Independence Day Cookies

Independence Day! The Fourth of July! Whatever you call it, make sure you celebrate it in style, like all Americans everywhere, eating to your hearts' content.

Try, for instance, this delicious Red, White, and Blue cookie recipe! This is completely my own recipe - so any complaints can be directed here. I haven't played around with it and have only made it once, but I thought it was DELICIOUS.

Anyway... here goes!




Jennifer's Red, White, and Blue Cookies

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 package white chocolate pudding
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tbs. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 scant tsp. of salt (if using salted butter, half this)
• 2 cups white flour
• 1/4 scant cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of oatmeal (optional - I also blended mine in the food processor to give it a finer texture. I imagine 2 and 1/4 heaping cup of white flour would also do the trick)
• 6 oz dried cranberries
• 4 oz dried blueberries
• 1 package Nestle white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix together both flours, salt, baking soda, and oatmeal and set aside. I blended all mine up together in a food processor to make the oatmeal have a fine texture.
3. Combine butter, sugars, and package of pudding on high speed until completely blended and fluffy. About two minutes on stand mixer.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, until completely blended. Add vanilla and mix.
5. Reduce the speed of mixer and slowly add the flour mixture until just blended.
6. Stir in dried cranberries, blueberries, and white chocolate chips.
7. Scoop by the spoonful onto a nonstick or greased cookie sheet, and bake about 12-15 minutes at 325 degrees.
8. Let cool 5 minutes and enjoy!

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These were insane delicious. I don't normally like white chocolate or dried fruit, especially in my cookies, but altogether these were amazing. Daniel and my mom liked them too!
















I hope you enjoy these and have a very blessed Fourth of July weekend!

Over, off, and out,
Jennifer<3

Crock Pot Island Pork

Today was a good day. Daniel got off of work early and we went to see State of Play with my Uncle Terry who is in town and my parents. It was a good movie and I really recommend it - very intense and NOT predictable! Russell Crowe is a good actor even if he is a complete jerk in real life. Best of all, there was lots of journalism in the movie, which I looove. If only I was as good at reporting as I was about writing and talking about myself all the time.

So anyway, we came home to a wonderful, warmed pork roast that Daniel made in the crock pot on his lunch break. He made it after he had gone to a crock pot cooking class at the church his mom works at. But of course, he changed the recipe a bit... and here's the end result, a perfectly tender and delicious carved up pork roast. Here's the recipe:

2 pork tenderloins (we only used one since it's just us, and we used a Boston pork roast instead - you could really use any cut of pork or chicken)

2 tbs. olive oil

Spice Rub:
Salt & pepper
1 tsp all spice
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme


Stuffing (optional)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic

Glaze
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp tabasco (we used local Cleveland, TN brand Kahn's Island hot sauce - recommended)
1/2 cup orange juice

Directions

• Cut slit in middle of roast, stuff cloves and thyme sprigs (optional)
• Mix spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub into pork tenderloin(s.)
• Heat oil in large skillet, brown spiced tenderloin on all sides, about 5-8 minutes. (we actually skipped this step and everything turned out fine)
  
• In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients. Place meat in the bottom of the crock pot. Cover with glaze.
• Either cook on high 2-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours. Enjoy!

(Adapted from Amanda Varnell's recipe)

Daniel enjoyed his pork roast with a baked potato, stuffed with one of the roasted garlic cloves and cheese. Because potatoes are my LEAST favorite food - I know, weird, right? - Daniel doesn't often get to eat them. But my parents were kind enough to bring him some to work, just for him!

On Sunday I may try another crock pot recipe - a dessert. ^_^ I love desserts, I have a major sweet tooth and I think fake sweeteners are of the devil and I've never had a cavity and I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with sugar! It should stop being grouped with "fat" on the food pyramid! It should go down another notch, at least.

I also love garlic.... I mean, LOVE it. Last night I made garlic bread with FIVE cloves of garlic and I could smell it on my body for hours afterward. Mmm. There's still a roasted clove of garlic that was stuffed in the pork tenderloin that I need to find something to put on that isn't a potato!

Signing out!

Jennifer