Saturday, January 29, 2011

Miss Hattie's Top Secret Coconutties

Here is what I attempted:
Coconutties
4 large egg whites
3 cups dried sweetened and shredded coconut
¾ c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
¼ c all purpose flour
½ c chopped macadamia nuts, divided
1 c white chocolate chips, divided
Directions;
Put egg whites, coconut, sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts and flour in a large heavy pot. Mix Well. Cook on low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly so that it does not stick.

When mixture becomes thick remove from heat and let cool, still stirring occasionally. When mixture cools to room temperature add chopped ¼ cup of macadamia nuts and ½ c white chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 12-13 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.
Once cool, melt remaining white chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish for one minute on 70% power, stir. Cook for 30 seconds more on 70% power and stir again. Drizzle over each cookie and sprinkle with additional chopped macadamia nuts. Enjoy!


Here is the result:


All I can say is YUM! These are very tasty and really not as hard to make as I thought they were going to be. I did make a special trip to the store tonight for the white chocolate chips and nuts (was tempted to make them with the Pecans that I have in my freezer, but I wanted to be a purist!).  The recipe only makes about 2 1/2 dozen and I honestly think it will double very nicely.

The most amazing part of this recipe is that my son and one of my nephews (JOSH!) showed up as I was finishing a batch and they got to taste them. My nephew has never seen Despicable Me! and I think just based on his taste of the Coconutty cookies he will watch it!

Just as a side note - okay, not really a side note - I was so happy to see them tonight. My son is embarking on a very exciting journey playing in the USA vs. The World Football game this coming Wednesday, and I was already emotional over that! Getting to see one of my nephews was wonderful. What he really doesn't realize, and I told him tonight, is that he is in my thoughts daily. He is handsome and talented and tonight I was finally able to tell him that no matter what I am in his corner. (Crying Aunt hugging him tightly probably freaked him out a little - but, hey he is almost an adult and can handle it!) I truly treasure my nieces and nephews and do not get to spend the time with them that I would like to, but they are always in my heart and mind. These precious people walking the earth that I have watched grow (and will continue to watch) occupy me. An odd way of putting maybe, but it is true. I am so invested in them as people, as my family, as my heart – these young men, young women and children mean so much to me, that I don’t think they will understand until they are in my shoes.

Anyway – may they never be in my shoes and have a life of ease and leisure, but in the meantime….I am off to drizzle melting white chocolate on the last of the cookies and I plan on enjoying them.

Live, Laugh, Love ~ Vanilla Mama

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Simplest Fortune Cookie

My Life as a Fortune Cookie –
Before you start questioning, no I did not go out and buy a box of fortune cookies to do this with. I honestly have all these on my fridge from various trips to different places. I like sushi, love Chinese, order Pei-Wei….and before you even start, I know the sodium is not good for my blood pressure. I try to keep it to a minimum and also forgo the extra soy sauce. So, this collection of fortunes has been collected over time and we as a family like to open them and read them out at dinner and we hold on to the silly ones and the ones that mean something to us.
The one I pulled off today is, “The simplest answer is to act.”
I saved this one because when I got it I was facing a major life decision and after a long day decided dinner was going to be take out. (Perhaps menu planning is in order?) I am not sure whose fortune this actually was, but I kept it. Did I immediately take action? I would love to say that it was my turning point and I just made the changes I needed to, but that’s not what happened. Does my lack of action negate this fortune? Not at all – because it is true, sometimes.
Yes, the simplest answer is to act….there is no thought behind it. It is very easy to “act” on an impulse to do something rashly, to “act” in anger. It is simple.
Yes, the simplest answer is to act….there is no thought behind it. It is very easy to “act” with kindness, to do something with a kind heart, to “act” in love and thoughtfulness. It is simple.
Life changes do require action, always with some thought. Perhaps the simple part of a life change is the “act” to think and plan it out. Which is what I have been working on and through.
What will your simplest answer be today? Will you take the simple act to be kind to someone else, smile, give an extra hug? Make the simple act to play with your child, talk to your teen, show your spouse that you love him. Don’t act rashly with the big stuff, don’t act out in traffic or come unglued on some poor retail person (hint, hint!), don’t act on the feelings of anger that may surface – the simplest answer here is to act with kindness.
Lucky Numbers for the day: 42, 17, 11, 5, 32, 24 (Maybe you should ACT on those?!)
Live, Laugh, Love ~
Vanilla Mama

Monday, January 24, 2011

My Life as a Fortune Cookie

There is a little local family owned Chinese restaurant that we order dinner from on occasion – This restaurant is a funny little place.
Mom speaks very little English and she reminds me of the “Soup Nazi,” I’ve never met Dad, but the two boys crack me up.
I have been watching for years the younger son riding his bike to and from home to the restaurant, the older boy I never really met until recently. Turns out, they go to school with my two older boys.
Anyway…little off track…you very rarely see anyone eating in the restaurant, but there are always people coming in and out picking up orders – No Delivery for You! – in fact I really had no idea how many people came in and out….until….
I invited my Mom and Dad over for dinner on Saturday night, of course normally I am a mouch and head over to Mom and Dad’s with the family for dinner – but, this weekend I thought I should treat them. I was so tired though that I opted to order dinner from our local place. I placed the order, thankfully one of the boys answered the phone to take the order, because they are easier to understand on the phone, I gave my name…”****” and was told it would be ready to pick up in about 15-20 minutes.
Mom waited in the car while I went it to pick it up…the younger boy asked my name, I told him and he started to hand me a bag naming off what was in it.
“Huh? That’s not what I ordered.” This poor boy, I think he must be 14, got the sickest look on his face.

“Your name is ****?”
“Yes, but that is not my order.” The other boy walks out and asks what is wrong…..
“There were two ****’s, I gave the other lady the wrong order!!”
There was a fury of phone calling and they reached the other **** and she agreed to bring my food back so that she could get her food.
The mother came out during all this and there was a lot of harsh words and finger shaking that I could not understand, but I got the jist of it.
After the food finally arrive (HA – I got a delivery!) the older boy asked me about my oldest son, but he asked if I was his sister…..can I tell you that young man got some extra brownie points.
So – the whole point of this post…the other night after working and not feeling good, we ordered from the same place again, rather than my first name, I gave my last! I went to pick it up and after consuming mass quantities of sodium with a little rice, we opened up our fortune cookies.
Made in the USA
Yes, that was our fortune cookie, “Made in the USA.” We laughed so hard, I gotta tell you I was happy to know that our cookie was made in the USA, I had not ever given it much thought. I was especially happy that our DINNER was made in the USA. There really is so little that seems to be made in the United States anymore, we have become a service industry nation…we serve. Whether it is local diners, pest control or retail stores – we serve. We build so very little now…we make fortune cookie though!

Live, Laugh, Love ~
Vanilla Mama

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Hmm..Interesting

While having a casual conversation today I was offered an incredible Carametls from Werthers (totally awesome, CVS watch out I will be shortly be buying out your inventory!) and somehow the subject moved from Caramelts to different flavored candies...caramels, peppermints and twizzlers....cherry flavored and strawberry. Not really sure how it got to this point, but one of the ladies mentioned that she can't eat cherry or vanilla flavors. We looked at her and asked, "Why?" almost in the same breath.

Without missing a beat she replies, "They are stripper names...Cherry "anything," and Vanilla."

WHAT?! Excuse me - I have been on this planet 38 years now...20 of which I could have been following the stripper market, but in all honesty not really high on my list...and never once has anyone brought up that Vanilla Mama could be a stripper name!!

Seriously....WHAT?!

So, I mentioned that my nickname is Vanilla Mama - and they almost died laughing (one of them anyway - the other had a totally shocked face). I mentioned that I have a blog called "Vanilla Mama's Stuff," and really I have never heard anything about Vanilla being a stripper name and that just yesterday I put in the whole reason why I am Vanilla Mama - and today, I am a stripper, NOT!?! HAHA!!

People would in all honesty PAY ME to KEEP MY CLOTHES ON!!

So - fill me in, am I totally naive? Have I no clue about the world outside my bubble?

In the long run - Vanilla Mama I am, Vanilla Mama I will always be :)

Live, Laugh, Love ~ The Vanilla Mama

Monday, January 17, 2011

Introductions that need to be made....

Often people will hear me refer to Herbert, Herbert, Jr. and Mathilda like they are old family friends. We spend time together, walk together, write together….in essence we are connected at a very deep level. Who is this trio of personas?

Herbert is the Morton’s Neuroma that has developed in my right foot. Basically a benign tumor that is growing on the nerve in-between my third and fourth toe, which I have had two steroid shots for and will eventually need surgery to correct.

A quick word (or maybe not so quick) on the joy of a steroid injection….the first one, I am laying back on the table and I get my foot swabbed off really well with alcohol and then freeze rayed with some sort of canned air, then the nurse shows me this needle….not really sure needle would be the correct term…hmm…LARGE, hollow, sharp, shaft filled with serum that she intends to stick in my foot. Yep, that sums it up! So she takes hold of my foot and tells me to make sure I let her know when it starts to be unbearable. She seems so sweet, about 5’4”, thin with short pretty blonde hair, dimples even. I trust her implicitly!

Okay, I can do this! When it gets unbearable, she’ll stop. I have given birth, gone through labor, had surgery….I can do this. Uhhh-huhh, I am woman hear me roar and all that. This lovely lady sticks the LARGE, hollow, sharp shaft filled with serum into my foot and I nearly jump off the table. (Have I mentioned that at one point in my life it took 2 nurses, a doctor and my mother to hold me down for a shot? I have come a long way, but this is ridiculous!) So, I am breathing deep through the searing burn of the steroid being injected into the tender ball of my foot and I reach the point where seriously the lights are fading and I am going to pass out.

“Okay, it’s unbearable. Really!” I gasped.

“Great, we are in the right spot.” She says cheerfully. EXCUSE ME!!! EXCUSE ME!!!

“You said to tell you when it got unbearable, this really HURTS!” I am trying not to cry, not to pass out, not to vomit all over her (because she is at my feet and while the thought of covering her in vomit is very appealing right that minute….I would in turn be covering myself!).

“We are almost done, just breath….”

I laid back on the table and imagined any manner of painful death that I could for this petite woman who clearly eats too little. Did she forget to eat this morning? Maybe that is her problem!! I cannot speak. I feel a final “umph,” I know, not really a word, but for lack of one to describe it…maybe final push? And she announces that she is done.

“Maybe you should lay there a few minutes. Are you okay?” I cannot speak. She leaves; I think she can feel the daggers following her.

A different nurse comes in a few minutes later….

Around six months later, I had to do it all again!! This time it was a male nurse and he had the courtesy to ask if I had ever had to have this done before. He got the whole story!

“That was not cool! Now that you know what to expect as long as you promise not to kick me, we will get through this.”

Kicking, Kicking….why the hell did I not think of kicking before??!

In order to hopefully postpone having this amazing shot done again, I wear Granny Shoes….yes, Granny Shoes. With, get this, orthotic inserts!! Not just any orthotic inserts – ones that I went and had MADE FOR ME!! This from the woman who can honestly say, up until this point consistently bought shoes at PAYLESS!! Payless during BOGO!!!

Mathilda came along later, after wearing the Granny Shoes with Inserts for a while. She is a little bump on the side of my foot. She is not a corn…frankly, they can’t exactly say what she is…other than painful. So, in my special Granny Shoes with Inserts I now have a special doughnut for Mathilda, made especially for her by the “special shoe store.”

Between Mathilda and Herbert there is no waltzing! (Or dancing, much walking or even much yoga!)

That only leaves Herbert, Jr. to introduce. But Junior and I actually get along pretty well, especially since I get to gross people out with him! He is basically a Morton’s Neuroma on my left hand, I think in this case they call it a cyst. When I open and close my hand he moves up and down the back of my hand. He dances to the movement and as I have lost more and more weight, 80 pounds and counting, people can see him better and I get to introduce him. Twisted? Oh yeah! But, I gotta tell you, it cracks me up.

If I am going to have these weird things, I might as well embrace them. I can’t necessarily change them right now. I work two jobs, have three kids, a husband (who by the way is amazing!), I am doing medical transcription training and trying to write….somehow surgery just doesn’t seem to fit into my schedule to take care of Herbert. Anyway, I might miss him. Hmm…probably not!

Live, Laugh, Love ~Vanilla Mama

Friday, January 14, 2011

My Life as a Fortune Cookie

So, I think a regular feature I will have is, "My Life as a Fortune Cookie" - let's face it, most of what you pull out of that inedible little cookie is total dribble, but there are some though provoking, inspiring or down right absurd ones that just need to be shared!

We actually have several stuck to our refrigerator that I just couldn't throw away without getting them down somewhere....

Here it goes:

Live, think and act for today.
Tomorrow may be too late.

I think that it is kinda funny that I picked that one out of the pile for today. I had the thought to do this tonight and was about to head to bed since the flu is running rampant through our house and I have to work tomorrow, but I wanted to get this out of my head....because, tomorrow I may forget! Very appropriate, don't you think?

In all seriousness, this is so incredibly true. You truly never know what tomorrow will bring, so make sure you make the most out of today. Tell the people you love that you love them, spend that 15 minutes extra reading or playing on the floor with your kids. Pray every instant you have the chance. God gives us these precious minutes that we have on this earth and there are only so many of them that we get.

My oldest son was just honored by his football coaches with an incredible award, for basically being an outstanding person. A person that people can look up to, emulate, a person that has an amazing heart that he is happy to share with all. The award is in the name of a young man, Chad Tinsley, who was a football player on my son's team many years ago. He was young man of such character that even now, since his death in 1997, his coaches still remember him. I had the privilege to meet his mother and brother and they were so pleased that my son won this award. They had heard so many positive things from the coaches, players and parents. So many people stopped me last night to tell me that they could not imagine anyone more deserving of this award than my son. My son cares and opens his heart and lives today with passion and I am so incredibly proud of him. Those of you who know me, know my son - if you get the chance today (or any day!) let him know how proud you are of him. I have two other amazing sons that I do not want to feel left out by this praise of my oldest - but trust me, my time to lift you up will come. Everyone has their moment to shine and this moment is for him!



This post got more serious that I had intended - but, that is a fortune cookie for you. You never know what it is going to say -

So - lucky numbers anyone? 14, 18, 24, 29, 35, 40
Hmmm....too late for lottery tickets tonight.

Live, Laugh, Love - Vanilla Mama

Friday, January 7, 2011

Miss Hattie's Top Secret Cookie Recipes

K - i have been requested by my family to MAKE these cookies from the movie and since they supply the receipes on the Blu-Ray (But, no where online), I have copied them down to make it easier for other people to find....Hopefully I am not violating some sort of copyright code, but if I am I will change the name.

As I make the cookies I will post pictures and let you know how they turn out. We will be making the Caramel Clumpues and Toffee Totes first as they appear to be the easiest - the Coconutties I am SURE will be dead last, even though they sound yummy!

Anyway, if you beat me to making them, feel free to upload your pictures and let me know if they are worth making -

Carmel clumpies
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
2/3 cup all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt
2 ½ cup rolled oats
7 oz chewy caramels, coarsely chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars. Add the egg and the vanilla and beat well until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt, add to the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla mixture and mix in well. Finally add the oats and caramels and stir. Chill dough for one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes just until brown but do not over bake or they will lose their clumpiness. Slide parchment paper and cookies onto counter top to cool. Enjoy!

Toffee Totes
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ c brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk chocolate covered English Toffee bars, coarsely chopped.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together with electric mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture to butter mixture, starting at low speed, gradually working your way up to medium speed until thoroughly mixed but not over mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee. Shape into 1 inch by 2 inch rectangles and place 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!

Coconutties
4 large egg whites
3 cups dried sweetened and shredded coconut
¾ c sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp coconut extract
¼ c all purpose flour
½ c chopped macadamia nuts, divided
1 c white chocolate chips, divided
Directions;
Put egg whites, coconut, sugar, vanilla and coconut extracts and flour in a large heavy pot. Mix Well. Cook on low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly so that it does not stick.
When mixture becomes thick remove from heat and let cool, still stirring occasionally. When mixture cools to room temperature add chopped ¼ cup of macadamia nuts and ½ c white chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 12-13 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.
Once cool, melt remaining white chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish for one minute on 70% power, stir. Cook for 30 seconds more on 70% power and stir again. Drizzle over each cookie and sprinkle with additional chopped macadamia nuts. Enjoy!

Minty Mints
Cookies:
½ c butter chilled and diced
1 ¼ c all purpose flour
2 table sppons cocoa powder
¼ c powdered sugar
Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ c powered sugar
8 peppermint disk candies crushed
Blue and pink sprinkles
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Cut in the butter using an electric mixer, a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Knead lightly until a soft dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Frosting:
In a medium sized mixing bowl beat cream cheese on medium speed until creamed. Then add butter and mix together on high speed, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides until well incorporated.
Add vanilla and mix again on medium speed until well incorporated. Add powered sugar one cup at a time first at low speed and then on high once the powder is absorbed until desired sweetness and consistency is achieved. Refrigerate with cookie dough.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove frosting from fridge and set aside. Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to ½ inch thickness.
Remove top layer of parchment paper. Using a star shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many as possible, slide a thin flat spatula under each star, peel away scraps and slip star over onto parchment lined cookie sheet, placing them two inches apart. Gather scraps and repeat.
Bake for 12-15 minutes just until edges begin to darken. Remove from oven and slide parchment paper and cookies onto counter top and let cool completely. Frost cookies and sprinkle with crushed peppermint and colors sprinkles. Enjoy.

Choco Swirlies
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
¼ c brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c milk chocolate chips
1 ¼ c white chocolate coarsely chopped and divided.
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture staring at low speed and gradually working up to medium speed until completely combined but not over mixed.
Stir in chocolate chips and 1 cup white chocolate. Chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out half of the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a large rectangle ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut dough into ¼ inch strips. Gently roll each strip to round out the edges, then coil the strip into a swirl and place two inches apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
Sprinkle with remaining white chocolate flakes. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake 8-10 minutes Don’t over bake so the cookie is soft not crispy. Slide parchment paper and cookie onto counter top to cool. Enjoy!

These are the Toffee Totes (Chocolate ones) and Caramel Clumpies.
One VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure you are using ALL PURPOSE FLOUR!!! I had forgotten the last flour I purchased was WHITE WHOLE WHEAT Flour, which is GREAT for bread....but, not so great for COOKIES (or cornbread - but that is another story!). I will assure you that they all were eaten, but I think that if I had not had the flour misshap, they might have moved faster. I guess bottom line for these two cookies is....White Whole Wheat Flour will make a healthier cookie, I hope, but All Purpose Flour will taste better!
Live, Laugh, Love - Vanilla Mama