Spring Preview

People here keep insisting it's spring. And I will admit, it's been unseasonably warm, the grass is turning green, and there are buds on the trees.

I however know the dirty little secret. That it can suddenly change, the temperatures plummet, and the a blizzard strike without warning. This I will agree is a pessimistic view, but here in the frozen tundra, I don't count my flowers before May 15th.

Of course I have spring fever as bad as anyone, hampered even more because I can't really plant things in the ground. So, instead, I bought daffodils at the store, and made a spring pasta.

Spring Green Pasta

1 - box of pasta (I used shells, use whatever)
1 - heirloom tomato
1 - bell pepper
1 - 8 oz package of mushrooms (really optional, I just had some I needed to use)
1 - tsp olive oil
1 - bunch fresh basil
2 - avocados
garlic
Italian seasoning
pepper
salt
nutritional yeast
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Cook the pasta in salted water until just barely al dente.

Dice the mushrooms, bell pepper, basil and tomato. Reserve basil on the side.
In a large pan heat the oil and saute mushrooms, garlic, bell pepper and add any dried herbs you're using. Once the mushrooms are soft, add the tomato, nutritional yeast, and continue to cook. Add a list pasta water if you need to thin it out.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and add to pan continuing to cook for another couple minutes. Meanwhile mash the avocado adding a little salt and pepper to taste.

Remove pasta from heat, stir in avocado and diced basil. Enjoy!

This would be great with spinach, peas, or asparagus added to it as well. It makes you think it's spring, even if it's kind of a weird quasi shouldn't be spring but feels like spring day.

Chocolate Storm Cookies

It's a dark and stormy night.. Perfect for cookies!

These are so rich, eat them with milk, or dipped in coffee, but they'll kill your chocolate cravings!

To the standard Nestle Tollhouse recipe (found on the back of semi-sweet chocolate chips) add:

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp Cocoa powder

(I mixed it into the flour and other dry ingredients)
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After combining the wet ingredients with the dry, add your full bag of chocolate chips AND:
1/2 package butterscotch chips (or you could use mint chips, or cinnamon, or any other kind, I like butterscotch) 

Meanwhile take 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate if using the expensive brand, or 1 square if using the cheaper, and melt in microwave. Slowly mix in the melted chocolate to the dough and chips.

Bake around 10 minutes at 375. Enjoy warm fluffy chocolate overload. Ooh they'd be great with ice cream!

Taste of History

One of my projects is going through my Grandma's old cookbooks. Grandma loved to cook, and she loved, loved to make cookies. I never remember going over to her house and not having some type of cookie there.

Her cookbooks were well loved, and improved by a myriad of recipes written on the pages, that she'd found or been given, some with improvements.

This recipe, beats the traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe hands down!

Ranger Cookies
375 degree

1 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla (I increased to 1 tbsp)
2 Cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Cups quick cooking oats
2 Cups crisped rice cereal  (now I feel like I'm the Food Network..)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup (ha! Try 2!!)

Cream shortening and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla, mix thoroughly.

Sift flour with salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add to wet mixture and mix well.

Mix in oats, coconut and cereal, then add chocolate chips.

This forms a dry cookie dough, drop onto your cookie sheet and gently shape into a ball. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Move to a rack to cool. Try not to eat all of them at once.

2 notes:

First - using Shortening instead of butter may sound weird, but I think it makes a lighter cookie in the case (texture, not calorie) you could certainly exchange it for the other.

Second - Ranger cookies it looks like appeared in the 1930's I have no idea where she got this recipe, but it's definitely worth making today.