Aunt Emma's Famous Waffle Cookies

This post was made possible thanks to the generosity of Oak Hill Bulk Foods, who supplied me with ingredients, and my friend, Corina Miller, who captured the experience on camera. 

As a kid, I don't remember my family going all out when making Christmas cookies, not like some of my friends (the lucky ones) whose moms would bake dozens upon dozens of cookies, then go to cookie exchanges and come home with a dozen varieties more. My mom would make three or four different kinds, and compared to the heavily iced and sanded sugar cookie cutouts that my friends got to boast, ours were always rather boring.

Boring for a four year old, maybe. But looking back now, I'd argue that ours were actually edible. Not only that, they were also delicious.

I grew up to be someone who is just as practical, if not even more so, than my mom. Meaning my poor kids are lucky that they even got to try one variety of Christmas cookies this year. I support my decision not to participate with reasons of health. Everywhere you go during the holiday season, people, it seems, are eager and generous with sugary goodies, and I really don't want things like that freely available in our home as well. (That is my argument. Please don't make me admit that the main reason you won't find cookies in our house it because I simply don't like to bake.)

Carson, my almost four year old, was a bit in shock when I presented the idea of baking cookies together, because he didn't think I actually knew how. So, I set out to prove that child wrong.

We gathered all of the necessary ingredients at our favorite grocery store, Oak Hill Bulk Foods. We shop there almost every week, and almost every week Carson and Brooklyn both press their faces into the glass of the pastry display, begging for a cookie with sprinkles, (which Carson, hilariously, used to call "brain-kills") because they never get cookies like that at home.

Instead of bringing a cookie with sprinkles home this time, we brought a container of sprinkles and everything else, to make our own cookies.

I whipped up one of the four kinds of cookies my mom use to make -- Aunt Emma's Famous Waffle Cookies. (Yes, of course I did.)

These cookies are exactly as the title says, waffles. They are crisp and chocolate-y, and topped with a fudge frosting, and because Carson was helping me, also heavily doused with sprinkles. They're named after my Great Aunt, Emma, and are a Stoltzfus family favorite.

Enjoy!

Aunt Emma's Famous Waffle Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1\2 c. sugar
1 c. butter, melted
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1\2 c. cocoa (I used dark cocoa)
1\2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Mix butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together. Add flour, cocoa and salt, stirring until combined. Bake 1-2 minutes in waffle iron.


Fudge Frosting

Ingredients:
6 Tbs. butter
3\4 c. granulated sugar
1\3 c. milk
3\4 c. chocolate chips

Directions:
Boil butter, sugar and milk together for one minute. Stir in chocolate chips until melted.
Spread over waffle cookies and top with sprinkles.

 And there you have it, the inside scoop on the only cookies I'll be making this holiday season. They are so easy and so delicious. (Though not nearly as delicious as the cookies with sprinkles from Oak Hill. Carson was quick to let me know he truly wasn't that impressed with my cookie making abilities. Ya can't win them all, now can ya?)

***

This post was made possible, thanks to Oak Hill Bulk Foods, who supplied me with all the ingredients needed for the recipe. I highly recommend you visit their store if you get the chance!

Oak Hill Bulk Foods is located at 3173 Route 14A, just two miles south of Penn Yan, NY. The store is opened Monday - Saturday, from 8 am -6 pm, and the cafe is open Monday - Saturday from 7 am - 4 pm.

You can follow Oak Hill on Facebook and Instagram, or visit their website to learn more!

***

Also, a big thank you to my friend, Corina Miller, who offered to do a lifestyle photography session just for this post! Her work is gorgeous, and if you are looking for a fun gift to give someone this holiday season, might I suggest you book a session with her. It will be a treasured keepsake in the years to come! You can find her on Instagram. Send her a message there to let you know you're interested in learning more. 

Five Things for Your Weekend

I blinked, and without warning Monday morning turned into Friday night. Can someone please explain to me how a week during the summer can be like a single day in the middle of winter?

Life right now is moving, full and fast, and though the weather is such that if I would sit for a bit, I could probably watch the grass grow, I haven't had much time for sitting still -- we're in the midst of what I would argue is the best season of life, however I haven't had much experience with seasons of life as a mom yet, so please take whatever I'm about to say with a grain of salt. 

Carson and Brooklyn both went through a phase this summer where they started skipping naps, Carson opting for no nap at all, and Brooklyn going down to just one instead of her usual two. I mourned that loss for about five days, then realized it is actually a wonderful thing! Being away from home in the middle of the day isn't cause for a meltdown anymore. We've been taking full advantage of this new-found freedom, spending many an afternoon at the lake or pool, heading out on adventures or meeting friends at the park, just because we can. Summer in this area of the country goes by quickly, and this year we are making the most of it. 

I haven't had time to sit or write, because at the end of the day I feel spent, in the best possible way, falling asleep minutes after my head hits the pillow.

Today I'm checking in though, with a couple of things I'm eager to tell you about. You know, because that's what friends do.

Along with summer comes gardening and canning. Four years in and I still feel like a newbie at this... but I have jars upon sparkling jars of dill pickles and peaches setting on my basement shelves, and a small list of other things I would like to freeze or can. On my list for next week - blueberries and more pickles. I've made a compromise with myself -- I will can things, but only if I am willing to do it in the easiest, most quick way possible. Enter Mrs. Wages Dill Pickle mix. One packet of seasoning will make seven quarts of pickles. It's so easy, and the pickles passed the approval of my taste tester, so that was a win in my book!

If you follow me on Instagram, perhaps you saw my story this week of a beautiful cookbook that showed up at my door. The Amazon package said there was a gift inside, but there was no note or packing list -- I had no idea where it came from. The mystery was eventually solved, it was a thoughtful gift from my dear friend Kaylie. 

Tonight Herm watched the kids so I could have an evening out. I did some much needed shopping for fun things like stain remover and toilet paper and diapers, then I sat by the lake with a bagel and coffee, and I read that cookbook cover to cover. (Who am I, reading a cookbook?!) Kaylie nailed it with this one, The Forest Feast is 100% my style: simple, easy, and healthy. It's going to be a favorite, right along with my ever faithful Against All Grain.

Brooklyn has been wearing this shirt non-stop since the day it arrived in the mail. I ordered it from a shop I found via Instagram called Sew Sweet Clothing. Suz, the owner and seamstress, generously sent me a couple other pieces as well, a blue peplum top and a striped dress. I can't say enough about these. Her work is excellent and the knit fabric is quality. 

We've got some exciting travel plans this summer, and you can bet, these pieces will be packed in our luggage, for sure!

I've been really enjoying the blog Un-fancy lately. She's got me rethinking a few ways I approach my wardrobe. I'm trying to have more fun with it. My husband will agree with this statement -- I over think things way too much. I'm trying hard to loosen up a bit, to throw aside rules I've made for myself and to just relax... This week I thrifted a pair of new PONS Avarcas, which is helping me out with that. They're different and fun and comfortable. And since I discovered that they have them in childrens sizes too, I can't decided between these or Saltwater sandals for Brooklyn.

One more thing: Esther Weaver is amazing. She sketched Brooklyn.

Then end.

Maple + Cheddar Popcorn (And a bit on Quebec)

As a family we try to take two vacations every year -- one at the tale end of winter before spring hits, and with it the rush of busy season for Herm's business, and the other as summer makes way to autumn and we finally have Herm back again.

For our end-of-summer vacation we often visit new places. So far we've traveled Route 1 on along the rugged California coastline, visited friends in please-take-me-back-again-I-loved-it-so Portugal, and Myrtle Beach, where we were evacuated much too early due to a tropical storm, but loved our time there nonetheless. We've got a really exciting trip planned for our summer getaway this year. I can't wait to tell you all about it.

But that's not what this post is about today, so moving on...

People, especially those who live in the north, look at us a little cross-eyed when they discover that we don't head south in the winter like most do, but instead, always travel north. (As if upstate New York isn't north enough.) 

Every year we head a bit farther into the frigid tundra -- first was Lake Placid, NY, then Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and this year, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

Our thought process behind this is that we want our winter vacation to be a time of rest, where we don't feel pressured into constantly being out-of-doors and active, like we know we would, if we were say, somewhere south. We do get out and enjoy the snow quite a lot, but we also plow our way through books and play games and watch movies, cozied up, hot drinks in hand, in our Airbnb rental.

Of all of our vacations north, Quebec City was our favorite location. We stayed in the old part of the city, which was founded in 1608. The architecture of the city is amazing. It felt as though we were visiting a country in Europe, rather than our neighbors to the north. I'm sure the fact that everyone speaks French added to the European feel. 

We are already talking about visiting Quebec again, though next time we would like to go in the summer, as I'm sure the city is just a charming, and slightly warmer, than it was in February. 

When we vacation we often rent an apartment and try to make most of our meals there. It helps keep costs down, and also is a bit more relaxing for us with the kids being so young. Plus, it means we can splurge a little bit on coffees and treats... like the Maple + Cheddar Quebec-style popcorn we bought several times. It was the perfect marriage of sweet and salty, and when we got back home again, I worked hard to recreate my own version of it.

I can almost feel the cold wind that blew through the city, and hear the crunch of snow beneath my boots with every bite.

Enjoy!

Maple + Cheddar Popcorn

Ingredients:

1 cup popcorn kernels

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup cheddar cheese powder

2/3 cup maple syrup

2/3 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon maple flavoring

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

Preheat oven to 250.

In a large kettle with a lid, pour in oil and three kernels of corn. Begin heating. Once corn kernels pop, pour in the rest of the kernels and continue heating, shaking constantly, until all the corn has popped. 

Removed from heat and divide corn into two large bowls. Pour the cheddar cheese powder over one of the bowls and mix well. Set aside.

Melt butter with maple syrup, sugar and salt. Heat mixture to boiling point, then continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add maple flavoring and baking soda. Stir well. 

Pour mixture over the remaining bowl of popcorn, mixing thoroughly. Divide corn into two glass baking dishes and bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove corn from oven and mix both flavors together in a big bowl.

Grab a glass of grape juice and cozy in for a while with your favorite movie or a good book.

Try your hardest not to eat the entire bowl yourself.

Cultivating Hospitality

This post was inspired by a friend of mine who recently got married. She sent me a text suggesting that I write on hospitality, and the thought process I put into preparing a meal for guests. I absolutely loved her suggestion because a.) She helped me come up with a topic for a blog post - which is something that isn't always easy, and b.) I remember when I was in her shoes, newly married and so overwhelmed at the thought of hosting people in our home. So without further ado, Kaylie, this is for you.

One of the things I discovered about my husband after we were married was his love of people.

Okay, let me start over... I knew he loved people and valued relationships, but what I don't think I fully realized was how much he loved hosting people. In our home. For dinner.

If you know me, you most likely know that I don't enjoy cooking. I know how to cook, I learned young; I was 9 years old when my youngest brother was born. My mom had a hard labor and delivery, and needed a lot of time to recover. So from her reclining chair in the living room she taught me about meal preparation and laundry and other domestic responsibilities, and for years after that I kept helping out with those things regularly. 

But I cook simple meals. Meals that I didn't think were good enough to serve to dinner guests, and so, in a tizzy those first few times, I tried to impress by cooking complicated everything-from-scratch meals I had never made before - and in the process I probably stressed myself out more than necessary, and truthfully, those meals were rather bland.  

If there is one thing I want you to take to heart and never forget from this post it is this: The thing most people will remember about sitting at your table and eating a meal with you isn't the delectable flavor of the food with its beautiful presentation or the moist, richness of the cake you spent all afternoon preparing. What they will remember is how you made them feel. Did they feel welcomed and at home? Did they feel connection as conversation flowed? 

If you are a stressed and tense hostess your guests will notice it. Which brings me to my very first, and probably most important tip:

• Pick one or two main dishes that are full of flavor but easy to prepare, and make them several times, learning them well before you invite your guests for dinner. 
These will be your go-to options for whenever you are hosting, at least until you feel comfortable enough with the process to branch out more.

Often I will ask my husband to grill steak or chicken or fish, and I will prepare a fresh salad and my signature rice + bean -- an ethinic dish I learned to make while living in Jamaica, which I serve with artisan bread from a local bakery. Depending on who our guests are we will serve a local wine, however, if they aren't comfortable with alcohol I like to serve water infused with lemon, lime, and berries, or make iced tea. 

When my husband isn't able to grill, I make pizza. I've made this so many times I no longer need to pull out a recipe book. I like to switch up sauces and toppings for new flavors, sprinkle goat or feta cheese on top of the mozzarella for an unexpected twist, and if I have them on hand I always caramelize a few onions, because it adds rich flavor and a gourmet touch to a dish that's so easy to prepare. I will serve a fresh salad, and sometimes I like to serve these smokey roasted sweet potatoes as well. As before our beverage will be wine, fruit infused water, or iced tea, depending on who is at our table.

I don't often make dessert, but we always serve coffee, and if I have cookies or biscotti or dark chocolate on hand I will set that out as well.

Now that we've covered the basics of food prep, let's move on...

I like to prepare as much as I can before hand so that I don't feel rushed as I'm making the meal. A few things I've learn over the years are:

• Don't worry about cleaning your entire house before guests arrive.
There is no need to wash everything from top to bottom, but I do recommend you give your bathrooms a good cleaning, vacuum the floors and burn a fresh scented candle. Your house will feel inviting even if it's not spic and span if you do these three steps.

• Make sure you have time to get yourself presentable.
In other words, don't meet your guests at the door wrapped in a bath towel.

• Set the table
It doesn't always happen, but if I have time I like to set the table before our guests arrive so that I can add a few details to dress it up a bit. Black cloth napkins and a sprig of fresh herbs - say lavender or rosemary - at each plate can make a simple, elegant statement. However, if I am serving over 6 people I typically use paper napkins and skip the sprigs of greenery, and if there are more than 12 people at my table I find no shame in using paper plate and cups and plastic utensils. Remember, the point of hosting is about cultivating and growing relationships, it is not about being Martha Stewart!

And finally...

• Meet your guests at the door
Welcome them in, and if there is any last minute things you could use help with, such as filling glasses with water or dishing food or stirring soup, ask them! In her book Bread & Wine, Shauna Niequist states that she will purposefully leave things undone so that she can ask guests for help. This is a great way to get everyone feeling comfortable and involved, especially in settings were guests might not know each other well. (If you need even more great tips on hosting, I would recommend you read the book... It's excellent.)


Another way of hosting, one Herm and I do several times over the course of the summer, is to plan a Bring Your Own Meat, Bring Your Own Beverage party. I will send out an invitation letting guests know that we are firing up the grill and they are welcome to join us. I ask that they each bring a few servings of their favorite meat or veggies to grill and a beverage to share. We provide the paper-ware and I typically make a side or two to serve as well. As people arrive the food is thrown on the grill and Herm works his magic, then we serve it buffet style. I have a galvanized metal tub with ice for the bottles of whatever drinks are brought along, and of course, we always end the evening with coffee and usually desserts that others bring. We've had over 30 people for these events, but since everything is outside, and every one is chipping in with food it is so easy and affordable, and so much fun.

Like I said earlier, remind yourself that hosting is about growing and cultivating relationships. And while it is nice to have a beautiful table setting and delicious, gourmet food, that is not the most important part! If it takes a pizza delivery and premade salad for you to begin feeling comfortable with hosting, that is perfectly fine. Just make it happen! There is so much that can be learned from life around the table... it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful.

I'm sure many of you have great tips of your own when it comes to hosting and hospitality. If you do, would you please leave a comment for me and Kaylie and anyone else who might feel unsure about this process as well? 

Blueberry + Peach Gallette

This summer we've been enjoying fresh fruit in abundance.

Our property line is scattered with wild raspberry bushes, which we harvested nearly three gallons of berries from. I froze about a gallon of berries, but the rest we enjoyed over cereal or ice cream or simply plain.

And I've been keeping our kitchen stocked at all times with peaches from the SweetPeach Company. I thought I liked peaches before I had a South Carolina peach, but I realized, after that first juicy-delicious bite, that I didn't know what I was missing. I can never go back to a northern peach again. New York, you grow many good and wonderful things, but peaches aren't one of them.

Blueberries are currently in season, so we've been munching those too. Last week when my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and nieces and nephews were here we picked a nice amount. I froze most of mine, but kept a few pints in the fridge for fresh eating.

All this to say, on Saturday afternoon I had peaches and blueberries in the fridge that needed to be used up. I absolutely hate wasting food, so I was brainstorming what I could make out of them without it taking all afternoon or requiring me to go for groceries.

And that's when I remembered the partial box of phyllo dough in the freezer.

If you aren't familiar with it, phyllo dough is a paper thin pastry dough. There are many different uses for it, but I had a partial box in the freezer from the last time the cooking club got together. (Yes, I am part of a cooking club, and I don't even like to cook.) Our theme for the evening was Greek Cuisine, which means baklava was a MUST for dessert. Baklava is basically butter and sugar served between many crispy sheets of dough. When I start I can't stop... it's so good!

But that's not the subject of today's post.

Well, it actually kind of is, because when I remembered the phyllo sheet, I got to thinking about how good baklava would be with peaches and berries on top. I quickly searched the internet to make sure I wasn't crazy, and found a recipe similar to what I was thinking of and went from there.

Herm was impressed by the dessert and is already talking about the next time I make it. He thinks it should be a regular dish, served at least weekly in our home, guests or no guests.

BLUEBERRY + PEACH GALLETTE

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 sheets frozed phyllo dough pastry, cut in half
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 peaches, sliced

METHOD:

Cut phyllo dough sheets in half. Place first sheet of dough on foil lined cookie tray. Brush with butter, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of white sugar. Place a second sheet of dough over the first sheet, rub with butter, and sprinkle with white sugar. Continue this process until all 12 layers of pastry have been used. 
In a bowl toss together sliced peaches, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oil or butter. Arrange peaches over phyllo dough in a single layer. Pour any remaining brown sugar/butter mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle blueberries evenly among the peaches.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping, and of course, your favorite cup of coffee.

Not His Mama's Shortcake

He is going to be so excited, I thought to myself, as I lifted the shortcake biscuits from the cookie sheets, placing them onto a serving platter. Local strawberries were finally available, and it seemed as though shortcake was all Herm ever talked about. And while baking certainly wasn't how I preferred to spend my precious day off from work, I knew the look of pure delight on the face of my beloved as he took his first bite of shortcake, topped with crushed berries and whipped cream, would make the sacrifice of my time completely worth it in the end.

I dutifully served supper, although I no longer remember what I had made, then brought the tasty surprise out to the deck. What is this? He asked me, unsure. Babe, don't be silly, I retorted, it's only what you talk about every waking minute. He still looked quite confused, leaving me confused as well. It's shortcake Babe. You know, you eat it with strawberries and whipped cream. I love shortcake, and this isn't shortcake, he replied, this looks like biscuits. 

I quickly grew defensive, yanking the box of Bisquick from the trashcan - giving away the secret, these were not made from scratch, leaving me as a failure of a Mennonite woman - as I hastily found the recipe on the back titled "Old-fashion Shortcake".  See, I pointed, see, right here, it's SHORTCAKE!

Maybe so, but it's not my mom's shortcake.  

Another summer came and went, and I did not attempt shortcake again, his mom's or mine.  But last week we were invited to my parents for a dinner of salmon and roasted asparagus, and I was providing dessert. I had several boxes of fresh strawberries from Pennsylvania and all of the ingredients on hand for shortcake, so I thought it was probably time to brave the waters again, and attempt his mom's shortcake.

However, instead of calling Herm's mom for the recipe, I consulted my ever faithful cookbook, Pinterest. I began typing Amish Shortcake Recipe, thinking that help narrow down the results. The first recipe to appear looked promising, it was baked in a square baking dish, certainly not the biscuits I had made two summers ago. This is it, I thought.

After I had made the cake, I took a picture of it and sent it to Herm. He never replied to the text, but when he arrived home he said no, it didn't look like his mom's, but he would still give it a try.

We enjoyed the meal thoroughly, as we always do when my mom is cooking. And on the ride home that night the words Herm said to me were worth recording, never to be forgotten. He said, Babe, I think maybe that should be your shortcake recipe. My mom can have hers, and you can have yours, they're both so good.

(Don't tell anyone, but I've made this recipe three times in one week. First for my family, then to serve when two friends came over for coffee and dessert out on our deck, and finally to go with a meal I made for our weekend guests. And I'm pretty certain it'll be made almost weekly throughout strawberry season.)

This, my friends, it the recipe:

Sarah's Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

For the Shortcake:

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten

For the Streusel:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened

Method:

1. Make crumbs with the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and butter. Add the milk and egg to the crumbs, mixing well until just combined. Spread the mixture into a buttered 8x8 cake pan. Set aside.

2. Make the topping by mixing the sugar, flour and butter. This mixture will be crumbly. Spread over batter in cake pan. Bake the cake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

3. Serve warm with fresh strawberries and whipped cream or milk.

Enjoy!

Maybe I am a Foodie

For several weeks I've been wanting to blog about this, but before I wrote a post, I had to make sure this wasn't some passing phase, because - I think I might be turning into a foodie. 

Yes, me, the girl who doesn't really enjoy cooking, and who dreads 5:30 pm, because so often at that time I still don't know what we are having for dinner.

It all began when Herm and I decided we wanted to start eating a bit healthier during race training. It wasn't that we ate poorly before, but there is certainly always room for improvement and we wanted to put effort into it to see if it would help with "free speed". (Being able to run faster without training a lot harder.)

I researched a few recommended diets for runners, and liked what I saw from the Paleo lifestyle. The ingredients were things I almost always have on hand. The changes weren't very drastic ... so I started trying recipes I found on Pinterest. Our favorite dishes were almost always from the blog, Against all Grain.

I had a gift card to Barnes & Noble, and for the first time in my life, I purchased a cookbook! Meals Made Simple, by, of course, Danielle, from Against all Grain.

What I didn't know until I had the book in hand is that it includes eight weeks worth of meal plans and a shopping list that covers all of the groceries you will need for each week, which makes dinner prep a breeze. Since the arrival of the book five weeks ago I haven't dreaded the 5 o'clock hour more than a time or two!

I thought it would be fun to cook my way through the book, sort of Julie and Julia style, for one of my 24 before 25 goals. However, at the rate I am going, that'll be accomplished before my twenty-forth birthday. There hasn't been a recipe we didn't care for so far. And the sweet potatoes... oh my goodness, we can't get enough of them. I've made them at least six times. Leftovers (if there are leftovers) are served with an egg or two for breakfast. I will share the recipe in another post soon, I promise.

This is a book that I would recommend highly - especially if, like me, you want to eat healthy, flavorful meals, but you don't want to spend hours per day preparing them.

Chocolate + Peanut Butter Avocado Shake

I don't know about you, but I am always hungry. 

Lately it's become even worse than normal. I blame it on the fact that I am race training and nursing a child. To me, that sort of justifies all of the snacks I eat throughout the day. 

I always try to eat a clean and healthy diet, but it's especially crucial now, as I am training for the Seneca 7 and working hard to improve speed and performance. To me, that means eating a lot of fresh vegetables and protein, along with a small amount of fresh fruit every day. It also means that I avoid or drastically limit the amount of grain and sugar I consume. 

We've been eating a modified version of the Paleo diet for the past few weeks, and so far it has been amazing. 

However, sometimes all I want is something rich and thick and smooth and creamy and all of the other adjectives that would describe a chocolate peanut butter milkshake. 

Yesterday was one of those days. 

So, I threw a few ingredients in the blender and hoped for the best. And let me tell you, it was tasty. And I'm guessing if you would have had a sip, you wouldn't have been able to tell that what you were slurping on was avocado and dates and bananas. There was no ice cream or extra sugar involved. 

The original recipe comes from Danielle, of the blog Against all Grain. But in typical Sarah fashion, I glanced over the recipe and changed it up to fit the ingredients I had on hand. 

It was prefect for our snowy first day of spring!

Chocolate + Peanut Butter Avocado Shake

Ingredients:

• half an avocado
• one ripe banana
• three dates or a bit of honey
• three ice cubes
• two tablespoons peanut or almond butter
• 8 oz whole milk or almond milk
• two tablespoons cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)

Method:

Throw all of the ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.

If you try it, please let me know what you think of it.

9. Make French Macarons

When I was creating my 23 before 24 list, I wanted to include diverse activities, some that I knew I would thoroughly enjoy and others that were sure to stretch me a bit.

I had never had a French macaron, but I had heard stories about how difficult they were to make, how even very experienced bakers who made these tasty treats on a regular basis were not exempt from flopped batches of meringue. But after reading plenty of recipes and watching a few Youtube tutorials, I was fairly certain I could handle this... and so, nine days before Christmas, I set out to make the perfect macaron.

I started by grinding my own almond flour from almonds I had in the freezer. It took at least an hour to get the meal fine enough to sift, while being extra careful not to turn the meal into almond butter. Then I began, mixing, sifting, blending. I followed the recipe with precision, on that cold rainy day, which isn't something I do well.

When the batter was mixed, but not over-mixed, as was stated on the recipe, I poured it into a plastic zip-lock bag, cut the corner off of the bag, and began piping the meringue onto parchment paper. The cookies were suppose to be 1.5 inches in diameter, which turned out to be trickier than it sounds. I ended up with a lot of un-uniform dots of goo all over the place.

After 45 minutes of drying time the meringue was ready to go in the oven. I set the timer and began to hover like a mother hen hovers over her chicks, peering into the glass every few minutes, eagerly waiting for the timer to beep, signaling that I had passed the macaron-making-test.

Look, they have feet! I said, delighted, as I pulled the first tray from the oven rack. Feet are an essential part of a good macaron, or so I had read.

As the macarons cooled down, they started to sink in the centers too. Under baked. Are you kidding me! The recipe so clearly said to be sure not to keep them in the oven too long or they would burn.

I failed that test. Instead of sailing through, like I was sure I would, creating the perfect French macaron, I ended up with a bunch of gooey, under-baked- but-still-very-flavorful, Tisamisu French macarons.

We ate them all, and enjoyed every morsel, but I knew that I couldn't truly consider that an accomplishment. If I was going to cross off number nine on the list, I would have to try again. If I was going to cross number nine off of the list, I would have to succeed.

Over Christmas and New Years, my sister, Kate, went to India. On her flight back to the States, she had a long layover in Paris. She explored the city a bit, and came back with a box of delightfully colored French macarons. They were heavenly, and right then and there, as I crunched into that salted caramel treat, I vowed that I would try again, and again, and again, until I had make the perfect macaron.

Fast forward to this past Saturday - my internet free weekend - where I had all day to be snowed in at home and do what ever I please, as long as it didn't have anything to do with the internet.

The choice was easy.

I measured and weighed all of the ingredients before hand, down to the very gram, and began mixing, sifting, blending, following every step with care. When it was time to pipe the batter out onto the parchment paper, I traced the shape of a quarter onto the paper in rows of six, then I slowly squeezed out the exact amount needed each time. After 45 minutes of drying time, I put the trays into the oven, and didn't hover quite as much. After the timer beeped, I peeked in, and decided that a few more minutes of baking wouldn't hurt.

As the circles of meringue cooled, I whisked a dark chocolate butter cream frosting together, then spread it over one cookie and sandwiched it with another cookie.

These were perfect! I could now crossed off number nine on the list and feel truly okay with myself. I had accomplished the task well.

These are really good, better than the ones from Paris, my brother, Bryan, commented. Especially better than the rose flavored one.

If you want to try making macarons too, this recipe is really good! I didn't follow the recipe for the filling though, because the first time when I tried it, the mascarpone didn't set well. Instead I made a butter cream filling.

I would also like to thank Deb Stoltzfus, who graciously sent me a few of her tips and tricks, along with recipes and tutorials, after my first attempt went wrong. From what I hear, she makes some of the best macarons you'll ever taste. Thanks Deb!

The Perfect Pizza

Shortly after Herm and I were married, I invited my family over for dinner. I learned to cook and bake at a very young age - by nine or ten I knew how to make yeast bread and not too long after that yogurt. It wasn't uncommon for me to make supper for our family of seven. But hosting people in my own home seemed much different than simply cooking a meal at my parents home, where the pantry is fully stocked, unlike my very minimal pantry at the time. My sister volunteered to come over for the afternoon to help prepare the meal. She suggested that we make pizza.

I had never made pizza before, and was never really that impressed with the homemade pizzas that I had tried. The crust was always lacking, I thought. The recipe Kate shared with me was from The Pioneer Women's cookbook, so even though I wasn't too keen on homemade pizza I knew this was worth the effort, because be honest, when was the last time that Ree Drummond failed you? Um, never. Exactly.

The meal that evening was a success, and the pizza was surprisingly simple to make. In fact, it is now one of my go-to ideas for a simple but delicious meal. I've made it so many times that I no longer need to pull out the recipe, it's just filed away in my brain. I also use the same dough recipe for Stromboli.

I tweaked the recipe a bit; I add a few seasoning for extra flavor, and just a bit of sugar, which makes the dough soft and chewy. Sometimes I will experiment with different kinds of flour too, like fresh ground whole wheat or oat. But for the sake of simplicity, I am sharing the basic recipe and will let you experiment with it however you please.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to a week, which I often do if we are hosting guests, so that when it's time to make supper, all I need to do is pull out the dough and let is rise a bit before rolling it out and adding toppings.

Okay, enough with me gushing about this pizza. I'll just share the recipe and let you discover it for yourself.

It might be a life-changer.

The Perfect Pizza

DOUGH: (adapted from the Pioneer Woman's recipe)

• 3/4 cup Warm Water
• 1 teaspoon Instant or Active Dry Yeast
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

Sprinkle yeast over warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes.

In mixer, combine flour, salt, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, and sugar. With mixer running on low speed, drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast and water mixture until combined.

Cover mixing bowl with a tea towel and allow the dough to rise for an hour, or store in fridge until you need it.

When you are ready to make the pizza, preheat the oven to 450*. Punch the dough down into a nice, tight ball, then roll it out thin with a rolling pin.  When the crust is nice and thin, lay it onto an oiled stone or pan. (I always use a pizza stone, and dust it with cornmeal after oiling it.) Bake the dough for about 7 minutes, then pull it out and put your favorite toppings on it. Place the pizza back into the oven for 10 more minutes.

TOPPINGS:

• 1/3 cup Pizza Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Mayo
• Handful of Spinach
• 1/2 cup Caramelized Onion
• Hot Peppers to taste
• 1 cup cooked, shredded Chicken
• 1 cup Cheese of choice
• Hot Sauce

Mix pizza sauce and mayo together, spread over crust. Layer spinach, caramelized onions, hot peppers, chicken and cheese on top. Sprinkle with a hint of hot sauce, and finish baking as directed.