Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I meant to get a photo of these cookies once I put them out at the potluck, but I ended up completely forgetting. So instead, a picture of the potluck itself!

These are made just like chocolate chip cookies (cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla, and then the dry stuff)

- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
- 1 2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used a mix of semisweet, milk chocolate, and white chocolate)
- 1 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs

Baking them for 9 1/2 - 10 minutes, using my larger ice cream scoop (leveled) seemed to be exactly perfect - chewy, and they stayed chewy even after they had cooled.

Apple Sandwich

- Bread
- Thinly slice apple
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Mustard
- Honey
- Black pepper

Cook on a sandwich press (I use my George Forman.) I like to drizzle a little bit of honey on the outside of the sandwich before cooking it, so it will caramelize.

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

This soup tastes so much better than it should. And it is an easy way to get a large dose of veggies. But it isn't very pretty, so no picture...

- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- minced garlic
- olive oil
- salt
- 1 head of cauliflower, broken into pieces small enough to fit into soup pot
- an equal amount of broccoli (okay to use stems.)
- 1 packet Trader Joe's Savory Broth (I used vegetable)
- water
- about 2-3 ounces cream cheese

In a large soup pot, cook the celery, onion, carrot and garlic in olive oil. Add the cauliflower, broccoli, broth, salt and water (a few cups?). Simmer until broccoli and cauliflower is soft. Blend with immersion blender. Add cream cheese and blend.