i'd rather be baking

It’s only a few days before Thanksgiving. I should probably be making pie crusts but instead I’ve been baking cookies and watching reruns of 30 Rock.

P.S. I’m buying my pie crusts this year.

P.P.S. My dogs have been asleep since about 20 minutes after they woke up this morning. Sometimes I want their life.

These cookies were supposed to be vegan…until I used cow milk. They’re still delicious! There’s chili powder in there. It’ll wake up your mouth and open your eyes.

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Last week, I made dessert in my crockpot. I went there! I should mention that on that particular day, my daytime meals consisted of cereal, yogurt, and oatmeal…with some pumpkin bread thrown in for a snack. Sometimes you just need carbs. At least I had dessert covered.

I’ve never made dessert in a slow cooker before, but I kind of couldn’t resist. I mean…sugar, apples, cranberries and oats getting all snuggly warm for a few hours can do no wrong.

I’ve eaten way more of this than I care to talk about. It’s great over cereal, in case you’re wondering. I bought approximately 12 zillion local apples a few days ago and I’m pretty sure there’s going to be a crockpot crumble after-party.

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We took a beautiful vacation last week. Our days were spent eating, reading, and sleeping — mostly on a beach, soaking up glorious sunshine. When we arrived back in Portland, it was 40 degrees out with a lovely freezing drizzle. Welcome to November, right?

Let’s talk Thanksgiving. It’s almost here and I’m trying not to freak out. These white chocolate pumpkin blondies are like pumpkin pie without the slime factor. It’s a dreary day miracle.

Let’s talk pumpkin spice biscotti (and using the same napkins 27 times). Nothing is better with a piping hot cup of tea; I’ll promise you that right this second.

Let’s talk applecake. Apples are out of control right now. Chop some up and make the most dead-on delicious thing ever. This is the stuff wedding toasts are made of!

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Some people are really into things that are low-fat and fat-free. Yeah, I don’t really know what to say about that. I’m not that into it. I think those things have their time and place…but that place isn’t every food I eat! I mean really. Life is short.

I’m all about saving some fat and calories where I can, when it doesn’t make a big difference in my food. But usually I don’t touch low-fat or reduced-calorie cookies…it’s a cookie for crying out loud! But I made these a few days before leaving for our vacation in Mexico. I wanted to look awesome on the beach, and I also wanted to eat cookies. I’ll just be straight with you.

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I’ve heard of these things called pizookies for awhile now. They’re like a deep dish pizza turned cookie — baked directly into the dish you’re going to serve/eat from. And it’s pretty important that you top them with ice cream and eat them immediately. This is when you break out the iPhone and Instagram that sucker.

I’m not pretending this is glamorous; this is real life, people. This is a Saturday night, dark and rainy, popped in the oven and barely photographed before devouring. This is cozy in pajamas and fleece blankets, with puppies sleeping on the couch and your favorite show on tv. Scoop that ice cream and most definitely eat your pizookie while it’s still hot from the oven! It should be warm and gooey in the middle, and taste heavenly. Don’t blame me if you end up making it the next night for dessert too…I may have done that.

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