Malted Milk Pecan Raisin Cookies

I've decided to pull my act together and post a recipe. By the way, it's becoming more and more difficult to do… Pulling my act together, that is. But I refuse to give up… not just yet... 

As of lately, this particular cookie recipe has become an absolute favorite in our household. Well, to be completely fair, it has become an absolute favorite among Val and me. The boys are still refusing to eat anything cooked my me. Although I'm pretty sure that Juna wouldn't mind an occasional fallen-on-the-floor cookie, and that makes it a majority of our household.

This recipe is adapted from The Pioneer Woman. I've tried following the original recipe, but I'm not big on chocolate chip cookies (yes, I'm weird like that!) AND I usually use less sugar in all of my deserts. So I adjusted the recipe to my liking.

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup malted milk powder
1 cup pecans
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter. Then add sugar and cream until fluffy. Add eggs and beat slightly. Add vanilla and beat until combined. 

Add malted milk powder and beat until combined.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating gently on lower speed until just combined.

Chop up pecans and fold them into cookie batter along with raisins using wooden spoon or spatula.

Drop cookie batter by spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. I like my cookies on the smaller side, so I used a small cookie scoop generously filled with batter. Also, the Pioneer Woman recommends baking them for 10-12 minutes, but it takes a couple of minutes longer in my oven. So I would recommend to watch closely your first batch of cookies. Bake less if you want softer cookies, more, if you want crispy cookies. Btw, I highly recommend this amazing baking mat. I'm never going back to greasing sheets and parchment paper! 

Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them onto your cooling rack. Keep them in an airtight container or in a ziploc bag, once they cooled completely.

Enjoy with a glass of milk! Now, if I could only find a perfect recipe for an oatmeal raisin cookie...

Weekly Twins - April Digest #3

I've been neglecting my blog so much lately, it makes me feel incredibly guilty. I enjoy blogging very much, but with life's constantly changing dynamics I have to prioritize some things and push back another. I so wish a day had more hours in it. Thirty would be a good number of hours in a day, I think. But for now, I have to figure out how to get everything done in twenty-four. Well, hopefully, very very soon, I'll be done with my grandiose backyard improvement project that I've been working on for the past few weeks, and my life's routine will normalize and fall back into its place and the time will not be as scarce anymore. 

As for the twin related news, Alex has been impressing me with his full-blown walking skills, like there is no tomorrow. I really didn't expect him to become this good this fast. I've been taking them to the playground and, the other day, I took them to an empty tennis court early in the morning, and let them run around until… well, until they pretty much could not run anymore. I mean, what's the point of going to a playground, if they aren't interested in climbing the structures. All them wanna do is run around without stopping. So, fenced empty tennis court is perfect and safe for that particular activity. 

My mom is coming to visit this coming Wednesday. She'll be staying with us for two weeks and after she leaves, we are going for our first family vacation ever. That's exciting, as well as mind-boggling… I cannot even begin to think about all the preparations and arrangement that have to be made in order for this vacation to go smooth and stress-free. Not sure if the "stress-free" part is even possible. But anyhow, I'm excited to get the hell out of here and go anywhere! I haven't flown the plan since the boys were two little peanuts in my belly, so it is safe to say that I'm overdue for an air-journey. 

Now, when the backyard project is in its wrapping-up stage, I'm hopping to catch-up on some of my recipe-posts that have been "in-process" forever now. But for now, some twin-picture-spam, as usual…

 

This child is very interested in anything that grows...

And this child is very interested in heavy machinery…

Today during brunch...

Celebrate No More...

I have a very special and important life event that I've been associating with Boston Marathon for the past thirteen years. It is actually very symbolic too. On April 17 of 2000 I came to Boston to stay for good.  I came to Boston running away (quite literally) from my past life. I was standing on the corner of Beacon and Harvard looking at the passing runners, crying and thinking that I might have to spend the night in my car. I came to this town having no one to help and no place to stay and I could not find a vacancy in any of the hotels because of the marathon. It was the most difficult and the most important "run" of my life. It's also the most proudest one. It made me who I am today. It brought me to where I am today. 

Each year thereafter, on the day of Boston Marathon, I am celebrating my own personal triumph. I am being grateful. I am being proud. I remember. I reflect. I laugh. I cry. But now I feel like I cannot do that anymore. Yesterday happened and now I feel like I have no right for celebration. I don't even know what to feel. I'm in denial and I think I would like to stay there. It's just something scary, horrible and unthinkable creeped in so close to home it makes me numb inside. Literally. It is very close to home. Just a few subway stops away. 

As I was taking the boys out for a walk yesterday morning, I ran into my neighbor walking with her little girl. We were talking about taking the kids out to the city in the afternoon to see the marathon. Neither of us went, thankfully. And I just refuse to think about what could've happened if we did. 

I am also relieved that my boys are at this age that I do not have to look for words while trying to explain to them something that I can't quite comprehend myself. 

Again, I do not know how to feel about all of this. But at the same time I feel guilty about not knowing how to feel. I don't want to come across any source of news as I refuse to see or hear about number of fatalities, injuries and amputations. I feel like putting my hands over my ears really tight, close my eyes, make a loud humming sound and wait until it all passes...

Spring Has Sprung… & Mother Has Gone Crazy… April Digest #2

I haven't posted in a while and it feels sort of strange. Sorry dear blog! I'm just gonna go ahead and blame it all on sunshine. But it's a positive kind of blame… as I don't wanna tick off the Sun. Since it finally feels and looks and smells like Spring, I've been in such a good mood and my energy levels are going thru the roof. I feel like my creative juices are brewing again. 

I've been feeling overly ambitious lately (which isn't necessarily a good thing) and all that aspirational power went straight from my head to my hands and made me start several projects at a time. Moreover, those several projects are quite strategic. As it turns out, I just refuse to let myself be idle under any circumstances. I have several projects going - a few of them out in our backyard, and one inside of the house, in case it gets really cold or rainy outside. Told ya, hyper-crazy-lady on the loose! 

Can you imagine the amount of shit I could accomplish if we ever move to a warmer place? 

But here is the reality check - "starting several projects" does not automatically mean "successfully finishing all of them". And with that said, in order not to look silly later on, I'm not gonna go into specifics about any of my projects, but I'm gonna tell you that I've been physically hurting for the past week. And that's with me being all fit, muscular and stuff… And no, I'm not planning on slowing killing myself or intentionally hurting myself in any way. I just want my family to have the time of our lives this coming summer. Ooooh, I'm so excited… and hyper… 

Unfortunately, my schedule can barely fit in checking my emails, let alone working on blog posts or following other blogs. That makes mama sad! But I'm happy to report that I still find time to cook (that is sometimes… okay, fine - rarely) and snap some pictures of the process for the future recipe posts. 

Speaking of… I promised my bestest friend to post a recipe of beef stock and some other soup a while back, but failed to do so, for which I deeply apologize. I have everything ready for it, I just need to piece it together and post it. 

Ummm… I think it would be appropriate right about now to say something about the kids. Yes, we still got them and they are still awesome! Oh, yes - and I absolutely need to scream about this news - ALEX IS WALKING!!! It's like he heard me complaining to the doctor at our last appointment and said "quit your whining, mother, I'll walk!". Thank you, son! We are all so very happy and so very proud of you! 

Baked Butternut Squash With Couscous & Goat Cheese

This post is yet again dedicated to my bestest friend who had asked me to come up with a savory dish made of butternut squash. After combing thru some food blogs via Foodgawker I found a recipe that I was able to modify to my taste and put together this wonderful appetizer/side dish.

Weekly Twins - April Digest #1

The spring hasn't officially sprung (at least, in my book it hasn't), but it's definitely lingering around somewhere nearby. Just about freaking time! It's still unseasonably cold, although we had a couple of amazing warm days over the weekend. But it feels like February all over again this week. I took the boys out for an-hour-long stroll this afternoon and forgot my gloves. I came back home barely feeling my fingers. Some April weather! 

Nevertheless, stubborn crocuses are popping out everywhere, giving me hope that this winter might actually end… sometime in June… And despite the icy winds, persistent skateboarders come to the rink next to our house every single day to master their tricks. Also, it looks like magnolias are being unreasonably obstinate and are determined to bloom according to their regularly scheduled program, regardless of most overnight temperatures being below freezing.

Our dear father and the breadwinner of the family has been gone the longest time ever. His away time is adding up to the full seven-days week, instead of the usual four-day deal. It's been tough. Tough on all of us. My routine hasn't had its regular weekend intermission and at this point I'm pulling all of my "in-reserve" resources to keep the shit together. Those few warm days had definitely helped in achieving that.

I try to take the boys out for walks as often as possible. We've been gone from home for hours during those few warm days last week. It helped me to adjust their nap schedule a little and now they are napping for whopping 2.5 - 3 hours every day. The first time the three-hour nap happened, I was able to do some major spring cleaning in our tiny, but very messy backyard. Now it's all nice, clean and safe, and I can't wait for it to dry up a little, so I can let the boys out exploring it. I already let them play on the deck a few times. And despite the deck being rather boring and very limited, the boys are getting ecstatic every time I let them play on it. We also have been spending some time on the front porch, which is even more limited than deck, but nonetheless interesting. New thing and new spaces excite them very much these days, which gives me some sort of flexibility. 

Another new and exciting hobby we acquired this week is watching trains. We live a block away from the subway and train paths. I found this little spot where I can park the stroller, have a place to sit for myself, have grassy area for Juna to inspect AND from where you can see subway trains, commuter rail and amtrak/accela trains going in both direction. If it continues this way further, I might actually bring a book to read to these "train-watching sessions", as the boys are being so patient and quiet while waiting for the next approaching train.

What else? Oh, I took the boys shopping to Brookline's Coolidge Corner on Saturday and they didn't appreciate that particular activity very much. They seems bored the whole time. But I did get some cute stuff for them in Gap. I suspect it might be the side-by-side stroller they don't like very much...

On Monday It started to rain during our afternoon walk; we had to come running home. Then we sat on the front porch watching the rain and listening to the thunderstorm. I have to admit I enjoyed that part very much. It was almost poetic and almost too cheesy, but still quite nice. 

Yesterday - that is when February came back - the boys had their fifteen-months check-up with the doctor. This was the first time for me being at the doctor's with the twins by myself. But as you can see, I managed. A little creativity goes a long way! You can't see on this picture, but there is my iPhone on the desk playing oh-so-familiar "Tappy Tunes" application. It was the only way Alex kept calm, as he freaked out the moment I wheeled the stroller into the exam room. 

Yesterday I finally braved-up and took out the bag of Legos. And let me tell you, there has been some major head-clunking war of thrones for the biggest piece of Lego (the one you connect the wheels to). There is apparently only one of those in the set. I think the time has come to buy everything in doubles. And yes, Alex started his familiarization with Lego by inspecting the packaging first. 

I just scrolled up to the beginning of this post and WOW, I realized how busy our week was. I actually like it this way. "Busy" might not necessarily mean good. Diverse kind of "busy" is what makes it good for me. I'm so much more if not pleasant, then at least tolerable when I'm busy and there is at least slight hint of interest involved to keep my enthusiasm rolling. Yes, it actually happens to me once in a while - I get nice, pleasant and tolerable. And I don't whine and complain… as much… You'll see a nice me… that is if the spring comes for real this year…

Walking calms my nerves. It makes me notice little things like this pretty-pretty golden bike bell...

And big things, I somehow have missed before, like this wall mural on the side of Blissful Monkey yoga studio… Did I ever mention that I love Jamaica Plain? Oh, yeah, that's right, I did… like ten-thousand times already...

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes With Mixed Berries

Attention! Attention! The BEST pancake recipe is found! I'm not joking. I'm not exaggerating either. And to prove my point I'm gonna just say that there are so many recipes that I intend to post here, and for many of them I already have step-by-step pictures taken and even instructions drafted, nevertheless, they are still lingering somewhere out there waiting for my mood to swing into a favorable direction. Whereas, these things I made yesterday morning and I'm already posting this recipe the next day. And this is a pretty solid and valid proof of pancake-superiority. Okay? Oh, AND Alex ate them! Anymore proof you need?

Weekly Twins

It's official. The Spring is not coming this year. It called my cell this morning, while I was pushing the stroller with twins against icy wind and freezing my hands, face and ears off, and said that its flight had been cancelled for good. I'm tired of complaining about the weather and all that is left on my mind to say is - "end of March… WTF…?". It supposedly was over forty degrees today, but with wind chills it felt like mid thirties. Let me repeat again - end of March… WTF?

And you know what else? With this kind of weather I'm gonna get fat very very soon! These freezing temperatures make me so sad that I started eating sugar. Lots of it! And I was never into any kind of sweets.

Sad and fat - that's the face of my bright future! 

Otherwise, life is goooood. 

The twins are growing, but still not eating squat, which makes me feel like a total-failure-of-a-mother.  At least they love their milk. And now watch me jinxing it…

Alex is still not walking - similar to the above combination of words comes to mind - "almost sixteen months… WTF?".

We separated the boys into different rooms for good, as there is rarely a night that Mika doesn't wake up crying. At least now, he can settle down without waking Alex up, which helps somewhat.

And now, the boys hate me being anywhere near the kitchen area. They cry, hang on my legs and push me out to the living area. So, now I have to bend over backwards and do all sorts of tricks in order to prepare a meal for them or wash the dishes. Oh yeah… and I already forgot about eating my lunch normally - I now do it in segments and mostly while standing… or walking around living room...

So life is gooood…

In interim, here are a few twins-related mementos captured with almighty iPhone:

And a little bit of Boston...