'Tis the Season for Cookies: Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

Ok.  So I've been away for a while.  A real long while.  Life just completely got in the way of my little blog.  But one of the favorite things I have ever done on here was always the Christmas cookie challenges that we as groups would take on at Christmas!  A bunch of us decided to get together and do it again this year and I AM SO EXCITED!!!

This week's theme was fruit and/or nuts and I new that biscotti would be the perfect cookie for me to tackle!

This recipe came from one of our group member's book The Everything Cookies & Brownies Cookbook by Marye Audet-White at Restless Chipotle.  Thanks so much Marye for a simple and perfect recipe!

Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients:

1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cranberries
1 cup unsalted pistachios

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.
2. Mix oil and sugar until blended.  Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.  Stir dry ingredients together, whisk in.  Add cranberries and pistachios.
3. Divide dough in half; for each half into 12" X 2" rectangle on parchment.  Bake 35 minutes.
4. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes.
5. Reduce oven to 275 F.  Cut rectangles on an angle into 1/2" thick slices.  Lay cookies on parchment; return to oven.
6. Bake about 10 more minute.  Cool completely.

Be sure and check out the Pinterest board for the group for more great cookie recipes from the other participants. We'll be posting recipes each Monday for the next few weeks.

Also check out the other participants of 'Tis the Season for Cookies to see their fabulous cookie recipes as well!:

Diana Cannone at To Di for Bakery.
Judy Chiappini at No Fear Entertaining.
Mandee Racer Pogue at The Kitchen Wife.
Marye Audet-White at Restless Chipotle.
Renee Joslyn at Flamingo Musings.
Sandy Smith at Eat Real.
And Sherri Jo at The Adventures of Kitchen Girl Jo.

Guest Post from Amanda Carr!

I’m busy right now…really, really busy so when Amanda told me she had a recipe and pictures I jumped at the chance to have her do a guest post for me.

Most of you know that my oldest races BMX right?  Well Amanda races BMX too.  Only really, really well and travels all over the world doing it.  She is currently racing for Thailand but is still based out of her home town of Punta Gorda, FL.

This girl is a true athlete and follows an athletes diet to keep in the incredible shape she is in.  To learn more and to get updates from this amazing girl be sure to follow her on her social media accounts and look for her Tuesday evening Vlog that she puts out!

facebook.com/AmandaCarrBMX
instagram.com/AmandaCarrBMX
youtube.com/AmandaCarrBMX
twitter.com/AmandaCarrBMX

Workout Day Omelet!

Days when heavy lifting is on the menu for training, I usually begin with a medium/light meal. Omelets are usually a go to cause after about 30min-1 hour after I eat I don't have that woozy heavy stomach feeling (I hope you know what I'm talking about).

Anyways, the saying of "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" I kindaaaa follow it (when I have time) I mean let's be real I don't have the time EVERY DAY to make an omelet in the morning. So when I do have time I try to do it right, other days I'm in a rush and it's usually a couple pieces of raisin bread and I'm out the door! So for my omelet, nothing that requires anything that you shouldn't already have in the kitchen:

(I break this up into half before training and half after)

Ingredients:

 3 eggs
tiny bit of butter so nothing sticks
1/4 cup of green pepper (you can use any color you like obviously)
1/4 cup onions
1/4 cup tomatoes
1/4 cup celery
1/2 cup of lunch meat ham
1/4 cup shredded cheese, just to give it a little glue
sprinkle salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Crack the eggs into a glass mixing bowl and beat them until they turn a pale yellow color.
2. Heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and let it melt.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then, grab your whisk and whisk like crazy. You're going to want to work up a sweat here. If you're not up for that, you can use an electric beater or stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whatever device you use, you're trying to beat as much air as possible into the eggs.
4. When the butter in the pan is hot enough to make a drop of water hiss, pour in the eggs. Don't stir! Let the eggs cook for up to a minute or until the bottom starts to set.
5. With a heat-resistant rubber spatula, gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there's no liquid left.
6. Your eggs should now resemble a bright yellow pancake, which should easily slide around on the nonstick surface. If it sticks at all, loosen it with your spatula.
7. Now gently flip the egg pancake over, using your spatula to ease it over if necessary. Cook for another few seconds, or until there is no uncooked egg left.
8. Now is the time add the vegetables and meat. Spoon your filling across the center of the egg in straight line.
9. With your spatula, lift one edge of the egg and fold it across and over, so that the edges line up. Cook for another minute or so, but don't overcook. If necessary, you can flip the entire omelet over to cook the top for 30 seconds or so.

Thanks so much Amanda!!!

#ElleAPalooza

I miss you Elle.  It's not even that we talked all the time or were BFF's but I could always count on a nice comment, commiseration or a funny post.  I miss that.  I mean I REALLY miss that...

In the weeks since Elle's passing I feel that maybe I have taken too many online friendships for granted.  The support.  The love.  The friendship.  For this I am sorry and really am trying to fix.  :)

The recipe that I choose for #ElleAPalooza is cheating.  I am so time crunched that I went back in my archives and hunted down a muffin recipe that I made of Elle's back in January of 2009.  It was good.  Really really good.  I want them right now but alas there is not time...

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins (from Elle at Elle's New England Kitchen)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, combine bananas, oil and egg.
3. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. The batter is quite thick, but keep folding it gently, making sure to get the batter on the bottom of the bowl, and it'll all come together.
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups three fourths full.
6. Bake at 350 deg F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

***On February 24th there is going to be an online auction to help Elle's (Lee Ann) family.  There are pieces of her jewelry among other items being auctioned off.  To learn more please head over to the Friends of Elle FB page and join in...

2014...Happy New Year!

Day 28 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today I am thankful for good friends, family and team mates to enjoy a turkey dinner with...

Judy

Day 27 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Totally skipped yesterday...

Today I am thankful for clear blue skies which made the end of a full 19 hrs of driving very beautiful!

Day 25 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today is a tough one but I have to say I am thankful for a vet who was willing to get down on the ground and cry with me while I was doing one of the hardee things in life.  And for a little girl who's kindness of heart always astounds and amazes me...

R.I.P. Simba

Day 24 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for an old dog named Simba.  Simba came into our lives as a foster dog as a favor for a friend.  Turns out Simba did us all a favor instead.  He has been an incredible dog.  Happy, goofy, always ready for a hug and a petting.  You are loved Simba and will be sorely missed...

Day 23 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for Social Media.  It allows me to keep in touch with family and friends near and far and as an added special bonus I am able to earn income using it!

Day 22 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Day late.

Thankful for all the beautiful shades of green present in nature.  No one shade seems to match the other...

Day 21 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for school. 

It's a wonderful place to drop of a cranky teen in the morning.  LOL!

Day 20 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for the start of the Holiday TV Shows in 6 days!  Holiday TV Shows Guide

Day 19 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for fast and uneventful pickup lines :)

Judy

Day 17 of a Month of Giving Thanks

A day late but still thankful for gentle reminders...

Judy

Day 18 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for a roof over my head, warmth when I'm cold and comfort when I need it. It's my home...

Judy

Day 16 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful that because of my child I am able to see things through her eyes and am able to still believe in magic, fairies, the good in all things and many other wonderful and amazing things that come along with a whimsical imagination...

Day 15 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for the wonderful and amazing blogging community that has once again pulled together to honor one of our own fallen soldiers.

This post is a tribute to Lisa Cifelli or Lis as most of us knew her.  Lis (co-Founder of the Daring Bakers) passed away unexpectedly this past week and a bunch of us (led by Kelly) have decided that a fitting tribute would be to give her a send off fitting the Queen of all Daring Bakers and bake one of the past challenges!

I did my first Daring Baker Challenge back in November of 2007.  I had no idea what I was doing!  I tried hard and I was able to learn so much. Lis and Ivonne I thank you both for that!  I was very rarely on time and had some amazing mishaps but looking back it was some of the best and happiest years of my life.  Life long freindships were forged out of some of these challenges.  Hard to believe I was at it so long ago.  I did the Challenges for about 2 years but life just got busy and it was late in 2010 that I had to quit (got kicked out...LOL) of the Daring Bakers.

You can find out everything about the Daring Bakers here...Daring Bakers

For this tribute I am revisiting one of my favorite challenges that was first featured in January of 2008.

Thank you Lis for bringing us all together one more time!  You will be sadly missed.  R.I.P...

Lemon Meringue Pie

And once again I was unable to get peaks due to the humidity *sigh*

Day 14 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for old friends.  Not old as in the age of my friends but, Oh you know what I mean...

Yep.  Love this girl here...

Day 13 of a Month of Giving Thanks

Today I am thankful for beautiful, cool, low humidity days like today.  These are the days that remind me why I live in a place with such hot summers. 

Pot of chili on the stove and beautiful breezes blowing through my open windows and doors...

Day 12 of a Month of Giving Thanks

I know I missed a day so this is catch up...

Today I am thankful for a life lived in flip flops with many days spent swimming in a pool that never closes.