Easy Summer Lemon Ricotta Cookies

 

I have been wanting to make these cookies for years, seriously for 5 years.  The bakery I worked at the summer between my Sophmore and Junior year of college made these all the time.  Why because they are simple, easy and delicious.  You can make a lot at one time because they rise instead of spread out.  The are yummy little cakey, lemony cookies and are perfect for the summer time.

I figured I should make some cookies to bring a little sunshine to a rainy day here in Scotland.  Don't get me wrong, there has been sun, just not yesterday when I made these.  Plus I can send them off with Charles to work, so that I don't sit around and eat all of them...although I did only make a half batch.  

Well this past weekend we took a bus trip for the day around the Highlands.  We say the "Three Sisters" and a castle, took a quick boat cruise of Loch Ness...no we didn't see Nessie, and strolled through a cute town.  Then Sunday we took the train out Edinburgh, which totally lived up to what everyone said about it being a beautiful city. (Pictures from Scotland so far)  Now we are back to the week, which I get to bake more hopefully yummy treats.  Confession though, I have been baking and cooking and even doing a bit of work, but I have been sleeping a lot.  You would think I hadn't slept in months...but then again I guess this is a vacation and I can do as a want with it.  Oh wells, but you really should totally try these cookies!  Enjoy!

Oh and I had my first fish and chips this week and it was delicious!

Scones 2 Ways: Savory (Cheddar Bacon) vs. Sweet (Cinnamon Raisin Pecan)

These scones were inspired by my mom's delicious cranberry orange scones...well that and I only have a cookie sheet currently for baking over here.  I just don't want to invest any too many baking tools over here, what can I say.  I did these scones two ways because Charles does not eat raisins.  Well and technically these aren't raisins their Sultanas, because they were cheaper than the raisins...plus they taste and look basically the same.  So the ones on the left are cheddar bacon scones and the ones on the right are cinnamon "raisin" pecan scones.  They are light, delicious and simple.  You could definitely throw these scones together for breakfast one morning.  These scones are going to be taken on an all day bus tour of the Highlands.  Pictures will come!  In the mean time these are a few more sights you can see while wondering around the streets of Glasgow.

A walk to the tearoom on a warm and sunny afternoon...totally worth the two miles there and back.

Spinach Mushroom Onion Flatbread

Sometimes its really nice to be able to just relax.  To wander a new city, make up your own plans for the day, work when you feel like working and get to cook for someone other than yourself, in a new kitchen.  It can be a weird feeling when you truly get to decide what you want to do between 8am and 5:30pm during the week.  

Sometimes you just want to go for a run around new park, along a different river from normal.

Sometimes you wander around Glasgow and come upon a market...

Guest Post # 9: Cranberry Orange Scones

So I went home a couple of weeks ago to hangout with mom and what is the first thing she did when I got home but start baking these scones.  FYI I told her this is all on her...I had done my baking for the week, BUT I would be more than happy yo take pictures.  I have been wanting her to so a guest post and this was the perfect opportunity.

Well my mom id kind of awesome.  We did the whole were aren't going to be close bit when I was in middle school and high school.  I mean she used to scare me because I never wanted to disappoint her or make her mad.  But when I moved away to college we got much closer.  Late in high school we started having "girls" weekends in New York every summer; shopping, seeing shoes and exploring different restaurants.  Then back in 2012 we took a cruise on the Mediterranean for two weeks and managed to not kill each other...this was definitely a social experiment to start with.  

Truthfully I have to seriously thank my mom for all of her support.  She has always encouraged me to follow my heart and go after my dreams, even when it involved following a boy to D.C.  She is the kind of lady that say when I can't make caramels because I don't have a candy thermometer, will just go out and buy one.  The kind of lady that gets my brother to go in with her to buy me a KitchenAid mixer for Christmas...even though it is sitting in a box in Greensboro.  If only I had a bigger kitchen to store...someday.  

What do you do with leftover trail mix from a plane ride...Trail Mix Cookies

Well as it turns out, I am a bad international flier.  I always think I might be able to sleep on the airplane, like maybe this time.  I even bought one of those funny neck pillows in the airport and Tylenol PM thinking surely this will knock me out and allow me to get more than two hours of sleep, but alas no.  

So, what do you do when you can't sleep...well I ate a little snack...aka the trail mix that is now going in these cookies.  It is the perfect trail mix for cookies...peanuts, chocolate pieces, peanut butter chips and dried cherries.  Way to go Trader Joe's...but I have to admit I took out the almonds and cashews for the cookies.  The cookies are a new chocolate chip cookie base that is soft and chewy.  They have a nice crunch from the peanuts, and the peanut chips are like hidden gems as they blend in with cookie dough.  The cherries are a bit sweet and tart, while adding a new texture and go great with the chocolate pieces.  Any who, Enjoy!

Strawberry Mint Shortcake with a Balsamic Reduction

Here's the deal...one of my very best college friends officially moved to DC this past weekend and I am so pumped to have her here!  I feel like I have been playing the waiting game for months and of course she moved the weekend before I head on vacation for three weeks.  

So what did I do?  I brought over a welcome lunch and a house warming gift of strawberry infused vodka for Courtney and Dusty.  So we...

...Chowed down on some beet pesto pasta with peas, broccoli and onions.