Lovin' From the Oven

The Best Dark Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

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One more week. I’ll only be home for once more week before I officially move out a week from today. How crazy is that? I’m excited and nervous at the same time; Excited to be moving in with my DB, in a city we’re both unfamiliar with and nervous to start the whole job application process all over again. Days are flying by with weddings, first birthday parties, and soaking up some valuable time with my friends before I’m gone. If you want to stay posted with my move, check out my other blog: A Pile of Style. I’ll be posting pictures of how I decorated my apartment soon!

I haven’t baked with oatmeal in cookies for a while (thanks to the bf), so I figured that I was long overdue for an oatmeal recipe…. not that oatmeal cookies are my favorite, anyways. I’d take a chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, or sugar cookie over it any day. These were thinner than your normal, hearty oatmeal cookie, but they were still enjoyable. White chocolate does go better with oatmeal cookies than regular chocolate, though. Just sayin’.

This recipe comes from Showfood Chef.

  • 1 cup oatmeal
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 stick (8 Tbls. butter)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I chopped up a bar of dark chocolate)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  1. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg and vanilla and beat again until well mixed.
  2. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. Once blended, add the oatmeal, chocolate chips and cranberries until just combined.
  4. Refrigerate the dough for at least two hours.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350.
  6. Scoop spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

My Must-Have Kitchen List

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This post is going to be a bit different from the usual. I just moved into my apartment this past weekend (but came back home for my friend’s wedding and will be officially moving out the first), so I thought it’d be fun to compile a list of my kitchen necessities. Moving out, I realized that there’s plenty of accessories that you take for granted, like a can opener or kitchen towels. You kind of forget they’re there because they always have been. Does that even make any sense?

Moving out gave me an empty palette; Start from scratch and buy everything that I need in order to furnish my own kitchen. Here’s a list of the basics that made it into my kitchen:
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Rubbermaid 24 Piece Container Set:: This is something I never would have remembered if it wasn’t for seeing a steal online. Where else would you store leftovers?

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Pyrex Measuring Cup:: Used for every recipe in the kitchen, pyrex measuring cups are my favorite because they’re durable, made out of glass (no leftover residue, smells, or grease!), and have bold, red lines that are easy to read.

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Corelle Dishes:: This set above is actually the exact set I bought online for my kitchen. Since my kitchen’s theme color was going to be a “Tiffany” blue, these fit right in. Corelle dishes are also a favorite because they’re shatter resistant, lightweight, and last forever. I’ve never had any other brand of dishes in my household besides Corelle and that’s for a dang good reason. I can’t tell you how many plates my family have dropped! Good thing they don’t break easily… unless you’re using a hammer or really trying. Plus, since I’ll be living with my boyfriend (who isn’t exactly the most coordinated person, on earth), these will survive. I bought mine from Walmart online and had them shipped to store for free. I’ve found that Walmart has the best selection of Corelle dishes.
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Nordic Ware Baking Sheet:: I’ve used many baking sheets before, but these aluminum pans are the ones I have had the best luck with. They evenly bake my cookies with no burnt bottoms or sides. I actually bought these pans in 2 different sizes so that I could bake/cook different sized items.
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Silpat Sheets:: Siplat sheets are a lifesaver in the kitchen. They keep your mess from getting all over the place, protect your sheets, and are quite versatile when you need more counter space. They wash easily and can withstand a lot of abuse. Plus, they come in a ton of different sizes to fit your needs.
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KitchenAid 17 Piece Starter Set:: Well, this one’s pretty self explanatory. All the stuff you need to cook with in one pack. How convenient.
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KitchenAid Knife Set:: Hey, you have to cut stuff up sometimes, too.
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Cuisinart Stainless Steel 7 Piece Cookware Set:: I really don’t know anything about pots and pans because this isn’t my speciality, but you definitely need some in a bare kitchen.
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Farberware Bamboo Cutting Board:: I’ve always been a fan of bamboo cutting boards over the regular plastic ones. They’re easier to clean, less greasy, and look nicer. Done deal.
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Keurig Machine:: I actually got this as a gift for Christmas from my DB’s mom and it’s one of the greatest inventions ever. Sure, it’s a little pricy, but it’s totally worth it. For just my DB and I, there’s no need to make a whole pot of coffee…. one cup will do just fine. Annnndddd, they have a ton of different flavors to please everyone! My personal favorites are the Cafe Mocha (which tastes just like a dark hot chocolate) and Chai Tea Latte.
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Black & Decker Toast-R Oven:: I’ve always had a toaster oven in my house and my DB never did until he met me. I personally don’t understand how people can live without one. They’re so convenient! Crisp up some cold pizza, toast your entire sandwich, or make some french bread without wasting all the gas to turn on your oven.
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KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Series:: And of course… we have the Kitchenaid. How can any kitchen live without one? It’s made my life so much easier. Since my mom wanted to keep the other Kitchenaid I had, I bought a new ice blue one for myself… to go with the kitchen, of course! I did a lot of research debating between the Artisan and the Professional series, but I ended up with the Artisan again because of the price and the quality. Apparently there really isn’t that much of a difference between the Professional mixer and the Artisan one.

Is there anything that I missed/must have? What’s your favorite kitchen item? Feel free to shout them out in the comments!

Cake Batter Cookies

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Things are finally beginning to wind down. Did I tell you that we found an apartment up north? My DB and I took a trip a couple of weeks ago to find a place to stay and I was getting a little worried looking at the open houses. College students sure live… like college students. Just about when I had almost given up hope, we walked into a beautiful, completely remodeled apartment in a homey, cabin-like building that’s conveniently located right next to the school— perfect for the both of us! My DB and I both knew the moment we stepped foot into the living room that this was it. We filled out the application, put the deposit down, and walked away with peace of mind.

Well, that was a couple of weeks ago and I’ll actually be moving everything up this Friday! We’ll be getting away from “carmageddon” with the 405 being closed this weekend. I’m not sure how I feel about the 6 hour drive in a U-Haul truck, but you do what you gotta do.

I was on a cake mix frenzy after making these and still had 3/4 of a box of batter to use. Lucky for me, I stumbled across this recipe from Stephanie Cooks. I loved the idea of replacing some flour with cake mix to make cookies and was intrigued if the cookie still held the funfetti flavor. Sure enough, the cookies still tasted like the cake batter… Just what I wanted! The only thing is that they turned out a bit flat. Perhaps increasing the baking soda and adding a pinch of baking powder would do the trick. I baked half the batch without chocolate chips and the other half with chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/4 cup funfetti cake mix
  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 cup softened butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla until creamy. 
  2. Add in the flour, cake mix, and baking soda.
  3. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  4. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 350.
  6. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets. 
  7. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden.

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