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!