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An interlude ...

... for FPC.

Quick and tasty, for your chocolate cravings

I enjoy cooking up fancy things, but sometimes it's really satisfying to bake something from what you have lying around. I baked these fun cookies yesterday with just what I had on hand. Here's the recipe, originally from Veganomicon, rewritten with my modifications:

Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookies

Makes about 15 cookies, give or take.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberry preserves (I used strawberry, actually, because it's what I had.) Try to find an all-natural, less-sugar kind.
1 cup sugar (Better to use organic sugar that has not been made with bone char, as most refined white sugars are. Also, feel free to reduce amount. I used more like 3/4 cup, which was still a lot.)
1/3 cup canola oil (I feel like this could be reduced for healthier cookies, too.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix together preserves, sugar, oil, and extracts.
In separate bowl, mix all other ingredients.
Add the dry to the wet in three batches, stirring in between. You may have to use your hands to mix in the last bit.
Roll into ping-pong sized balls, then flatten with your hands. Place on baking sheet that's been sprayed lightly with cooking spray or oil.
Bake 10 mins, cool for 5, remove from sheet and cool completely.

These seriously took me like 20 minutes, including bake time. And they're not bad!

Note: Photo is of actual cookies I made, on my elephant plate. :)

Glorious Foodness

Everybody go look at this blog: What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway? Love the title! And if there's anything almost as much fun as eating great food, it's enjoying beautiful photography of great food. This blog is a vegan foodie's dream—delightfully gourmet and fun. (Thanks for the link, Dhaval!)

And for some fantastic ideas about how to realistically make your own awesome food all week long, read this in the L Magazine (for non-vegans). Eating in For a Week.

A bunch of New Yorkers venture to a house in NJ...

... and it was just like a Seinfeld episode.

Well, not really. But it was a great time and a beautiful evening, and I'm very grateful to my friend's friend who was house sitting and let us all come over. The backyard was simply gorgeous. We never wanted to leave.

(Note, this patio has a NY Giants helmet logo laid out in stone. Awesome.)



Jon and Krista observe some water sports.


Michelle and Ashley make use of the giant hammock.


A lively game of water basketball breaks out.



Action shot!

Later on, Alex holds court.


While Matt and Krista tear it up on the air hockey table.


Watermelon smile.


OMG! LOTR pinball!

Next morning, we terrorize the quaint town of South Orange with a Power Ranger.


Look at those cool guys. They totally just played the heck out of that xylophone thingy.

NJ Transit. Don't eat the magazine.

At some random station in New Jersey.