Raised Waffles with Warm Brown Sugar Bananas and Pear Cranberry Muffins [sms]

This week's SMS, Raised Waffles with Warm Brown Sugar Bananas, was chosen Lauren of Fried Pickles and Ice Cream. And from two weeks ago, Pear Cranberry Muffins with Gingersnap Crumble, was chosen Jennifer of Maple N’ Cornbread.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I was trying to take pictures during my brunch. I had a couple of my closest friends over for a mini potluck brunch. It was fun and yummy!

For the explanation on why I've been super duper busy is almost a whole post about it. Busy weekends = no time to bake!

Recipe for the waffles here and recipe for the muffins here!! Make sure to check out the rest of the SMS bakers on the blogroll.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week's SMS was chosen by Megan from My Baking Adventures - Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies. I really wanted to make these cookies because first off, I love chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I made them once for a district board meeting and I just couldnt stop eating them. So, when I saw the cherries, I thought well I know that my parents have cranberries at home so I subbed out cherries for cranberries. I knew that my parents may not like the cranberries so I made half with and half without, satisfying everyone.

I also decided to cut mine up in half-in ones instead on 1 in blocks. They didn't flatten as much, but they are very cute cookies.

This is my last weekend in Socal, but next weekend equals moving back up to Berkeley for summer school which means more baking. Maybe I can make up some of the SMS recipes already made or get started on making some of the things on the 5 page long list of things that interested me on other sites.

Taken last night after baking, so the lighting isnt so good.
In the morning, I took more when the light was better.

With Dried Cranberries

Without Dried Cranberries

<3 Nina

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

For Farah Cho.
She's the one afterall, who I made these for.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes. (Don't skimp on the 5 minutes, just use your electric hand mixer and whip in some air)
In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture 1 cup at a time.
Mix in craisins.
Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
And they turn into yummy cranberry oatmeal cookies!

<3 Nina

Baking...Again.

So, today. Today was busy busy busy busy. First I started out today by starting on my mini cheesecakes.
Ingredients were not too bad. Just sugar, cream cheese, vanilla wafers, and eggs. The recipe is one that I have modified from something else, but its pretty good =). Be in awe of the process.

Just some crushed vanilla wafers in the bottom.
Add the wet ingredients, and into the oven they go!
YAY all done!

But today involved a lot more than just mini cheesecakes. I also went to the internship fair. Damn those people, only offering them to juniors, there like maybe 2 that were open for sophomores maybe. =( Maybe I'll just get a job. We'll see.

Then well, being kinda bored, and kinda wanting to use up some of my oats, I made oatmeal cranberry cookies. YUMM!
Be in awe again =).

Ingredients...a lot more than last time.
Mixed together!
Chilled and rolled into ball so they are ready to be baked!
All the cookies in a row, ready to be packaged, and eaten...
Artsy photo with cookies!

<3