In The Kitchen Sundays

After mulling over different ideas of what to do today with the hubby and not deciding on anything, I decided to spend quality time in the kitchen.

My inspiration: Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics.

First, I made Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies (page 214). I did, however, make two minor tweaks - I left out the pecans (because I forgot to add them to the shopping list) and added about 1/3 cup shredded coconut.

P.S. Did you notice my nifty cookbook holder? It's my napkin holder and works perfectly!!

The cookies are wonderful, if I do say so myself....as I enjoy a few with a glass of milk as I type this post!

We had Chef Salads for lunch, which didn't require a recipe.

For dinner, I made Chive Risotto Cakes (page 174) and Roasted Tomatoes with Basil (page 183). Kind of a random dinner, but I had all the ingredients on hand for both recipes and wanted to make them. I probably wouldn't pair these two recipes again.

The risotta cakes were a wee bit challenging, only because I neglected to measure a key ingredient. Oops! I really thought I could eye ball the measurement.

After the mixture set up in the fridge for a few hours, it was time to make the cakes. This is where I realized I made a mistake. The mixture was pretty soupy and would not hold its shape. Apparently, the little cup of Greek yogurt was not 1/2 cup as I thought, instead was 1 cup. Oops! So, I improvised and added Panko to the mixture and voila....!

The roasted tomatoes were super simple and delish!!

Although hubby was pretty disappointed that we didn't have a meat with dinner, he thought the cakes were really good and ate three of them!!!!

I, on the other hand, thought the cakes were pretty bland. If I make these again, I will definitely add minced garlic and more salt & pepper!!!!!