INSPIRATION!!

I admit it! I have been playing it SAFE! You know that place you arrive at and have no idea how or when you got there? One day, you just open your eyes and realize everything around you is so not where you wanted or ever intended to be ... it's quiet and warm .... no ripples, no struggles, no surprises .... just peaceful floating along wherever the current takes you! and if you hold your breath long enough ... noone notices you have not moved, talked, thought or acted upon anything exciting or worthwhile. Or so you think! Then someone says or you see something that jolts you out of your automatic pilot so-called life!  Although, this could apply to every day life ... I am also talking about Passions! I talk alot about Inspiration! You know.... it's that little something that whispers in your ear *you can do it!* *you're Great!* It doesn't mean you have to be the Best but you know it's something you do well and when you do it .... IT makes you feel Good! Now, you HAVE to be thinking of what Inspires You, right?

In it's many forms ... Inspiration could be that SOMEONE that nudges you with a kind word, a tender smile or even an admiring look telling you they believe in you! Inspiration could be that SOUND you hear that sends a shiver down your spine that starts from the top of your head and moves down in a warm fuzzy that envelopes you in comfort and confidence! Inspiration could be that SOMETHING that you see that exhilerates you from deep down in a place that you almost forgot existed! Something that excites your creative juices and says, "YES!! That's It!!!"

I realize how this sounds (a little Crazy, a little Risque) and you might be surprised when I tell you that in the span of one week (last week) ... all of those things happened to me!!

I can't wait to tell you the story, and I will, in detail and in a 3 maybe 4 part version. I hope you stay tuned for every recipe that goes with each part. Did I ever tell you I also like the word .... Anticipation?? ........ anyway ..........

I think I told you about a cookie that has been dancing in my head for a while now. I have started experimenting with it. As my Dad used to say, "The operation was a success ... but the patient died!" For years I wondered what that meant. This is a good example of that. The cookie tasted Great, but the cookie as a whole, was a disaster! It's a work in progress!

                ROCSalted Cookies

{Raisin Oatmeal Caramel Salted Cookies}

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks margarine, melted
• 1- 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal (not instant)
• 1- 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1 bag of wrapped caramel candies, cut in quarters
• course sea salt

Prep: Preheat oven to 350*. For chewy raisins, skip this step. I like plump raisins so I soak them in warm liquid for about a 30 minutes. For really good raisins, soak them in Brandy overnight. ; )

Note: all ingredients should be room temperature for best results.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt (not sea salt). Set aside. Cream margarine, & sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and beat in eggs (one at a time). Stir in oats & raisins. This will be dry so stir in the corn syrup. The mix will be shiny.  Drop 2 Tablespoons into a ball. Push about 5 pieces of caramel into the tops of each cookie, brush with corn syrup, then sprinkle with sea salt. The corn syrup adds a sticky surface so the salt will stick. Bake for 13 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.

Thick & Dry!

Baked in Balls!

Here, I think, is where it went wrong. The oats soaked up the fats. I prefer a chewy cookie that spreads and this came out in a ball if it was not flattened by hand.

The caramel didn't hold up in the heat and oozed over the top. I'll work on that, but the aroma and flavor of the cookie itself was Great! If you'd like to try it ... i'd suggest cutting the oats down to 1-1/2 cups and 1-1/2 cups flour.

Brush with corn syrup...

...oozed over top!

 Good Luck and let me know how you do. Stay tuned for a revised version of this cookie! To be continued........

Happy Baking! ...... & don't forget your Apron!

Last week was my last week of Summer School! YIPPEE!! This year was 3rd, 4th & 5th graders as opposed to my usual Kindergartners! I Love the little ones because they are so funny! It's easy for me to see things from their point of view because they are so curious and honest. I always say I have a 4 year old mind that doesn't work in the adult world. Probably why I am such a Dork! ; ) If I could figure out how to teach them to use their imagination, I would!  I have to admit the sitting on the floor, little chairs, bending over to talk, and all the running around takes its' toll on my 45 year old body! It was a little refreshing to work with students that had their own mind, knew how to do things and though they were excited when I ran around with them on the playground, they weren't entirely too disappointed when I sat it out and just watched. They knew my mood and if I was going to play, first thing in the morning, by what shoes I was wearing! lol... smart kids! A few of them knew me from previous years and knew I baked. I didn't bake as much as i'd like, but I did bake cookies just for them ... at their request of course! The unanimous vote was Chocolate Chip Cookies.... of course, I had to mix it up with mini M&Ms instead. Lots of them! After some serious debating, they all decided that chewy cookies were best! I like a little cakey/chewy myself, but I adapted my recipe and decided I liked it, too.  The results came out perfect, round and very chewy ... Voted Best Cookies Ever by my Summer 2011 class! Great Kids!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 egg
1 (12 oz) bag of mini M&Ms (reserve 1/4 cup)

325°F.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
cream together the melted butter, brown sugar until well blended.
Beat in the vanilla and eggs until light and creamy.
Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.



Stir in the M&Ms by hand using a wooden spoon.
Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time (for giant cookies) or a tablespoon at a time (for smaller cookies)
3 inches apart as they will spread quite a bit.
don't forget to add remaining mini's on top.



. Bake larger cookies for 15 to 17 minutes,
 or 10 to 12 minutes for smaller ones.
They should look a little shiny, but,
a little browned around the edges.
Let cool a couple minutes before
moving to cooling rack.

I now have 5 whole glorious weeks off until the new school year starts! What am I going to do to fill that time, You  ask? Well ..... I'm not really sure just yet! Yesterday was my first day of vacation and I think I kept myself pretty busy! I started cleaning my room (which may be a whole week process ... UGH!) I never realized how many SHOES I have!  I'm posting a pic only so I can shame myself into sorting through them and donating some, which I have to now since I took most of them out of the boxes and piled them up! .... I think I need a social life so I can wear some of those shoes! ; ) ... another subject for another time.

YIKES!! Guess how many pairs!!
answer: next blog!

While cleaning some of my room, I found a recipe, that my friend gave me, of Chile Relleno Casserole! OMGOSH! I don't want to post it because ... well... this is a Baking Blog and this is my friends recipe and I haven't asked if I can share it! Though, I'm pretty sure she doesn't read my blog! Grrr. lol.... Why do you let me BABBLE?? ... way off course! So, I found the recipe and that's all that I could think about! I tried turning up the radio to tune it out, but my earphones were at capacity ... did you know it's dangerous to turn your earphones all the way up because you might blow an eardrum or something? That's what the little pop-up thingy on my Blackberry says, anyway. I don't listen. It's easier to tune people out this way .... especially when you push the earphones way in ... also dangerous! It does hurt, though, when you get that little suction when you pull them out .... yikes .... Huh? Did you say something? 8D  The casserole stuck in my brain and I just had to make it! I piled up my shoes, climbed over them to get out of my room and went to the store!

My favorite person to go the store with is my niece, Kylee! She's 18, tries to act sullen and  has her ipod earphones on to act disinterested! But I know better, because she giggles at me when I sing along with the radio at the top of my lungs and sometimes, she even joins in! She's a Dork, too! At the store, she follows along as I gather my ingredients and every now and then she says, "Hey, Beck..." then follows with a 'what if' or a silly joke to keep things interesting! I like her... she's crazy.  She talked me into getting a box of Churro mix. Nothing beats the greasy, crispy mess shaken in cinnamon and sugar in a brown paper bag from the Churro stands in Tijuana or Ensenada, but what the heck... I'll give it a go!  I'll let you know when we try it.

We finally got home, I started cooking and my niece and nephew dropped by, so I invited them to stay, because, as usual, I cooked too much! If you email me, I just might send you a copy (after I ask if I can share it, of course!) 

Sneak Peek! Yum ; )

With full tummies we visited a while and then I was off again. This time I was on my way to my sisters to drag her out for a walk! I Love this time of day! Not only do I get to hang with my sister, but it's always a nice destresser of the day. Thanks, Juders, for letting me Push You! ; ) She's doing good, too! I almost have her walking for an hour... soon I will have her up to 3 miles! Go! Go! Go! ... baby steps! lol!

Busy! Busy! and it was only my first day! I started cleaning my room, had fun with Ky at the store, made a delicious dinner, visited with company,  then took a much needed walk. I'm not so energetic or optimistic to think that every day of my vacation will be this productive (here I sit writing my blog)  and, of course, if someone suggests something fun to do.... hey! I'm on board! Call me! ; )  ... I do have a few goals I hope to accomplish with my time off, though.
* First I intend to clean my room completely... you know, out with the old (not in w/the new ... trying to eliminate! I'm trying to be a minimalist now!) Stop Laughing! ... ok, that was pretty funny.
* I intend to write at least 5 blogs. That's at least one a week.... does this count as my first one? ; )
* I intend to drop another dress size by the end of summer. I'm only 1 size away from MY goal. YaY!  I know I can do it ... but if I don't ... that's cool, too! I'm not a fanatic!
* I intend to clean out the rest of the garage (that my sister put a pretty good dent in, already) to set up my sewing space.
* I intend to sew at least 3 aprons. Order one, You'll LOVE them! .... wait and see!
* I, definitely, intend to catch up with old friends that I haven't seen in a long while! I'm losing too many at a rate that shouldn't be happening at our age and I miss them dearly. I can't wait to renew old Friendships!

With that... have I told you all how much I appreciate having you in my life, lately? I really do. Thank you for listening/reading My Crazy!    Happy Baking ..... & don't forget your Apron!!