These are a clasic cookie that I have been making for years. I do think my recipe is the best one out there and all the rest are close, but not quite right. These are soft, cakey, and filled with raisins. I used to make these for my grandpa all the time - these were his favorite cookies.

To me, these taste like fall. It’s probably because they’re filled with flavors of fall like cinnamon and clove. Or it could be because I usually make these for a Husky tailgate at least once a year. OR it’s because they feel super back-to-school-y with the oatmeal. Anyway, I cannot recommend them enough this time of year!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

makes about 30 cookies

1 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups quick cook oats

1 cup raisins

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream botter, sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. The color of the mixture should be a few shades lighter than when it started. Combine the eggs and vanilla until completely incorporated.

STEP 2

In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and spices. With the mixture running, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined.

STEP 3

Add oatmeal and raisins and mix until just incorporated.

STEP 4

Scoop cookie dough onto a cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown. Let cool on the baking sheet 5-10 minutes before transfering to a cooling rack.

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I am obsessed with tots. I adore good tater tots. Add them to any meal and you have a real party. Start topping them with things and then we’re really talking. Adding BBQ pork, coleslaw and some green onions made these tots a ridiculously filling Monday Night Football dinner.

I made the pork myself in the oven with a super simple recipe. It’s so easy to make tender pork but it’s also easy to buy some already done at a good grocery store or Costco. Just toss the shredded pork with barbecue sauce and you’re set. You’re welcome to shred the cabbage yourself too - or just purchase it from the grocery store. The only thing you really “make” from home is the white sauce. It’s so simple to get dinner on the table and this one is a particularly fun one. Enjoy!

Shredded Pork BBQ Tots

4 cups shredded pork

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

2 pounds frozen tater tots

2 cups shredded cabbage

1 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon worchestershire

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon horseradish

1/2 teaspoon honey

2 green onions, chopped

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay the tots in one layer on a baking sheet. Pop them into the oven and let them bake for 20 minutes, flip over, then bake another 20 minutes or until golden brown.

STEP 2

Blend together mayonnaise, vinegar, worchestershire, pepper, salt, horseradish, and honey. Pour half of the mixture over the shredded cabbage. Toss and let it sit.

STEP 3

Make sure the shredded pork is warm. Toss the pork with the BBQ Sauce.

STEP 4

Spread the tots out on a platter and top with pork. Add slaw to the top and garnish with sliced green onion. Serve with remaining white sauce and any extra BBQ sauce.

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This is the ultimate way to use all of those tomatoes rolling out of the garden right now. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping I can get the rest of them to ripen so we can do this one more time this year! You can use really any tomato that’s ripe. I used San Marzano in this recipe, but cherry tomatoes would be amazing too! You do you.

The simplicity of this dish relies on really good tomatoes, really good basil, and really delicious bread crumbs.  I can’t recommend enough making your own bread crumbs for this – it’s totally worth it!

Roasted Tomato Basil Pasta

Serves 4

2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced into quarters

5 garlic cloves

1 bunch basil leaves

½ cup breadcrumbs

2 tbs butter

1 lb spaghetti noodles

olive oil

salt and pepper

STEP 1

Put a pot of water on to boil and preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spread tomatoes on the tray.  Sprinkle a handful of basil and 4 cloves crushed garlic over the tomatoes.  Drizzle olive oil over top, sprinkle with salt, and pop into the oven. 

STEP 2

In a skillet sauté breadcrumbs in butter with garlic and salt until toasty and brown. Cook the pasta while you’re at the stove.

STEP 3

Drain the pasta and return it to pan.  Toss with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil. 

STEP 4

Serve with breadcrumbs on top.2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced into quarters

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This is a classic Italian dish that I have completely man-handled to make it a one dish dinner. I’d like to think I haven’t totally separated it from it’s Italian original but I probably have. Either way, it’s a delicious one pot dinner that’s done in a very short amount of time. I like to serve this with a big green salad and I usually have a giant loaf of garlic bread because I have three teenagers in my house. It’s perfectly fine on it’s own too!

This is the perfect back to school dinner. It’s hearty and delicious but also cooks in about a half an hour! What could be better on a weeknight?? Enjoy.

Penne alla vodka-ish

Serves 4

2 cups cherry tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs olive oil

1 lb penne

1 cup vodka

2 cups chicken stock

½ cup parmesan cheese

STEP 1

In a dutch oven, sauté the tomatoes and garlic in olive oil until the tomatoes start to pop. 

STEP 2

Add the noodles and coat in oil and tomato.

STEP 3

Pour in vodka and boil down to half and stir.

STEP 4

Pour in stock and ¼ cup parmesan cheese.  Stir then cover and cook 5-10 minutes until noodles are tender.  Serve with remaining parmesan. 

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It’s my birthday week! And I can’t think of anything I would want more for my birthday (non-alcoholic) than a good cookie. And this is a good cookie. I read about a cookie that was made with pudding mix and it seemed mandatory that I give it a shot.

This cookie is basically a cheap sheet cake in cookie form. If you aren’t tempted by that then we are probably not friends. Or you need to try cheap birthday cake again. It’s delicious.

Let me know if you try these. And if you try them for a birthday, light a candle and sing!!

Birthday Cake Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3.4 oz package of vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup assorted sprinkles

12 oz white chocolate chips

STEP 1

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat until combined.

STEP 2

Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat well until the mixture gets lighter in color and is fluffy.

STEP 3

In a small bowl, combine flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and baking powder. Add it to the stand mixer and blend until mostly combined.

STEP 4

Pour in the chips and turn the mixer back on. Let it run until the dough looks like a cookie dough. Stir in the sprinkler gently so they don’t run too much!

STEP 5

Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to continue to cool.

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Fresh salmon is possibly the best thing you can only find here in the Pacific Northwest. Outside of the PNW, I think the salmon is terrible. If it isn’t line caught, wild salmon, then it’s not worth eating. Find the best. It’s totally worth it. Even the frozen is fine, if it’s been flash frozen on the fishing vessel.

The combination of salmon and dill is indisputable. The flavors of both pop when they are combined. Cucumber is another go-to with salmon. This cucumber salad is one my grandfather was famous for making - it’s so delicious - and it’s really good with the salmon. It’s even better tomorrow!

Dill Salmon with Cucumber Salad

Serves 4

2 pounds wild caught salmon filet

¼ cup butter, room temperature

¼ cup dill, chopped

2 lemons

2 cucumbers, sliced thin

1 white onion, sliced thin

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

salt and pepper

spray oil

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly oil the foil – the spray kind works best.  With a sharp knife, cut the salmon into four equal pieces and lay them on the foil.

STEP 2

In a small bowl combine together the butter, dill, the zest of one lemon and a healthy amount of salt and pepper with a fork. Spread the butter mixture over top of the salmon pieces so each piece has a nice even coat. Place a lemon slice on top of each piece of fish and pop it in the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes until the flesh of the fish is pale pink all the way through.

STEP 3

In a bowl, combine vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Add cucumbers and onions to it and toss to coat.  If all cucumbers aren’t submerged in the liquid, press them down with a bowl or plate.   

STEP 4

Check for doneness by pulling back a small section from the thickest part of the fish. If there is any doubt, pull the fish out of the oven and cover with a piece of foil. It will continue to cook slightly under the foil.

Serve fish with cucumbers and enjoy!

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I cannot get enough of loaded tots. Loaded with pizza toppings seemed like a perfect new way to try out my favorite tots! What I had in the house was yellow bell pepper, pepperoni, cheese and pizza sauce. If I had black olives or green bell pepper, I might have gone with that instead. Or sausage. Or caramelized onions. You literally can’t go wrong with pizza toppings on anything and you can’t go wrong topping tots! It’s a win win.

Pizza Tots

1 package frozen tater tots

1/2 cup pizza sauce

8 oz shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup chopped pepperoni

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

any other pizza toppings

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour tots in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes until crispy.

STEP 2

Top the tots with with pizza sauce first then add your toppings until they feel loaded. Make sure cheese is on top.

STEP 3

Bake the tots until the cheese is bubbly and slightly brown. Serve hot!

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It’s Labor Day week How are you celebrating the last long weekend of summer? School already started for our family but not for all of my children. One last child starts school after Labor Day so we’re living the weekend up with as many summer things as we can think of before our weekends are full of football games and kid activities. Assuming the weather holds up, we’ll probably even take the boat out! This sandwich is the perfect solution for the weekend. It’s great on a picnic (which is why I named it that) but also great on the boat, in the park, on a drive, at the beach or just something you can make in the morning and have done in the afternoon.

Enjoy your last week of summer! Let’s live it up.

Picnic Sandwiches

Serves 4

1 large loaf crusty bread

8 ounces fresh mozzarella

1 pound fresh sliced salami

1 large bunch basil leaves

1 jar roasted bell peppers in oil

1 large bunch arugula

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

2 cups green olives, roughly chopped

olive oil

salt and pepper

STEP 1

Slice the top off of the loaf of bread.  With a spoon, hollow out as much of the inside of the bread as is possible.  Brush the inside of the bread with olive oil

STEP 2

Layer each ingredient in a single layer on top of each other.  Continue stacking ingredients until the loaf of bread is full. 

STEP 3

Replace the top on the bread and press down with something heavy.  Let rest for at least 10 minutes.  Serve with potato chips.

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I’ve seen several versions of this over the summer but all of them are smothered in cheese. If you are not a cheese eater - or non dairy completely - then it feels tricky. While I’m sure a cheese version is delicious, it’s not an option for my house so I used the saltiness of anchovy paste to stand in for cheese and it worked fabulously. Seriously, the dairy eaters in my house didn’t even notice it was missing anything. In fact, my teenager declared it “the best pizza ever.” So there’s that…

While it’s basically a pizza, it’s the fancy bougie kind made with fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. And a crispy crust that seems impossible outside of Italy. I hope you love it!

Heirloom Tomato Tart

1 sheet puff pastry

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

1 clove garlic, grated

2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

1 egg, beaten

pinch of salt

chopped fresh basil

STEP 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the puff pastry until about a third larger. Fold over the edge all the way around to create a ‘crust.’

STEP 2

Whisk together the oil, anchovy paste and garlic. Spread it evenly over the top of the pastry, avoiding the crust.

STEP 3

Layer the tomato slices over the olive oil so the center of the tart is filled. Sprinkle the top of the tomatoes with salt. Brush the crust with the beaten egg and pop in the oven.

STEP 4

Bake 15-20 minutes until the crust is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly. Let cool a few minutes before cutting and serve warm. Sprinkle the top with fresh cut basil.

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This time of year the zucchini starts showing up in gardens all over Seattle and we’re all looking for ways to use it up! This pasta feels fresh and cozy while highlighting the zucchini. This is best with the small zucchini fresh off the vine!

Also, use good quality prosciutto. When you only have a few ingredients it’s critical to use the best you can find!

Zucchini Pasta

With crispy prosciutto

Serves 4

3 oz prosciutto

1 medium zucchini, about 2 cups chopped

2 cloves garlic

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

4 cups penne

½ cup fresh ricotta

¼ cup chopped pine nuts

STEP 1

Cook prosciutto until crispy then remove from the pan.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

STEP 2

Cook the pasta in the boiling water. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup starchy pasta water.

STEP 3

Cook zucchini, garlic, and red pepper flakes in the pan until slightly browned - about two minutes

STEP 4

Whisk in ½ cup starchy water and ricotta cheese.

STEP 5

Add cooked noodles to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Add more starchy water if needed.

STEP 6

Serve with crumbled prosciutto and pine nuts on top.

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