loaded oatmeal cookies {the remix}

Things I (currently) don’t understand:

Dude cyclists who attempt to ride side by side on a two-lane, two-way street. With turn signals that are questionable at best.

The fact that my dogs’ crazy level seems to rise daily.

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lemon-scented cinnamon soda bread

Why have I never made a soda bread before?! There’s certainly plenty of Irish in my blood (though only my sister has the hair to prove it). My great-great-grandparents changed their last name from O’Flynn to Flynn when they came to America in hopes of avoiding prejudice…because Flynn doesn’t sound Irish at all…

But truth be told, I’ve never put much thought into St. Patrick’s Day. I have no problem wearing green, ever, as it’s pretty much my best color…but that’s nothing out of the ordinary. But this year I’m ready. When we moved to Portland last summer, many people told us that The Rain lasts from Halloween to St. Patrick’s Day. Clearly I don’t expect the weather to strictly adhere to this calendar…but I am hopeful. It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day! We’ve almost made it!

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carrot cake granola

I needed a baking break! For a solid two weeks there has not been a blessed thing I’ve wanted to bake. It’s a strange and disturbing feeling…but it has finally passed! On Friday while at work I saw the phrase “carrot cake granola” somewhere on Twitter and my brain exploded. I have been obsessed with the thought ever since and finally got around to making some yesterday, and all I can say is HOLY YUM.

If you’ve read here long at all, you know that I am a granola junkie! I love granola and almost never buy it, because it’s so easy to make and because I like to know exactly what I’m eating. This is my favorite granola recipe to date…and quite possibly the healthiest I’ve ever made! I dragged myself out of bed this cold and rainy Monday morning with the promise of granola for breakfast. It definitely helped.

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power cookies

I feel like I am channeling Joy the Baker with this recipe. This not an ice cream cake, or a giant chocolate cake with layers of fudgy frosting. This is not a giant bowl of ice cream with Reese’s cup bits swirled throughout. These are the things I am dreaming of. These are not those things.

These are kind of like a granola bar in cookie form. They are a tasty, two-bite snack of healthy goodness. They are perfect for eating at your desk or in the car. Don’t ask me how I know.

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dark chocolate and mango cookies

While on a trip to Hawaii in college (can you believe I got credit for such a thing?!), I discovered mangoes and have not stopped loving them in every form. Good fresh ones can be difficult and expensive to find around here so I keep dried mango strips in my pantry for snacking all the time.

And can you guess what I’ve learned recently? The only thing better than dark chocolate or mango is indeed dark chocolate and mango. These are my new favorite cookie!

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