Cookie Jar: Crispy Rice Krispies Cookies

D2 is back  home and we are digging our feet in, getting ready to brave out the last quarter of the 15-16 school year.  This year feels like it went by quickly, except when I was counting down the days for D1 to come home.

I had some big plans for this vacation, which is all but gone now (just a few HOURS left).  I managed to get some things done, but I didn't get to things I wanted to do.

I wanted to send D2 on her trip with a gigantic bag of cookies.  That never happened.  I wanted to clean my bedroom.  That didn't happen.  I was hoping to complete my pacing guides for next year.  That didn't happen (my efforts fell far short).  I wanted to buy a new car.  That didn't happen either.

Enough about what didn't happen.  Here's what DID happen (which I can smile about):

• I survived the senior prom.  Mother Nature blessed us with safe driving conditions.  I could hear thunder while the prom was going on, but by the time we hit the road for home, the rain let up.
• D2 did not appear malnourished from her trip.  And the iPhone 5C is practically bulletproof.
• I discovered a super ono sushi lunch place in Hilo.
• My cousins treated me to a Hilo Hawaiian buffet dinner on crab night.

Life is good.

These are the cookies I wish I made for D2.

She'll hafta eat the pics.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Crispy Rice Krispies Cookies

     1 c butter

     1 c sugar

     1 c brown sugar

     2 eggs

     1 tsp vanilla

     2 c flour

     1 tsp baking powder

     1 tsp baking soda

     1/2 tsp salt

     2 c rolled oats (old fashioned oatmeal)

     2 c Rice Krispies cereal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.  Cream butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in dry ingredient mixture.  Fold in oats and Rice Krispies.  Drop by tablespoonfuls (#50 disher) onto prepared cookies sheets.  Moisten fingers and press gently to flatten slightly (top should be flat, not domed).  Bake 15 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies. 

Almost Uncle Dan's: Vegetable Dip

D2 left for the east coast on Thursday.  I have no idea how her packing went because I wasn't part of the process.  She assured me that she packed everything she needed.  I sure hope so, and it's too late now anyway.  I know what I forgot to be sure she took, but I'll save the whine for another post.

D2 will be home in a few days, and I'm certain she will want to eat white sticky rice (she stuffed herself with rice the few days she was home between trips).  Once she returns, I will need to go back to cooking food she likes:  beef teriyaki, chicken katsu, beef tomato, edamame rice, and anything made with oyster sauce.  Sigh.

When it's just me and The Help, we eat whatevers.  Maybe that's why we've had Jack In The Box multiple times in the past 2 weeks.  I am addicted to their monster tacos.  The Help cannot understand what the draw is, and I can't explain it either.  But I keep ordering the same thing.  Oh, and I MUST get an order of curly fries with the taco.  With D2, the only fast food establishment she recognizes is McD.  Nothing else, and that's why going to Jack In The Box when she isn't around seems equivalent to sneaking around behind her [her=the parents] back.  Maybe that's why the taco tastes even better.

Another naughty thing we've been doing is not eating "real" food for dinner.  We've eaten sweets and appetizers in the late afternoon and called it dinner.  Luckily, we stocked up on an assortment of chips just before D2 left on her first trip.  I like the kettle chips from Costco or the 40% reduced-fat Cape Cod chips (sometimes found at Costco).  Both go great with dip, and this copycat dip is what we've been having.  

Back in the 80s, I remember having a dip made with a supermarket seasoning packet.  It was called Uncle Dan's Southern Dip Mix, and you mixed the dry packet's contents with sour cream and mayonnaise for a totally awesome cold dip for chips or vegetables.  Its been years since I had that dip, and I haven't seen Uncle Dan's anywhere in the local supermarkets, but this is a dip which comes close to the flavor (at least what I remember about the flavor).

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Almost Uncle Dan's Southern Dip

     2/3 c sour cream

     2/3 c mayonnaise

     1/2 tsp dry dill

     1/2 tsp Beau Monde seasoning (Spice Islands)

     1 tbsp chopped green onions

     3 tsp minced fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients.  Chill to blend flavors.  Serve with chips or vegetable sticks.

Cabbage Seafood Salad

I'm exhausted from my weekend.  Yes, from my weekend.  I spent Saturday morning at a volleyball game, and I was quite impressed with the Kohala Cowboys.  Country teams cannot be taken for granted.  They must dedicate lots of time to practicing and honing their skills.  No more volleyball until after spring break.  Spring break, what took you so long?

Just two more days to keep it together at work.  Yay!  I can't believe I made it this far (and I know there is still a long road ahead of me to finish the year).  Prom is coming up soon and graduation will be here in two months.  Ugh.  I feel so unprepared, although I'm more than ready to relax.  I even have my liquid refreshments on deck, and in case Kraken falls short, I brought in reinforcements-wine from a recent Costco trip. 

On the cab ride back to her dorm (bags not even at ambient temperature), D1 laid it on me about the Pure Aloha Festival in Las Vegas coming up in mid April.  No, wait.  I got my story wrong.  She didn't tell me about the festival; she asked me to book her air travel (book=pay for).  Her friend's family will be selling 808 logo items at the festival so she claims she is going there to work.  If she had a car, she could drive to Vegas, but I don't dare suggest it, especially since I know what her driving is like.  I don't think she has ever been to Vegas and likely has no idea how crazy it is to drive there. 

In a few days, D2 will be off on another adventure.  This time the adventure will take her across the continent.  Glad she will be with Uncle Edz (happy 5-0 to you!).  Once again, I'm amazed at all the travel opportunity kids have now.  Times certainly have changed.

With D2 gone this past week, it was only The Help and me.  I figured this was a good time to use up the imitation crab sticks I bought in the jumbo pack from Costco.  D2 said they did not taste like kanikama and wanted nothing to do with them. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Cabbage Seafood Salad

     3 tbsp butter, melted
     1/2 small onion, sliced thin
     1/4 c celery, sliced thin (optional)
     2-3 c shredded cabbage
     2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/2 c cornflake crumbs
     1 c imitation crab, shredded
     1 c mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 1 1/2 quart ceramic dish.  Pour 1 tbsp butter into a skillet.  Saute onion, celery and cabbage.  Add Worcestershire sauce and salt.  Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.  Combine remaining 2 tbsp butter with cornflake crumbs.  Set aside.  Add imitation crab and mayonnaise to sauteed vegetables.  Spread mixture in prepared dish.  Top with cornflake crumbs.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Coconut Milk Rolled Biscuits

I've been having some really disappointing cooking days.  I just haven't been in the mood to cook much of anything.  I try to force myself to cook at least 3x/week, but even that is a stretch.  We've been getting by with a lot of "breakfast for dinner" kinds of dinners.

One thing good about having breakfast for dinner is the leftovers make good breakfast food (duuuhhhhhhh).  The other week we had waffles, and we were blessed with waffles for breakfast for the better part of the week.

Our breakfast food de la semaine is biscuits.  I made a bunch of them last night to start our week on the right foot.

Recently, I've been making baked goods with coconut milk. D2 has a thing for coconut milk so I've been buying Silk coconut milk whenever I go to Costco (they sell the double pack).  She doesn't like to eat coconut, except in shortbread cookies, but she loves the flavor of coconut.  Do you know someone like that?  Coconut milk adds just a hint of coconut flavor, and it seems to pair well with jams, jellies, and honey.  If you have a precious jar of special honey, eating it on one of these biscuits would be a great way to enjoy it.

Thanks to my boss, I can get local honey delivered directly to me.  This past week, he gave me a generous jar of honey for "all the help".  He said the honey was "Volcano honey", meaning it came from his hives in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park area.  In that areas, bees source nectar primarily from the ohia lehua blossom (found only in Hawaii).  Pure ohia lehua honey is white (due to crystallization), and makes a great Big Island souvenir.  It's definitely not the cheapest honey, but it is a special treat.

This coming week (or the week after that, for that matter) will likely not be the week my cooking activities return.  Boys volleyball season began last week so I will probably scrounge dinner at athletic concessions on game nights.  Last season, I must've eaten close to a dozen bowls of smoked meat and onion!  Not grumbling at all.  I wonder what kinds of goodies will be sold this year.

If I had more gumption/energy, this would actually be an excellent week to cook all kinds of things.  Miss Picky (D2) went on an early vacation with Mr. Dependable.  They went to take advantage of spring skiing in the Sierra Nevadas.  D1, who is on spring break (legitimate), met them in Reno.  I always shake my head at how large the Ds live. 

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Coconut Milk Rolled Biscuits

     2 c flour

     2 tbsp sugar

     4 tsp baking powder

     3/4 tsp salt

     1/3 c butter

     2/3 c cold coconut milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut butter into flour mixture until pea-size particles form.  Stir in coconut milk.  If mixture is dry, add up to 2 tbsp more coconut milk until dough holds together.  Turn dough onto floured board.  Pat into a 1"-thick slab.  Cut with a 2" biscuit cutter and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 13-14 minutes or until just starting to brown.  Remove from oven, cool slightly on wire rack before eating.

where did all the time go. . .