Lemon Oatmeal Lacies: ZAGAT Wants Their Sarcasm Gravy Boat Back

During Christmas I love to give away baked goods to friends, family, and the harshest of critics: children. They don't hold anything back, even if they know that you've spent hours slaving away to make sure those ball cookies are just the right diameter. They use the most barbed terms: "This sucks!" or the ever popular, "This tastes like something my dog threw up," and occasionally lapse into hyperbole when claiming that, "My mom makes cookies that are a billion-zillion kajilion times better!". Does ZAGAT know about these pint-sized gourmets? This year I supplied Mom's super-secret sugar cookies with homemade frosting and crusted with sprinkles, a surprise hit for a crowd that can't stand sugar in large quantities (oh children!), but I was sad that I didn't attempt anything yummy for friends that wasn't old hat. After digging around in my computer (good place to store valuable recipes right?) I found a great recipe that I had used last year for give-away cookies. A little crunchy, subtle, and slightly lemony, they are the perfect cookie year round. It may be after Christmas, but don't be surprised if a box of these puppies lands on your doorstep!

Lemon Oatmeal Lacies

Ingredients:

2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

3 cups oatmeal, uncooked

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon vanilla

powdered sugar

Directions:

Beat together butter and sugar until creamy.

Add remaining ingredients (except powdered sugar) and mix well.

Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll dough into 1" balls.

Flatten with the back of a spoon

Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown

Cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack (fragile!).

I Want to Eat at Hot Doug's: Encased Meat Emporium

I love when K and I go to the Chicago-area: he's a native so he knows where everything is, and we have tons of family up there to visit. On our trips there, we've gotten to experience some amazing food in the city: Bistro 110, Carmine's Rosebud, The Melting Pot, Uno's Pizzaria, and one particular favorite, Hot Doug's: The Encased Meat Emporium. Hot Doug's is special and revered for taking the famous Chicago-style hot dog and turning it into a delicious work of art. The menu not only offers your very basic traditional coney dogs, but a wide selection of gourmet dogs that changes every week. In the mood for some wild game? Try the very tasty Elk, Venison, Antelope, and Bison Dog with Boursin Cheese and Spicy Mustard. Something more exotic perhaps? Taste the Spicy Jerk Pork Sausage with Passion Fruit Mayonnaise and Emmental Cheese or Cranberry Walnut Chicken Sausage with Sweet Berry Cherry Sauce and Cranberry White Cheddar Cheese. They may sound strange, but I promise that they are all yummy, and only require a sense of adventure to be enjoyed.

Hot Doug's is located on 3324 North California, 60618. If you don't care to wait in line for 30-45 minutes (the line can wrap around the small store most days), then call ahead with your order at (773) 279-9550. A word of advice: Be decisive and know what you want when you get the counter. You will be heckled for dithering! http://www.hotdougs.com/

Vegan: It's Actually Tasty

My sophomore year of college, I became a vegetarian for 6 months. It wasn't that I suddenly became more liberal after moving away from home, that I was trying to "stick it to the man" or my parents....it's just that I wanted to live a healthier lifestyle. My family eats pretty healthy: we try to use good oils, watch the fat intake, hardly eat any foods with preservatives, etc., but we love meat. Bacon is a gift. Steak was meant to be eaten. I wanted to try a lifestyle that didn't involve meat for awhile, but I wasn't willing to go vegan. Dairy is a staple and I don't think I could handle a world without eggs, no matter what.

So it was with great trepidation that I tried my first entirely vegan meal after cross-country skiing with K and his friend Tom. After falling down hills, shrieking loudly enough to scare birds 2 miles away, all I wanted was a juicy burger. I deserved a meat-laden lunch for getting snow down my pants! Sadly, Tom suggested a delightful vegan cafe that he knew of not far away. "Sure, why not?," my mouth said, while I silently cursed the do-gooder hipster.

Lo and behold, I was blown away by what may be the most cringe-inducing name ever: The Loving Cafe. As soon as you step into the bright, inviting restaurant, you are presented with a wide variety of menu options, of which I selected the Golden Soup and Harmony Rice. By far my favorite was the Golden Soup, a savory/sweet mixture of sweet potatoes, lentils, onion, celery, carrot, curry paste, coconut cream, and mushrooms. It was so soothing after all the outdoor exercise! I can say with complete honesty that I tried to like the meat-less beef in the Harmony Rice, but it just wasn't happening. I knew it was tofu shaped and colored like beef, and the texture was playing tricks with my mind. It still tasted good, but it wasn't something I would order again. Meatless meat might be something where you have to find a favorite before you can truly enjoy it, like chicken or pork. I plan to keep experimenting, and I commend the Loving Cafe's cruelty-free philosophy.

http://www.lovingcafefw.com