Fruit Salad Cones

Ingrid's end of the season soccer party was Friday night.  I was charged with fruit salad, and I was skeptical.  What kind of fruit salad will a bunch of 5-6-7 year old kids choose to eat with their pizza -- actually stop running around and eat?  The kind they can keep running around with!

Ingredients:

strawberries

blueberries

agave nectar

granulated sugar

lemon juice

whipped cream

waffle cones

Directions:

Super easy.  Chop the strawberries, mix with blueberries.  Amount depends upon your crowd, and throw in whatever fruit is in season and/or preferred.  Drizzle with a little agave nectar; start with maybe 1 Tablespoon.  Taste it; drizzle some more.  Not too much!  Sprinkle just a little granulated sugar on top (or skip this step, if you prefer). Toss in a little lemon juice for freshness.

Here's the cool part, the part that was cool enough that -by golly- each of those little soccer players got at least one good serving of fruit in that day: spoon this awesomeness right into those sugar cones, and top with chilled whipped cream (from a can if you're busy like me... or you can make your own if you're an over-achiever!).  It was a hit with grown-ups and children alike: I meant to take a picture of a completed cone, but none of them lasted long enough.  Chilling the fruit for a few hours or even freezing it would be yummy, too.

Knit-a-long!

 

Photos by Susan B. Anderson and from Susan B. Anderson's Ravelry page for this pattern.

I will be knitting the Frog and Turtle reversible toy from Susan B. Anderson's book, Itty Bitty Toys.  Highly recommended -- It's got projects for all levels and attention spans.  I've never knit a reversible, and all the toys I've done so far have been pretty simple, so this will be an adventure in stick-to-it-edness for me.  And I've got to stick to it because it's for Malcolm's birthday, coming up at the end of July.

Each time I sit down with a project, he asks, "Is that for me?"  It sort of breaks my heart when I tell him no.  SO, I let him peruse this sweet little book, and I told him, "Pick anything you want. I'll knit it for your birthday!" Is he spoiled because he's so supremely adorable?  Yes.  Was I over-estimating my knitting prowess?  Probably also yes.

However, I will not underestimate the power of inspiration:  At this very moment, Malcolm is outside in the backyard with me.  Older sister in school, younger sister napping.  He's got a wooden sword sticking out of an elastic belt worn around faded p.j. pants, tucked into cowboy boots.  He's lean, and his t-shirt sort of hangs off one shoulder, and, hopping around like only three year olds can do, his right hand battles the left... Right brandishing the wooden sword against imagined, though none-the-less sinister, baddies.  Supremely adorable.  I am delighted to put time and effort into a handmade gift for this boy.  He will love it, and give it life.  He deserves it. 

And, just because I am totally smitten, I am editing this post on Sunday to include another picture, taken today at a totally sweet birthday party:

Kitchen Sink Cookies

These are good.  I bake a lot of cookies; have been baking since little girlhood, when my mother was forced to lay down the law about not leaving my room prior to 6 am (because who wants their 6 year old loose in the pantry and working with the oven before sunrise?). Cookies, some breads, basic cakes and pastries like scones -- I forego the cookbook and just feel my way through.  Sometimes I come up with something sort of spectacular: This is one of those times.

A word of advice that ought to be a given from here on out, with any recipe posted here: Use good chocolate. Spring for the good stuff, people. It is always worth it. I like Scharfenberger's 70% bittersweet baking chunks.  And, bonus! They're sold in some regular supermarkets' baking aisles.

Ingredients

3 c. flour (spooned, then leveled, so as not to use too much)

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 c. vegetable shortening

2 c. packed light brown sugar

1 c. granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 egg white

2+ tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. coarsely chopped dark chocolate

1/2 c. chopped (and toasted, if desired) nuts

1/2 c. dried fruit

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 (350 if using a lighter pan). Line two heavy sheet pans with parchment. Beat butter, shortening and sugars together until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, then egg white, one at a time, beating very well after each addition. Mix in vanilla, then flour, salt and baking powder. Lastly, fold in oats, chocolate, fruit and nuts.

Scoop with a generous ice cream scooper onto parchment. I mean big -- like 1/8 c. or so, rounded, leaving 1-2 inches between each cookie. (I fit 6 on each half-sheet pan.) Bake 10 minutes, rotate & switch pan position, bake 4-6 minutes more, until lightly golden brown. Cool on the pans for 2 or 3 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Store in airtight container. Makes 36+ cookies.

They taste even better the next day, if you manage to save any.