Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies... With Cream Cheese Frosting

A few weeks ago, my friends and I got together for some wine, gossip, and eating. I, as always, volunteered to bring dessert. I was then going though recipes to try on my Pinterest page (do you follow me, you should? I have a great eye for food that's delicious... and not always good for you). The Viking and I were discussing options, I wanted these apple sauce muffins I used to make as a kid and he asked for oatmeal cream pies... Vikes went into the kitchen to see if I needed any oatmeal, while I inventoried what I needed (apple sauce, obvs.) and informed me that I have two big containers of oatmeal. Each container is two pounds... I have FOUR POUNDS of dry oatmeal. WTF. How does that even happen? Clearly I need to cook with more oatmeal... because four pounds of oatmeal isn't going anywhere.

So, I combined a few recipes of apple sauce cookies and oatmeal cookies, then found a few apple sauce oatmeal cookies. None of the ones I tried turned out well, so I created my own. As always, you are welcome.

Here's what you'll need:
1/4 C of soften butter (1/2 a stick)
1 C of brown sugar
1/2 C of white sugar
1 egg
1/2 C of apple sauce (I like the old fashioned, well blended, smooth type)
2 1/4 C of flour

1 3/4 C of oatmeal
1/2 t of baking soda
1/4 t of baking powder
1/4 t of sea salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line your cookie sheets with silicon, parchment paper, or spray it with some cooking spray (these guys are sticky!)

In a large bowl, cream your butter and both sugars together until smooth. Combine the rest of your wet ingredients (apple sauce and egg) until the batter is smooth. In the same bowl, add one cup of flour and one cup of oatmeal, and the rest of your dry ingredients (baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt). Mix until smooth. Mix in the rest of your flour and oatmeal, a little at a time, until everything is well blended.

Scoop out your batter (with a spoon or ice cream scoop) onto your lined cookie sheets. Keep them at least two inches apart - these guys have been known to spread out.

Bake for 14 - 16 minutes. Let cool (for 30 minutes) and frost! I recommend cream cheese frosting. 

                                    

Cream Cheese Frosting Perfected

Generally on Sundays, I try to attempt a new recipe or two. The fruits of these labors are then brought to dinner with family or friends that night or to work the following day. When you bring homemade cookies to the office, it's hard to have a bad Monday. From there, I have been known to discuss how relaxing I find baking. The speech then goes into "two sticks of butter, a cup of sugar" and I rattle off cookie ingredients with a giant smile. (I'm fully able to admit I lurv creating things in my kitchen).

You know what goes great with cookies? Frosting. As many of  aware, cream cheese is the best frosting ever.  If you disagree, clearly you're a communist I suggest you try this delightful frosting. It's so easy and adds the perfect sweet tang that you didn't even realize you cookie needed. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 8oz block of Neufchâtel cheese

2 cups of powdered sugar

1 tsp of vanilla

Use a stand mixer or hand mixer, add you softened cheese and one cup of powdered sugar. Mix it on low (you don't want ALL the powdered sugar exploding). Once it's well blended, add the next cup of sugar and the vanilla. Blend and blend. It magically turns into a smooth shiny frosting. Yum! Feel free to add more powdered sugar if you like your frosting a little dryer. (I do mine by look and taste... Because I've apparently had a ton of practice).

Yep, that's it. If you haven't jumped on the Neufchâtel bandwagon, welcome to it. It's just like cream cheese in flavor, but it's made with milk, versus milk and cream - like cream cheese. Being that it is milk in the fermentation process (cause that's how cheese is made...), it had less fat that regular cream cheese. It's also a little more moist than cream cheese. It's fantastic. 

A little food coloring and a piping bag and you'll have the perfect cupcake frosting too! But this batch goes to some delightful cookies!

Frosted Cookies

                                         

What's For Dinner: One Pot Turkey & Bean Chili

The name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but yum! This recipe has been handed down from my great grandfather (seriously) to my grandmother, who shared it with her daughter-in-law (my mother). The best part about this dish, besides it being really yummy, is that it is incredibly easy to personalize to your flavor palette. My grandmother makes it a hearty beef and tomato chili, my mother a spicy, low sodium turkey chili, and my sister makes it vegan! I personally am a huge fan of beans in my chili, but I also make mine a white chili. 

Technically it's name could be One Pot Three Bean White Turkey Chili. We all know it's an absurd name, so we just call it chili. 

For my One Pot White Chili, here's what you'll need:

1 lb of lean ground turkey

1 medium white onion

3 cloves of garlic 

1 8oz. can of tomato sauce

3 Cans of beans (I like pinto, great white northern, and black)

1 C of chicken stock (Or 1 can of cream of 
chicken soup, if you are feeling naughty)

1/4 tsp of cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp of red pepper 

1/2 tsp of taco seasoning

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Dice your onions and garlic and throw them in a big pot over medium-high heat. Once the onion starts to soften (and someone inevitably yells towards the kitchen how good it smells) add your meat and start to cook it. (Your meat can be fresh or frozen. It doesn't matter). 

While cooking your meat, chop it with your spoon into little pieces. Once it's starting to brown a little and look cooked, add your secret ingredient: tomato sauce. I don't know why it works so well, but it does. It adds that certain je ne sais quoi.


Add you chicken stock or cream o' chicken (seriously, just use what you have) and your beans. Canned, fresh, two cans, five cans - at this point it's entirely up to you what you like in your chili. Give your pot a big ole stir.


Now it's time for seasoning! I generally eyeball it, so the measurements at the beginning of the recipe are estimations.  Anyway, add paprika, red pepper, and cumin. Stir it again and see what you think. Then, add some taco seasoning (because yum) and some salt and pepper. Stir it again. Let it simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

That's it. So easy and so good! From my family to yours.

                                           

Hey Guys! Let's Make Cheese!

The Viking and I lurv to go to (and hold) small dinner parties (good food, great friends, and decent wine - is there really anything else as important?) As adults in modern American culture, one always offers to bring a dish or drink, usually I'm bring cupcakes (obvs), but while seeing if I can curb my insatiable sweet tooth, I was perusing the interwebz for something new to make and bring. I have been seeing cheese making kits and "easy" recipes for years, so I figure, why the heck not?

Thanks to my friend and yours, the interwebz, I've found that with 45 minutes and four ingredients (five, if you count water) you can have fresh mozzarella!

Anyway, on to the good stuff! My friends: an introduction to soft cheese making.

Here's what you'll need in your kitchen:
1 Large Stock Pot (should hold over a gallon)
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Digital Thermometer
1 Long Spatula or the like (needs to reach the bottom of your pot)
1 Strainer/Colander
1 Microwave Safe Bowl
Kitchen Rat/Assistant - Optional

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tsp of Citric Acid
1/4 c of Water
1 Gallon of Whole Milk
1/4 tsp of Vegetable Rennet
1 c of Water
1 tsp of salt (rough estimate - salt to taste)

Certainly you can find Citric Acid wherever you can find canning supplies. Rennet is a little more difficult, but is easy enough. A lot of places where you can gets craft beer supplies will carry rennet. If you can find either, live somewhere remote, or just want to do what I did, you can by them here and here.

To begin, measure your citric acid into your stock pot. Add 1/4 c of water to dissolve the acid granules. Then add the milk. Over medium heat, bring your liquid up to 90 degrees. Your milk might start looking slightly curdled. This is totally normal. (You'll want to do this slowly, so you can control the temp. If the mixture gets too hot, the cheese curds will compact, causing you to have firmer, smaller cheese.)

Remove your pot from your heat source. Measure out a cup of water and add the rennet in the same
measuring cup. Then add it to your milky mixture. Stir swiftly for 30 seconds. Slow the motion to a stop with your spoon.

Let the milky mixture sit for five minutes.

You have now created Little Miss Muffett's BFF: Curds and Whey. The curds are the white part and the slightly yellowed water is whey - which is FULL of protein.

Once your five minutes are up, grab your long handed spatula-esk tool. Make a grid of your now slightly solid milky mixture. Return your pot to the heat. Heat the whey up to 115 degrees. Again, slowly to control your temperature.

Once you reach your desired temp, remove your pot from its heat source. Using your slotted spoon, separate your curds into your strainer (which can be placed over your microwave safe bowl).

You now have a HUGE decision to make. Okay, not really huge, but you do have a fun decision. At this point, you can dump your whey and get that giant pot out of your cooking space. OR, you can save your whey and use it for cooking, or baking. I've heard you can use the whey for an additive to baked goods, though I don't currently have a recipe for you, since I am TERRIBLE at yeast cooking. Though I intend to get better at it... and then blog about it.





Back to the Cheese:

Shake your strainer and remove as much excess whey as you can. Dump the whey from your microwave safe bowl. Put the almost cheese into the bowl and heat it on high for one minute in your microwave.

When it comes out it will be super hot, but start to look a little smooth. Dump the whey from the bowl and pick up your almost cheese. Squeeze it and begin to knead it together.

Return the almost cheese into the microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds on high. Once this is done, pull out your cheese and dump your liquid. Add salt. Again, crazy hot (be careful). Fold the almost cheese together a few times. Pinch off some of the soon to be cheese for a taste. Does it need more salt? Add some in!

Throw it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds. Continue to dump the liquid and knead the cheese. It will actually start to take shape like the picture. If your cheese feels a little lumpy, go ahead and microwave it for 30 seconds again. If you cheese feels super smooth and starts to turn itself into a ball, assist it into the shape. Then put it in an ice bath.

Be patient for 10 minutes.

Now, my friend, you have cheese! Dress it with fresh herbs, olive oil, pesto, balsamic glaze, slice it, add it to pizza, or just take giant chunk out. Mostly, enjoy it!

                               

Dandelion: Greatest Flower Ever

Yeah. I said it. That weed of which people try to rid their yards. The "flower" only appreciated by small children. You may be familiar with some of its work, maybe poking through sidewalks? Yep. That's the one. It's AMAZING.

First, did you know it's leaves make a delightful, bitter salad additive? Schmancy restaurants are starting to feature it. Seriously. 

But we're here to talk about the root. Specifically, the root made into a tea. Have you tried it? I would certainly love to hear your opinions on it. If you haven't, my friend, you are in for a treat. While we all understand the benefits of herbal teas (Sleepy time for anti-stress, what what!), I had not tried dandelion root tea until a few months ago. I had read about some mildly frightening blend of water, tea, and additives that will MAKE YOU SKINNY!!!1!!!1! As we know, I'm a skeptic until I've tried it. And I certainly don't believe in any magic drink, pill, or serum. 

Time and time again, we are shown the only way to lose weight and keep it off it diet and exercise. 

I'm not one for diet or exercise. I try to stay active and not eat cupcakes for every meal. But, all that cupcake eating and cheese making (and obviously eating) can make a gal feel a little gross the next morning. This is where dandelion root tea comes in. 

A cup or two of this magical stuff throughout the day (the box suggests one bag per cup, but to three times a day) and the next morning... Less bloat. Dandelion root apparently helps rid your body of excess water weight. 

This tea isn't going to make your fairy godmother appear out of this air, but it will certainly help you feel better tomorrow (and so will a few veggies).

Back in the habit?

Yeah... It's been a while. I'm aware. First, let me just throw a little sorry out there, since I've kept you hanging for like, oh, two years. I realize your life don't revolve around my antidotes (and nor should it), but enough of my friends and family have comments about it - I figured it's time to practice that whole "follow through" thing. Needless to say, I took a break to live a little life. I have a suspicion you, my might enjoy a few of my adventures and exploits. 

1) I got a cat. The interwebs clearly needs more cats.

This is Lewis "The Bug" Van Der Kitty. He, like all cats, it entirely too smart for his own good. He also runs my home, like cats are wont to do. And yes... He lets me pet that GIANT, fluffy, spotted tummy. He's apparently also a zombie cat. 

2) Many, if not all of you know, I tried my hand at online dating (my little beach town is a little too small to meet a nice fellow), and met a terribly nice Viking. He may or may not have a Viking helmet. 

3) The Viking came with a dog. So... I now have a dog too. Dogs, in regard to my prior notions, are really pretty great. 

4) said Viking and I got hitched a few months back. 

To those considering it, it's pretty great. I recommend it. With the right person, it's just lovely. 

5) I have made a point to bake weekly (take that, follow through!)

6) I have MASTERED soft cheese making. Friends, if you are a cheese eater... Get excited.

Get ready for an interesting ride, because we're going to hop back on. Now with Instagramming (follow me @nattilynatalie) my antics as well as the sporadic tweet (again @nattilynatalie) here and there. Let's have some fun - more importantly, let's embrace life and ALL it has to offer.

The Perfect Barbecue!

I'm not a HUGE meat eater. I'll eat poultry, seafood (if that officially counts as meat), and rock some pork/ham from time to time. But, I lurv to cook because it's pretty relaxing for me and the reward of eating whatever I've made is always a good incentive.

As I've complained a few times now, I'm busy! Not at busy as someone with kids, but still, I've got a lot of plates in the air. I will admit it now - I've turned to crock potting. Originally I wouldn't fully fess up, since the cream of whatever and block of cream cheese - though amazingly delicious - is not healthy. I know, you may have to sit down from that heavy revaluation. I am also pretending to be a healthy person (though anyone who knows my love of cupcakes and chocolate could very easily disband that non truth).

But, here we go, I'll admit it. I really love my crock pot! (And I got a brand new time included pot for Christmas. Thanks Sir Viking!)

Okay. Barbecue. As someone who doesn't really like condiments, I've never fully understood the love of meat (bah) smothered in a smokey, spicy ketchup like sauce, until recently. I had pulled chicken and was allowed to dispense my own sauce. I finally understood. The delicious smoked meat is so juicy! Yum.

Knowing that Sir Viking is southern and enjoy barbeque, I was on the interwebz one day and found this little crock pot gem... and believe me, this is requested about every 9 days. You're going to want to write this down:

1 pork tenderloin
1 can of root beer

Place in crock pot on low for 8 hours. At the end of the time, the meat will be tender enough to shred with a fork.

And it is.

Seriously. Combine the TWO ingredients in the picture. That's it.

Apparently the root beer acts as a tenderizer to the meat and gives it a sweet, herbal taste with a slight effervescence. It's friggin' fantastic people!!!

Once we're hungry, we use pretzel rolls (yumz!), I add cheese for me, and a little sweet barbeque sauce for each of us.  Add a side salad and you have a perfectly delicious meal! AND since there are only two of us, we always have leftovers.

Leopard Print

By now you may or may not have noticed that it is incredibly important to me to embrace who you are and what you love. Especially if it's an archaic social norm. If you're into it (and it doesn't harm others), go for it. We all need hobbies and interests.

I could, quite obviously go on ad nauseum, but that's for another day. Today, my though it about leopard print. Leopard print can be wonderful but can get so tacky, so quickly. And thanks to the tween stores of the universe and their love of neon green leopard spots, my beloved leopard print has received a bad rap.

Eff that noise. I love leopard print. I love how I feel when I wear it. It's this blend of sassy, chic, and less tightly wound, as my job makes me a little tense some days. But the key to leopard, only one piece at a time. If you wear more than one piece at a time you're going to look like a lunatic.

Here are the best pieces that you can get, that would work with just about any favorite print or graphic color as a pop:

- Shoes. I always have at least two pairs of leopard print shoes. One flat and one heel, so work and play are both covered. And believe me, any time I need a little bit of funk or sass in an outfit, leopard shoes are my go to.

- Cardigan or Coat. I love adding on a little sassy cover that might not stay on the whole time I have an outfit. Just a little ump.

- Purse or Clutch. I have seen a lot of terrible leopard print adds in my day. But a really good one can make all the difference in the world. If you're not really to take the plunge with a purse, a little make up bag or wallet is a nice addition to your normal purse gear, to brighten up your day.

- Scarf. This is an easy way to try something new or embrace something you love with a big impact for a little price. Just remember, only one piece at a time.

I'll leave you with this, what's your leopard print? What makes you feel chic, yet care free, with only one piece?

Tiers of Friendship

So, who watches The Mindy Project? I happily fall into that category. But like every other show, I get into it and then watch it for a few weeks and then don't go near it for another month (I get distracted). But this past week Ms. Kaling brought up an interesting point:

Best Friend is not a person, it's a tier.

Acquaintances, Friends, Good Friends, Best Friends... Or maybe if you are a little bit younger/cooler than me it's like Randos, Your Posse, Homeslices, Best Bitches. (I don't know, kids these days...)

Okay, okay, hold on. If you are someone who has only one best friend and you have been best friends since you were five and you've never had another best friend, let me just say, you are incredibly lucky (or possibly delusional). Seriously though, if you are one of those rare few, that's really fantastic. The rest of us... not so much.

I think from time to time we have all felt the pressure that we need to have one best friend. It's like this golden status of superiority... that, frankly, I think is bullshit. 

Realistically, through out your life, you've probably moved when you were a kid or in high school, probably went away to college (or if you didn't go too far, I'm guessing a majority of your high school friends moved away), and then moved after college (and maybe a few times after that). This isn't even taking into account hobbies you've found along the way, significant others, maybe you got married, or even have a kid or two. I'm guessing, unless you hate people you probably made friends during these phases. Moreover, I'm going to assume that a few people became the proverbial "cream of the crop".

There is rarely just one that stands out above the rest. And that's because there are so many people with incredible qualities that bring so much to your life. That's really the best part. I may not be one of those girls with a BEST FRIEND, but I have a group of best friends who make my life better everyday. Best friends are like cookies. It's always a good idea to have more than one.