Nostalgic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal raisin cookies remind me of my grandmother. We call her Ousie (a nickname I coined as a toddler, because I couldn’t pronounce Alice Louise). This isn’t her recipe, doesn’t even come close, but it’ll do for now until I can dig out the recipe my mom has stashed away at home. Still, there’s something about the combination of oats and raisins, cinnamon and dark brown sugar that even in this recipe feels both nostalgic and comforting, old-fashioned but always sweet and warm, just the way a grandmother’s recipe should be.

I make oatmeal raisin cookies when I feel like someone needs a little bit of warmth and comfort in their lives. This time, they were for Zach’s dad, who lost one of his fishing partners and best friend this past week. He’s going on a fishing trip tomorrow, so I hope they cheer him up a little bit around lunch time, even though he won’t have his buddy there with him.

Old-fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (from the Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Baking Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon 
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. unsalted butter
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
½ c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
½ c. old-fashioned rolled oats
2 c. raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two baking sheets or line with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, line your baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray it with Baker's Joy cooking spray. Makes clean-up SO EASY! I hate having to wash pans, so I'm all about the aluminum foil.

2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. I wasn't paying attention and accidentally doubled the recipe.Since I doubled the recipe, I didn't have enough raisins, but the recipe turned out good anyways. The more raisins the better, in my opinion.  I also used 1 tsp. of cinnamon instead of 1 tbsp. More cinnamon here is better. My cookies didn't have as much of that cinnamon-y warmth and spice as I thought they needed.

 

3. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla and beat on low until well-blended.

4. Add dry ingredients and rolled oats and stir until just incorporated. Mix in the raisins. If you're like me, sample the dough "to make sure it's good."

5. Drop by heaping tablespoons spaced 3 in. apart onto the baking sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies are done when they are evenly light brown and firm when lightly touched.

6. Let the cookies cool for approximately 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make sure you sample a cookie. I recommend baking them mid-morning and having one with a second cup of coffee like I did. Grumpy puppies will beg for treats while you are doing this, but you know what they say, "if you give a mouse a cookie, he's gonna want some milk," so you might as well not even go down that road.

This Is My Bedroom

Shopping at thrift stores, garage sales, and even in my relatives’ attics or storage sheds, is one of my absolute favorite things to do. I love finding overlooked treasures, things few others have appreciated for their beauty. Even though many people see these thrifted items as junk, I’ve found that with just a little bit of cleaning and refurbishing these objects can take on a new life. With their uniqueness, they make beautiful, one-of-a-kind decorations or functional pieces for your home. Most of my found treasures have managed to accumulate in my bedroom.

These windows that I've displayed behind my bed came from the storage shed of a house my grandmother bought. They were old, mildewed, falling apart, but after cleaning them up with a little bit of Windex and a lot of elbow grease, they came out beautifully. I've hung several scarves I've found at thrift stores and on clearance behind the windows for color. I think the lights give it character, and I still feel young enough for that to be acceptable. Since my bed is right next to my dresser, I've used pushpins to hang up some of my favorite jewelry on the right window. Pretty and functional.


I love glass bottles. Everywhere I go, I seem to come back with a few of them. You can put flowers in them, decorate them with a few strands of beading, or place a few necklaces or glass beads inside them to give them even more character.


I think solid color bedspreads are the way to go when decorating a bedroom. That way you can buy lots of fun pillow shams and blankets in different patterns and colors and mix and match them without worrying so much if it will look good with the comforter - as long as all the colors look good together, of course.

See what I mean about the necklaces/beads in the bottle on the left? A great, functional way to display and store your jewelry at the same time. The little figurine on the right is one of my favorites. Given to me by the lady who took care of me as an infant, I've had it since I was probably 8. I used to collect dog figurines, and this is one of the few that survived the years.

This awkward bookcase with only one shelf was left by the people who lived in the condo before us. I've been meaning to buy more shelves for it since we moved in, but I never got around to it. I loved this poster I got at a conference so much (dorky, I know), I hung it up to cover the blank space. A great idea by the way, if you're trying to fill blank space in an empty bookcase - just cover it with fabric or wallpaper that matches your decor, and it's an instant pop of color in what would have just been a blank, empty space.


I've always loved books. Growing up, I had two overflowing bookcases in my room and one in my closet. Although I left quite a bit of my collection when I moved, I always come back from my parent's house with a few more. I especially love hardback books, and I've even started buying them from the thrift store. $1 or $2 for a book that would have cost me $25 at the book store. Can't pass up a deal like that! And, they look so lovely on a bookcase, or displayed on a side or coffee table, or even just laying all around your house like mine usually are.

This beautiful music box was my great grandmother's. Enough said.


The winking cups are from the same lady who gave me the figurine on my bed. She loved yard sales, estate sales, garage sales, and I think that's where I got my love of thrifting. When we lived in New Orleans a long time ago, she would always take me with her. I think I was probably less than one when I went to my first yard sale. I haven't looked back since.

I have two of these matching vintage lamps in my room. I found them at my favorite thrift store in Baton Rouge. They are one of my favorite thrift store finds ever! Even though they were $25 together, I couldn't pass them up. When I saw them, I knew it was meant to be.

This chair came from my great grandmother's bathroom. I can imagine her sitting on it, looking in the mirror and putting on her lipstick. When I see it, I always feel such a sense of connection with her, even though I barely remember her. I found this chair when I was going through her house with my grandmother. It was covered with red velvet - not cute at all. All I did was cover it with some fabric I bought from Hobby Lobby, and voila, a whole new chair!

We've gone to Florida for vacation every year since I can remember. I love beach-combing, looking for sea shells and beach glass. These are a few of the best shells I've collected in recent years. More to come shortly, as we're leaving for Florida tomorrow! Also, I love this glass Ball Jar I found at the thrift store. If you look in the background, you can see some of favorite perfumes and the lamp that matches the other one.

Finally, a perfect picture of my sweet, sleeping puppy. So innocent. Don't let it fool you. We just realized he had managed to escape outside. When I realized he was missing, we found him looking in the door, waiting to get back in. He had "decided" to take himself on a walk. His form of payback for me giving him a bath and haircut this morning, I guess. 

Chocolate Cake Makes Everybody Happy

     When my dad requested a “chocolate-chocolate” cake for his birthday last week, everyone had their own opinion on what kind of cake we should have. Of course, no one can agree in such a large family. Will wanted red velvet, mom wanted white wedding cake, and Lily wanted strawberry. I knew just what to make, however, and since it was dad’s birthday, we were definitely having what he requested. As soon as I pulled the cakes out of the oven, everyone's complaints ended immediately. Not surprisingly, by the time we sang happy birthday, they had clearly forgotten they wanted another kind of cake. 


     This “chocolate-chocolate” cake, made triply-chocolate with the addition of some beautiful chocolate curls inspired by an episode of The Pioneer Woman, comes straight off the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa box. An oldie but a goodie, this recipe was the star of almost every childhood birthday party I can remember (the other times we had Wal-Mart cake, but you know I wasn’t complaining). My aunt always makes this chocolate cake when we celebrate the summer birthdays on vacation. I’ve never known it to turn out poorly. It always comes out moist and never dry, perfectly chocolate, and just about the best thing you can eat. Make it even better by serving it warm topped with vanilla ice cream, like we always do.

Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Cake

• 2 c. sugar
• 1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 3/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. boiling water

Frosting

• 1/2 c. butter
• 2/3 c. Hershey's Cocoa
• 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Extras

• Milk or semi-sweet chocolate for chocolate curls to decorate the cake

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans.
2. Cake: Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (the batter will be thin). Pour immediately into pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.
3. Frosting: Melt butter and stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes approximately 2 c. of frosting.
4. Assembly: After cakes have cooled completely, frost in between the layers and then over the top and sides. Make some fancy chocolate curls by melting the chocolate, spreading it over the back of a metal baking sheet, and cooling for 15 minutes in the freezer. Pull the sheet out of the freezer and using a spoon like we did or a fancy metal spatula, scrape across the chocolate so it curls up. You'll get the hang of it eventually - it took us quite a few tries to get them right! Experiment with thickness and lengths. Don't worry if the chocolate chips up, sprinkle it over the cake and it'll look just as fancy. It definitely tastes good, and that's the most important part, right?

Meet Ollie

Meet Ollie! He doesn't like posing for pictures.

Oliver, frequently known as Ollie when he’s being good, is my yorkie. The runt of the litter, I named him after Oliver Twist, because he’s a particularly waifish little guy. He’s always begging for more: more food, more attention, more love. You name it, he wants more of it.

 

 

Please can I have some more?

I used to take Ollie to the groomer and let them fix him up all handsome, but it turns out he and the groomer do not get along. He was always failing his report cards and catching colds from the other puppies there, so now I just groom him myself. This adds to his waifish appearance. He generally has at least one ear flopping over, and his beard is always uneven, but we love him for it anyways. He’s happier, at least.

 

 

Ollie likes taking Lortab when he gets sick.

Ollie has a gimp leg. He hobbles around like a crippled old man. At some point, he will have to have surgery, but the last time I took him to the vet for it, he “conveniently” had a cold that prevented us from fixing him up. In fact, every single time we go to the vet, just like when we go to the groomer, Ollie catches a cold. So, in addition to not being able to groom him, I also can’t board him at the kennel, and he has to live with a gimp leg. Ollie leads a hard, hard life. And he lets us know it, too. 

Ollie "helps" with schoolwork.

This is where the “little man” syndrome comes in. Because his life is so hard, Ollie feels like he can boss us all around. Ollie hates when he does not have everyone's full 100% attention and lets us know his exasperation over being ignored by barking at us. Over and over and over again. We've tried lots of different tactics, but Ollie knows how to get what he wants. Usually, we end up just loving on him and paying him the attention he thinks he deserves. He is most definitely spoiled.

Of course, being spoiled means you always get delicious treats. Ollie loves to eat everything except his dog food. A few of his particular favorites in order are: 1) kitty food; 2) peanut butter; 3) cheese; 4) chicken. He has been known to make himself sick from “binge eating” his favorite treats. He has a hard time with self control, but it’s just so good he can’t stop. He also loves chewing on rawhides that are bigger than his head. This lets the other pets know he’s not afraid of a challenge.  

Don't mess with kennel time.

When Ollie gets down on his life, he retreats to his kennel. This is where he spends most of his time. It's his house, his safe place. You are not allowed to mess with him in there. Try it, and you will have one pissed off little guy on your hands. Sometimes he lets his B.F.F. Monty sleep with him, but you better believe he doesn't share very often. Ollie's kennel is where he keeps his babies, his rawhides, and anything he doesn’t want to lose. Everywhere we go, the kennel has to go. Ollie is not a light packer, just like his mama.

Road-trippin'!

Sometimes, Ollie goes to hang out with his friends, Brees and Lucy. They are beautiful Westies, who always get good grades on their groomer report card and are perfectly well-behaved. With his home-made haircut and jealousy issues, Ollie had a hard time getting along with them at first. When he realized they had a big, fenced-in back yard and didn’t have to wear a leash, he decided he could tolerate them, and they’re finally good friends. Sometimes, Lucy and Brees even share their bed with Ollie, who hasn’t quite decided if he likes that sharing thing yet.

Brees & Lucy, Ollie's new B.F.F.'s(?)

When he's not sleeping or barking at everybody, Ollie enjoys going on walks. He likes to defend his territory by marking the same bushes and trees every single day. He's a predictable guy. When he meets people outside he doesn't know, he likes to pretend he's an angel by wagging his tail and cowering down for petting. This good behavior is a complete ruse, because as soon as we come back inside, he's back to his sassy, demanding ways.

Contemplating going for a swim.

Ollie doesn’t like to be left out of any action. He likes to “help” with my crafts and bark at me while I’m baking. His help comes in the form of untangling and re-tangling yarn by dragging it all over the room, scratching at my hands to re-focus my attention on him, and telling me what I’m doing wrong while I’m baking (usually what I’m doing wrong is that I’m not letting him sample my recipes).

All of that sassing and helping wears Ollie out big time, so he rarely misses the opportunity to take a nap. He seems like such a sweet, well-behaved little guy when you see him like this, but don't let it fool you.

Strawberry Birthday Cake

Having Gwen at the condo for the summer has been such a blast. We celebrated her birthday several weeks ago, and I made a simple strawberry cake, following Paula Deen’s Simply Delicious Strawberry Cake recipe. I also made it for my little sister's birthday the week before, and it was a huge hit on both occasions. Surprisingly, it barely calls for any butter! Just lots of sugar ;) 

Before we enjoyed cake and ice cream, we ate at Zea's Rotisserie and Grill, an absolutely fabulous restaurant that specializes in American food. The barbecue was amazing! Gwen and I both had ribs. Sadly, I was feeling sick and didn't enjoy it as much as I would normally have. Next time will most definitely be different, and I'll make sure to come with an appetite. A few photos of our evening: 

Here’s the Strawberry Cake recipe, as promised. Make this for your friend's next birthday party - it will not disappoint! And, you can't go wrong with a pink cake ;) Adding a bit of red food coloring to the icing would make the icing even pinker, if you want to go all out. I will definitely have to remember that for next time. 

 Cake:

• 1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Hine’s)
• 1 3 oz. box strawberry instant gelatin
• 1 (16 oz.) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed (you’ll need some for the icing, too)
• 4 large eggs
• ½ c. vegetable oil
• ¼ c. water

Frosting:

• 1 8 oz. package softened cream cheese
• ¼ c. strawberry puree (saved from the cake mix)
• ½ tsp. strawberry extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 7 c. confectioner’s sugar
• Fresh strawberries for garnish

 

 

Instructions:

1.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.

2.   Cake: In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries (save ¼ c. for the icing), eggs, oil, and water. Beat at medium speed using a mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 20-23 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.

3.   Icing: Cream butter and cream cheese. Beat in the saved ¼ c. strawberry puree, strawberry extract, and vanilla. Add the confectioner’s sugar gradually, beating until the icing is smooth.

4.  Assembly: After the cakes have cooled, spread frosting between layers and on the top and sides of the cake. Garnish with fresh strawberries if you’d like.