Niles had called me and asked if I was going to bake anything for Lost night, and I said yes because I had nothing to do all afternoon (after I went running), and he was busy, so I would cook.

I decided to make Spinach Pinwheels and Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies.  I found both of these recipes using the Allrecipes.com app for my iPhone.  It seems very neat, and it only gives out recipes that are rated 4 starts or higher!  The chances of getting a good recipe are pretty high.

Wednesday night I went for a run, and ran to the grocery store.  I walked back to City Hall and my dad gave me a ride home.  I was planning on running home from City Hall (which is why I went - to drop the groceries off), but Trevor and my dad both agreed that I had run enough already.  It was a good thing, too, because I would soon find out that I was very stressed for time  (It’s about 5:30 at this point).

I get home and immediately start cooking.  I had already made the dough with the bread machine, so I got the dough out (it had been preparing while I was running), and set that up.  I separated the dough in half and two equal sized balls that I rolled out into a circle.  Then, I cut them up like they were pizza.

This was a mistake.  I was following two recipes.  One was to make the Spinach Pinwheels out of Pillsbury Cresent Rolls (bought at the store), and the other was how to make my own Cresent Rolls with a bread machine.  I cut up the dough thinking I was just making regular rolls, but then the recipe told me to roll them up, and let them rise like that.  I had to put stuff in my rolls….. how was this going to work?  So I cut them up, and let them rise like that, just flat and cut.

Then, after they rose, I filled them, and rolled them up.

This was when I found out that they were suppose to be mini.  So I combined two of the triangles together to make a large rectangle, and rolled them up like that, then I had to cut the dough and cook them so they were very little.  Cutting the dough sucked.

Then, they baked for about 12 minutes.  I burned one tray of them, but luckily it was the last tray that only had about 6 pinwheels on it.  I actually ended up cutting away the non-burnt part and eating it.

When I got to Niles’ house with this, I was angry at them.  They were a pain in the ass to make, I didn’t think they were that delicious, and they sure didn’t look that great.  My dad had one and said they were very good, but I was still bitter.

At Niles’ house, everyone LOVED them, and every single one was eaten.  Yay!!  Next time, however, I’m going to use the store bought dough.  It will make them MUCH simpler.  For something that isn’t 5 Stars, hours of work just isn’t worth it.

Spinach Pinwheels

Use either Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, or make your own dough.  Here is the recipe for a bread machine.

• 1 cup warm milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs, beaten (I used egg whites only.  2/3 cup)
• 4 cups flour
• 1/4 cup sugar  (I used a bit less than this.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 ounce active dry yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place wet ingredients in machine first, followed by flour.  Yeast goes in last, on top of flour.

This is where the recipe gets tricky.  I think next time I would let the dough rise before doing anything with it.  Then, I would separate it into two balls, roll them out, and cut rectangular shapes.  Then, inside the dough, you use:

• 1 (7 ounce) package garlic herb cheese spread
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

and distribute evenly.  I think I would use less dough so there is more cheese on each biscuit.

This recipe is all very confusing, and I don’t have the time right now to write it all out.  Basically, buy the store bought ones and it will be a LOT easier.  Plus, it probably makes less anyway, so there is more cheese per roll.

On to the cookies!

These were very fun to make.  Actually, no they weren’t, but they are just so delicious I’m pretending that they were fun (because I have nothing but good thoughts towards these cookies).

Follow all directions according to recipe.  I added more cranberries because I love them.  I used about 1.25 cups instead of just one.  I think it could use even more next time!

I also used a food processor because I was too lazy to chop up individual cranberries.  I tried a couple of them, and I just made a mess (and squirted cranberry juice all over!)

Drop cookies onto a cookie sheet using a spoon.  They should be about the size of a golf ball.

I was freaking out cause it was super late, and I was stressed I wasn’t going to get done in time (I was doing both of these recipes, and eating dinner all at the same time.  My dad helped take the cookies out of the oven while I was busy rolling up stupid pinwheels.  He wanted me to take his picture to show him being helpful!

These cookies were absolutely delicious.  I like pumpkin bread, and I like cranberries, and this was a mix of the two.  They are very cake-like cookies, and are extremely soft.  They would be called something better than cookies, but I don’t know what.  Someone said they are like soft scones.  The dough was clearly the consistency of cookies, but the cookie themselves are very soft.  I think next time I might make them in mini muffin tins.

I give this recipe 5 stars. My mom said she liked these ones a lot better than the cake-like Apple Cookies Megan made us in December (HA!).

I just ate three of them…….. and I ate one earlier today, too.

They’re just so delicious!!!

Cranberry Pumpkin Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and  1/4  cup fresh cranberries
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon orange zest  (I used 1 tablespoon frozen OJ concentrate)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and pumpkin. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir into mixture until well blended. Cut the cranberries in half and stir into mixture along with the orange zest and walnuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until bottom of cookie is lightly brown.

Niles had made food too.  There was confusion there.  I thought he was telling me he was too busy to cook, so I would cook.  Then I got there, and he was cooking boatloads of food.  Luckily, it was the biggest Lost night yet with 10 people, and all of the food was eaten.  It worked out perfectly.

Sorry for the late post.  Right now I’m in a hurry to go to Rob’s house in Dartmouth.  I’m staying over, and we’re cooking dinner, and then tomorrow we’re going to see Watchmen.  I bought the graphic novel yesterday and I want to finish it before the movie.   I’m about 60% done.  After my family reads it, I’m donating it to the library.  It was a good purchase.  But now I’m off for a 2 hour drive (I got an audio book for the trip - Bill Bryson!).  I’m also bringing my computer and camera so I can blog about our adventures.  I also asked Rob if he’d devise a 3 mile run for us tomorrow morning!!!