What Car Race?

Today is a big day in car racing. The Daytona 500.  I’m not a fan.  There are some big parties and get togethers going on in celebration of the race.  Personally, I just don’t see the attraction of watching cars race around tracks.  It seems the excitement is when there is a crash. How sad.

A Sunny Sunday AM

Today began with a 5.25 mile walk with Shane. Still not 100% feeling better.  We took it easy.  Ted and I then went to breakfast at our favorite breakfast haunt:  Creekside.  They changed the look of their menu!  They also raised their prices 😦

The NEW Creekside Cafe & Creamery Menu

 

The breakfast was still very good and such a friendly atmosphere.  From breakfast, we returned a book Ted bought that he didn’t realize we already had, picked up a few table settings for our wine and food gathering next weekend, exchanged the DVD, and arrived back home to get cooking. Well…baking and cooking. 

I made some Lima beans which were soaking over night. 

Made some Great Northern Beans, also soaked overnight.  Made the escarole to pair with the beans.   But the best item of the day were these little beauts….

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These are VERY easy to make. You need 2 bowls, 1 mixing spoon and some cup and spoon measures.  No electric mixer, no heavy duty blending.

 Here is my recipe.

• Preheat oven to 350F
• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter *
• * You should ALWAYS use UNSALTED butter in baking unless a recipe says otherwise.
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 Mashed, over ripe banana
• 1 cup chocolate chips*
• *I used the Ghirardelli chocolate chips which were larger than standard chips. So I didn’t need quite 1 cup.

Preheat your oven to 350 F and either spray your baking sheet with cooking spray, spray a foil lined sheet with spray, or use a SILPAT cooking mat (my preference).

Combine the flour, oats, soda, cinnamon, salt.  In your other bowl, mix the sugars and butter to make a grainy mixture.  Add the egg, the vanilla, then your banana (you can even mash it in this bowl) and mix until smooth.  Add the flour and oat mixture and combine. Add the chocolate chips and combine.    Drop by rounded tsp. onto your baking sheet about 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart and bake 12 -14 minutes.  These are scrumptious!

I also made Pancake Cookies.  These came about because 1. I was bored. 2. I needed to use some pancake mix which was in the cupboard.  I can’t tell you the exact recipe because I was in one of my usual grab and mix moods, but basically the goal is to obtain a batter consistent with standard cookie batter.  I will tell you what I added to my left over pancake mix (which was about 1 1/2 cups). 

• 1 egg
• Mixture of milk and water
• Maple Syrup (probably about 2 – 3 TBS)
• Peanut butter (I think I added about 3/4 cup of natural peanut butter)

I baked them at 350 F for 12 -15 minutes. 

Pancake cookies

The texture came out very cake like. They are not very sweet, but satisfying.

Pancake cookie with a cake like texture

 

 

The Dinner Bell Ring

As I mentioned above, I was making beans and escarole to combine for Greens and Beans.  

I took 2 heads of escarole, washed and chopped. Bring to a boil. Rinse. Bring to a 2nd boil, drain, let cool then chop even smaller.    I sauteed one small onion, added Soy Bacon (Morning Star Brand), minced garlic, italian seasoning.  Sauteed until browned.  I then pureed 1/2 of my cooked Great Northern Beans to make a bean paste and added this to the onion mixture. Added 4 chopped marinated hot cherry pepper slices.  Added the escarole and the rest of my cooked beans (limas and great northern).  Added 16 oz Vegetable broth. Season with salt and peppr.  Top with a mixture of bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese.  Place into a 400 F preheated oven for 30 minutes. Bread crumb and cheese mix should brown slightly.

For Ted, who wanted added protein, I placed some pre-cooked shredded chicken in a pot with a little oil. Added a TACO flavor packet, 3/4 cup water.  Let that come to a boil, reduce to simmer, added 2 – 3 oz basil goat cheese and let continue at a simmer 30 minutes while greens cook.

Greens and Beans with Roasted Parsnips and Multi Grain Bread

I boiled, peeled and chopped parsnips in water for 5 minutes on high in the microwave. They then went into the oven at 425 for 40 minutes (with some chopped  soy bacon on top).

The greens were topped with grated Extra Sharp Provolone cheese when served.

Just enough for a good Sunday evening meal.

Reminders: This week is “Random Acts of Kindness Week”: a random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person wishing to assist or cheer up an individual or even an animal. 

Monday is Presidents Day – no mail. 

Good night all.

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