Sweets Archives | Tasty Oasis

My Very Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 20, 2017 By Karen

So here’s what’s up: I have the day off of work, and I sat down at the computer to write. As you know, I haven’t posted in a while, which means that since September a lot has changed in the world, when the outlook for our country was very different than it is today. During early fall, there was hope and an excitement about what January 20th would mean, and I fully expected that today would be a celebration. Instead, I find myself watching a reboot of The Twilight Zone. As the months have passed, I’ve often thought about using this space to write how I feel about the election, and the conversations I have had to have with my kids about the way people voted and what this means for their lives, and for all of our lives. But instead, I’ve talked with my friends, I’ve talked with my colleagues, I’ve talked with my family, and I chose to spend my time in other ways.

I believe in honesty, and when I worked on this blog more frequently, one of the most valuable things I got from it was the chance to tell my story. It isn’t always pretty. In fact, our holiday card this year tried to reflect that. The first lines were “Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone’s year was all sunshine and roses like most holiday cards try and make it look? Well, our 2016 had its ups and downs. There were some professional disappointments, cranky bodies (thanks to our age), cranky kids (thanks to their age), and a cranky house (thanks to its age). But thank goodness it was balanced by some pretty awesome moments!” Which is true. All of it. And so as I began to write this morning I tried to dig down to that honest place. And you know what I found? I wanted to escape. I didn’t want to deal. I had a few paragraphs written, and the ideas mapped out for telling you what I think of the latest recipe for our country, and miraculously was going to tie it in to my new favorite dinner recipe (impressive, right?), but instead….I said screw it, and went upstairs to grab some coffee and breakfast.

But then I did something on auto-pilot. Instead of taking out the hard boiled eggs, I reached for two sticks of butter. I popped them in the microwave at half power for a minute. Then I put my mixer bowl on the scale, and reached into my cupboard for the sugars. Three of them. White, turbinado, and dark brown. No recipe in front of me, just a formula in my head. Not my formula, mind you. But a brilliant woman named Ashley Rodriguez’s. …

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Sugar

September 21, 2016 By Karen

Hello friends. It’s been a while. The entire summer passed by and I took a little break from the website. As I am sure you can all relate, there are periods when life seems fuller and busier than others, and you just have to make a choice about how to spend your time. I’ve been trying to figure out why I stepped away from this, and I don’t have a very novel answer. I simply prioritized other things. Spending time with my kids, sleeping more, reading, getting out and being in nature instead of in front of a computer. Oh, and of course there’s that thing called work. We went to Colorado at the end of August though, and it was just what I needed to recharge. Lots of family time and hiking, and appreciating the grandeur of The Rockies. They were incredible, and helped put things into perspective.Another reason that I stepped away was that my shoulder decided to go crazy for a few months. Physical therapy three times a week all summer and the order to rest it as much as possible meant over a month of no cooking at all, because I couldn’t chop anything, lift my arm to reach the dishes, or move a heavy pot. So yeah, I was a little off my game. When you can’t go to your happy place (the kitchen for me) because it hurts, changes have to happen. That said, I still was mostly able to feed my family during that time from the chest freezer that was stocked in my basement and which now is pretty depleted. It just goes to show that planning ahead is always smart. Of course that means now it’s time to fill it up again!

And this Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Coconut Sugar is a great addition to any freezer. Or a lunch a box, or the paper towel you grab as you rush out the door so that you can eat it in the car on your way to wherever, or on a fancy plate for company. It also packs nicely for a plane ride to India apparently, since it is what my in-laws always ask me to make them whenever they visit. (Did I tell you they moved? They moved. I’m a bit heartbroken that they’re down in Virginia now, but they’re loving it there.) So I baked a loaf for them to take on their last trip and it was reported that it travels well. It’s a sturdy little cake. Because you use coconut sugar instead of regular, and whole wheat flour, it is a bit denser than a typical banana bread, and has a lower profile. Really, it doesn’t rise as high. I feel this makes it heartier and more satisfying, so I find this a plus. Bananas are sweet enough, so the added coconut sugar is minimal, and you don’t get that cloying sweetness that some banana breads have. And it’s refined sugar free, which is always a good thing, and something I have written about before. (Baked Eggs with Sautéed Mushrooms anyone? Or Sesame Date Granola?)

It’s a one bowl quick bread, you can prep it in under 10 minutes, and it’s a perfect way to use up any over-ripe bananas you have lingering in your fruit bowl or hanging out in your freezer. (Do you have a massive collection of bananas in your freezer? Because I do. Here’s a great smoothie recipe you can use for them.) It’s a healthier choice than most, and I feel good about making it and serving it to those I love. I hope you give it a try, and if you do, please let me know what you think!

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Chocolate Pumpkin Nut Butter (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free)

January 6, 2016 By Karen

Do you dream? Not big, what do I want the world to look like dreaming, but actual sleep dreaming? I do. I have technicolor vivid dreams that play out like complicated shows. They’re either long and involved and jump from scene to scene, or they’re straightforward, but in syndication, repeating themselves year after year, theme after theme. Anxiety dreams that are so cliched they’re embarrassing: I’ve missed every rehearsal, don’t know my lines, am missing my costume, and the curtain is about to go up, or I’ve missed every lecture, and now I have to take the final having never read the books. I’ve got a whole lineup that plays nightly, and I wake in the morning aware of how obvious my issues all are. Sometimes it’s revealing, other times it’s exhausting, but mostly it’s just constant. I dream almost every single night, and I tend to remember details for long stretches of time. I can still recall scenes of dreams I had when I was a kid, and the feelings attached to them. The familiarity I felt towards a celebrity after he had a part in the pictures in my sleep, the freedom of flying through the sky, with clouds all around, doing the breast stroke through the air because of course that’s the most realistic human flying move, or the stomach dropping horror of swinging and falling from the chandelier in the foyer of my childhood home. I depend on my dreams, and I appreciate them. But there are nights that I just wish I could sleep soundly and wake peacefully, rested and refreshed because my brain had simply shut down for the night.

A couple weeks ago was no different. …

Cardamom Snickerdoodles

December 31, 2015 By Karen

December flew by, and while I have lots I want to share with you all about the last month, I’m going to save it for after the new year. (Here’re two highlights though: I went as a plus one to The White House staff holiday party (!!!), and we just got a kitten (!!!). Two crazy exciting things in my world that I promise to tell you more about.) But as the ball gets ready to drop, I just wanted to make sure to wish you all a happy and healthy 2016, and thank you for reading and cooking along with me this year. I love your comments and hearing about what you’ve made, and appreciate you taking the time to share it all with me.

And while I hope that the coming year is smooth and easy for you, I have do doubt there will be bumps along the way. There always are. Whether they’re silly and trivial, like the mess I made the other night before these cookies (my Oasis isn’t always so peaceful,) or they’re more serious ones, involving health, loss, or big life choices, remember that you can look for comfort in your kitchen in the form of healthy food to feed yourself or those you love, or a big bowl of cookie dough. Both are equally important. Both make things better.

And since so many people out there make all sorts of pledges to start diets after January 1st, I figure I better squeeze one solid cookie recipe in before midnight. I came up with these Cardamom Snickerdoodles on Christmas, and have made them a couple of times this week just to make sure I got the recipe right for you all. (I don’t know if you remember, but I kind of have a thing for all things snickerdoodle. Remember these: Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Frosting? They were one of the most popular recipes on the blog in 2015!)They’re soft and chewy cookies, spiced with a good amount of cardamom and just a hint of cinnamon, but not too sweet….

Spiced Orange Cranberry Sauce

November 17, 2015 By Karen

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I wrote about it twice last year, when I shared the story of my dad and the pear and cranberry crisp with gingersnaps, oats and almonds, and when I wrote about feeling grateful and Dorie Greenspan’s maple-cornmeal drop biscuits. I love it for the food (obviously,) but more than that I love the traditions we’ve created around it.

We’ve hosted the meal ever since we moved into our home ten years ago. Family comes from near and far, and the best part is that for the last decade it has been low key and drama free. My parents separated when I was 14, so like many kids I had years of juggling holidays and figuring out whose house got priority which year, and there was often stress and nonsense involved. But as an adult with my own home and growing family, I chose to rewrite the terms. …

Summer Fruits Tea Cake (and 10 Books to Go With It)

July 8, 2015 By Karen

I love the feeling of falling into somebody else’s world, temporarily leaving my own reality to find a place in another. In some ways, I experience that in my work. It’s my privilege as an interpreter that I’m allowed into the most private moments of other people’s lives, or simply that I have the opportunity to walk into situations that I would never otherwise have access to. Although that’s not at the foundation of why I became a sign language interpreter, and certainly not a main reason why I continue to be one, it is a part of what keeps me balanced.

Being in the hospital room as a child is born, in the court room when a divorce is granted, on the course as someone learns to ride a motorcycle, in the classroom where they study to be a priest, a rabbi, a teacher, a lawyer, an historian or an artist, in the office when someone is fired, on the phone for a fight between a mother and her son, or on a stage in front of tens of thousands of people, it’s my honor to gain perspective from other people’s lives.

While my professional access to these experiences might be unique, I know I’m not alone in the desire to immerse myself in other’s stories. And for as long as I can remember, I’ve done that with books. I was the little girl hiding with the flashlight under the covers, escaping into The Secret Garden. I was the teenager devouring trashy novels and Wuthering Heights with equal abandon (which I guess might have been trashy in its day.) In my twenties I called the New York Public Library my second home, and missed my subway stop time and again as Barbara Kingsolver, Isabelle Allende, J. K. Rowling and David Sedaris wove their tales around me. And in my thirties I fell in love with audio books and cookbooks, returned to children’s literature, and began a habit of reading electronically.

I read so much that I can’t keep track of it all without maintaining a list, and so for years…

Healthy Green Smoothie with Spinach, Kale and Banana

March 13, 2015 By Karen

My family loves a good ritual, and I find comfort in traditions that remind me to take time out of my everyday nonsense and reflect on where I am, how I’ve gotten here, and who has filled my heart along the way.

My brother Brian’s birthday was St. Patrick’s Day, and when we were little we always celebrated with Shamrock shakes. They were a special green treat, and I always looked forward to the trip to McDonald’s for that cold and creamy drink that went so perfectly with hot and salty fries.

Tuesday will be the 30th anniversary of a different birthday tradition though. Every March 17th since I was 9 years old, I have celebrated my brother’s birthday with six green helium-filled balloons: one for him, one for my mom, one for my dad, one for my brother Andrew, one for my abuelita Julita, and one for me. The people who loved my brother the most. But these balloons aren’t headed for a party; they’re headed for the sky….

Nutella Crunch Cookies-Two Ways

March 11, 2015 By Karen

***Before I get started with these Nutella Crunch Cookies, I have a shameless plea: Would you please take two minutes to nominate Tasty Oasis for the Saveur Food Blog Awards in the Best New Voice category? On Tuesday, I wrote a whole post about it, and I would love for you to check it out. The deadline is this Friday, March 13th, and I would be ever so grateful! Thank you!!!***

There was a time in our house when we consumed so many jars of Nutella that we were able to trade in the labels for a Nutella t-shirt and two (count them: TWO) Nutella travel coffee mugs. I’m not sure what that says about us, especially knowing that during that period I never even tried baking with this chocolate hazelnut spread of deliciousness. Almost all jars were just devoured straight up, on a spoon. Granted, sometimes it was added to a bowl of vanilla ice cream, but that’s as creative as we ever really became. Of course, that amount gluttony meant that we had to take a good two year Nutella hiatus. Brian went off of sugar for a bit, and I just found mine in other places.And then the Winter of 2014-2015 struck. (Do you see where this is going?) And Nutella has made a full force re-entry into our lives. Brian has been making Nutella “drinking chocolate,” the spoons have returned, and I…well, I bake. I got an idea into my head around a month ago: I was bound and determined to make the perfect Nutella cookie. And because I care so much about you all, I wasn’t just going to present you with my first attempt. That first attempt might have been declared, “The best thing you’ve ever made!” by my taste-testing sister-in-law, (the one who previously said the same thing about the OMFG Extra Dark Chocolate Ice Cream,) but I thought I could push it further. So four batches later and I actually have TWO winning recipes for Nutella Crunch Cookies that I am sharing with you today. Honestly, I just can’t decide which one I like better. And all my generous friends and family who have willingly submitted to be tasters (poor things) are split down the middle on which is the winner. So I leave it to you to bake both and decide!…