Cooking in '08

I've been busy cooking for the last couple months of good, old 2008. I more or less promised myself not to show anyone these recipes because they make me look like a god in the kitchen, but then I figured that most of you don't live with me and I can still wow them folks with these. I've tried all of these without any messups and with really great end results. Plus, all of them are on the internets so I don't have to mess with a cook book that won't stay open. Anywho, enjoy these during the whole new year thing.

Baked Pasta Casserole

(one of the ultimates of ultimates lately)

Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sparkled Ginger Cookies

(I got Jessie to eat almost a whole batch even after she knew they were vegan... which says something about how awesome these are.)

Classic Apple Pie

(I made that for Not-so-Turkey-Turkeyday and it turned out beautimous, I did use my own pie crust recipe, so I'm not vouching for theirs.)

Pumpkin Scones

(I can't stress how mind blowingly good these are. I gave the recipe to Star and I think she made at least two batches within the first week.)

Apple Crostada

(very tasty, very buttery)

Honey Mousse with Pomegranate

(This is another one of those foods that make you want to roll your eyes back and ask "If this isn't some sort of religious experience, what is?" So good. Mine turned out a tad more yellow than the picture but that's because I used local, happy eggs with happy egg yolks.)

Swedish Walnut Tea Ring

(My first success with yeast, and a tasty success to boot!)

Gingerbread Cake

(this was tasty as heck however I decided to do something silly. I tossed it right out of the pan onto a rack after it had cooled, instead of treating it like brownies and cutting it up while it was still in the pan. Oops. I lost a good chunk out of the middle but that just meant I got to munch on that before everyone showed up.)

Country Crust Bread

(This is my new favorite bread and also the only bread I've gotten to actually turn out like it's supposed to. Ohhh new bread... you smell so good!)

And yes Star, I do know that I haven't put up pictures of those cupcakes I made, but Jessie got into them like a fox in a hen house and before I knew it they were gone. I guess I'll just have to make some more, now won't I? I have my eye on those hi-hats in that book...

I've Been Cooking Alot Lately...

And I'm always perusing the interweb for good recipes, preferably things that don't have meat or easy substitutions for the contribaned substance. Last night (and I can't remember how I got there) I found this site full of them called 101 Cookbooks. It all started with the animal craker cookies and I haven't been able to stop browsing!

These are some of the things that caught my eye...

1.) Black Sticky Gingerbread
2.) Homemade All Natural Thin Mints
3.) Maya's Day of the Dead Cookies (These look fabulous for halloween... Star, if you read this IGNORE! I have a feeling they're going to make an apppearance at your party)
4.) Spice-Kissed Pumpkin Pie
5.) Coconut Chocolate Pudding

I'm pretty hungry all ready and these are only making things worse. Enjoy this amazing selection of crazy-wonderful looking recipes!

Western Oregon University (WOU)

Mom, Dad, Willow and I went to visit Jessie at WOU today. I'd never been to the campus (that I can remember) so that was neat. Jessie seems like she's doing well. She's got class, new friends and all sorts of new stories about college life.

Her room of roomness.
And of course no college (or dorm) is complete without some clever condom dispensation method. See... gloves.... GLOVES... get it? Hehe....

And apparently Monmouth is where you can only buy half-pies. If you want the whole thing you'll have to buy two and smoosh them together on your own time because Roth's isn't havin' none of your craziness 'round here. I tell you what. Nope. It's only half a pie for you and none of your sass about it! Young people... and their whole pies.

Jessie with her loot standing in front of her dorm while Willie takes a break in the grass.

This is where the genius happens, right here in this chair. Pretty sweet, isn't it?

Until next time Jessie!

Churkey!

Cynthia found this MASSIVE chicken at San Lorenzo and has been dying to make a sunday supper chicken. Wish granted. This sucker was almost 5 pounds and it looked like, at some point a chicken and a turkey got together, fell in love and spawned this bit of insanity. This could only happen in a picturesque ruraly farm scene, complete with gently rolling hills and lush greenery with this monster wandering around until someone decided it looked tastey enough to kill it.

A very proud Cynthia.

This bird is so big it needs to be craddled like a baby.

AMAZING.

The pie from heaven, courtesy of Cynthia.

He even had a bit of his sturdy, yellow legs still there. And some feathers. It was... what's the word I'm looking for? Oh, that's right, awesome.

Now he has little vegetable friends to keep him company in his new oven home.

Dinner is SERVED!

I don't think I need to tell you that I had pie... and some green beans. But mostly pie.