When Life Gives You Lemons, Cook until there is Nothing Left

When I get stressed out, or overtired, I bake.

Currently I am stressed out, overtired and really overworked, which means, I wish you luck if you have to work with me, but good news for those who get the baking.

When I have pretty much used up all the available ingredients in my house, I take photo of what I have created.

Then I go back to work.

Soft, chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

The key to my heart

Lemon Blueberry and Chai Spice

One of the lemons that started it all

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Bringing Back the Art of Food

Somewhere along the way, we have lost the art of food.

Whether it’s because we are too busy to cook or women don’t spend their time sharing recipes like they once did, the community of food is disappearing.

I think that it’s disappointing.

But today, by accident, a friend and I began to bring back the food share.

Independently we had spent the day cooking.

I had ventured into the kitchen to clear my head, after making the decision to let go, because I find I the kitchen one of the best places to think. Things seem to get better, while dropping cookies on to a baking sheet or kneading bread, as the house fills with the good smells of onions cooking with celery.

My friend clearly feels the same way. At 5 p.m. she asks me if I want some soup because she forgot to stop cooking after making a pot of chilli. The huge pot of soup she just made was going to cause too many leftovers.

I was looking at the growing stack of cookies while checking my text messages and kissing my plan to lose weight goodbye.

An idea dawned on me.

I filled a Ziploc with cookies and swung by her house to pick up a Tupperware container of soup. She’ll have snacks for the week and I will have a couple of dinners planed.

I’ll get more variation then what I get cooking for myself. It’s a brilliant plan and something we should have started ages ago.

Here’s to hoping this is the beginning of a delicious trend to bring slow food back.

The starting point of a fantastic food trend

Peanut Butter & Ginger Snap Cookies

3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon all spice

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup egg whites (or egg substitute) or one egg
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix peanut butter and margarine in a bowl and add brown sugar. Combine until smooth. Add the egg, molasses and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the liquid ingredients. Mix with wooden spoon to form a stiff dough.

Roll into balls, roll balls in a 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon mixture and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Flatten with fork.

Bake at 350 F for seven minutes.

Adapted from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry

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