Cookies, Cookies and more cookies...

Well, it turns out that owning a Kitchen Aid mixer can be quite dangerous! There was a cookie explosion in my kitchen over the past several days - as in there were cookies EVERYWHERE! There were types that were full of wheat, gluten-free, sugar-free and even the most delicious non-fat ginger cookies. All that time spent baking was son incredibly worth it when I gave family members their favorite cookie or gave others something they could enjoy. Let's just say I'm the baker in my family and I haven't really baked in about 2 years, so they had been going through withdrawal.

Unfortunately, in the quest to get everything done for spending the holidays with family I forgot to take pictures...

But to sum it up - and I will probably add pictures of some of these later - this year in holiday baking included:

Pistachio Chocolate Chip cookies - a recipe from a friend and my brother's all time favorite
Ricotta Chocolate Chip Cookies - one of my sister's new favorites and dad loves anything chocolate chip
Nutella Cookies - deliciousness defined!
Nonfat Chewy Gingersnaps - One of my new favorites! A David Lebovitz recipe with all natural ingredients!
Eggnog Snickerdoodles - a little dry so they need some work
My first ever macaroons - YUM! Even if they did take some problem-solving and looked funny :)
Lemon Olive Oil Cookies (sugar-free and sugar-filled) - Gluten-free from the Gluten Free Girl
Peanut Butter Cookies - the flour-less variety and mom LOVES them!
Fairytale Sugar Cookies - I think I added too much flour, so this one is getting a do-over ASAP!
Rugelach - Gluten-free and Sugar-free and ABSOLUTELY loved by everyone in the family and a couple others - also from Gluten Free Girl

Wow, that is a long list! No wonder I was so tired the day after Christmas...

The crazy thing was that I was much more relaxed for most of the holiday than usual, but I'm contributing a good portion of that to the guy that made me dinner in the midst of it all the baking and even helped scoop cookie dough. Now, if only his favorite kind of cookie wasn't something sold in stores... Oh, well - I think I smell a challenge! ;)

Although I have to say that dinner on the 26th was fabulous! Pirogi and kolacki - YUMMM! (I love me some Polish specialties...)

I hope you had an amazing holiday with your family and friends! I know I did!

Spicing up Tomato Soup

Well, I planned a soup social for work and ended up making tomato soup from scratch/cans for the event. Let's just say trying to blend soup in a food processor is not so much fun...

Then someone told me about the wonders of an immersion blender and I bit. It came in the mail just before I came down with a lovely case of acute tonsillitis, so needless to say it sat unused for about two weeks...

But by Sunday night, I was itching to make some more tomato soup with a few changes from the first recipe inspired by dating a guy who adds hot sauce to a whole lot of things and the fact that I adore salsa! Then I went to find the recipe and couldn't, so this is a combination of memory from making the original three weeks ago and new inspiration. It's Delicious with a capital D and he didn't even add hot sauce!

And that immersion blender thing - is now one of my top three gadgets in the kitchen, maybe even top two! Only topped by the Kitchen Aid mixer! This thing is amazing and my new favorite thing is making blended soups. Next on the soup spectrum is dairy/wheat free corn chowder with a recipe that tastes like it's loaded with cream! Can't wait!

Salsa Tomato Soup

(ingredients are in the order that you will need them!)

1-2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

4-5 stalks of celery, diced

2 cans sliced carrots*

1 box vegetable stock**

3 (14.5 oz) cans of diced tomatoes

2 jars salsa***

1 T fajita seasoning#

pepper

In a large pot, saute the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they start becoming transparent and then add celery, carrots and garlic. Saute that mixture until the carrots and celery begin to soften and heat up.

Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes and salsa. Bring to a simmer and add the seasoning and pepper. Let the mixture continue to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat off, but let the soup sit covered for several minutes to let it cool some before you blend it.

Once the soup has cooled a bit, use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the soup and finish combining the flavors.

Heat it back up for just a few minutes if you desire and serve. (We added a bit of fat free sour cream but it really didn't need it! There was also a grilled cheese sandwich, but that's another post...)

*I think the canned carrots blend better (Thanks for that idea goes to my sister's friend Britt), but you can substitute 4-5 regular carrots. They would just need to be steamed first or sauteed for longer.

** Broth can be used, but I have a preference for stock since I think it has a richer flavor and isn't as salty

***I used Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Salsa, but this is where you should use your favorite one and go with it! Next time I may try a fruit version or pico de gallo

#This is purely to taste - we like things a bit spicier.

Enjoy!

Cranky!

It's December and I'm cranky!

Cranky because the antibiotics haven't made me feel completely better yet.

Cranky because one of my nearest and dearest friends is moving just after Christmas and it hurts to talk to her and I can't go see her since I can't chance getting her or her kids (who I'm going to miss something fierce too) sick since they need to spend time with her dad who is dealing with Chemo.

Cranky because, have I mentioned it hurts to talk but other than that I'm perfectly fine to teach and I would rather be at school than at home catching glimpses of daytime TV! It's simply too much work to NOT be here.

Cranky, because I've realized how long I've neglected my poor blog once again - that has to change with the different things going on in life and the amazing yummy stuff coming out of my kitchen... So much to share!

Cranky because December is so much fun with everything going on - but I have so much to get done! (Along with everyone else out there...)

Cranky because I really, really want to go for a run...

And, I'm cranky because I'm cranky! I hate being cranky! It's annoying, darn it!

But, now that I've vented a bit and had some tea, I'm feeling a bit better. Life is pretty good at the moment (Well, aside from the Schlosser-Goode family moving, but that just means that I'm going to have to get to know the various routes to Nashville, right?) and I need to remember that. I am so lucky in so many ways with my family and friends, a great guy in my life, a job that I love (aside from when I'm cranky), my health (most of the time), two adorable furballs, a good group of kids on my speech team, somre more holiday shopping done, and so much more...

YAY for getting rid of most of the crankiness!!!! Hopefully it stays that way!

Stay tuned for recipes for some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made and homemade tomato soup with a kick! Hopefully I can get those up this week :)