Basil Lime Cookies

I don't know about you, but every so often I need a pick me up. A heart warming, happy feeling, good time pick me up. The kind that leaves you smiling and dreamy eyed, recalling good moments of your life. Sometimes this pick me up comes in the form of a sunny day, a snuggle session with Bert the Cat, or even an impromptu car ride through the woods. And occasionally I turn to a new recipe to brighten my spirits. Most recently I turned to these lovely babies - Basil Lime Cookies. Now before you starting judging how odd a cookie would taste with basil AND lime in the ingredients list, I implore you to take a bite out of one of these. You can thank me later. I made a batch of these for my new dentist's office and hot damn, did they love me for it. That's winning in my book!

Mmmmm, cookies that defy the laws of nature. My favorite! The most common remark from taste testers: surprisingly refreshing, and highly addictive. Score! Cookies that leave you wanting more, again I consider this a success. It's an easy recipe, with simple ingredients, and may even make an appearance on the 2013 cookie tray spread (wow, the holiday season is creeping up fast!).

And in other news, my photography side project is slowly taking shape. Feel free to swing by the blog and/or the facebook page to check out what's been in my viewfinder of late. Happy baking!!

Basil Lime Cookies
Borrowed from: Big Fat Baker

• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• Zest of 1 lime
• 3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh basil leaves (I used a wee bit more here)
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line the cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a stand mixer (or hand-held mixer) cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Mix in the egg, vanilla, zest, and basil. Mix together until fully combined.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then mix into the butter mixture until combined.

Roll 1 tbsp of dough to make a little sphere. Repeat with remaining dough. Place about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of your cookies/oven. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for a few minutes then watch how fast they disappear! 

Basil Quinoa Salad & Pork Chop!

I confess. I have a new love in my life. He's sweet as can be, loves to cuddle, and is very much overweight. Foodie friends, meet Pork Chop! Also known as Gordon, Gordy, Gordo, Tubbers, Chub Chub...he is a cat of many names and faces (chubby ones).

Through a roundabout way, Pork Chop was welcomed into our home recently and is a wonderful addition to the urban homestead. He is an indoor kitty due to being declawed (not my doing, and yes, I agree it is pretty indecent to cut a cat's claws out) and has yet to discovered the chickens. However, he has made friends with our outdoor neighborhood kitty, Sophie, and seems to be settling in just fine.

His favorite hobbies: sleeping, eating, sleeping more, waddling around the house, sleeping in front of the window, waking me up at 6 am. We should get along fabulously! And I haven't told him yet, but he is going to lose some weight if I have my say...he is nearly 20 lbs at the moment.

For the holiday weekend a few weeks ago, friends and neighbors came by to play some lawn sports and have a few beers. In an effort to keep us more or less sober and healthy, I searched high and low for a quinoa salad I hadn't yet tried - something quite difficult as I eat a lot of quinoa!

Randomly, I stumbled across this Care2 recipe and thought it sounded scrumptious for a hot summer day (it never gets THAT hot here in Eugene). After sitting overnight in my fridge, this salad was delicious! It's vegan, can be made with some local ingredients, is fast and easy. All wins in my book!

BBQ goers gave some pretty good feedback on this recipe and I plan to make more of it soon. It has lots of room for personal taste changes, adaptations, etc. and deserves a place at the picnic table. Enjoy and happy summer! If you live in the area, Pork Chop always likes meeting new people. ;)

Basil Quinoa Salad
Adapted from: Summer Basil Quinoa Salad 

• 1 cup Quinoa-rinsed
• 1/8 c sweet Texas onion, diced
• 1/8 c red onion, diced 
• 2 whole tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried basil 
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard - I used a 4 mustard combo from my bridge
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa, cover and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes or until water is fully absorbed. Set aside and let cool.

Whisk together all dressing ingredients except the olive oil. When combined, slowly whisk in olive oil, a little at a time to allow oil and vinegar to mix.

Toss all salad ingredients with dressing and garnish with nuts if available (toasted pine nuts, almonds, or hazelnuts are wonderful).