I've got a mission...

to BAKE! Banana Oatmeal Cookies and Brownie Batter Biscotti to be exact.

That was my mindset when I woke up this morning...that's gotta get you out of bed, no?! :D

It started off with some "perfect coffee"...extra foam!

Which eventually morphed into some of the most perfect tea!
Let's dig in...shall we? I'm past digging, I'm burrowing! (Gilmore girls? No? Moving on...).

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I made quite a few tweaks to this recipe and it turned out phenomenal! Not cake-y like many banana/oatmeal cookies, but soft and delicious! The fam agreed...

• I used Smart Balance in place of butter (we don't have the real stuff!)
• 1/2 Whole Wheat Flour, 1/2 All Purpose (I almost always make this change...)
• Turbinado sugar in place of brown sugar (I opened up our brown sugar and it was hard. My family doesn't bake much. haha)
• Instant Oats (Don't tell me I can't do something...I'll do it.)
• Omitted the Coconut

Make sure that banana is at the PEAK of it's ripeness! MMM!

Combine the wet and dry ingredients...in a cute mixing bowl, if you have one! ;)

Add loads of mini chocolate chips. Mini = more in each bite. Got it? No need to measure.

Don't eat the batter. It has raw eggs in it. Although, it hasn't killed me just yet... ;)

Bake. Mine took longer than the alloted 11-14 minutes, but I think all ovens vary just a bit. Be on watch!

Some of the best oatmeal cookies I have ever made:

Nom nom nom...

Brownie Batter Biscotti

I changed the name to brownie batter because I think it better suits these chocolate-y delights! :P

As you can see above, I used 1/3c oil instead of butter (and omitted the nuts). That was my only deviation from the recipe!.

Wet + Dry = Brownie Batter (a somewhat stiff and slightly sticky dough)

Use a strong spoon/mixing device. Then dig it out with your crystal clean hands and...

shape it into two long, about 1in thick loaves and coat said loaves with an egg/water wash.

I felt like I was working at the tootsie roll factory. Let these beauties cool for 30 minutes while you prep the previously mentioned oatmeal banana cookies!

Carefully slice and bake again...

Biscotti = Twice Baked

The recipe says 10-15 minutes/side, but mine took a little longer. Some were done before others.

Use your good judgement.

When you go to someone's house and bring baked goods, they will love it. It's almost a proven fact.

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope that you have great plans for 2010! I am not exactly making resolutions. I would like to get back into running and increase my endurance. It's not an exact science, but more of a goal.

One more picture because I couldn't decide which lighting worked best (what a foodie)

And with that, I better go get ready. Have a great night and I will "see ya" next year!

Oy with the poodles already

That's just the beginning of the random-ness that is about to ensue..

Let's start it off with these oranges you see below. Yes, that is chives up top. I had the oranges in the bowl and the chopped chives were on the counter, so I thought...Why not? haha It didn't add or detract much from the flavor...more for show! ;) Then, I whipped up far too many scrambled eggs for my tortilla to contain.

It was a delightful meal!

After watching these baked potatoes sit in the crock pot all day, I was more than ready to split one and dig in! I topped it with cheese, tuna and plain yogurt. Random? Maybe. Yummmmy? Oh yea! Those roasted veggies in the background chilled out (or, more over, cooked out) in our baby crock pot all day.

I LOVE CROCKPOTS!

Cocoa Oats with a PB/Yogurt "Frosting"...meh, this wasn't the best. But, it sure is pretty...

Cocoa Powder + Truvia + Hot Water = MMM MMM Gah-hoood!

My mom picked these Danish Style Butter Cookies up at Walgreens and they are crispy, crunchy, buttery GOOD!

The ingredient list is straight up...only about 5 ingredients! Something along the lines of flour, sugar, butter...

MMM! Now, where's the sugar cookie sleigh ride tea?

Hey, Erin is offering up some free soup...I'm not turning down the offer! PLUS, free chobani! A third blogger is giving away a cookbook! And a fourth blogger (this is so much fun! haha) is giving away coconut ice cream! Woo hoo! This foodie loves her food..esp. when it's free! ;)

French Foam (!!!)

What is going on inside of that French Press!? ... FOAMMMMMM!! That is skim milk, folks, and I found a new (to me) use for my French Press! :D

• I heated 1/2-3/4cup of skim milk on the stove in a saucepan (don't let it boil, but make sure it's extra hot...low and slow).
• Then, when your coffee is done, pour it into a mug and rinse the French Press.
• Pour your steamy, hot milk into the French Press.
• Pump it until you can pump no more... (If you only use 1/2-3/4cup like I did, you will have to tilt the french press in order for it to work...but work it does!! YAY!).
• Pour the foam-y milk mixture into your mug and top with a dash of cinnamon, cocoa or something festive! Enjoy!
  

I would purchase a French Press solely for this reason if you do not have one...they only cost about $15. And that is $15 WELL SPENT!
One fabulous start to my day...

Different Bowl, Same Supercalifragalisticexpialadocious Mix

(OMG...so that song (the Mary Poppins Supercali...Song) just started to play on the TV right after I typed that...wierd...Regis & Kelly always keep me on my toes!).

One more picture...simply because I am obsessed.

As if this morning wasn't good enough, I won some Kay's Naturals products from Lynn and Christy of The Actor's Diet! I have been wanting to try these for so long! (I just found out that I also won some Heart Thrives from Monica!). After Regis & Kelly are done making me laugh, I'm going for a run!

*What's on your agenda for today? (Going to the store to buy a French Press should probably be added to your list...)

*Have you ever made foam with a French Press?

Easy as Pie

Easy as Pie...I'm not sure who came up with that phrase because, while eating pie is pretty darn easy, I don't think that making a pie fits into that same description...

Anyways, I swear that I eat more than no pudge brownies! haha But they are so fun to dress up and photograph...not to mention, easy as pie to make! Cinnamon dusted on top before baking makes for quite the crust...with whipped cream, of course!

I always eat out the middle and then put the whipped cream inside of the warm brownie and it gets all metly and moistens the brownie and I fall into a foodie coma...

WW Mini Flax Waffles make running easy as pie! ...at least easierrr...

KALE CHIPS! Easy as Pie!...Here's my method behind this Nutritious and Delicious Madness!

I use about half of a bunch of kale (2-3 stalks).

• Just rip it up into a little bit bigger than bite-sized pieces (they will shrink).
• Throw it onto a greased cookie sheet (use foil for easy clean-up!).
• Spray it with a little cooking spray and cover the kale in the spices of your choice (CHILI POWDER is tasty!)
• Bake at 400F for about 8 minutes (This will depend on how big your pieces are, how many are on the baking sheet, etc. They will appear slightly burnt...this is GOOD! Just try one every now and then and take them out when you like them. I'd say no longer than 10 minutes. They cook very very fast!)

Board Game=optional

Simple Salad (which are sometimes the best salads!) with butternut squash, a veggie burger and my favorite dressing (Annie's Buttermilk!).

Two peas in a pod...tired as a dog (hah) from their bath!

I leave you with some FREE GRANOLA. Apparently, there is no catch. Just click here and then click on "detailed description" to learn more. Easy as pie! I hope it's as tasty as pie! ;)

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Go practice Doga with Rufio and he might hook you up with a new yoga mat! ;)

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And Her Little Dog Too is offering up some spiffy socks!

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Erica is giving away some workout DVDs....who couldn't use another way to look silly..I mean burn calories!?

Crispy & Creamy Addicitons

I got to play with my french press this morning! I threw some cocoa in...trying to mimic this deee-lightful drink! 'Twas fun (and ta-ta-tasty!), but I need to play around some more!

Remember this Pumpkin, Banana, Yogurt Miracle Mess?!

9:00AM-2:00PM.....that is how long this breakfast lasted me (Helllllo, loads of returns and store-hopping!) without ever getting the least bit hungry. It's a miracle combo! Literally!

I. Want. More. Now. :D

Leftovers from Christmas piled atop a bed of lettuce with the only dressing I care to own (at the moment)...

True North Cranberry Almond Crisps. I'm not sure where these have been hiding, but they are my NEW FAVORITE SNACK. They didn't even last one day in this house.

Campbell's Select Harvest Light Minestrone with Whole Grain Pasta

This was a broth based soup, somewhere between a chicken and vegetable broth with a Mediterranean flair, and I realllllly liked it! It was packed full of veggies (which could have been slightly less mushy, but they weren't bad for a canned soup). The whole grain pasta was al dente and added a nice texture. Do you want to know what else added texture?

LENTILS! They left lentils out of the name (how rude!...Full House? Anyone?), but my favorite legume snuck into this soup, which will keep me coming back for more! :D

Miss Chocolate Covered Katie is giving away some Wild Bars! :D