Friday, June 30, 2017

Summer adventures

Yay Summer!  I think.  Except we've had one month of summer (I count summer starting as of Memorial Day) and we've been in urgent care, the ER or a doctor's appointment a dozen times.  First it was the middle monkey (my kids being my monkeys) - throwing up in the middle of the night - but only at night.  She was fine during the day.  Turns out - strep throat - which she so kindly then shared with me.  Then our littlest monkey (only 2 months old) went to urgent care for vomiting and a little fever.  If you're 2 months old then - a fever means go to the ER.  Never found out what was wrong with her - even in the follow up doctor visits.  She seems to be fine now.  Onto the oldest child who tells us that he has blood drops when he pees.  That's just a little concerning.  No blood drops - just a little ointment to clear things up.  That very same night the middle monkey starts throwing up again in the middle of the night - just at night.  No reoccurence of strep (we brought her in) - no idea what's wrong with her - she seems fine.  Until a few days later when she says it hurts when she pees.  ARRRGGH!  Not officially a UTI, but something going on - doctors don't know what.
On top of that - my own regularly scheduled appointments - post surgery and to check up on my Crohn's condition.

Here's hoping to seeing no doctor in the month of July!

With all that - I still managed to bake a few batches of cookies (2 batches from the last post and these 3 batches).

#296 Chocolate Pudding Sandwiches
This is that cookie that I didn't quite have the right ingredient.  I waited until I found the right ingredient and made these for a summer BBQ.
On the way to our cabin, I stopped at Target quickly to grab ingredients for this cookie and to return diapers and buy the same diapers in order to get the $20 Target gift card.  I had bought the diapers a day before the deal started.  Totally worth the stop, right?  3 kids, a dog in the car and an infant that needs to eat.  I told the kids we'll be real quick.  Real quick in Target - I know, those words don't go together.  I just needed diapers, chocolate pudding mix, cool whip, marshmallows and chocolate wafers.  That should be easy.
Except - where would you look for chocolate wafers? I looked in the cookie aisle.  All I could find was those "Nilla" wafers; not chocolate.  I decided to go with those.  But then, ultimately decided I couldn't go through with compromising the recipe.  So no cookie for the cabin that weekend.
The following week, while at Cub, I happened to notice chocolate wafers while I was in the baking aisle - because that makes sense.  I still don't know if the Target in Forest Lake has the wafers or not - perhaps in the baking aisle.
I was told more than once - these are kind of like an oreo cookie.  Just mix chocolate pudding mix with 1 1/2 cup milk for 2 minutes (let stand for 2 more minutes).  Fold in 8 oz of cool whip and 1 cup mini marshmallows.  Spread pudding mix on the bottom of a chocolate wafer (you'll need 2 pkgs of said wafer) and top with another wafer.  Freeze for 3 hours (and keep in freezer unless you're serving them).

#297 Chocolaty Double Crunchers
This may be one of my favorite cookies that I've made so far - for sure in the top 5.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup crushed cornflakes
1/2 cup coconut

Filling
6 oz of cream cheese (softened)
1 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips  

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and ix well.  Add oats, cornflakes and coconut.  

Roll into 1 inch balls.  Place 2 in apart on greased baking sheets.  Flatten with a glass dipped lightly in flour.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

For filling, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add chocolate; mix well.  Spread about 1 tb on half of the cookies and top each with another cookie.  Store in refrigerator

Note: You can pile on the filling - there's a lot.

#298 Hazelnut chocolate cookies
If all the doctor's visits weren't enough this month - we have no bathroom on 2nd floor - until yesterday.  I now have my dream spa bathroom.  And despite my two oldest monkeys screaming at each other in the next room; and my two month old fussing next to me - every muscle in my body is totally relaxed.  That's what a whirlpool/air tub and luxurious shower will do for you.

A friend of ours (a contractor) has been helping us out - getting us bids and finding tile guys for us and all sorts of other construction guys (there's a lot of different construction jobs that go into an addition). He's been looking at our plans - and just overall a huge help. So this batch was for him.

And you learn something new everyday.  I learned how to peel and toast hazelnuts.  Boil water and then put 3 tbs of baking soda in it.  Put hazelnuts in the water and boil for 3-4 minutes.  Then place in ice cold water.  The peels almost fall right off.    

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