A cop out or environmentally friendly?

On my birthday last week my husband thought he was being cute and thought his actions were blog worthy. So I am not sure if his true intentions were to be environmentally responsible or if he was being lazy. Several minutes before it was time for me to open presents, he left the kitchen with one of my “go green” bags. He then returned with my present inside the bag. I believe he may have forgotten to wrap my present, but I’ll give him the benefit and believe he was being clever. It was better than him just handing it to me. Ashlee said he could accomplish the same purpose of not wasting paper by reusing a birthday gift bag like she did. I don’t think I will ever not wrap presents to save paper because opening them is too much fun.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I love it when the first time you try to adapt a recipe that it turns out perfect. My life has been so incredibly crazy the past month that I was so grateful that when I found the time to make these cookies that they weren't a flop. My daughter Hollie had requested some chocolate crinkle cookies, and I decided to surprise her with them when she got home on a day she had to stay late at school. It made 36 cookies, and they were gone in 2 days.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES
1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 Tbls melted butter
12 Tbls cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups hard white wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Mix oil, butter, cocoa, sugar; blend in eggs.
2. Add vanilla, salt, baking powder, and flour.
3. Cover and chill several hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
5. Roll 1 Tbsp dough into a ball and roll around in powdered sugar to coat.
6. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Remove from baking sheet and cool.
8. Have plenty of milk on hand to enjoy with cookies.

My favorite breakfast. No grinder required.

It is funny the things you believe as a kid. I thought that oats grew the way they come in the Quaker canister. I’m not sure when I realized that oat flakes were made from oat groats, but I am glad I discovered it because steel cut oats is my favorite breakfast. And it’s not just because Oprah recommends eating them. I boil about 1/3 cup steel cut oats in 2/3 cup water for about 10 minutes. Once they are in the bowl, I add about 1 tablespoon brown sugar, some milk, and a handful of chopped walnuts. Yummy!

I asked "paper or plastic" against my better judgement.

It was Harmon’s PTA days on Tuesday, and I volunteered for Copper Hills High as a grocery bagger. Just a couple thoughts I collected during my two hour stint as the up and coming Harmon's employee of the month.
Most people reply “plastic’s fine” when asked their bagging preference. If they didn’t care, I used my personal preference and snuck in paper bags. I was informed by my checker that that wasn’t the norm. Apparently paper is harder to work with, so that’s why checkers usually say, “Is plastic okay?”
My chattiness annoyed the checker.
Two customers out of about twenty brought in reusable bags.
We gluttonous Americans use way too many plastic bags. Why do we need to put meat in one plastic bag, produce in another, and ibuprofen in still yet another plastic bag? Really what is it going to hurt to share a bag? All of these items sat without controversy in the shopping cart.
Bagging is hard work.

I can't find the right grain.

So I have been using spelt flour with great success in a variety of recipes and was beginning to think it was a miracle grain. So I thought I would try it in German Pancake. It only calls for 1/2 cup flour, but it has bugged me that I can't find a whole grain that works in this recipe. Spelt flour definitely had the same flavor as hard white wheat. Not bad, but it has a strong wheat flavor. I would like a grain that doesn't over power the egg taste. My son didn't even notice because all he can taste is syrup. I have tried barley flour and soy flour. Soy flour was beyond horrible. There isn't enough syrup in the world to hide that taste.

Hey Al Gore, can I get a new cell phone?

If you have read any of my previous green blogs, you know how much Al Gore’s approval means to me. I often think to myself “What would Al Gore do?” Okay, I don’t really think that, but I do like to make green choices. I checked out a book from the library that gives tips to reduce your carbon footprint. One of the tips was about cell phones and not to purchase a new one simply because your phone company suggests an upgrade. I didn’t know that. Seriously, who needs to be told that? I guess the same people who accept and use to the limit every credit card that they are approved for, or purchase a home simply because their loan officer tells them they can qualify for the mortgage. So if your phone just needs a little duct tape to hold the battery on don’t let your phone company sell you an upgrade, and if you can’t make the payment, don’t purchase the home. Stay tuned and I will keep you updated on more useful hints to keep the resources of the earth and your pocketbook plentiful.

Presentation! Presentation! Presentation!

I make homemade wheat rolls on Sunday quite frequently. I usually just shape them in a boring regular roll because you can use the leftovers for sandwiches. And, to be honest I am lazy, and it is just easier that way. Well, every once in a while I get fancy, and it is funny how the rolls taste so much better. Same recipe, different shape, and many more compliments.