Eggplant Zucchini Tomato Tart for a light summer lunch

I have been slacking here.  I have been baking and not posting.  It's just been kind of crazy, with so much going on in the evenings and weekends...plus I am still playing with my new camera...it's just not quite as easy as picking up my iPhone to take pictures in the middle of baking.  

In all seriousness, this summer has been flying by...how are we almost to the end of July?  There is just not enough time for all of the summer things I want to bake, or enough time to enjoy the summer laying by the pool and reading.  I am not going to let this summer run a way just yet though!  I want more free movie nights in Crystal City and more Jazz in the Sculpture Garden!

Sun-dried Tomato Basil Parmesan Biscuits

With my basil plant a little out of control (it is enjoying the crazy rain and then sunshine that happens most days now in DC) I was looking for new recipes to throw basil into.  That and apparently I really love the sun-dried tomato basil combination, as in the past 12 months I have made savory sun-dried tomato cupcakes and sun-dried tomato basil Dutch oven bread.  The combination of these ingredients baking in the oven is seriously one of the best smells.  I have loved this flavor combination since high school when I worked in my first restaurant, Cafe Carolina.  Out of all of the baked goods we made from savory to sweet, the best smell that came out of the oven was from the sun-dried tomato basil baguettes.  This smell almost made it worth while to be getting to work around 7:00am.

So this summer, I am putting a twist on the classic biscuit and adding in sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.  They are a simple twist on a classic, easy and delicious, plus they come out tender the way any good biscuit should.  Also, you can totally make them gluten-free by switching out the flour with any gluten-free substitute.  I used my favorite, Pamela's Ultimate.  Enjoy!

Everything prepped and ready to go.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

I need to be blatantly honest here for a minute.  This morning was one of those mornings where I had to literally drag myself out of bed.  I woke up with all of my confidence drained and didn't want to go to work.  I literally slid out of bed because even Charles was telling me to go get ready.  Do you ever wonder why some days you honestly just want to stay in bed and not move...hide away from the world for just a day?  I mean this past weekend I was full of confidence gliding around New York, like I lived there and going for runs through Central Park like it was an everyday occurrence.  But today, today I just didn't want to face "it".  I did not feel like I had any right leading or having to give tasks to others when I didn't want to be doing anything myself.  Ultimately I did put my big girls pants, okay well skirt on and head to work.

But it left me thinking, am I the only one who has days of complete self doubt?  I honestly can't even say what brought it on.  I had a great four day weekend hanging out with my mom in DC and New York.  We ate delicious food, shopped and just strolled around New York.  (Pictures from New York) But then Monday morning came around and I had a serious case of the Mondays.

 

Before Monday came around and before heading to New York, for the 4th of July cookout at my office, there were these Oreo Cheesecake Cookies.  These cookies were originally made for Courtney and inspired by her favorite dessert.  I had done the cream cheese technique used in these cookies last fall for pumpkin cheesecake cookies, but I was a little nervous about how they would turn out in regular cookie dough.  Well, they turned out delicious!  Delicious as in I wish I had one right now, I may have had 3 or 4 in one day delicious.  Delicious as in I made the twice in 3 days.   Seriously, you kind of just need to try these if you like oreos and cheesecake.  Soft and chewy with bits of cream cheese and crunchy oreos; these cookies are the truly oreo cheesecake in cookie form.  Enjoy!

At the National's game on the 4th of July.  Our Nation's past time...

The most complicated part of these cookies is creating the cream cheese pieces.  Cut and then...

The perfect time of year for Mojito Cookies

I don't know what it is about summer, but it leaves me craving mojitos, hanging out with friends and generally doing nothing productive.  Oh my house is dirty oh well...and wait I should totally go for a run this evening...oops probably not the best idea after an afternoon cocktail.  Maybe I can go for an easy bike ride instead.  I crave these probably because they are cool and refreshing, plus I might have mint just growing in a pot on my front porch.  So while I was laying at the pool one afternoon and dreaming of having a cocktail while making baked goods I thought up these.

These are a cakey cookie.  There are not hard crunchy bits to these cookies.  They are light and fluffy with a lovely lime taste and just right hint of mint and rum.  Definitely a cookie that screams of summer, of picnics and relaxing.  So if you love mojitos as much as I do, or just are in the mood for something a bit different give these a dry.  Oh and did I mention they are low-fat because they are totes made with part butter and part low-fat ricotta cheese...

What's up baking from the coffee table...butter and sugar creamed, plus dry ingredients mixed.

Toasted Oat & Coconut Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Do you ever feel like you get a little behind on life?  Like it takes weeks for you to get some minute task done.  Or you have been meaning to stop by an old spot, but didn't get it done for a year.  Or maybe you have been dragging your feet about really sitting down and spending the time to think through what it is that you really want.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes we all need a break and to just escape, but I keep having to remind myself of a quote I read from Lincoln a few years ago...

 

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
                                                                                                                -Abraham Lincoln

 

Sometimes we have to just get stuff done, cross if off the list, and make those hard decisions...I think I am just giving myself a pep talk here...to first actually get stuff done this weekend and second to figure out what's next in life and how to best prepare for the future.  Right now I know the best way for me to plan, that doesn't require me to make a hard decision right this minute, is to keep baking.  When the time is right, everything else will fall into place.  So, in the mean time I will just keep trying to figure out different ways to get oats into recipes, chocolate into new cookie creations, and spread the love through baking.

 

 

It only took me a year, but I finally made it back out to my grandmother's old house.  Sometime in the future this barn will be torn down, along with her house, so I just had to visit one more time.

 

200th Recipe! Browned Butter Pecan Biscoff Cookie Cake

 

Somehow it has been crazy around here.  I don't know what's going on because its the summer and its supposed to be time for relaxing and hanging out with friends.  Don't get me wrong, I am making time to do said things but it sometimes feels like there is very little time to sit around and day dream.  Which let's be real, sometimes that is all I feel like doing.  This cake was a day dream...what's better than dreaming of cake?  Admission it was totally an after lunch, I am craving something sweet and can't really concentrate right this minute on the work task at hand day dream, because what, oh what am I going to make for my 200th recipe.  But in all seriousness a lot of thought went into this cake.  I mean I could have made anything, but I wanted to something over the top and unique, but not terribly complicated.  There might have even been GChats about this cake that went something like this...

 

Lauren: I might have to buy the TJs kind and make frosting with it

Meghan: omg that would be amazing

what kind of cake?

Lauren: hmmm

spice cake? Vanilla cake?

Meghan: spice cake might overwhelm the spread

that stuff is seriously good

Lauren: haha

what about between sugar cookies?
or honey cake? brown butter cake?

Meghan: oooh

brown butter cake would be perfect

 

Well this cake turned out exactly like I wanted.  The cake is moist and rich, it has an almost decadent flavor and the frosting has a slight crunch from the cookie butter that is creamy and spicy.  I can't wait to make is again and it is definitely the perfect 200th recipe for me!

 

It's officially summer! 

 

Which mean...Jazz in the Sculpture Garden.