The Best Cookies (p.s. they're vegan)

This post needs no narration -- just photos, recipe, and a strong recommendation that you bake these cookies pronto. And a thanks to the co-worker who shared the cookies, then sent the recipe!

These really are the best cookies I've made in a long time, not just the best vegan cookies. If you're not drawn to vegan stuff, just ignore that part and grab a mixing bowl.


Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Use vegan versions of these ingredients if you like. If you're not vegan, just use normal stuff. I'm not really sure what vegan flour, vanilla, or sugar are, anyway.

• 2 C unbleached flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 1/5 to 2 C Chocolate chips
• 1 C sugar (my co-worker used 1/2 sugar, 1/2 agave)
  
• 1/2 C canola or vegetable oil
  
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 C water (I needed more -- try 1/4 C first, then another T or 2 as needed)

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Pre-heat your oven to 350. This recipe requires just a whisk and spoon for mixing, two bowls, and the baking sheet -- no heavy mixer necessary.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients except sugar (I accidentally included the sugar in this step, and everything turned out fine). Add chips. Make a well in the center and set aside. In another bowl, mix sugar and oil well, then add vanilla and water. Mix well. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well, but be careful not to overwork it (this is why I would not use your fancy Kitchenaid mixer for this recipe).

Drop by bablespoons onto cookie sheets. I use Exopat baking sheets, as seen in the photos below -- nothing sticks, ever! They're worth the investment.


Bake for 4 minutes, rotate sheets and bake another 4-6 minutes. As with most chocolate chip cookies, you'll want to remove them when they seem just barely underdone, since they'll harden a bit as they cool. Allow them to cool for a couple moments before transferring to a wire rack; this is another reason silicone baking sheets are helpful -- you can remove the full Exopat sheet from the metal baking pan, letting the first batch of cookies cool faster and starting your next batch on a second Exopat.

Tea time! Who wants a cup?

The design is a bit much for an entire set of dishes (for me. you go ahead.), but I definitely look forward to sipping earl grey from these happy tea and coffee cups from Anthropologie. Plus two little bowls, for snacks at the imaginary tea party I'm envisioning. You're all invited.

New uses for food

Perhaps you're the DIY type. Or maybe you're on some crazy restrictive diet, and need new uses for food. Or you just enjoy novelties. Apartment Therapy offers a couple options for your afternoon snacks, other than eating:

Feeling dimly-lit and over-dosing on vitamin C? Turn your clementines into candles! Apartment Therapy offers an extensive how-to photo gallery for this "hack." Looks relatively simple, though I'm not sure how well a "wick" of that fuzzy white citrus membrane really stays lit. Try it and let me know.


Got an excess of nuts and some beat-up wood? Rub a walnut over furniture scratches -- voila! I have not tested this, but the website provides the photo below as evidence.

The Sweetest Valentine Gifts

As much as I love a heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates, sometimes a small gift is sweeter. Below, a few treats for your Valentine. Or for yourself.

Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

Plop a syrupy magenta bud into your champagne flute, and watch it bloom in bubbles. These flowers make any prosecco or champagne sparkle pinkly. (Under $10)

FiCoCo

I have not tried this fig and chocolate spread, but it sounds delicious. I imagine dabbing it on pear slices, with a glass of port. Or maybe as a more-interesting filling for thumbprint cookies. Or just eaten by the spoonful. Is that allowed? (Under $10)



Crystallized Ginger
Wanna spice it up? Ginger gives a kick, crystallized or in candy form. I love the Ginger People's Ginger Chews, but this honey-colored pot of candied cubes is a prettier present. Also check out ginger spread, syrups, and confections. ($6.50)




Coppola mini Blanc de Blancs
Planning a V-Day picnic (hopefully in warmer climates than Seattle), or a rom-com evening with lady friends? Pop a pink box of these cute, canned sparkling wines, insert teeny straws, and sip away. Alone on Sunday? At least this single-serving size keeps your wine bubbly. Cheers! (Around $15)

A Drink of Desperation

Four nights in tropical loveliness, followed by four nights of the head-cold from hell. Word to wise: Never (and I really, truly mean "never") fly with a head-cold, sinus infection, or any other nasal or ear nastiness. It's dangerous and oh-so-painful. My doing so created not just one, but two ear infections.

Today is the first day in the past 3 days that I can actually hear breathe without having to first submerge my head in a steam-filled basin (or salad bowl, if you, like me, are lacking in the basin category) of boiling water. Here's a tip: Add 2 Halls Menthol cough drops in a salad bowl full of bowling water, cover your head with a cloth and breathe in deeply. It clears the sinuses like a charm, and also makes for hilarious photo fodder for your husband.

When my self-made salad bowl spa was failing, I remembered a drink I get at one of my favorite all organic vegan restaurants, Chaco Canyon. They have a hot juice drink called the "flu buster" that it supposed to stop a cold before it starts. I decided to try to make my own version with the Black and Decker juicer I got for our wedding. Another word to the wise: Never attempt to make a drink involving cayenne pepper without a solid recipe.

Though mine tasted completely awful and could definitely use some revisions (how's that for an endorsement for you?), both ears are clear today, so maybe the disgusting-ness was worth it. If you're in a state of congested desperation, give it a try. I call it:


Cayenne K.O.
3 carrots -- I would add less next time as it was a little too carrot juice-y
Health benefits: stimulates the immune system and the production of anti-bodies that make good remedy in fighting off bacterial and viral infections.

1 apple -- Maybe I'd add 2 next time
Health benefit: Helps to detoxify the body and has an antiviral property

2 large halfs of a ginger root -- I think this was plenty
Health benefit: anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, great for upset stomachs. Ginger’s warming action is also excellent for treating a cold or flu.

fresh lemon -- Don't put this in the juicer, use a lemon squeezer to get all the juice out.
Health benefit: Lemon has anti-viral properties and lots of Vitamin C

1 fresh orange -- Don't put this in the juicer, either; cut in small pieces and use the lemon squeezer
Health benefit: Full of immune system boosting Vitamin C

(very, very small) pinch of cayenne pepper -- I probably added 1/8 of a tsp and that went a loooooooooong, spiiiiiiiiiiiiicy way.
Health Benefit: stimulates circulation and blood flow. It's high concentratio of capsaicin also effectively opens and drains congested nasal passages. Read more about the benefits of cayenne pepper here & here.

2 garlic cloves -- I put in 5 and that was way too much
Health benefits: has very potent anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Raw garlic is a great natural antibiotic.

(I put in tabasco sauce at the last minute for an extra kick, and I'd definitely omit it next time. Flavor doesn't mix with the rest of the ingredients and the cayenne is all the pepper you'll need.)

Heat, serve, and witness the nasal-cleansing magic.

So This is the New Year

Check out these ingredient inspired calendars by Claudia Pearson on Etsy. These quirky and playful illustrations would look fantastic in kitchen or office. When it's time for a new 2011 calendar simply crop off the calendar portion and frame the illustrations. Viola! Instant art!

Also available as a 12-month tea towel! There was only a a few left when I last checked so snatch one up soon!

Best Christmas Kitchen Gifts

I tend to pick a theme when suggesting gift ideas, and apparently this year's was food. Or, food-related stuffs. I unwrapped books, a carving set, glassware, and tons of chocolates. Here are a few of my favorite things.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. While Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma certainly carried a message, it attempted to present evidence rather than forcefully argue a point. 48 pages in, In Defense of Food proves to actually be quite the manifesto -- less research-heavy journalism, more crowd-rallying call to arms (or maybe a call to asparagus) against the vast western conspiracy of processed food-like products. It's a short book, and engaging, fairly repetitive and predictable, but still researched, informative, and convincing. In summary (right there on the cover): "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Words to live by.

A small covered casserole dish, perfect for side dishes. I used it right away, for a crispy, buttery potatoes on Christmas night -- look for this in another post.

Giant glass canisters for flour, sugar, and ... ? I put these on my wish list, without quite realizing how huge they are. But they're perfect. One enormous tub of flour, one of sugar, and a third currently full of dog biscuits -- while this looks cute, I've discovered that sealed glass jars of meat-flavored treats get smelly when sitting in the sun. The contents may need to change.

Lots of Starbucks. While the 'bucks may not be my favorite coffee ever, I like the Christmas blend well enough. Very fortunate, since we've had about four pounds of it this season. Brian's mom threw in some instant, just in case. :)

Mysterious spinning vegetable chopper. I've never seen this item before, but Brian's mom labeled the gift tag one of her "most-used kitchen gadgets." It works with some kind of pulley, and as long as I don't sent the metal blades flying helicopter-style through the kitchen, the promise of fresh salsa is very exciting.

Stemless wine glasses. Sometimes it pays to ask for exactly what you want. The set my mom picked out are big (17 ounces), which makes them good for things other than wine. Water. Or eggnog. Or maybe something with coffee -- who wants Christmas blend? I've got four pounds!

A Little Trip To Fishs Eddy

Need the perfect platter, quaint cups, or monogrammed mug for a kitchenwares-loving friend? Direct your browser or Manhattan-based feet to Fishs Eddy, the independent retailer of all charming things dining and serving. The name comes from an upstate town.

These vintage flower storage jars were a housewarming present from Kelsey, who told me about the store. Storing leftovers isn't exactly a thrill, but selecting the best retro floral pattern to suit your stew or salad adds some variety.

Seeing Red

KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers $299.99 (regularly $349!)


Le Creuset 7-Piece Utensil Set with Enameled Stoneware Crock $69.95 (regularly $84!) or Just buy the crock by itself for $19.99
Cuisinart 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Makers $48.94 (regularly $90)


Crate and Barrel's Cardinal Placemat/Cotton Flame Napkin and Red Rim Dinnerware $13.95 - $54.95
Fran's Salted Caramel's $11.50-95.00

A Spoonful of Cuteness

OK, I know, I know...$92 for some measuring spoons?! Not a very smart or practical purchase. But really, what splurge ever is? Just look at how cute they are! I love the simplicity and variety of the bird shapes and am dying to hang these up in my new kitchen. The bottom baby spoons are a more reasonable $22, perfect for a unique shower gift.

Each piece is individually hand cast by a husband and wife team based out of Fall River, MA and are available at Beehive Kitchenware on Etsy or at their website www.beehivekitchenware.com.

Sugar and spice and everything nice

Anyone who's seen a marathon of Bang For Your Buck knows kitchen upgrades can drain your savings without any guaranteed payoff. I do not recommend the bizarre choice of a leather-topped kitchen island. What I do recommend, and what won't even empty your wallet: an in-drawer spice organizer. 

More expensive versions exists, but I don't think your cumin cares if it rests against mahogany or plastic. I found this expandable version on Amazon for about $15. Size does matter -- these come in sizes from a few inches wide to more than 20 (this one conveniently expands from 12" to 20"). Most hold jars help at an angle -- making labels easier to read, and leaving less chance of liquids dripping. 

Organizing this drawer made me realize I have fewer spices than I thought (which of course makes me want more), but they're all easier to find now. Previously, I had a mess of bottles and jars in a dark, vaguely crummy cupboard, with only the front few easily accessible -- it was like some dingy, back-alley spice party, incompatible strangers crammed together and god-knows-what going on in the dark corners of the room. If you're looking for a simple, instant-gratification update, save your spices from awkward mingling and opt for some in-drawer organization.

Charming

Though I gave up wearing charm bracelets in middle school, I could totally get behind these seasonal and sleek wine glass charms -- sold where else, but Etsy -- the most amazingly cool online marketplace that is wholly devoted to the buying and selling of all things homemade. I love their simplistic look and warm color palette - perfect for a cozy late fall gathering. Snatch these babies up before they're gone for your Thanksgiving dinner party which is crazily only 1.5 weeks away! I'm looking forward to hearing Raven's Thanksgiving menu plans!

Red or white? How about both?

One major cause of chronic indecision: fear of making the wrong choice. While I can't decide if these 'reversible' glasses from Turkish company Gaia&Gino are clever&lovely or odd&unfunctional, they do provide an option for indecisive drinkers. Sherry with your sake? Its an option.

The concept is "a cacophony of reversible glasses consisting of diverse forms and volumes inspired by the mixture of people that is Turkey today." If not quite necessary for everyday use, they would be fun, functional conversation pieces -- maybe next year's Halloween masquerade? 

See the website for more entertaining styles.

Superhuman Dish Rack

If you've got $50 to spend on a dish rack (and who doesn't?) this is the the coolest one I've ever seen -- and I've seen a lot of cool dish racks. I feel like I'm pretty good at packing the dishwasher to it's max, but when it comes to my dish rack, well, I haven't quite mastered it's spatial arrangement and always find it annoyingly full after only washing 4 dishes.

This rack features 2 levels of storage (2!) which is perfect for those pesky bowls that seems to take up the entire space. The top section can even detach and be used for storage, however, then you would be back to a 1-level dish rack which defeats the whole point of this product. It also features side loops that are perfectly designed for holding wine glasses and other delicate mugs that I otherwise fear will be crushed under the weight of the other dishes.

The rack can be purchased at simplehuman, which, at a quick glance appears to have a lot of other sophisticated, modern looking products that I'm sure I will post about at a later time.