Category: Cookies

Gearing Up for Valentine’s Day!

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From what I can tell, Valentine’s Day can be rather polarizing. People either observe it or are repelled by it. I celebrate it!

I get the- “it’s a Hallmark holiday” perspective. But my response to that is- God forbid you tell someone you care about them. In addition to celebrating it in the traditional sense, I love spreading to love to family and friends too. Sometimes February can be a little bleak so I use the holiday as an excuse to send a card or a small care package to hopefully make someone’s day. I’ve started shopping already because I know if will be here before I know it, and I want to be ready! Here are a few of the things I’m thinking about this year:

For the grandparents:

I like sending a small box of chocolates or some cookies along with a festive tea towel to my grandparents. Everyone can use a new tea towel (they are usually less than $20), and Crate and Barrel, Williams and Sonoma, and Paper Source have some good V-day kitchen options.

Best Girlfriends:

How about a funny card and an empowering little trinket? I love the idea of giving someone a little heart shaped ring dish, or a mug with a girl power message. A pretty journal or notepad would also be fun. Paper Source has all of the above, and West Elm has some good options too. And there’s always a little gift set from Sephora, the classic scented candle, or a festive pair of earrings. You will make her week!

Friends with young kids:

I like the idea of sending a little craft or baking mix. You can include a couple festive accessories like fun stickers or cupcake cake liners with hearts.

Mom:

Gotta cover the bases in case Dad is one of those “it’s just a Hallmark holiday” people. Once when I was in college my mom sent me a Valentine’s Day care package. It was my favorite piece of mail, maybe ever. I think I still have most of the contents (minus the candy). One of my favorite pieces was a pink, fluffy bathrobe, so I think it’s only fitting that I give my mom some V-day PJs. Plus, PJs falls into the category of “things she needs but never thinks to pick up for herself”.

Me:

Because, why not?

How are you celebrating this year?

Putting Cookies in the Mail

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Over the last few years I’ve gotten in the habit of sending my grandparents cookie care packages about once a quarter. I don’t live very close to my grandparents in Long Island or my grandmother in Georgia, so sending them cookies is my way of telling them that I’m thinking about them and reminding them that I’m a fantastic baker.

Sadie Dishes- Putting Cookies in the Mail

I’ve probably sent somewhere between 50 and 100 baked good care packages through the mail over the past five years to my grandparents and other assorted friends and family, and I’ve developed somewhat of a formula. When it comes to packages for the grandparents I usually include three things:

  • about a dozen of a seasonal cookie
  • about a dozen of a heartier (perhaps more nutritious) cookie
  • a couple mini loafs of a quick bread

The purpose of the seasonal cookies is obviously to make the package festive. In December it’s a Christmas cookie; in the spring it’s heart shaped shortbread, Hamentashen, or coconut macaroons; in the fall it’s something pumpkin oriented; and the summer is kind of a wild card. The heartier choice is sort of the same idea as putting vegetables in your kid’s mac and cheese. Cookies with oats, dried cranberries, nuts, or bananas add a couple little nutritional elements to my grandparent’s limited daily diet. I know that my cookies are better for them than any of the baked goods they buy at the grocery store. Lastly, I throw in one or two mini loaves of a quick bread. I usually do banana bread because it’s just so easy, but I’ll also do cranberry nut bread or zucchini bread. I just know my grandparents all love quick bread so I try to always include it.

Sadie Dishes- Putting Cookies in the Mail

This past weekend I baked for a care package for my Grandfather in Long Island. He’s turning 94 next week! Keeping that in mind, I made two of his favorites- Hamentashen (it’s Purim season) and banana bread. I also added chunky lola cookies (adding Craisons to the recipe) for a little extra something.

Sadie Dishes- Putting Cookies in the Mail

Here are a few pro tips to remember for mailing cookies:

  • do bake as close to mailing as possible (I usually bake Sunday afternoon and mail first thing Monday morning)
  • don’t be shy with the bubble wrap, peanuts, newspaper, etc.- cookies need cushioning
  • do include a quick note that identifies the enclosed items
  • don’t make anything too fancy, delicate, or perishable because it will not hold up in the mail- btw cookies covered in powdered sugar do not usually look great when they arrive, but they probably still taste good
  • do allow everything to cool completely before you package them

Happy Baking!

Copy-Cat KIND Bars

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I’ve been hatching a plan to replicate a KIND bar for a long time, and I finally followed through. I did a lot of snooping on the food blogs to find a feasible recipe. After looking at a few different versions, it was clear that there was a pretty consistent formula, which was a good sign.

KIND bars were a little bit of an investment because they’re basically all nuts. Also, they are mostly specialty ingredients that I don’t usually keep in my pantry. I found ground flax seed and millet pretty easily, but I had to hunt for the brown rice syrup. Is it a sugar? Is it a syrup? Is it a honey? Is it a gluten free or ethnic food? Turns out in Harris Teeter it’s none of the above. I had to go to Whole Foods and found it in the sugar and sugar alternative section.

Sadie Dishes Copy Cat KIND Bars

I will caution you, the first time I made these they were a complete and expensive fail. I did not boil the syrup and honey mixture for long enough, it didn’t thicken properly, and the bars just fell apart. I can’t remember the last time I was that mad at everything in my kitchen. Even the second time around the bars were pretty sticky, so I recommend cutting them into bite size squares and storing them in your fridge for easy snacking. The taste, nutrition, and general texture are the redeeming factors.

Sadie Dishes Copy Cat KIND Bars

Copy-Cat KIND Bars

Yields 10 bars, adapted from Eat Urself Skinny

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
  • ½ cup unsalted cashews, chopped
  • ½ cup roasted walnuts, chopped
  • ⅓ cup puffed millet
  • 1 Tbs flaxseed meal
  • ¼ cup brown rice syrup
  • 2 Tbs honey
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips

Method

  1. Line an 8 x 8 pan with parchment paper.
  2. Coat a mixing bowl with non-stick spray. Combine nuts, millet, and flax in the bowl and set aside.
  3. Put a small pot on the stove on medium heat. Add brown rice syrup, honey, vanilla, and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and wish constantly at a boil for two full minutes.
  4. Pour the liquid over the nut mixture. Mix until ingredients are evenly coated and pour into the parchment lined pan. Flatten mixture firmly into the pan with no gaps.Sadie Dishes Copy Cat KIND Bars
  5. Allow to cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cutting board and cut into 10 bars. Allow to cool completely.
  6. Melt chocolate chips in microwave (heat for 30 seconds at a time until melted). Drizzle over cooled bars.Sadie Dishes Copy Cat KIND Bars
  7. Store at room temp in sealed container, or skip the chocolate step and store in  refrigerator (the chocolate might turn white in the fridge).