Back in the kitchen... (enter sigh of relief)

The past few days have been different, to say the least. I started training for a casual part time job, and was in every day of the weekend. This meant no kitchen time.. at all. I think I started going into withdrawal on the second day in. How strange to be away from my family, and not able to be creative in the kitchen. I was finally able to get back in there today, thankfully! The boys headed over to visit with some friends today, so Rhianna and I had a date afternoon. We delivered our papers, played a board game, baked some cookies and threw together a dinner. Rhianna chose the Spice-Spiked Chocolate Chunk Cookies from The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes, and they turned out really good! Then I decided I needed to clear out our pantry and fridge before I go grocery shopping. I had two cans of cream of mushroom soup and some macaroni in the cold room pantry, and along with some veggies, milk, spices and cheese.. and it became dinner. :) It was nothing earth shattering, but was happily eaten by all.

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Spice-Spiked Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup, plus extra sugar, divided

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp molasses

1 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate bar

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the milk, molasses, vanilla and chopped chocolate bar. Add in the baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Mix well. Add the flour and stir until well combined.

Make tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, roll them in the extra sugar, and press down slightly on the baking sheet. Cook for 8-10 minutes.

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Empty Out The Fridge And Pantry Pasta!

1 box whole wheat macaroni noodles

2 tbsp olive oil

4 mini onions, chopped

7 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1/4 cup milk

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp sage

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup fresh peas

parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions.

In a pan, heat the oil and add the onions. Cook until soft. Add the peppers and garlic. Continue to cook until they're tender. Once they're cooked, add the soup, milk and cheddar cheese. Stir until it's melted and smooth. Add the spices and peas and stir until peas are cooked.

Mix the cooked pasta with the sauce, and put it in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with parmesan cheese and cook for about 20 minutes until it's heated through and the parmesan has melted.