Amarand Journal

Things to do on a rainy day: Bake cookies!

The kids’ swimming lessons were cancelled again today—this time because we were in the middle of a thunderstorm and the Y had to close the pool.  I’m still not entirely sure why it is they have to close an indoor pool for a thunderstorm, but since it’s out of my control, I suppose I just have to deal with it.

In the interest of finding something fun’ish for the kidlets to do while they were stuck inside, we came up with the idea of making cookies.  Daniel was all for it, but Sylvie (in her pre-teen, angsty way) decided to spend time in her room brooding instead.  So be it.  She missed out on some super fun cookie making madness.

Sean was asking for peanut butter cookies, so I found a recipe here. I figured the easier, the better for my guys.  I took a shower and left the boys to their work.  They didn’t disappoint:  perfect peanut butter cookie taste, texture, and… some other third thing that escapes me right now.  Anyhow, they were good.  And Sean’s creative use of cookie cutters paired with the fork-tine crosshatching was really cute.  ☺

I’m probably going waaaay out on a limb here, but I think I want to make Chana Masala tonight for dinner.  Yes, the kids will most likely freak out.  They will likely cry and complain and claim that I’m the worst mother in the world for trying to force them to eat chickpeas.  They will dither and delay and dillydally, determined to deviate me from my planned dinner (like that alliteration?  Hah!!).  I figure if I make them eat at least one or two “weird” meals a week that maybe we’ll expand their ridiculously small palates.  I really would hate to see them living on macaroni and cheese (or even “cheeze”) forever.  There’s so much more interesting food out there to try!

I still want to try the chocolate tofu that’s sitting in my fridge right now.  Of course, now that I have it, I don’t entirely know what to do with it.  Put it in a smoothie with a banana and some peanut butter?  Mmmm…  Use it for pudding or pie filling?  I did just find a recipe for a cookie crumb crust that calls for Newman’s Own cookies, and I just happen to have a package in the pantry…  Find some other way to use it that I hadn’t even thought of yet?  The possibilities are endless!

I would be completely remiss if I didn’t plug my sweetie’s thread over on Post Punk Kitchen’s forum .  He’s getting popular, and he loves every minute it.  Come to think of it, I should probably start reading and contributing over there, too.  Those ladies are my vegan heroes.  ☺