But Ben nixed that idea, and said he’d make dinner. So sweet! Probably raking up husband points since our anniversary was coming up [it's today, actually! and I'm totally just kidding. He'd make dinner even if our anniversary wasn't approaching. He's sweet like that.] I flipped through my recipe binder and about a zillion cookbooks, and as he was almost done I found a winner [from this semi-local bakery, no less].

After scarfing down some dinner and doing some cleanup [round one, to Ben's chagrin], I started in on the cookies. Only to discover I had no chocolate chips! Whaaaaat? So, I improvised. Meet Triple Chip Coconut Cookies!

They’re buttery, caramely delights! I used chocolate chunks, white chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips, but feel free to use what you’ve got–these cookies are perfect for using up half-full chip bags leftover from other recipes. Some dark chocolate chips would be fantastic, I think. My favorite part, beyond the traditional chocolate punch and vanilla aftertones was the chew and nuttiness added by the coconut flakes. Yum! Coconut is one of my new favorite flavors, and this cookie illustrates why. Coconut is amazing with everything it touches!

These cookies are simply the best combination of fabulous flavors, textures, and personality… perfect for cookies, and a perfect illustration for our three years of marriage.

Triple chip, three years! Works for me! Maybe I should rename [the renamed!] the cookies to Triple Chip Three Year Marriage Cookies? Hmmm…. gotta work the coconut in there somehow, I think I’ll leave the title the same. If you want more wedding photos, click the photo for some I shared last year. But if you just want the cookies, read on. They’re totally worth it!

Happy anniversary, dear Ben, and happy Wednesday to everyone else!

Triple Chip Coconut Cookies [adapted from Rene's Chocolate Chip Cookies as featured in Midwest Living April 2010]
click to print

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 3/4 cup coconut flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.In a small bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Next add sugars and beat for 5 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl every minute or so. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Then, add flour mixture slowly while mixer is running on low. Turn off mixer and stir in chips and coconut with a wooden spoon.

You can cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or bake immediately. [Obviously if you wait to bake, turn off oven!]

Drop 2 tablespoon size balls onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Press down on each ball to flatten. Bake for 10-14 minutes [more if it's chilled], or until light brown and still soft in the center as these cookies harden as they cool. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to cooling rack.

Time: 45 minutes.

Yield: 48 cookies.

Notes: I found this dough was best popped in the fridge in between batches as it was hard to handle when soft.

———

Each weekend as my wife is planning meals for the upcoming week, she asks if there’s anything I’d like or if I have any ideas.  Generally, my answers range from nothing to worthless until this past weekend.  I knew we had unused pork chops, so I grabbed a cookbook and immediately found a recipe that sounded quite enticing.  This cookbook was by Rachel Ray, whom a friend of mine from my college town of Athens, Ohio [go Bobcats!!!!!!!] has a massive celebrity crush on [to the point where he's told his girlfriend that he would absolutely break up with her for the chance to be with the celebrity chef].  But anyways… Sarah agreed, and for possibly the first time ever, I felt good about my assistance in the meal selection process.

So come Tuesday night, my pork chops’ assigned cooking date, my wife decides she has absolutely no desire to cook.  Why?  Because she just wants to bake cookies.  As tempting as the idea of cookies for dinner was, I’ve put on a few more pounds than I would like in the last year so I shrugged it off.  This meant it was time for OTT to take command of dinner.

And what a delightful dinner it was. Salty pork, crisp almonds, juicy blackberries on spinach drenched in a sweet vinegary dressing. By the way, the cookies were good too. It was a messy kitchen sort of night.

OTT: Pork Chops with Balsamic Blackberry Salad + Orzo [from Rachael Ray's Look + Cook]
click to print

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb orzo pasta
• 1/2 c balsamic vinegar
• 1 pint blackberries
• 1 T ground basil
• 1 c spinach leaves
• olive oil
• 4 pork chops
• 1/4 c almonds
• 2 T butter
• cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

This recipe basically consists of making three things:  the pork chops, the salad to top the chops, and the orzo to serve on the side.  Let’s start with the salad.  Put the balsamic vinegar in a small pot and bring to a boil.  Once it begins boiling, maintain heating for about 5 minutes, or until it’s reduced by about half and is a thicker, syrupy consistency.  Remove from heat.  Combine the blackberries [or strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or any other delicious berry], basil, and spinach in a large salad bowl.  You should cut the spinach into thin slices.  I elected to tear it into small pieces because I’m better at ripping things than cutting them.  Sarah was disappointed because it didn’t look as pretty [but she says she still loves me]. Once the vinegar has cooled, you can drizzle it over the salad.

But while it’s cooling, heat a pot of water to boiling for the orzo.  When the water’s boiling, add the pasta and cook it however long the box/bag tells you to.

While the pasta’s cooking, you can get to work on the pork chops.  Season the chops with some salt and pepper if desired, pour some oil in a large skillet, and once the oil has heated add the chops.  Cook the chops for about 4 minutes on each side.  I would recommend covering the skillet.  Once the chops have cooked, remove them from the pan and roast the almonds for a couple minutes, then remove.

Back to the orzo.  When the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and melt the butter in the pan.  Return the orzo to the pan and stir together.  Add the almonds and salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to taste.

Serve the orzo on the side with the salad topping the pork chops.  Or I suppose you could serve the salad on the side with the chops over the orzo.  Or even the salad over the chops over the orzo.  It all tastes good, so do what seems best to you.

Reader Question ~ If you could have any dessert for dinner on a weekly basis, what would it be? I would have cheesecake. Mmmmm cheesecake… strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, the works. MMMMM!

Week of May 21

Monday: Ben usually plays ultimate frisbee so I’m headed to Panera
Tuesday: Quinoa Pizza Bites
Wednesday: our third anniversary! going out to celebrate since we didn’t over the weekend as we had planned
Thursday: Baked Eggs
Friday: breakfast for dinner
Saturday: Ben has planned a picnic to celebrate our anniversary!
Sunday: leftovers

We first enjoyed this last fall at Ben’s grandparents house, and his grandma was kind enough to share the recipe with me. If it’s grandma-approved, you know it’s gotta be good! Each spoonful of garlicky, light broth is full of cheesy tortellini goodness and vegified with hearty tomatoes and tasty spinach. Unlike most soups, this recipe doesn’t contain alot of seasonings, so be sure to choose high quality ingredients to get the best, freshest taste possible.

This soup is perfect for a cozy weekend lunch, or as some comfort food to enjoy on a rainy evening. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Tortellini Soup [from Ben's grandma via College Inn]
click to print

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 48 ounces chicken or beef broth
• 19 ounces frozen cheese tortellini [or 8 ounces dried tortellini]
• 10 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
• 29 ounces stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Melt butter in large stockpot set over medium heat. When butter is melted, add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in broth and pasta, then bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. [Or until dried pasta is cooked.]

Add spinach and tomatoes, then simmer for another 5 minutes.

Serve with cheese.

Time: 25 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings.

My finish time of 22:20 wasn’t amazing, but it was pretty good considering most of the hilly course was on gravel roads and the last 3/4 of a mile had plenty of sharp turns. And I mean, it was obviously good enough to be the top female finisher. Ahh! I’ve only won a couple other races before in my life–a JV cross country meet where the top runner got lost, and a JV track meet that had only a few participants anyways–so this was so thrilling. But you know what’s better than winning? Knowing that the race was for a good cause.

Most people haven’t heard of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, located in tiny Center Point, Indiana, but it’s one of the largest rescue centers in the country for abused, unwanted and neglected exotic felines. Their heart for taking care of these animals is just huge, and if you’re ever in Indiana, especially in the Bloomington or Indianapolis areas, be sure to take the time to visit because you’ll be within an hour of the EFRC. Don’t go expecting a fancy zoo atmosphere, but go expecting a fun walk through the jungle to see many lions, tigers, bobcats, and more. It’s absolutely awesome there!!

Ben and I have been twice now, and loved getting to run there, supporting the animals… and oh, winning too. Here’s a write up of the race from a local paper. And speaking of winning… this recipe for Reese’s Blondie Pie is a winner, too!

Soon after we got married, I experimented with blondie recipes to find the perfect one: it’s buttery and vanilla-y, cooked to just the right ratio of chewy/crunchy perfection. But this time… instead of leaving them plain, I added a little bit of spunk–a winning combination of chocolate peanut butter bliss. Yes, I added some Reese’s! Best decision ever.

Oh, and I baked it in a pie pan to make it reminiscent of the cookie cakes I loved sharing with my sorority sisters in college. What can I say? There’s just so much winning going on here that I can hardly believe it. Reese’s. Blondies. Pie-like cookie cake. College. Sisters. Exotic Felines. Oh, and a race. This is gonna be a great day, I know it!

Reader Question ~ What’s winning for you today?

Reese’s Blondie Pie
click to print

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt butter then remove from heat and stir in brown sugar with a wooden spoon until it dissolves. Quickly add egg and vanilla, stirring until well incorporated.

Fold in flour mixture [batter will be thick], then press into prepared pie pan. Top with chopped candy, pressing into mixture with the back of a wooden spoon.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set at center. Serve warm.

Time: 40 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Week of May 14

Monday: Lentil Veggie Mac & Cheese
Tuesday: Pork Chops with Balsamic Strawberry Salad and Orzo
Wednesday: wedding dress shopping with my mom and sister! = Ben fends for himself
Thursday: Smoky Corn Chowder
Friday: out to my favorite local Mexican restaurant!
Saturday: anniversary dinner
Sunday: leftovers

Like, good enough to blog about even though I made them in February. Yes, February. The beginning of February, if you must know. I’m really behind.

Back to the muffin at hand. I had to blog about them. After all, this photo has been sitting on my desktop for months, taunting me.

Yes, genuinely taunting me.

These muffins have a lightly spiced, sweet middle and a slightly crisp, golden brown top. Mmmm, classic muffin love right there.

But why have they been taunting me? After all, that’s a pretty harsh word. Taunt taunt taunt TAUNT… muffins on attack! [Umm, sorry I'm weird.]

Well, first, because they’re like the only way I’ve ever figured out to get Ben to eat extra carrots [besides that baggie I stick everyday in his lunchbox]. And second, because they have the flavor of carrot cake. They’re kind of a lighter, healthier, less sweet version of carrot cake. And lastly, and best of all… no chunkiness! No kinda mushy nuts, no lumpy raisins, no stringy pineapple. Just pure, sweet, spiced carrot goodness. In my opinion, the only time “chunky” with food is good is in regard to applesauce, or Chunky Monkey Ice Cream. [Maybe I do like other "chunky" foods, but I can't think of any so just go with me on this!]

To sum it up: Cinnamon Carrot Muffins are smooth, flavorful, and pretty delicious… that’s all, and here’s the recipe. Bookmark it, print it, or pin it because you’re gonna want to make it! I know I want them again, after staring at their gorgeousness for months on end.

Cinnamon Carrot Muffins [from Whole Living, April 2011]
click to print

Ingredients:

• 2 cups finely grated carrots [about 4 large carrots]
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tin with paper liners.

Use a food processor to grate carrots, then remove grating attachment. Add oil, buttermilk, and eggs and pulse until fully combined. Add brown sugar and pulse again.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then mix until just combined.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in muffin tin for 15 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool before serving or storing.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Notes: Alternatively, grate carrots with a box grater and then mix wet ingredients by hand. The food processor is just faster, but not necessary.

If you’ve missed past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

For the month of May, I was assigned to Katherine Martinelli, a food writer/blogger currently living in Be’er Sheva, Israel. I was really excited to be assigned her blog, since she made my Pumpkin Granola back for SRC November. I love the international flair of her blog–especially all the fun fresh produce and nuts available at her local market. So many of Katherine’s recipes sound amazing…. I could hardly decide what to make! I mean, Mango Chicken with Coconut Rice? Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies? Homemade Graham Crackers? Yes please times three! I had grand plans to make Homemade Graham Crackers… however, life got in the way. Last week was finals week, and I graduated from my dual master’s program (MA- African Studies, Master of Library Science) on Friday!

Such a happy day and a great weekend with family! But sadly the craziness of the past few weeks derailed my grand plans. So once again I browsed through the recipes on Katherine’s site and found the most delicious, gorgeous dressing that I have ever laid eyes on… Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette!

I mean, is that not beautiful? Here’s a close up in case you’re not certain.

And not only is this dressing pleasing to the eye with its specks of cilantro, Dijon mustard seeds, and creamy-light goodness… it also tastes fantastic… by the spoonful or on a salad, duh. The sharp flavor of the garlic is mellowed and sweetened by the citrusy tang of the fresh lime juice. It’s the perfect pairing for classic salad components like baby spinach, shaved carrots, chopped tomatoes, and crisp bell peppers. I think it would also be great tossed with pasta or as a marinade for grilled chicken.

So even if you didn’t find this dressing because you were pressed for time like I was, this homemade Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette dressing is a great addition to any salad and to your homemade dressing repertoire. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette [from Katherine Martinelli]
click to print

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 large cloves garlic [or 3 smaller cloves], minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, packed

Directions:

Place all items in food processor or blender. Pulse until garlic and cilantro are fully crushed, and everything is well combined. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Yield: 1 cup.

Time: 5 minutes.

Be sure to check out other posts from today’s reveal of the SRC. Have a great day!

Week of May 7

Monday: leftovers from graduation weekend
Tuesday: out to eat… free birthday meal!
Wednesday: Lemony Kale Pasta [never made it over the past few weeks because kale was MIA...now I found it!]
Thursday: meatloaf by Ben’s request
Friday: IU Cru Gala dinner
Saturday: Baked Flounder
Sunday:  leftovers