Waiting for Pizza {Perfect}

After a wonderful visit to the hospital to meet Georgia Grace, we stopped for lunch at Pizza Perfect. YUM.

Yum! A recipe!

These are the yummiest cookies ever. If not yummier.

They are called Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and I have no idea where I got the recipe, but my confidential source got it from Eating Well magazine, March 2005. I felt like I should disclose that, although none of the 4 people who read this will probably turn me in for ripping off a recipe.

On to the recipe. In Pioneer Woman fashion, I took pictures. Really just because I thought that would be fun. Not because you really need to see how to make cookies. Because if you did need help, learning from me would NOT be a good idea. I do not bake. In fact, I recently managed to mess up The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. which I had made twice with no problem. Pride cometh before a bad sheet cake.

So anyway, back to the cookies. My pictures didn't turn out so well. But here are a couple, although they don't really help you. If I had light other than "fluorescent" in my kitchen, it would help. But you do get to see my loverly countertops, which I can only assume were bottom-of-the-line back in 1955. And that should make someone thankful for their own counter-tops. I'm not jealous. Really.

The Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup ap flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tahini
4 tbsp butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

If you look closely, you'll see that I left the granulated sugar out of the picture, which I didn't realize until I was downloading pictures. Fortunately, my very own sugar requested a picture with the 'green-dients, so technically, this one does include sugar :-)

...and also shows off the "chrome" on the countertops. Making you a little more jealous than you were before.

Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix together oats, flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

Beat tahini and butter together until blended. Add sugars and beat until well combined. Add in egg, egg white and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in oat mixture until nearly incorporated, then add in chocolate chips (and optional nuts). Do not over mix.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.

I personally love this medium scoop from Pampered Chef. Or the large one if you want big ol' gourmet-looking cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (or 15 minutes for a crispy cookie), until golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen.

I'm not sure what microscopic size cookies you would have to make to get 4 dozen, but with the medium scoop, I get about 2 dozen. And I bake mine for 10 minutes because I like a gooey cookie.

Let's talk mixers for a moment. I got my hand mixer for a wedding gift and it has served me well. Except now I can only find one beater. So there was much chasing of the 'green-dients around the bowl today. Again, those of you with one of these, I am not jealous. At all.

Tahini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup ap flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tahini
4 tbsp butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together oats, flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Beat tahini and butter together until blended. Add sugars and beat until well combined. Add in egg, egg white and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in oat mixture until nearly incorporated, then add in chocolate chips. Do not over mix.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes (or 15 minutes for a crispy cookie), until golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 4 dozen.

Happy (almost) Birthday, Noah!

**My camera battery died, so most of these are pulled from the video, which is why they look a little "off"...I could obviously use some photography/video editing tips**

**Also, there are LOTS of pictures here, mostly for grandparents, but also because I LOVE THIS CHILD. And there's a recipe hidden in there somewhere, so it might be worth your time to look through this massive pile of CUTENESS!**

We had Noah's birthday party on Tuesday night so he could take 4 friends to Pump It Up. He had a big party there last year (for "the big 5") but we're only doing "big" (read: expensive) parties for birthdays 5 & 10. He REALLY wanted to go to Pump It Up again, so we compromised with just going to open playtime and only taking 4 friends (plus Maddy & Jack), and having the pizza and cake at home beforehand. And since he wanted Justice League (Batman/Superman) for the 4th year in a row, we already had all of the leftover party supplies!

Noah explaining how Martian Manhunter can control people with his mind...
Mmmm....love that WM pizza
Raise your hands if you're greasy!!

Mom, just let me eat!
I made "The Best Chocolate Sheetcake. Ever." a few weeks ago, because I am pregnant and crave chocolate and baked goods all. the. time. Actually I made it for a belated Valentine's dinner for Jared. And then gave at least half of it away because I could. not. stop. eating. It was a big hit and when I asked Noah what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he surprised me by asking for this one. He is NOT a sweet-eater, but this cake is THAT good. And it's basically no-fail, proven by the fact that I have made it twice and it was good both times! Do NOT make this cake if you are NOT okay with gaining a pound or six. It has...drum roll, please...3 and 3/4 sticks of butter! No wonder it's tasty!! By the way, the decorations are some year-old Superman sugar thingies, and yellow sugar-crystal Batman symbol, which Noah requested about 10 minutes before the party, so if you're not impressed, don't feel bad! Also, the bumpy things are nuts in the icing. I kind of did half-and-half in case the kids didn't like them, but they could not have cared less. They were just fighting over the year-old sugar lumps. Yuck-O.Admiring his cake...
You're never too old to have Mommy wipe the pizza off your face...
Candle-blowing attempt #1...
He couldn't quit getting tickled everytime he took a big breath...
...so I spared you the 4 or 5 breaths it took to get to the ACTUAL candle blowing out...
Finally...
SUCCESS!!
You can't go wrong with Star Wars Transformers
This picture looks JUST like my brother David! I think we have a picture of him exactly like this somewhere. I need to do some photo comparison one of these days.
And you also can't go wrong with Transformer spy gear.
He's obviously very disappointed with these Legos, as well.
...and so he stops to explain something very important...
...and then listens as his friends share their own Lego wisdom.
Ha! Of course I won't let my brother get his hands on my Transformer secret listening device tomorrow and chew through the earpiece...oh wait, that's EXACTLY what will happen...
This way to Pump It Up! Let's go!