Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

So, I am officially 3 days overdue and taking this opportunity to continue this whole "nesting" thing.  I have moved on from savory dishes like the Pulled Pork and Chicken Enchiladas, lasagnas, and chili to cookies. Lots and lots of cookies. I've been enjoying every moment--- baking, sharing, eating and freezing for later.

I have made lots of my favorites, like these surprisingly delicious Lentil Cookies, packed with protein from the lentils, nuts and seeds; Nutella, Cranberry & Chocolate Cookies, a yummy blend of gooey nutella with chewy dried cranberries; and of course, Triple Chocolate Cookies-- need I say more?

But today, I felt like making a classic-- oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I thought since I am making tons of cookies these days that I would make them with completely whole wheat flour which makes them nuttier, heartier, and a little bit healthier, but of course, you can stick with white all purpose flour or a blend if you like.

I kept them simple with just oatmeal and chocolate chips, but if you are feeling like a little extra something, feel free to add walnuts or dried cranberries to the mix.

Quinoa Zucchini Cakes with Sriracha Aioli

Yesterday, we pulled out all of our zucchini plants and turned over the beds. Sigh... as the weather cools down, it seems to be the end of the growing season for me. I can't really complain though. As a first time gardener this year, I was very fortunate to get a huge crop of veggies throughout the season. Some of the veggies were more successful than others, but overall, it was definitely worth the hard work.

So, as I turned over a majority of our beds last night in preparation for perhaps a little bit of fall/winter gardening but mostly to prep for spring, I reflected on what the growing season looked like for us and all the great recipes that came out of it.

Fortunately, before calling it a season, I was able to get a few more zucchini out of the plants and thus able to make one more great garden fresh meal.

Pulled Pork or Roasted Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde, Cilantro and Sour Cream Sauce

It's official. I am nesting. With the upcoming arrival of our first child, I have found myself stationed in the kitchen making freezer meals for the time crunched days and nights ahead.

Lasagna's and chili already done, I was looking to make something a little different. So started my stroll through the grocery store, where I picked up a massive pork shoulder to make a pulled pork with crispy pork crackling! Now, with only 2 of us in the house at the moment, I figured I would need to do something else with the pork besides eat it for lunch and dinner for the next week, so I stopped at the market where my favorite little Mexican joint is and bought some corn tortillas. Enchiladas here we come!

Split Red Lentil & Zucchini Curry (or Soup)

So, I hate to say it, but with temperatures cooling down and the rain falling non-stop, it's starting to feel like summer is over. The last couple of weeks of rain, I was really in denial, hoping that this was just a blip in the weather map. I was praying that it would soon pass and give way to an extended dry and warm summer season like last year, which lasted into October. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case this year.

As a result, I found myself whipping up a quick lentil and zucchini curry, still taking advantage of the bountiful squash harvest from my garden of course, but creating some warmer flavors, comforting as we head into (gulp) fall...