Christmas Eve Dinner

My peanut butter cups were a hit! Everyone absolutely loved them and said they were so much better than Reese's. They even thought I should sell them for some money. Well, I probably won't do that, but it really made my day! (I know I was going to stuff their stockings, but I couldn't wait!)

I also made some cookies today that were to die for. Truth be told, they really didn't look like normal cookies, but they were ten times better than any cookie I've ever had.



Happy Oats and Chocolate Blob Cookies

~1 cup Flour (I just found this 50/50 flour made with whole wheat flour and unbleached white. I think it's better than plain white or whole wheat for things like this)
~1 cup rolled oats
~2 teaspoons Baking powder
~1 large teaspoon Cinnamon
~3/4 to 1 cup Vegan chocolate chips
~1/2 cup sugar
~3/4 Apple sauce
~1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
~1/4 Milk (I used vanilla soy milk. I think sweetened milk is best for this)

Make sure all ingredient are at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar and applesauce. Add vanilla and water. Then, pour this mixture into the well of the dry ingredients. Mix well.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, measure out spoon-fulls. Bake for 8-11 minutes or until slightly firm on top. Let sit for a while before taking them off of the cookie sheet. These taste even better once they've cooled!

This next dish was amazing. I absolutely loved it, and so did everyone else.



Pomegranate Barley and Wild Rice Pilaf

~1 med Red onion, diced
~1/2 cup Wild rice (I actually used a gourmet blend of several rices)
~1/2 cup Pearled barley
~3 cups Water
~1/3 cup Pine nuts
~2 teaspoons grated Lemon zest
~2 teaspoons Parsley
~3 cloves of garlic
~1 cup of Pomegranate seeds (1 pomegranate should be plenty)

Saute the red onion until translucent (use oil or water, whatever you like). Add the rice and barley and stir for about a minute. Add the water and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of parsley. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. 45-50 minutes.

Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Stir constantly! Be careful not to burn! They are done when they are slightly browned. Set aside in a bowl to cool.

When the grains are done, add the pomegranate seeds, lemon zest, the rest of the parsley, and toasted nuts to the pilaf. Fluff and enjoy! Bon appetite!

Tomorrow night, I'm making a roasted acorn squash risotto. I hope it's good!