
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1 cup brown rice
• green beans
• peas
  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium low heat. Add onions, carrots, garlic and parsley and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile firmly press tofu between layers of paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. While tofu is pressing, cook brown rice until tender, but still somewhat firm. Add peas, carrots, green beans, and onins. Crumble tofu into the bowl of a food processor, then add bread crumbs, flour, egg, ketchup, tamari and Worcestershire sauce and blend until completely smooth. Transfer tofu mixture to a bowl, then stir in the rice mixture. Add bread crumbs or flour to make loaf more firm if necessary. Add any additional seasonings that you desire. *optional add mushrooms or any veggie of your choice to the mixture. Spray a 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then spoon the tofu mixture into the loaf pan, patting it down evenly over the top.

Sprinkle top with Rosemary and Oregano. (Optional topping 1/4 cup ketsup, 2 tbsp Rosemary, 2 tbsp orgeano, 2 tbsp garlic, 1tsp soy sauce, mix well, brush over top of loaf with pastry brush) Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until deep golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool the loaf for easier slicing before serving.

We're Eating Dog Food!

I want to not care. Really, I do. But try as I might, I just can't get past the fact that we're eating dog food.
No, no. It's not Kibbles -N- Bits or Purina or even Alpo. Nothing quite as sinister as it sounds, its just that well, since the Wifester and I have been trying to diet again, we've found ourselves eating things like brown rice mixed with veggies and ground turkey...amazingly, that's basically the exact same recipe for the Sunny-dog's new organic home made food that I've been fixing for her. Of course, she doesn't get any onion or salt...you know certain things that have to be omitted for proper puppy health and all, but for all intents and purposes, we're eating the same thing. In fact, it's so similar that when I cooked for us, she stood right beside me tail wagging, hoping and prancing, nose wafting around in the air. She just KNEW I was cooking up a special treat for her. It was heartbreaking to see the look on her face when we ate it...
Honestly, it's pretty good grub. I could do without the meat, and just have it be the rice and veggies, but my Wifester, she's a meat and potatoes gal...she's gotta have some kind of protien that was once living, breathing, and walking. Swimming just won't cut it for her.
Occasionally, I can trick her with tofu, like say, with my Tofu Chicken Patties. That's her favorite. Or with the Tofu Tacos, ole! But she will only go for the tofu substitute every so often, then its back to carcasses on her plate.
Last night, I tried to scoot one past her that had neither tofu nor a once living breathing creature of any kind.
It didn't go over so well. I believe her exact words were "This is AWFUL"
I suppose tonight we're back to "dog food." I won't complain too much, like I said, that grub is pretty good, but if I start to grow a tail...

New Year, Same Ole' Me?

First things first, you all have heard me talk about Wifester's wonderful mom, right? Besides being wonderful and sweet and loving, she and her business partner started this awesome business to teach builders how to build green buildings! Come on! How awesome is that? Well, the other day she had an accident while at a restaurant and broke her arm, way up between the elbow and the shoulder, OUCH! She's 600 miles away from us, so it's not like we can just hop over after work and check on her. So if you could send her some good, healing thoughts, I'd appreciate it, and I know she would too!

Thanks! Yall rock too!
Now, on to the New Year post...
I woke up on January 1st with a start. I wanted to jump back into the painting I had started on New Year's Eve. I'd stayed up until 3am, much like New Years past, except this time it was to work on a painting instead of a buzz. Two paintings, actually. Then on the 1st day of the new year, I began some more. Hopefully this pace will sustain itself throughout this year, and I can turn out some decent work, I'm hoping to rent a booth at the Pride festival this year and sell my art, or at least try to.

As I painted, I thought about last year's new year's eve, and reminisced that was the day that Max died.
It wasn't too long after that I started this blog. So my bloggaversary is rapidly approaching! As a matter of fact, I believe it's this Saturday! I'll have to whip up something special for that.

2008 went by so fast, with so many changes, good and bad, its like a blur. I think I adapt relatively well to change, I've had to learn to with my crazy and ever evolving life, but I watch others greet change into their lives like a negative magnet greets another.
I welcome it. I enjoy the newness of fresh paint on the walls, different people, alternate menu choices.

I don't like to make resolutions, because they seem like unrealistic goals that I later beat myself up for not accomplishing, however, I would like to set some standards for myself for this year. I won't call them resolutions, just a few key points that I plan to address in 2009.

For example, I will make a conscious effort to be even more welcoming to change in my life.
One change I want to make is a dedication to pursuing my art. I truly enjoy it, and I would much rather spend my time painting than calculating invoice discrepancies and filing fraud claims. It makes me feel happy, whole, and fulfilled when I paint. So why not do it more?

I also am making an effort to be more attentive to my blog, because it relaxes me and brings me so much pleasure. I seem to have a tendency to deny myself the joys of life and that stops here.
I've decided to cut way back on eating things that once had faces. I may find that I go back to being a vegetarian, but I do love fish, and they have faces, so I can't promise that. I just feel so guilty every time I eat meat, and I think "look at that carcass." It really freaks me out. I think I can make do with tofu from here on out, besides, it's leaner and healthier, and I could certainly stand for a healthier diet. Last year Wifester and I dedicated ourselves to omitting fast food, and we achieved it. I am so proud of us for stopping the weekly visits to Sonic and Wendy's. Those are not easy habits to break, let me tell you. Why not take it one step further this year, right?

So that's about all I've got for now. What are you doing this year to welcome change into your life?

Bippity Boppity Bacon...And Weekly Word Challenge! YAY

Between school, the new job, and trying to maintain some sort of a social life, I have failed to keep up with the blog-o-sphere, both reading and writing. I promise to do better. I'm getting acclimated at work, learning all the details. School is going well. I get a lot of what I call busy work. I hate busy work. If it'll get me the letters beside my name that I want, so be it. I just feel that it's relatively pointless.
Before we get to the WWC, I wanted to catch up a bit and get some things out of my head and where they belong: hidden within the privacy of the world wide web.
About the WWC photos, I am ashamed to say they are mostly all from my cell phone this time, not from my camera. I totally forgot about the challenge and didn't take the camera when I was at the new Staples and Super Target, both good places for both paper and ceramic! Doh!
I am so excited about Super Target! You guys know I boycott WalMart, so Super WalMart is out. There's not a whole lot of other options in my little neighborhood. Now we have Super Target and all is right with the world! We went on the grand opening day and let me tell you, that place was packed! But unlike shopping at other places, every time I thought, I should ask someone where that is, or how much this is, or whatever... there was an employee right there to help. I've walked across an entire store before, looking for an employee, and never once found one until I went to the check out lines. So I was pleased to say the least.

Today, I was thinking about bacon.

It seems like every time my wife sends me a recipe with a notation about how "yummy" it sounds, bacon is involved. Bacon cheddar jalapeño wraps, bacon spinach cheese dip, bacon crusted stuffed chicken, bacon, bacon, bacon. Just mention the sizzling, greasy, heart attack in a 1 inch strip cut of Wilbur's ass and she turns into Forest's friend, Bubba when he's talking about shrimp. Why is it that? Could it be true what Jim Gaffigan said about bacon? That it's the fairy dust of food? My wife apparently thinks so. I think my aversion to so much bacon is much the same as my aversion to so much beef...pigs and cows were my pets when I was little. I bottle fed them, I washed them, I cleaned out their stalls. I named them, I loved them. And then, inevitably, one day they were on my dinner plate, no longer in the yard with their families. I think that if you are going to eat meat, you should never have to ever see it's face. I make it a rule. I love sushi, but I can't eat anything with a face. No lobster, no crab in the shell, nothing looking at me. The guilt gets to me. Even when I haven't seen it's face, guilt will overcome me sometimes. The last time we had steak, I dreamt about cows asking me if I thought that they tasted good enough to endorse their murder. Asking me to please endorse their murder and slaughter so that they could be enjoyed by hungry, hungry humans. What the hell is that all about? I love a good steak. Ugh...
I think maybe I need to cut back on the amount of meat that I do consume, drink less wine before bedtime, and relax just a bit!

Oh well, here's my feeble attempt at this week's WWC...
If you want to join in on the fun, stop by Tink's and find out how!







my desk Zen is ceramic





















and here's some
paper I use at
work






papers from my desk...


















paper clips get to snuggle up with paper




and another shot of my work, YAY

























lots of papers go in here










I like that we recycle all this paper :)














My wife took this photo, thanks Macey for the help this week!





















Another photo by Macey... lots o paper in her e




Thats my WWC for this week! Hope you enjoyed!