The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) softened Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine sticks

1¼ cups dark brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1/8  tsp allspice

3 cups oatmeal toasted

7.5 oz (2.5 bars) Dark Chocolate Dream bar by Sunspire

1 5oz. bag of dried tart cherries

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Toast walnuts for 5-7 minutes.
• Toast oatmeal for 5 min. then stir. Set timer for another 4 minutes, stir, and set timer for another 2 minutes. Oatmeal should be fragrant and a light golden color.
• Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a medium bowl. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
• Chop each triangle of chocolate into 4-5 pieces.
• Cut cherries into halves.
• Chop walnuts.
• Combine 1 tbsp of the flour mixture with the chocolate, cherries, and walnuts in a small bowl. Mix until all the pieces are coated in the flour mixture.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat softened margarine and dark brown sugar.
• Add one egg at a time.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture.
• Mix in the oats.
• Stir (or mix) in the chocolate, cherries and walnuts.
• On parchment lined cookie sheets, place 1.5-2 tbsp of batter 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes. The edges should be just slightly golden for chewy cookies.
• Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

While I still enjoy the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie, this one just takes it to the next level. Toasting the nuts and oatmeal really brings out another layer of flavor that only enhances the cookie.  Of course, you can substitute raisins (cranberries) or any nut you prefer (or no nuts at all). You can also use Equal Exchange Chocolates semi-sweet chocolate chips if you prefer. They aren’t bad, but my husband prefers the Dark Chocolate Dream chocolate. The Fleischmann’s Unsalted Margarine sticks give you almost the same results as you would get with real butter. It’s the best for baking, hands down! Let me know how you like them.

Change in Format

Hi there! I know it's been a while since I've posted. I was also focusing a lot on my photography (www.rebekahlacountphotography.com). I still plan on working on my photography, but I do want to get back to sharing my recipes with you. I've decided to change the format of how I present my recipes. I know most recipe blogs usually have a long story/info at the beginning of the post and you have either read the info or scroll through it all to get to the recipe. Now, don't get me wrong, I sometimes enjoy reading behind the scenes of the making of the recipe or maybe the history of it or what it means to the blogger, but sometimes I just want to read the recipe. So, unless it is necessary for you to read prior to making the recipe, I will post the recipe first and extra info after the recipe. I hope you like the new format.

~Rebekah

Carrot Cake

It’s been a very long time since I’ve attempted to make a carrot cake. Without the cream cheese frosting it just doesn’t taste the same. I made one a little over 10 years ago and the cake was fine, but the frosting pretty much sucked. I made cream cheese frosting about a year ago. It was close, but it still wasn’t quite right. Lately, I’ve been craving a piece (or two) of carrot cake. So, what is a girl to do? Well, make it herself! I did and I am very happy with the results. This cake is light and rich at the same time. The frosting is about as close to the real thing as I can remember. The key to the frosting is to use the Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. The consistency and taste is the best that I have found so far.

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

½ tsp salt

2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups finely grated carrots

4 eggs

1 ¼ cup canola oil

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

·      Preheat the oven to 350°F.

·      Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.

·      Combine the first 6 ingredients (flour-cinnamon) in a medium bowl.

·      Whisk to combine.

·      Grate the carrots using the fine grater blade of your food processor or the fine grate side of your hand grater.

·      In a large mixing bowl, beat oil, sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract.

·      Mix the dry ingredients with the wet.

·      Stir in grated carrots.

·      Evenly divide the cake batter into the 3 cake pans.

·      Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

·      Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack.

·      Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

·      Frost and assemble cake.

“Cream Cheese” Frosting

2 8oz tubs of Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese

1 cup of Fleischmanns Unsalted Margarine Sticks

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt

4 tsp lemon juice

1 2lb bag confectioners sugar

·      Bring the “cream cheese” and margarine to room temperature.

·      Beat the “cream cheese” and margarine in a large mixing bowl.

·      Mix in vanilla, salt, and lemon juice.

·      Mix in confectioners’ sugar a little at a time.

Optional: Toast 1 cup of chopped pecans and sprinkle on top of the cake or press onto the sides of the cake immediately after frosting.

You can also add 1 cup of toasted chopped pecans the cake batter. I chose not to do that this time.

Blueberry Muffins

There is nothing like the simplicity of a blueberry muffin for breakfast (or anytime for that matter). Frozen blueberries will work, but fresh really are best because the cell walls haven not been broken down by ice crystals, so you get this glorious burst of blueberry when you take a bite.  The nutmeg is optional, but I highly recommend you try it. It’s a subtle flavor that goes very well with the blueberries. One of the things that I like about these muffins is that they have a very light texture.

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

1 cup sour milk*

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups fresh blueberries (plus 2 tbsp flour)

·      Preheat the oven to 400F.

·      Line the muffin tin with cupcake liners and lightly spray the liners with cooking spray.

·      Combine and whisk the first 5 ingredients (flour to nutmeg) in a large mixing bowl.

·      In a small mixing bowl, combine and whisk the liquid ingredients (sour milk to the egg).

·      Make a well in the flour mixtures.

·      Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture.

·      Stir until just combined.

·      In another small bowl, mix the blueberries and 2 tbsp of flour. This helps keep the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

·      Gently fold the blueberries into the muffin mixture.

·      Spoon into muffin tin.

·      Bake for 20-25 minutes.

·      Cool on a wire rack.

*Sour Milk: Place 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into the measuring cup then fill to the 1 cup mark with rice milk (or the milk substitute of your choice).

A Misuse of Power - A 13 year old faces being sent to juvenile detention for not seeing her father

I don’t share much of my life history. It’s really not related to writing a food blog, but sometimes you have to step outside your box. When I was 3 my father left my mother, my infant brother, and me for another woman. He did not really want much to do with us kids. My mother had to beg him to come see us. He once tried to get custody so he wouldn’t have to pay child support. It wasn’t much and he was a chemist who made decent money. When I was 6, he told me that I could not keep going back and forth between him and my mom like a yo-yo. That’s exactly what he told me. I wanted to see my dad, but I was terrified of never seeing my mother ever again. She was the one who was always there for me and took care of me. Sometimes there was yelling, but it never escalated beyond that. When I heard about the following story it really touched me deeply and I feel the need to share it.

A fellow mom in a mothers group on Facebook will get the opportunity to watch her 13 year old daughter be arrested and placed in juvenile detention because her daughter does NOT want to see her father, a law enforcement officer, who kicked her out of his house at age 12. It was her 12^th birthday and when she told her father that she wanted to spend her birthday with him and not his new wife, he flipped out and kicked his 12 year old daughter out of the house and disowned her. Last year this same man videoed his wife while she shot herself in the head and killed herself to avoid abuse charges! The judge told the father that the mother could not force the daughter to see him, so the father asked the court to arrest his daughter if she won’t see him. The damn South Carolina judge agreed to do so. So a 13 year old girl who has done nothing wrong other than not wanting to see the father who kicked her out of his home on her 12^th birthday will go to juvenile detention.  It’s not that she hates her father or doesn’t want to see him; she’s terrified of him. She’s scared of him retaliating against her for not seeing him. He apparently leaves guns all over his house in case someone breaks in. Even her therapist believes that it’s a bad idea to have the daughter and father in the same room. Unfortunately, the judge doesn’t care about that. Obviously this is not about wanting a relationship with his daughter, but about wanting to control her.  It makes me sick, sad, livid, and broken hearted. I understand that there are instances where there is parent alienation, but this is not one of those cases. I really have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that a judge would arrest a child for not wanting to see a parent.

Please share this story.

Random Thoughts Pt. 6

This is a post is a shout out to several of my friends and their blogs, pages, and businesses. Check them out when you get a chance. I get nothing from sharing this info and these link other than knowing that I am sharing their awesomeness with you all.

Writing a blog is an easy thing for some people and for others it takes much more effort.  For me, creating recipes and putzing around in the kitchen come much more easily than writing. Even when I was in school, I hated the page/word requirement that teachers and professors often put on a writing assignment. I would usually struggle to meet said requirements. It was so frustrating because I could say want I needed to say in fewer words.  I have a friend is a writer by trade and she has this amazing, funny, witty, and moving blog about her experience as a mom with two special needs children. Under her blog title she refers to herself as a “not-so-special mom” and I beg to differ. She is an amazing mom and friend! When you have a moment, head over to her blog and check it out. You won’t be disappointed. Unexceptional Parenting 

Many kids will eventually attempt to climb out of their cribs and at some point they will be successful in their endeavor. My very creative friend came up with a way to keep her daughter in her crib without impeding her mobility. She recently has become aware of someone who has copied her work and not only that, but created an Etsy shop and copied and pasted her story as well. Check out my friend’s shop. She makes a quality product. The Naughty Monkey

As we transition into fall, our thoughts start to think about the upcoming holidays. Check out Made by Katy Crafts for fun, affordable jewelry. She even does custom pieces. If you have a friend or family member who has a chronic illness or lives in chronic pain, she has spoon necklaces that represent the Spoon Theory.

For those of you who live in the Charleston, SC area or if you are visiting Charleston, SC, check out Jody Mack Photography. She is an amazing photographer. She's great a catching those natural moments where everyone looks at ease. The picture of me in the “About Me” section was taking by her. It is one my favorite pictures of me.

Basil Pesto Shrimp

Several weeks ago, my neighbor’s daughter brought us a large bag of basil from their garden. Naturally, I was excited. Unless you are growing your own basil, it can get expensive buying that much basil. What to make? There was no way I was going to make that much pasta sauce. Pesto! For those of us that are allergic to dairy, store bought pesto always has cheese it in. The pesto that I made for this dish is great and it’s quite flexible if you need to make changes. If you don’t have, don’t like, or allergic to pine nuts then use walnuts. If you don’t have any nuts or you’re allergic to all nuts, then double the amount of the diary free Parmesan cheese substitute. If you can have dairy, just use your favorite Parmesan or Parmesan/Reggiano cheese. Serve with a light salad and some garlic bread and you’re set! Also, the shrimp marinated in this pasta is great by itself and would be an awesome appetizer.

pesto divided

2 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp

1 lb box of thin spaghetti

·      Mix 2 tbsp of pesto with the peeled and deveined shrimp.

·      Let sit for 5 minutes.

·      Heat a stovetop grill pan or a skillet on medium high heat.

·      Let the pan get really hot.

·      Brush the pan with some olive oil.

·      Place the shrimp in a single layer on the pan (if you’re pan isn’t large enough, then do the shrimp in batches).

·      Start your pasta water. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and make sure it’s well salted.

·      After about 2-3 minutes or after the bottoms are caramelized, turn the shrimp over.

·      Remove the shrimp to a bowl or plate.

·      Once you’re water is boiling add your pasta.

·      Cook pasta for 1 minute less than the suggested time. 5 minutes for the thin spaghetti.

·      Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. (save about ¼ cup pasta water).

·      Toss the pasta with the pesto.

·      Add the shrimp.

Pesto

4 cups (3oz.) fresh basil, loosely put in cup. (don’t pack it down)

3 cloves of garlic

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

2 tbsp Go Veggie grated Parmesan style topping*

zest and juice of 1 lemon

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

⅛ tsp crushed red pepper (more if you want it spicier)

·      Rinse the basil and place in the food processor.

·      Add all the ingredients in the food processor EXCEPT the olive oil.

·      Pulse the food processor until the ingredients are smooth.

·      Very slowly pour the olive oil down the chute of the food processor lid until incorporated and smooth. Set aside.

~If you have leftovers, pour the reserved pasta water into the food processor to collect the residual pesto. Save and use when you reheat the pasta in a skillet.

* There are 2 kinds of Go Veggie Parmesan style topping. One is casein free and the other has casein in it. Here is a picture of the casein free one: