Dark Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar (plus an extra 1/4 cup for dipping cookies)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp finely ground flax seed

1 cup white flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/2 cup coconut (plain or toasted)

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 6 oz package dried tart cherries

Mix the flour, salt, flax and soda in a separate bowl.  Then combine the softened butter and sugars in another bowl.  Next add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture.  Stir.

Now add the flour mixture, oatmeal, coconut, chips and cherries.  Mix until combined.

Spoon out the batter and form into balls.  Dip into sugar and press down to flatten the dough.  Place on cookie sheets and bake for around 10-15 minutes at 350.  Remember that brown equals flavor!  Remove from the oven and cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes.  Then place them on a baking rack.  If you can wait that long to eat them!

P.S.  I adapted a plain old oatmeal cookie recipe to closely match the chocolate cherry cookies at one of my favorite bakeries.  The Salty Tart.  They are a little bit healthy.  And a lot good.  

Out with the old and in with the new...sniff.

I'm doing a little recycling this week.  I'm re-posting an old favorite for Wild Bird Wednesday  It is new to all those folks.  And I never get tired of re-visiting my first Costa Rica trip.  We'd been to Hawaii before.  So I thought, what could top that?  Well, Central America.  The birds and animals are so amazing.  It was the first time I'd seen so many species of Hummingbirds.  I have a monster one in this post.  And since this trip we've been to C.A. 7 times.  Maybe I should do a little more recycling.  But until then, check out a blast from the past... 

This happens every year.  And I'm certainly not complaining.  But it is still a very sad thing in this household.  My walls are not getting any bigger.  And when a new crop of travel photos emerges, I have to retire a few old memories.  We just got back from Belize, and now our very first trip to Costa Rica is on the chopping block. So I'm so glad I can share them once again with all of you.  This photo of Arenal Volcano still inspires awe.  I'll never forget my first glimpse of it in the distance.  I had never seen a cone shaped volcano like that before.  It is experiences like that which keep me completely sickened with the travel bug.  An unrelenting need to keep feeling that same sensation over and over again.  There is nothing like the thrill of a new adventure.  

A raccoon like Coati.  They are cute little beggers.

A parrot beauty shot.

Fortuna Waterfall.

Arenal Volcano as seen from the wonderful sidewalk at El Silencio Del Campo.  

A monster humming bird in the cloud forest of Monteverde.  They buzz around you like something out of Top Gun!

Manuel Antonio  (a.k.a.  Monkey Park)  A requisite tourist stop.  But still a beautiful beach and a must see.

Well, that's it.  Another grouping of travel photos fades into black.  But God willing there will never be an end to the turn over.  

Would you prefer a wing or a breast?

click to enlarge

What is more synonymous with wings than chickens?  You can find plenty of wings and things over at www.illustrationfriday.com this week.  Of course my illustrated chicken would prefer you eat the figs.  I still really like this illustration.  I like the kookiness of the chicken and the yummyness of the olives and figs.  I'm patting myself on the back right now.  Which is o.k. because usually I'm apologizing for my illustration friday choices.  But not today.  Let them eat figs!

Holy Hot Sauce Batman

Well, we did it.  We managed to get home from Belize with 10 hot sauces in tow.  They all have a generous expiration sometime in 2015.  Can we do it?  You betch ya. 

Marie Sharp's is the pinnacle of hot sauce.  The cream of the crop.  The grand dame.  The best of the best.  When we purchased 10 hot sauces in Placencia, Belize a man walked by and said, "Holy Hot Sauce Batman"  Well, what can I say.  We don't like things Minnesota spicy.  We like it hot! 

Of course I'll have more juicy stories and photos of our trip to share over the coming years.  There is no expiration on that. 

   

Shrimp Carmelos

I can't begin to tell you how mysteriously delicious the shrimp carmelos are at Sonora Grill in the Midtown Global Market here in Minneapolis.  The bright orange tempura batter is so savory.  Yum!  

I've resisted posting much food from restaurants because most of my blog readers are from all over the world.  Why would any of you care about a restaurant you might not ever taste?  But what the heck.  I thought I would try something different in 2013.

So on Wednesdays once a month I'll pick a new restaurant to highlight.  So far Wednesdays have been devoted to showcasing delights from my own kitchen.  I've posted plenty of recipes under the labels of sweet and savory over the past year.  So if you are new to my blog scroll down my home page and check out a few.  Try something new!