Oatmeal Cookies

52 Weeks of Cookies:  Week 9

This one is  a bit of a boring one.

As usual... you can click here to find the recipe

I don't have much to say about these... except that if I'm being completely honest with myself 

(and sometimes I like to think that I am)

I don't normally care for oatmeal cookies.

I decided not to add anything else to these (even though I REALLY wanted to)

If you click on the link above they do give some suggestions for things you can add... even giving out measurement amounts).

I brought them to John's and we ate them with hot chocolate.  I told him and his sister that I brought them cookies that were nothing special... his sister said that they were pretty good for being nothing special.

SO,

I've decided that this must be a pretty good basic oatmeal cookie recipe!

BUT...

I'm giving it 7/10

Because oatmeal isn't my favourite (but I see the potential)

I confess... I forgot to take a picture of the cookies until I only had 5 left.  Whoops!

Last week I made some healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies 

and I think you should try them!

What's Up Wednesday

The last Wednesday of every month Shay, Mel, and Sheaffer answer these questions

(and this week I'm joining them!)

What I'm Eating This Week...

I've already made one batch of cookies and I'm making a second today or tomorrow at some point.

Plus I still have my Mississippi Mud Cookies in the freezer.  

So many cookies!

But I can't JUST eat cookies....

I'm pretty organized person when it comes to what I eat for dinners and I make a schedule at the beginning of each month and write in a couple of dinners I'm make each week (It's just me here - although John often will come for dinner when I'm making something - I still often have enough leftovers to get me by for a while).

It looks like tomorrows dinner is teriyaki chicken and stir fry. 

I bought some quinoa a while ago in hopes that it might be a better alternative to rice.  I'll see if I like it.

Sidenote:  I bought my quinoa at the Joe's nut stand in Walmart.  It seems to have really reasonably priced food there (food as in chocolate covered pretzels, flax seed, and quinoa... because that's all I ever buy from there).

But I'm CURRENTLY eating Froot Loops.

... Because why not?

These are not in a very large bowl... they are in a cup.  I put them in there so that I don't eat too many without realizing it!

What I'm Reminiscing About...

Last School Year

It was fun

It was rough

There were smiles

There were tears

As most of my readers know I've been fortunate to have my very own classroom for the last 2 years.  It looks like this year I'm going back to substitute teaching.  On the upside that means my work will NOT come home with me!

What I'm Loving

Going for long walks. 

For whatever reason I haven't done a lot of these this summer.  I recently started them back up (because I had to go to Bulk Barn one day and to get groceries another... I just decided to go for the long walks instead of jumping in my car).

What I've Been Up To...

Honestly, not a whole lot.

I've been thinking about Interactive Social Studies Journals... or ways to improve my Social Studies Program because I just really don't like it.

I've also been cleaning this week.  I'm away the next 2 weekends and decided it would be good to come back to a nice clean condo.  

What I'm Dreading...

Now that summer is winding down it means that winter is coming!  If you've come to this province in the winter you know it can get cold (like -50 kind of cold).  

Luckily, I've heard rumors that it is supposed to be a nice fall (I haven't heard what the farmer's are saying winter is supposed to be like).

What I'm Working On...

Interactive Social Studies Journals (for grade 5 and 6)

And finding ways to use technology in the classroom 

(check out some ideas on Confessions of a Modern Day Teacher)

What I'm Excited About...

I said earlier I'm away the next couple of weekends.

This weekend I'm at the lake with the girls.

We (as in myself and extended family) always head to Clear Lake for September Long.  It's like one last hoorah before school starts.  

This year John is coming along so I'm excited to show him around

AND...

he is bringing his boat so I'm excited for boating there as well.

What I'm Watching/Reading.

I've just started watching Season 6 of Modern Family.  I love this show.  It's funny and I laugh.

I've been reading (since Spring Break) The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers.  I'm about halfway through the 3rd (and final) book.  I heard great things about this series but to be honest... I'm not enjoying it too much.  Maybe Jodi Picolt has a new book out that I can read after this.

What I'm Listening To...

I don't listen to much except when I run or go for my walks.  Currently I'm listening to the traffic outside my place but that isn't what you want to hear about I'm sure.

I just made a new playlist for when I go for walks and put Olly Murs album "Right Place, Right Time" on it.  So I've also been listening to that.

What I'm Wearing...

It has been a bit of a chilly week here so it's been a pants kind of week.

I'm heading out for a haircut in a little bit and I'm sporting this

sometimes I wear these shoes without socks.... I did it all the time as a kid.  No I did not choose my shoes because of the colour of my shirt.  I choose them because these are the only ones I have like this.

What I'm Doing This Weekend...

Heading to the lake with the girls!

What I'm Looking Forward To Next Month...

Routine.

This means getting back into the swing of things with work (I'm hoping for at least 12 sub days in September which seems a bit ambitious to me).  I like getting up early (as in just after 6am), eating breakfast, and then crawling back into bed to read my Bible and pray.  I haven't been as great at doing that over the summer because often there isn't anywhere pressing that I need to get going (and personally, I think it is a great way to start off my day!)

What Else is New...

Well I bought 2 new pairs of pants for $12 each (on sale) that I'm pretty excited about.  They don't have a zipper or button to close them and I think that just makes them more comfortable.

I also bought the t-shirt that I'm wearing today (see above recently)

BONUS QUESTION

What's Your Favourite Back To School Tradition

I don't think I have one?

If I had a classroom of my own I think it would be setting it up, decorating it, and making sure it looked great for the first day of school!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

52 Weeks of Cookies: Week 8

These were actually the simplest, easiest, and likely healthiest cookies I've ever baked.

This recipe is so easy I have it memorized already!

2 bananas

1 cup oats

1/4 cup chocolate chips

bake in oven at 350 for 12 minutes

But you can also find the recipe on Six Sisters' Stuff

I made mine relatively small.

But what else is new?

You could easily make these in so many different ways.

Add nuts

Add craisons

Add orange zest and cinnamon?

Different kinds of chocolate chips

Add peanut butter

I feel like the options are practically endless.

My verdict?

10/10

I would definitely make these again!

Seriously folks, I had the batter mixed and on the pan long before my oven was preheated!

AND... these were all ingredients that I regularly have on hand... no special trips to the grocery store this week!

Good news everyone!  This week I saved a bunch of new cookie recipes that I'm excited to try!

Last week I made Tagalong Cookies

Ways to Stay Cool During a Heat Wave

Just stay inside!

Hopefully everyone else around these parts had some kind of air conditioning this past week... I think we were around 40 degrees with the humidex most days this week!

Needless to say I DID NOT spend much time outside this week.

What I did do was...

1) I ate popsicles
I make smoothies most mornings (smoothies that include a couple handfuls of spinach I might add).  I fill a glass with it and whatever is leftover I put in a popsicle mold.  All those popsicles came in handy this week!

2) I turned on my a/c.  I don't keep it on too often... just to keep my bills lower but this week I spoiled myself and I had it on A LOT (in comparison to what I normally would)

3) Slumber party in the living room!
I only have a window a/c unit and it is located in my living room.  So I dragged an extra mattress into the living room and camped out there for a couple nights.  Then John came over and I felt obligated to turn my living room back into a living room.

4) Go to the mall!
The mall is a cold place to hang out.  I bought some fancy new pants (for $12 each because they were on sale!) and a bathing suit top - just the top.. I didn't like the bottoms.

5)  Swimming
When one has a pool one should take full advantage of it during hot days

6) Visit Friends with central air!
I went to life group which got relocated to my cousins... because she has central air.  I brought us pizza and pasta for dinner before everyone else arrived.

7)  Free Ice Cream!
During life group the person that brought dessert refused to take the ice cream he brought home.  So I took it.  It's been yummy!  John and I also went for gelati on Monday.  I had salted caramel and blood orange.  It was delicious!  On Tuesday we for a boat ride down the river for ice cream with my family too.  So 3 days of ice cream... not too shabby.

So that's been my week of staying cool

Other than that my friends and I visited the Chile (chilly?) pavilion for Folklorama and went out for Greek food beforehand.

This weekend is sort of a lazy and relaxing weekend in the city.

Saturday I made some Tagalong Cookies and worked on some T.U.S.C most of the day (in hopes I might be able to use it at a job I'm still waiting to get for September).

I also made this delectable meal.

don't worry I cut the strings off before eating it!

Today the plan is to head over to John's to make his dessert for life group (he is going away for work but still wants to supply his dessert - yes I offered to supply it for him!) in the evening and then head to bed early because I actually have to get up early Monday!

Hope everyone managed to keep cool this past week!