Raise your hand if you have a coffee addiction!

Whoa! A heck load of you raised your hand. You know what, I used to be ashamed of my coffee habit, vowing every few months to go on some cleanse to nix it, but I’ve read the reviews and coffee is healthy for me (antioxidants, people).

There are actually nights where I go to bed looking forward to the next morning’s cup of coffee.  I’ve finally come to terms with my addiction and am no longer ashamed. In fact, I recently told myself that I was going to find new ways to implement it in food I love. First way? Mocha Popsicles! Shut up…yes, they’re so amazing. So amazing that on my way into work, I dripped one all over that oxford blue shirt you see in the picture.  (By the way, this is a very common occurence with me.) Thank heavens I use my trunk as a 2nd closet. I’m proud to say that I actually had ample choices to change into! Woo hoo!

Let’s talk popsicles…

They have super strong coffee in them. They have chocolate.  And sweetened condensed milk. Basically, these Mocha Popsicles have every awesome thing ever created.  Except cheese. But that’d just be weird.

Have you ever had Vietnamese Iced Coffee? It’s heavenly. Seriously.  This is basically a Vietnamese Iced Mocha…just frozen solid.

You could make these blindfolded–they’re that easy.  All you have to do is mix super strong brewed coffee (or espresso), sweetened condensed milk, a bit of Dutch processed cocoa powder and mix. I recommend that you do a little taste test and adjust accordingly.  If you want it more chocolately…add more chocolate; want more sweetness…add more condensed milk.  Cooking is fun!

And popsicle molds…umm…why are they made so cheaply? The dang piece of plastic snapped off and broke. Next time I’m thinking I’ll skip the tops and just use plain ol’ popsicle sticks. I’m also taking any recommendations on good popsicle molds…anyone?

Mocha Popsicles

Recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

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Makes 8 popsicles, depending on the size of your molds.

I made super strong coffee using my French press. I put 6 scoops of coffee with 3 cups of hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes.  It came out super strong and perfect.  Also, if you don’t have sweetened condensed milk, David says you could substitute using half & half or milk. I would just add a little at a time to taste.

2 cups (500ml) extra-strong coffee or espresso

2/3 cup (160ml) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 tablespoon of unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder

Mix the coffee with the sweetened condensed milk. Add the tablespoon of cocoa powder. Taste, and add a bit more milk or chocolate powder, if desired. (A spoonful or two is fine, but any more and the popsicles won’t freeze as hard.)

Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until sold. Mine took about 8 hrs.  To loosen the popsicle out of its mold, hold under warm water until it slides out. Voila! Awesome Mocha Popsicles.

Have you ever noticed that people are straight crazy about how they make their cornbread.  Here are a few proper cornbread do’s and don’ts that I’ve heard over the years:

Do’s: Baking cornbread requires a cast iron skillet. Grease the hot skillet with bacon grease before adding batter.

Don’ts: Never add honey…or sugar…or splenda. Never sweetener. You don’t need to add kernels of corn, just cornmeal. Don’t add frilly stuff…like fruit, particularly pretty blueberries.

People get stressed out about their cornbread. I understand. Trust me. I do. Tradition is a tough thing to break.  And this cornbread breaks every cornbread rule in the book.  It has a 1/4 cup of sugar . Not a ton, but it’s definitely there. I added fresh blueberries, which is so, SO wrong! And I used butter instead of the traditional bacon fat to grease the skillet. But I’m okay with being wrong sometimes; especially when doing so results in a delicious, moist, slightly sweet, cake-like cornbread that is perfect for pairing with dinner or a cup of coffee.

Blueberry Cornbread

Recipe by Sunset Mag

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Yield: Makes 9 servings

2  large eggs

1  cup  buttermilk

1/4  cup  (1/8 lb.) butter, melted

2/3  cup  all-purpose flour

1 1/3  cup  yellow cornmeal

1/4  cup  sugar

1 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1  cup  fresh blueberries, rinsed

In a bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk, and butter to blend. In another bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently stir in berries. Grab your 10″ cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter, coating the pan with it.  Note: If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you could also use an 8 inch square pan.

Bake in a 375° oven until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then cut into 9 squares.

Scones! Milky tea! Big hats! Fanciness! Pinkies in the air!

These are all of the things I think of when I hear ‘Tea Party’. So when my friend Johnna was gifted a tea set that’s been in her families for generations, we thought we might break it in with a little tea and our lady friends. Heck yes, tea party!

Wanna get your tea party on? Ooooof course you do. Here’s are a few suggestions for tea party success:

Grab one of your bestest friends in the whole wide world, ’cause you’ll need company when making the grocery list, the shopping, the cooking and cleaning.

{Image via The Cherry Blossom Girl}

Make a cute invite. Girls like cuteness. Trust me.

If you’re gonna have a boy at the tea party, make sure he’s dressed to the nines.

Invite friends. Lots and lots of friends.

Make lots of food. The girls I hang with eat a lot. That’s a good thing.

Make some scones…aaaaand if you just so happen to run out of eggs, improv and make some mini yogurt berry scones. Then pair them with a chamomile infused devonshire cream. Heck yes!

Umm…and if you mess up a cupcake recipe that you’ve made a million times, then grab a bag of chocolate chips, melt them and dip some strawberries in the chocolate. Then top with black lava sea salt. Instant fanciness!

Put Earl Grey tea in shortbread cookies. It’s super lovely.

Cut the crusts off some Wonder Bread (like your mom did) and make Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches. And since people have issues with mayonnaise, swap it out for a feta spread. Dainty awesomeness.

Bake cauliflower in a cheesy sauce to make Cauliflower Gratin. Yum.

Maybe buy a few things from your local bakery, like this Kurtosh. It’ll insure that you have more time to pick out your hat. Don’t worry, I won’t judge you.

Set out board games like Scrabble. I seriously can’t think of a better union than a cup of milky tea and a game of Scrabble.

Drink more tea.

And then when everyone leaves and you start washing dishes, turn your back for a few moments, because you’ll most likely be met with a mischevious puppy that climbed on the coffee table to score some soy cream.  Holy cuteness!

By the way, if you punch your computer screen because this cuteness is too much to handle, I’ll understand. Louie’s cuteness should be friggin’ illegal. I mean….really?!

And then when everything is cleaned up, take a victory picture and walk down to the 7-11 for a Coca-Cola slurpee.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

Recipe by Martha Stewart

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Makes 8 dozen (Umm…I’m not sure what I did but this recipe yielded me two dozen.)

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves, (from about 8 bags–I cut up my tea to make sure it was super ground)

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 (8 ounce) sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Whisk together flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Put butter, sugar, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; slowly mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper-towel tubes; freeze 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until edges turn golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Heirloom Tomato Sandwiches

Makes 12 finger sandwiches

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1 loaf of Wonder Bread (or bread of choice)

4-5 (depending on size) heirloom tomatoes

For Feta Spread:

1 4 oz block of feta, cubed

1 large dollop of sour cream

1/4 cup of milk

Slice tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices.  Lay out a few paper towels and place the tomato slices on them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.  Note: In order for the sandwiches to refrain from getting soggy, you want to soak up some of the tomatoes moisture.

In a food processor or blender, put 3/4 of the feta, sour cream and milk and blend until combined. You want it to be the consistency of hummus. If it’s too thick, add a bit more milk, if you it’s too thin then add more feta.

Cut the crusts off of the bread slices and assemble sandwiches by putting spread on both sides of the bread and topping with a few tomato slices. Yum-city!

A few things I will gladly admit I’m not good at:

Cutting my own bangs. It’s true. I tried it a few days ago because I was too lazy to drive 5 minutes to my hairdresser for a trim….aaaand now I’m grateful bobbi pins were invented. Not good at cutting bangs/fringe. Check.

I’m not good at moving furniture, lifting heavy boxes, using a drill, etc.  Last week I tried to hang curtains and broke out in a sweat which lead to lots of cursing. I’m convinced that this is why boys were invented.

Lastly (because I’m just about perfect at everything else), grilling stuff. There are so many variables with a charcoal grill. Where is the hottest part of the grill?  When are the coals hot enough? Why is there so much stupid smoke? Dangit, there isn’t a thermometer on the cover…blah blah blah. So basically what I’m saying is that this Grilled Breakfast Pizza stressed me out. But I did it. And it was totally worth it. And since I lived to tell about it, I can tell you exactly what you’re not supposed to do and everything you should do so you end up with an amazing pizza. Ready? Annnnd let’s begin….

Alright grilling pizza goes super fast, so you wanna get all your toppings prepped and ready to go.  The trick with grilling pizza is you want to put the toppings on when the dough is on the grill.

So you’re gonna start with getting your grill nice and hot. If you’re using a smallish grill, make sure to put all the coals to one side of the grill so you have an area that isn’t super hot. You’ll need this later.

Then you’re gonna put your dough on the hottest part of the grill.  Now watch it carefully. Check it about every 30 seconds, making sure it doesn’t burn. You want the grill marks, but you don’t want it charred.

You’re going to then flip it and move it to the a place on the grill that doesn’t have a direct flame. Then you’re going to crack the eggs onto the dough. When I cracked the eggs on the pizza they wouldn’t stay put, and almost slide off the dough into the grill. I was one egg dropping away from a grilling meltdown. But they didn’t and they stayed. So if this happens to you, don’t fret–it’ll allll work out.

Place the grill’s lid on for 2-3 minutes.  When the eggs look like they’re just about set, add the cheese, bacon and salt and pepper. Cover for another 1-2 minutes or just until cheese is melted. Move promptly from the grill and then sprinkle with the parsley, chives and scallions. Voila. You just made an awesome Grilled Breakfast Pizza. This means you’re a genius. The end.

Grilled Breakfast Pizza

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Recipe adapted from The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

Makes 1 pizza

Now, I know the title of this recipe has the word “breakfast” in it, but please, don’t let that stop you from making this for lunch and/or dinner.  This pizza is really an anytime meal. Also, you may think I’m a gigantic genius, but I actually learned how to grill pizza from this post over at The Kitchn.  Hop on over for step-by-step pictures.  I followed the instructions loosely, catering it to this recipe since it dealt with needing to cook the eggs longer.

3 bacon strips

12 ounce pizza dough (This is my go-to recipe)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 cups grated mozzarella (low moisture* this is important!)

3 eggs

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepoer

1 tablespoon minced flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 whole scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced

1 shallot, minced (I didn’t have a shallot on hand so I skipped it)

Generously dust the surface of your kitchen counter with flour and roll pizza dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Drizzle both sides of dough with olive oil and set aside on a plate. Gather all the toppings and dough and move outside next to the grill.

Once your grill is nice and hot, place the pizza dough on the hottest part of the grill, making sure to check it every 30 seconds or so to ensure proper cooking. Once grill marks appear, flip it and move the dough to a place on the grill that does not have direct heat. Crack the three eggs onto the dough and cover for 2-3 minutes.  Once the eggs are just about set, sprinkle the cheese, bacon and salt and pepper. Cover for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Move promptly to a plate and sprinkle with parsley, chives and parsley.

*If you’re not in the mood to spark up the grill, then here’s the way to cook it in the oven. My advice is to get yourself a “pizza stone” from Loews or Home Depot. Simply pre-heat your oven to 450˙F, roll out the dough, crack the eggs on top, sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, then add the pieces of bacon and salt and pepper. Cook in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, checking on it after 5 minutes and rotating it if necessary. When the crust is golden, the cheese is melted and the eggs yolks are cooked to medium, remove from the oven.

If you’re looking for a party in your mouth, look no further. Please meet my new infatuation: grilled fruit.  This recipe is by far the most impressive dessert I’ve had in quite some time, while simultaneously being the easiest and quickest. What really makes this special is the contrast of flavors going on.  First, there’s the hot and cold action due to the ice cream with the just-off-the-grill -fruit.  And then there’s the bite from the balsamic vinegar, the hint of olive oil, and the awesome sweetness from the ice cream, fruit and honey. This is definitely a super special recipe.  So if you’re not in the mood for slaving over the perfect pie crust, then this is an awesome alternative.

{A little olive oil}

{Balsamic vinegar, plus honey and a little salt and pepper}

{Grill on each side for 1-3 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is}

{Place grilled nectarines over softened ice cream.  Pour remaining balsamic mixture…}

{…and then enjoy perfection}

Grilled Nectarines

This recipe comes from my friend, Lauren.  A few things she recommends:  playing with the balsamic vinegar amount to taste. I think the 2 teaspoons is perfect, but if you want it more sweet rather than having the acidic bite, then I’d scale it back to 1 teaspoon.  An other thing she recommends is using white raw honey rather than clover.  I loved the white honey, but if you don’t have it, then just go with clover.

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Recipe by Lauren Morelli

2 Ripe Nectarines

2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons of honey (I used white raw honey per Lauren’s request)

1 teaspoons of vanilla extract

vanilla ice cream

Halve and core the nectarines and place in medium bowl. Pour vinegar, oil, honey and vanilla extract over nectarines and let marinate for a few minutes. Make sure to reserve some of the liquid for brushing while the nectarines are on the grill.

Place the fruit cut side down on the grill for 1-3 minutes, then turn the slices up and spoon some of the marinade over. It will pool in the center and caramelize. Grill for an additional 1-3 minutes, until fruit is very soft to the touch.

Place a few scoops of ice cream in a bowl and top with the nectarines and the remaining balsamic mixture. Voila!

In other 4th of July happenings, I have a few recommendations. These Blueberry Crisp Bars are awesome. I think you should make them.

Do you hate mayo in your potato salads? If so, this Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad is made with a mustard mixture. All sorts of amazing.

…and Cherry Couscous Salad. A super pretty salad.

And two awesome recipe for 4th of July that aren’t so American, but totally awesome:

Dulce de Leche Ice Cream Sandwiches

and Horchata.  I sometimes dream of bathing in this Horchata. It’s that good.

“Millions of peaches, peaches for me, millions of peaches, peaches for free”…(on a sammich!). Umm…do you remember this song? If not, apologies for 90s reference. I love the 90s…and peaches. I love peaches when they’re in season. Heck, I love peaches even when they’re in a can. I love, love them in salads, and on their own. Not while driving, though. I always end up with a sticky steering wheel and a pit that I don’t have a place for. Even though my teachers in school always told me I could throw it on the grass, I feel bad. It’s still technically littering since it’s not going back into the earth for a few weeks, ya know?

Anyway, back to peaches…I especially love them on this sandwich. I’ve eaten this sandwich a bunch of times, but each time using pears, but since peaches are in season right now, I figured I’d put them to good use. And I think it turned out pretty great. Pearhaps you should try it!

Oh and if you don’t have a panini maker, I wouldn’t sweat it. Make it like a grilled cheese in a pan.

{Slice a peach in 1/4″ slices}

{Brush the back of your ciabatta bread with olive oil}

{Toast your panini slices for a few minutes, just until warm. Then spread the tallegio on one half. Pile it on too. You want this sandwich cheesy. By the way, you don’t have to use Tallegio…I’ve used Brie with great success.}

{Place your pretty peach slices on top of the cheese}

{Drizzle honey on the peach slices}

{Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fruit slices and then top with a handful of argula}

{Place sandwich in panini maker for 3-4 minutes, or until cheese begins to ooze out. Yum.}

Peach and Tallegio Panini

Recipe from Giada DeLaurentis

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Makes 4 sandwiches

1 (1-pound) loaf ciabatta bread (or 8 slices country bread)

1/4 cup olive oil

8 ounces Taleggio cheese or brie, sliced

2 medium peaches, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges (I used yellow peaches)

2 tablespoons honey

Pinch salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces arugula or spinach

Preheat the panini machine. Cut the ciabatta loaf into 4 equal pieces. Halve each piece horizontally to make 4 sandwiches. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and place the bottom-half of the bread slices in the panini machine in a single layer. Heat until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Continue with the remaining top slices of bread.

While the top slices of the bread are in the Panini machine, begin forming the sandwiches. Divide the cheese among the warm bread. Cover the cheese with slices of fruit. Drizzle the fruit with honey. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a handful of arugula. Place the warmed top half of the bread over the arugula and return the competed sandwich to the panini machine for 1 to 2 minutes more to finish melting the cheese. Remove from the panini machine. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.

I have a few questions for all you lovely people.  If you can answer them, I’d be forever grateful.  You see, when I’m really bored (or not), I think of questions that I wish I could ask someone, but since I’m not sure who that “someone” would be, I’ve decided that it may be one of you….

When was the first cake baked?

Who baked the first cake?

What did they consume, i.e., drugs, alcohol, love, etc. that gave them the fantastic idea of mixing flour, butter, sugar together?

Did it taste good upon their first attempt?

If it did in fact taste good, did they then get massive amounts of marriage proposals?

Who took a cucumber and put it in vinegar and then called it a PICKLE?

Who’s dang bright idea was that?!

And why isn’t that person a national hero?

Why isn’t that person’s face on their country’s currency?!

If I ran the world, that dude or lady’s face would be on the nations currency.

And then, who’s amazing idea was it to put it in batter, fry it up and called it a Fried Pickle Chip. Answer: a genius, that’s who. A genius.

I think you should all follow a genius’ lead and make these Fried Pickle Chips. And then, you need to pair it with Sriracha Mayonnaise…or Mustard Sauce. And then a beer.

Fried Pickle Chips

Batter Recipe tweaked from Simply Recipes, Mustard Sauce Recipe from Danica Preston

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I used the same batter recipe as I did with the Fried Green Tomato BLT, tweaking only a few things.  I also really want to try making these chips with homemade pickles, rather than store bought, but I didn’t have enough time, since I literally got the idea and made them the next day.  I’d also be curious to try this recipe with bread and butter pickles.  If any of you do, let me know how it goes.

SAUCES

SRIRACHA MAYONNAISE

3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons of Sriracha (more depending on how spicy you want it)

MUSTARD SAUCE

1 1/4-inch-thick slice red onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon paprika

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Kosher salt

FRIED PICKLE CHIPS

6 small to medium, kosher dill pickles (or any variety of pickles you like)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs or cornmeal

1/2 cup of canola oil (or peanut oil)

Make the Mustard Sauce: Mix the onion, both mustards, the mayonnaise, paprika, garlic powder and salt to taste in a bowl. Set the sauce aside.

Make the Sriracha Mayonnaise: In a ramekin or small bowl, mix mayonnaise with Sriracha and adjust according to taste.

For the Fried Pickle Chips: Cut pickles in 1/2-1/4 inch slices.  Place flour, milk, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.  Pour the canola oil in a cast iron skillet or pan, over medium-heat; the oil should be approximately 1/2 inch thick.

When you oil is hot (I always test it by sprinkling a little water in the oil, when it pops you know it’s ready).

Dip pickle slices in milk, then flour, then eggs, then cornmeal. In the skillet, place batter covered pickles in the oil, careful that it may pop back, for 1-2 minutes on each side or until brown. After they’re done, remove and place on a paper towel to drain.

Pair Fried Pickle Chips with Mustard Sauce or Sriracha Mayonnaise…or both…and beer. This snack requires a good beer.

Growing up, I was a total tomboy who had to be bribed with candy to wear dresses, or fancy shoes, or anything remotely girly. And even now, I wouldn’t consider myself a super girly-girl. But every now and then, I totally give in and embrace it.  Case in point: Thursday night a friend scored tickets to the Twilight premiere, and yes I’m going. I have this weird love/hate thing with the Twilight series and am sort of excited to laugh my way through the movie.  I’ll be doing what any normal person would do at the premiere:  tweeting pictures, of course.  So if I end up getting tackled by some security dude, I’ll just blame it on all of you…

Back to cupcakes…these things taste down-right pretty;  they’re baby pink, paired with cream cheese frosting, and topped with shredded coconut. Try them. Embrace your girliness for gosh sakes, even if you’re a dude. Trust me–they’re worth it.

Here are a few other girly things I’m loving right now…

{Some of the season’s last peonies.}

{My favorite lace skirt.}

{My new pair of shoes.}

{A baby pink, gingham hair ribbon.}

{Berry baskets from the Farmer’s market. They’re so pretty and country-like.}

{…And the best tasting, most pretty batter in the world.}

Pink Lady Cupcakes

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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Yields two dozen cupcakes

CUPCAKES

2 1/4 cake flour (*see below for instructions on how to make cake flour)

1 1/2 cup sugar

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 tsp of salt

3/4 cup pureed strawberries

4 egg whites

1/3 cup milk

1 drop red food dye

CREAM CHEESE ICING

4 ounces (1/2 package) cream cheese, softened

3 ounces unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350»F. Place liners in a standard muffin/cupcake tin.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point. (Adrianna note: In the original recipe, Deb warned to not try the batter, and of course, I did.  And it was incredible. Since then, I’ve been tempted to skip the baking part and just eat a cup of batter. Gross.)

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye, if using, to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorporate after each addition. Divide the batter amongst the muffin cups 3/4 of the way full.

Bake the cupcakes for 15 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes inside the muffin tins and then transfer to wire racks until throughly cooled.

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, ice each cupcake and top with shredded coconut, if desired.

*Let’s make cake flour! Grab a bowl and measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour, add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and sift twice.  Then measure out whatever flour you need from there.

For this recipe I needed 2 1/4 cake flour.  I measured out two cups of all-purpose and added to a bowl.  I then added 4 tablespoons of corn starch and sifted it twice.  I then measured out 2 1/4 cups of the cake flour mixture from the bowl and I only had a smidgen left over.  If I botched the explanation, click for Deb’s explanation.

Dear Recession,

I hate you I dislike you. I think it’s time for you to go away now, don’t you think? Look! I made you oatmeal cookies…think of it as a parting gift of sorts. So leave…now. You’ve caused nothing but trouble ever since you arrived and everyone is sorta tired of your face.

And to all you people that caused this, you sort of make me sick. My friends can’t seem to fund their movies, or get money for their art projects.  A bunch of my favorite restaurants and boutiques have closed their doors, which in turn has lead to a whole bunch of people now working jobs they don’t like just to pay the rent (and that’s if they can even find a job) all ’cause of you. People have shed a lot of tears, families have broken up, and overall, you’ve just made life a whole lot harder for a whole lot of people.  Sooo…I’m thinking you owe us something, dontcha think?  I think you owe us some cookies…I mean, it’s really the least you could do.  It certainly won’t make us forget, but you know, we’ll call it an olive branch.  And since  I’m pretty confident you can afford it, I’m demanding you put some bacon in those cookies, and I think Valhorna chocolate chips are also in order (see below for example).

So dig into your bonus-filled pockets, put on a cute, little apron and get baking. You suuure do have a lot of cookies to bake.

xoxo,

Adrianna

Depression (or Recession) Era Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe was given to me by my dear friend, Tom. This was his Grandmother Nellie’s Oatmeal Cookie recipe that calls for bacon drippings rather than butter. I keep my bacon drippings in a mason jar in the fridge.  If you don’t save your bacon drippings, or you don’t want to use them, here’s a link to my favorite Oatmeal Cookie recipes that uses butter.  See! Everyone wins.

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3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup  bacon drippings at room temperature

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

4 pieces of bacon, fried and chopped (optional)

6 oz. of chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, egg and bacon drippings. Add the oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, flour  and mix well.  If you like, then gently fold in the bacon and chocolate chips.

Using your hands shape the dough into 1 1/2″ to 2″ cookies. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for ten minutes or until done.

In my humble little opinion, limeade always trumps lemonade. Always. Why? Well…I’m not exactly sure; maybe it’s the extra kick of sour, or maybe it goes back to the times I used to eat whole limes with my Mom while watching bad daytime television. It was our little secret, because if you tell someone you eat whole limes while watching Jerry Springer, judgement ensues. Trust.

I wasn’t introduced to limeade until I had to go on a grocery run for my best friend’s grandmother, Mimi. She’s a badass of a woman who’s never afraid to speak her mind. She’ll tell you the cheap wine you bought sucks, or that the bread you took too long to bake is as hard as a rock. She also plays beer pong like a fratboy (seriously). Can you tell that I like her…a lot? Mimi’s turning 90 years old in September and she’s demanding a party, and I couldn’t agree more with her.

Since she’s an ardent fan of limeade, I’m suggesting that someone make this pretty drink for her, because the only thing better than limeade is watermelon juice. So why not put them together?  Oh and that sprig of rosemary is an additional kick of awesomeness.  I got the idea from this place in West Hollywood called Lemonade.  Not gonna lie, when I first tried lemonade with rosemary in it I was a little suspect, but it turned out to be dynamite. It’s not too prevalent, just a small hint.  This drink is the definition of refreshing.  The only thing that might make it better? Vodka. Lots of vodka.

Watermelon Limeade

Yields about 6-8 small glasses

Print this recipe!

1 1/2 cups of water

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp of lime zest

1 cup of lime juice (from 7 limes)

1  (3-pound) watermelon, trimmed and cubed (I used a quarter of a 12-pound watermelon)

2 sprigs of rosemary (optional)

Place 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and lime zest in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir mixture until the sugar is dissolved. Take off heat and add to lime juice and stir.

Grab a colander or sieve and line it with a cheesecloth.  Then place it over a medium or large bowl. Dump the lime juice/sugar mixture through the cheesecloth to catch any lime zest.

Purée watermelon cubes in a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup of water.   Dump the puree into the cheesecloth and let it drain for 10 minutes.

When all of the watermelon purée has been strained, gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist them together to trap the dregs inside. Squeeze the package firmly to expel all the remaining liquid.  Add remaining 1/2 cup of water and mix well.  Add 2 sprigs of rosemary and cover bowl.  Refrigerate for 2 hours to chill.

Serve with lime and rosemary garnish.