No-Bake Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Cookies

It's one of those days, you know the ones lacking in motivation. I've actually done a reasonable amount of thinking about doing work today. I just haven't gotten to the part where I embark on completing anything on my to do list. But none-the-less this is a college slash cooking blog so I'm glad to say I've baked something today.

No let me rephrase that I've made something (No-Bake) today. I was craving chocolate and then I realized I didn't have any left! While frantically searching through my kitchen cabinets I noticed I had almond butter, dark cocoa powder and oatmeal. Inspired and wired by my obsessive hunger I remembered this oatmeal no-bake recipe and thus this recipe was brought to life yet again. This easy peasy recipe is scrumptious and the perfect sweet treat for a chocoholic like me.

No-Bake Dark Chocolate Almond Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar
4 tbs dark cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 cup almond butter
1 tbs vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
1 stick unsalted butter
pinch of salt
****************
2 baking sheets lined with wax paper
1 large saucepan
1 heat proof spatula

In saucepan turn on heat to medium and bring to boil butter, sugar, cocoa and milk. Let it cookout for 1 minute add the almond butter, vanilla, pinch of salt and oatmeal. Then drop teaspoonful sized portions of the cookie mixture onto the waxed paper. Let cool until hardened in refrigerator and enjoy!

My Magic Medicine

To fill you in on my life loop, I’m a junior at the University of Arizona and I’m approaching my senior year faster than I thought I would. It’s just incredible how life has taken me through the years and I’m barely able to keep up with what’s happening now.

And lately I’ve been bombarded with the, “What am I going to do with myself after college?” “How do I transition from young adult to young professional after graduation?” questions.

When my mind goes off on a world wind of thinking….like it is now, there usually seems to be one solution for me. All of you chocoholics out there you know where I’m going with this. The answer is chocolate, chocolate and more lusciously silky smooth dark chocolate.

While I will admit not all of my mind boggling thoughts and anxieties have totally disappeared I’m happier now. So for all of you people struggling out there; take a deep breath, try to relax and eat some quality chocolate (in moderation of course!). That’s all I’ve got on my mind for today, back to hitting the books!

Heidi Jay

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

I had some spare time this weekend so I decided to make this video and some fresh baked goods.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=GaeZqnNkpRc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGaeZqnNkpRc

Hope you have just as much fun watching this, as I did making it. Enjoy!

Tea Time in Tucson

Ever heard the saying, “Second place is just the first loser.”?  Well this sassy phrase reminds me of tea, the beverage of the British that is the predecessor of coffee and my second favorite caffeinated drink. 

Wondering why this drinks gets left behind in the shadow of our favorite black liquid fuel? Maybe it’s because it just doesn’t have as much ump or pizazz? Or it could be that there isn’t any quality tea around? At least not where I live. But then again the heart of the Southwest, my hometown of Tucson, Arizona, isn’t prized for having the best tea in the world. Still I don’t believe geography should discern whether you have access to quality tea or not.

That’s when I started thinking, “When was the last time I had tea that blew my socks off?” The sad, yet unfortunate truth is that I can’t think of an example. You see far too often people get lost in the concept of making teas sell well and forget the art of making it taste well. If a tea isn’t made with quality leaves or if it’s over processed it’s going to taste mediocre.

As much as I’d love to tell you about the cup of tea that changed my life. Or how one day everything became clearer after a sip of a splendid brew sadly that hasn’t happened yet. That being said I haven’t given up on tea, I drink it occasionally and I’m still on the search for that perfect life changing drink.

My Tasty Weekend Wrap-Up

Today marks the week after Labor Day weekend, but on "Heidi Time" I'm still rejuvenating slash transitioning from vacation mode. I don't know how everyone else does it, but for me I need some time to get back into the swing of things after a vacation. You'd think being a full time student and working in restaurants would make me accustom to change....but no. Any who I thought I'd give everyone a roundup of my fabulous past weekend and the places I got to try along the way.
Pasco Kitchen and Lounge 820 E. University Blvd. Tucson, AZ, 85719

If you’re into the hot trend of farm fresh local foods that are sustainable and healthy for you, then this is your place to go. While Pasco’s Kitchen seemed a little cliché in the restaurant scene something about this place stood out to me. I really was looking forward to trying this restaurant not only because of its exterior appeal but because of the hype and reviews I’d heard about it. And for those of you wanting to try this place I give it 2 thumbs up and a definite go! Going out with my friends we weren’t hesitant at all to dive head first into their menu, here’s what we got to taste;

Off the Dinner Menu

Andouille Sausage Corn Dog – Spicy slaw, sweet pickle remoulade, fried okra and zucchini

Goat cheese with Herbed Panko & Roasted Local Beets – Arizona pistachios, organic spring mix, chive vinaigrette, red pepper coulis, poached farm fresh egg

Quinoa Super Food Bowl – steamed quinoa with organic local vegetables, garden herbs, barbequed citrus tofu

Sesame Seared Ahi – organic vegetable stir fry, chili oil, ginger steamed rice, preserved lemon and organic soy butter

Off the drink menu
The Corpse Reviver #2 – gin, Lillet Blanc©, Royal Combier©, freshly squeezed lemon, spritz of absinthe©

Mescal Fizz – mescal, freshly squeezed lime, house-made grapefruit jam, rosemary, egg white

Father Kino – Reposado tequila, freshly muddled cucumber and cilantro, freshly squeezed lime, jalapeno spiced agave nectar, chili-tamarind rim
Not to mention the two drinks the friendly and entertaining bartender made up for us. Both of them being a fruity blends of strawberry one having fresh mint muddled in and the other with rosemary simple syrup.

All together this place isn’t another restaurant you should pass by they’ve taken a popular trend and recreated it to make it their own. From the farm house décor, to the casual apparel of the staff, Pasco is a restaurant that is a must to try.

As for the other two restaurants I tried while they offered great meals I wasn’t too enthusiastic about writing a review for both of them. Being a college blog and being very aware of my college, along with my fellow peers budgets I thought Catalina Barbeque Co. & Sports Bar was a little expensive. They have an excellent selection of meats and a southern style barbeque menu items but not much of anything else. My friend who happens to be a vegetarian had little options to choose from. Those of you die hard meet lovers who can’t pass up a good steak and have money to spend; this is the place for you.

The other restaurant I tried was very affordable for anyone with a college budget but what I wasn’t fond of at Bobo's Restaurant was the atmosphere and the wait. This eatery happens to be a dive breakfast place but with a staggering wait of 30 plus minutes, I wasn’t to blown away. Being overly packed with college kids, families and hungry church goers you get the Closter phobic feeling right away. Our food took just as long of a time as our wait and it wasn’t anything to impressive. I’m taking into consideration we came to dine at this place around 9am on a Sunday morning, but all in all I don’t think I’ll be heading back here anytime soon.

Hope you enjoyed my quick and (overly honest) round up of my Labor Day weekend meals. As for the rest of my vacation the majority of it was spent by the pool, procrastinating on homework and working. So here’s to the upcoming weekend and let’s wish for some more tasty discoveries, till next time!

Heidi Jay

Guess who's BACK!?

Just to give everyone a heads up.....I'M BACK! And this time it's for good. I still can't believe it's been over a year since I've last posted, spoken or updated my account. Let's just say a lot has changed, some for better, some for worse but they all in all I've had a successful year.
To sum everything up in a nut-shell the following year basically consisted of ...(Graduating culinary school (YAY MEE!), switching my major to journalism, being a full time student, working 2 jobs for almost a year, having my first roommate, becoming opinion editor of my college newspaper, finding and falling out of the dating scene, having my nephew born and moving back home.) Ugghh I know it's a lot to handle but you'll get there.

Now that I'm fully transitioned back in Tucson, AZ instead of Scottsdale things have never looked brighter. You see when I first moved out of my parents house I was searching for independence, life, and all that gooshy stuff they show in the movies....yada yada yada. "Did I find what I was searching for?" Well yes and no. I learned no matter where you go you're best attributes, insecurities, emotions and problems follow with you. I pushed myself to grow up way faster than I might have liked but in the end it all worked out beautifully.

Currently I'm enjoying life back in (Tucson native slag for Tucson-ans) T-Town. Wrapping up my gen-eds at Pima Community College and getting ready to head to the University of Arizona for Journalism in Spring. I'm getting my mind, body and soul back in order. Saving up and prepping for (Project London) my New Years trip to the UK, while just enjoying life. Feeling a little low on the liquid fuel aka caffiene right now so I guess that's my call, till next time!

Heidi Jay

Good morning breakfast and beats!

Delicious and dense cranberry, walnut bread from simply bread a local bakery in Phoenix.

What's the best way to start my morning before class? Lets think .....how about some coffee, local bread from the farmers market and my favorite Jason Mraz song....sounds good to me! Enjoy the pictures and lyrics and I'll enjoy lecture in class "Not really, but I'll try to survive!" Till next time!

H.Jay!

Jason Mraz "You and I Both"
Was it you who spoke the words that things would happen but not to me
Oh things are gonna happen naturally
Oh taking your advice I'm looking on the bright side 
And balancing the whole thing
But often times those words get tangled up in lines
And the bright lights turn to night
Until the dawn it brings
Another day to sing about the magic that was you and me

Cause you and I both loved
What you and I spoke of
And others just read of
Others only read of the love, the love that I love.

See I'm all about them words
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages forwards
More words then I had ever heard and I feel so alive

You and I, you and I
Not so little you and I anymore
And with this silence brings a moral story 
More importantly evolving is the glory of a boy

Cause you and I both loved
What you and I spoke of
And others just dream of
And if you could see me now
Well I'm almost finally out of
I'm finally out of
Finally deedeedeedee 
Well I'm almost finally, finally 
Well I'm free, oh, I'm free

And it's okay if you have go away
Oh just remember the telephone works both ways
And if I never ever hear them ring
If nothing else I'll think the bells inside 
Have finally found you someone else and that's okay
Cause I'll remember everything you sang

Cause you and I both loved what you and I spoke of
and others just read of and if you could see now
well I'm almost finally out of.
I'm finally out of, finally, deedeeededede
well I'm almost finally, finally, finally out of words.

Un-PHO-gettable.

Unforgettable, it’s a word used specifically for those amazing moments in life. Whether it be spending time with a loved one, learning a new look on life or discovering a foreign cuisine....when something is unforgettable it has a tendency to linger in the mind. For myself what’s been lingering in my mind (and fridge...I’m crazy when it comes to leftovers!) is Pho. This past weekend I had an unforgettable Pho experience while catching up with my good friend Nathalie. Not only is she just as obsessed with food as me, she’s lived here in Maricopa County her whole life! I totally use her as my culinary, restaurant tour guide whenever I’m craving anything from fine dinning to street food because she always knows of the best places!

So we both craving something healthy, that wouldn’t weigh us down  but would definitely suppress our appetites. She suggested this whole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant in central Phoenix. I absolutely loved this place. From the moment you get their menu you know your in for something good. Super affordable prices mixed in with fresh exotic products are what draws in the crowds. I had a little trouble deciding what to order but with the help of my friend I quickly was guided to culinary GLORY!

Getting to catch up with an old friend, enjoying a spectacular meal and just relaxing before another chaotic college semester made this day unforgettable. It’s nice just to slow down and experience these moments in life. I feel like I get to sucked up in my own busy world, that I forget to appreciate how wonderful amazing moments like these can be. 

Oh Summer....

Summer how enjoyable it is.

How easy it is to be consumed in relaxed mode.

How easy it is for me to fall into over eat mode.

Fall brings in new flavors, new fun and for me a new semester.

“Oh yes” It’s that time of year again....

This past summer was so spectacular for me it’s so sad to say that it’s almost over! I had an opportunity of a life time to travel to Juneau, AK visiting family. I also spent a good amount of time home in Tucson, AZ visiting family and friends. Now I’m back in Scottsdale, AZ back for school and the life that awaits me! 

Just to give everyone a little update on life lately a lot has changed for me. I graduated culinary school and I’m back at SCC pursing my associates in arts and applied science, I know exciting! I’m in the (long and tedious) process of moving apartments. And did I mention I just started my first kitchen job as a line cook! I’m working at 5th&Wine in Old Town Scottsdale, its a super cute cozy place to have dinner at, the foods good, the wine is even better. Everything has been going great for me lately I’m just feeling a little anxious, broke and home sick lately, but what college student doesn’t experience those troubles.

I have a great feeling about this upcoming semester and can’t wait to fill you in on more of my life till next time!

Enjoying downtown Tucson at "Shot in the Dark Cafe" with iced coffee, chocolate espresso bar and some great friends ... does it get  any better?

H.Jay!