Flying By The Seat Of My Pants: I'm Terrible At It

Ordinarily, I live my daily life with a structured schedule. This is a practice that I have maintained since college, and this is because it is the most efficient and productive way for me to succeed. In my earlier college years, back when I was still a teenager, I still had that teenage mentality where it was okay to put things off until the last minute, to not be fixated on the small details, but to roll with the punches. I lived my school life with the confidence that everything would somehow work out, without much thought, planning or effort. I thought that it was totally beneficial for me to stay up all night and write a 30 page paper the night before it was due, because my thoughts would be cohesive and I was more interested in knowing what was happening between "Felicity" and "Ben" during waking hours, than to figure out how to use terrain analysis of arid climates in agricultural planning.

As I went further on in school I was more and more involved with school clubs and organizations. So, careful planning became paramount to my scholastic success. That was when I began making lists. I made chore lists, assignment lists, and activities lists. I even drew little boxes beside each listing so that I could check off a task as I completed it. This gave me a sense of accomplishment and it helped me with time management, It also helped me to see how to weigh out the importance of each item.

In recent months, I've come to rely on tools such as, my daily planner, my "to do list" app, my laptop calendar and my smart phone calendar. These tools help me to plan meals, school events, writing assignments, etc. The calendars are great because I can type it all in and the computer will remind me of when something is scheduled to happen- my phone does the same thing. However, last week I took a break. I didn't fill out my daily planner. It felt weird, like I was playing hooky. I felt lost, like I didn't know what to do with myself. I never felt like I was getting enough done and I lost my sense of accomplishment. This was anything, but liberating. I managed to make a grocery list, make meals, go to school concerts and indoor soccer games. However, a lot of my writing just happened whenever I thought to do it, often nearly forgetting. The other night, I woke up at 1 am and was convinced that I'd forgotten to do something that was important, that I missed some deadline. I was wide awake making a mental list of everything and finally coming to the conclusion that nothing had been forgotten, I had just lost my confidence after I took a break from my organization.

All of this started when I went into my hobby room and saw my book shelves; I realized that I couldn't remember when I had last curled up with a book and read until I was exhausted. I grabbed the book The Paris Wife, a book that has been on my shelf, unread for a couple of years. I fully intend to read the book, it was apparently a best seller, but I wouldn't know, I've been booked!

Then, there's all the distractions around me. I see a small pile of dishes in the sink and I want to wash them, the dogs are acting like mischievous monkeys, there's laundry that I want to put to dry, there's a craft project that I want to complete, then there's youtube....why not watch some Grace Helbig or some Mirandasings?

Even though I'm still managing to get things done around the house and I've made it to school functions most of my work is not as I'd normally do it. The experiment has proven to me that I am okay with being an overly organized nerd. Being organized is what works best for me, and if it makes me look uptight, oh well. Without my method of planning, I am not my best version of myself. Lesson learned. I'll keep you updated on that craft project that I mentioned, earlier.
Until then~ Toodahloo!

Soft And Chewy Molasses Cookies

So, hello there! I'm sitting at my kitchen island, watching the train go by. I'm cuddled up with a fluffy blanket and a hot cocoa is at my side, as I've been cold all day. For some reason, I've been very cold lately which is odd, considering we've been experiencing warmer weather. This week, I've been baking a lot. I'm trying to improve my gluten free goodies. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you would have seen the gluten free cheesy crackers that I baked today. Earlier in the week, I baked amazing oatmeal bread for the gluten eaters of the household (I'm a glutenvore) and last night, I made homemade gluten free granola bars. I used to make granola bars all the time, never considering that they were gluten free. These granola bars are a breeze to make and are more economical than buying gluten free granola bars. I will share the recipe the next time I make them! (I'm not yelling, I'm just really excited.)

Last week, I baked molasses cookies. I love homemade cookies; my favorites being chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and molasses cookies. In a post that I wrote a few years ago, I mentioned an old recipe book that I had, where old hand written recipes from the 1940's - 1950's had been collected. This book contains a handful of molasses cookie recipes. So, I combined all of my favorite elements from a few recipes and made my own recipe.

The Recipe:

Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1 stick of butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs (1 egg if you want less chewy cookies)

1 tbsp. baking soda

1/2 cup strong black coffee

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp. cream of tartar (or Bakewell Creme)

3 cups flour

- In a mug, combine the hot coffee and the baking soda and set aside.
- Cream the sugars, the shortening and the butter until fluffy. Then, add the molasses and egg(s) and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour, alternately with the coffee mixture, until a dough is formed.
- Refrigerate for one hour.

Initially, I tried rolling out the dough and cutting the cookies, but they were too soft. So, I used the drop method, instead!

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spoon small mounds of dough, six at a time, on a lined cookie sheet. The cookies spread, so it's best to give them adequate space.
- Flatten each mound slightly and sprinkle with white sugar.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!

I stored these in a cake safe, they were too chewy to place in a cookies jar. These didn't not last very long in my house, we all love cookies! I've recently decided to incorporate more baking in my week. Homemade bread and cookies are so much tastier! Not the mention, they are better for you and cost a fraction of the price of store bought baked goods. The kitchen always smells fantastic! I always post photos of what I'm baking on Instagram and I share them on Twitter and Tumblr. I will happily recipes on this blog as well! If you're on  any of the social sites that I mentioned keep and eye out for my pics. You can find me by clicking on the link on the side of my wall. If you try making these cookies, share your photos and tag me, I"d love to see them! Until then~ Toodahloo!

Kitchen (Mis)Adventures

This is what my kitchen island looks like on a regular basis. This is my reality- a slightly controlled mess. Last Friday, I had decided to delight in the anniversary of my sorority's founding by baking a big batch of pink cupcakes; a tradition that I began long ago. Everything was in place, I had my eggs, my strawberry cake mix, freshly brewed coffee and a marathon of Chasing Life on Netflix. First, I made a batch of gluten free chocolate cupcakes, then I baked the strawberry cupcakes. Before I began adding water, eggs and oil to my mix, I double checked the "best by" date. The mix was "Best" by November 2015. Unsure of the safety of the mix, I did one inquiry after another, reading a ridiculous amount of literature on Google. After inspecting, sniffing and eye balling, I surmised that the mix was "safe" and I began the baking process. The sun was shining, the house was clean and it smelled amazing, it was a unicorn eating jellybeans kind of afternoon. That all changed after I frosted the cupcakes....

I don't know if it was the frosting (chocolate fudge from a can), the cupcake, or the combination of the two, but something was just off about the cupcakes. I ate one and it "seemed" okay, but something told me to try another. After smelling a cupcake, breaking it open and smelling more, something seemed sour. I just felt uneasy about these cupcakes, One part of me, the part that loves cupcakes, told myself not to worry, that the mix was properly stored and couldn't possibly be off. However, another part of me, the part that knows I'll wake up at 3 am in a panic, told me to toss the batch. I decided to feed the bin. I didn't like the idea of the kids getting sick off of cupcakes. The gluten free cupcakes were fine, Sadly, I had to go without my pink cupcakes on Founders' Day, this year. As Celine Dion says (err, sings) "my heart will go on......"

To make up for my kitchen mishap, I was determined to be a culinary crusader for the rest of the week. A few days ago, I baked a delicious batch of soft molasses cookies, using my very own recipe! They are a hit. Last night, I made Toll House Pie....swoon!

Monday, I needed fried food in a way that almost seemed obscene. I searched Pinterest for the perfect onion ring recipe. After pinning a few copycat recipes, I'd decided that those recipes were more complicated than they had any business being. Instead, I relied on my trusty Betty Crocker; she never fails me. Sure enough, I found a simple recipe that lent itself to be improved upon with the addition of spices and cornmeal.

The end result was nothing short of amazing. I enjoyed these with fried chicken nuggets. Again, it was that kind of day. Now, I have big plans to make some deep fried pickle chips, with onion rings. I know that it sounds terrible. However, this is something that I delight in once in a blue moon. Normally, I eat more healthy meals and I exercise, the key is moderation. When you use moderation, you can indulge in a few naughty meals.

So, that has been my week in the kitchen. We've been enjoying warmer weather, the days are getting longer and Maine Maple Sunday is just around the corner! Soon, we'll celebrate St. Patrick's Day, then Easter and then....Spring will be here! I am really..really looking forward to Spring. I'll keep you updated on any new kitchen adventures and any other adventures that come my way. Hopefully, no more pastries will be sacrificed. Until next time~ Tooddahloo!