Raspberry chocolate chip cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
about 1/3 cup raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream butter with brown sugar and 1/3 cup white sugar. Blend in the vanilla, almond extract and milk. Mix in the flour and corn starch. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
Form the dough into 1 inch balls. Place on the prepared cookie sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Use your thumb to press straight down into the center of each ball, making a well for the jam. Neatly fill each cookie with a small amount of jam.
Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are just beginning to turn golden around the edges. Let cookies cool before eating.

Orange oat chocolate chip cookie

3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 package chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, orange extract and orange zest. Combine the flour, baking soda and oats, stir into the creamed mixture. Add orang juice and fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Whole wheat and oat bread

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
2 tablespoons lukewarm water
1 cup bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten


In a large saucepan, heat the water, oatmeal and salt until it bubbles. Add the brown sugar and butter or oil; stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool until lukewarm.
In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, oats mixture and 2 cups flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Place the loaf in a lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Cover the loaf with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes or until loaf top is golden brown and the bottom of a loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Creamy green soup with peas and Gorgonzola

2 16 oz frozen Asian greens (broccoli, grean beans, mushroom and onion)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 garlic cloves
Gorgonzola

Bring veggies, broth and garlic to boil - simmer until desired tenderness. Puree with handheld blender in pot. Serve in bowl with crumbled Gorgonzola.

Baked potato soup with cheddar cheese

1 1/2 lb baking potatoes

1/4 cup butter

2 cups yellow onion - diced

1/3 cup non-bleached flour

5 cups vegetable stock

1 cup instant potato flakes

3/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Prick washed potatoes & bake until a fork pierces to the center easily. Remove potatoes from oven & allow to fully cool. Remove skin & cut potatoes into 1/2″ cubes. Set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions & saute over low heat for 10 minutes or until onions are translucent. Don't allow onions to burn. Add flour to onions & butter and cook 4 - 5 minutes, stirring well until flour is absorbed. In a separate container, vegetable stock, potato flakes & seasonings. Stir or whisk thoroughly to eliminate lumps. Add slowly to onion mixture, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Increase to medium heat & continue cooking until the soup begins to gently simmer. Add milk, stirring until smooth & lightly thickened. Simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil. Soup should just simmer lightly. Add cubed baked potatoes & stir to combine. Remove from heat & serve. Top each serving with grated cheddar cheese.

Tuna dinner in 5 minutes

Ingredients:

6 oz tuna steak

lime juice

olive oil spray

green beans

salt and pepper

Heat skillet sprayed with olive oil, add tuna steak. Cook on each side until desired doneness. Add lime juice and freshly ground pepper.Sautee green beans in a little olive oil in hot skillet, seasoned with freshly ground pepper.I rounded out the meal with a little Trader Joe's mixed olive bruschetta, and a glass of Villa Borghese Pinot Grigio.

I turned 40 yesterday

It was the worst birthday I can remember. Not because the number bothered me, but because I felt hurt by some of the people I thought meant a lot to me. And I am single again...the quest continues.

Eggnog cookies

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup Splenda
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cream sugar, Splenda and butter until light. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 20 to 23 minutes until bottoms turn light brown.