Or as we call them in Boston, Monstah Cookies. Well, actually, in Southie we call them “wicked fahkin good monstah cookies.” But this blog is supposed to be PG-13 so we’ll stick to Monster Cookies. The inspiration for these cookies is that big green wall out in left field at Fenway Park. I got some last minute tickets through work for yesterday’s Sox game and had a nice girl’s day out … checking “sit in the front row of the Green Monster on a sunshiney Saturday” off the ol’ bucket list. Check out that view, not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

Even though Yankee’s blood runs blue + white through my veins and I am VERY aware of what would happen if I ever rooted for the Sox (like the time I woke up in a Paplebon jersey and you’d think my parents just found me with 2 kilos of cocaine), I do very much enjoy a good baseball game. I spent 5 summers working for the Cape Cod baseball league, so I enjoy a nice game, especially when the sun finally makes an appearance. Katie, Sarah, Steph and I had a nice girl’s day out (and yes Skip, I wore some blue and white pinstripes subtly for you – though was prepared to tell anyone who questioned me that I was just going yachting after the game).

 

So we were on a mission yesterday to find some inspiration for cookies. And while for a brief moment, we thought a bud light hot dog flavored cookie might be a contender, I did some surfing of the world wide web today and decided to make the cookie version of the Monster Cookie bars I made last summer. I think my coworkers will appreciate these more than stale beer cookies tomorrow morning. Monster Cookies are a combo of oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips + M&Ms. And best surprise of all? Gluten free! Finally a good tasting cookie that my mom can enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peanut butter (chunky, if you have it)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated  sugar
1 stick butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup M&M’s 

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, sugars, and peanut butter.

Step 2: Add in eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well.

Step 3: Add in oats + baking soda, and mix on a low speed until incorporated.

Step 4: Add in chocolate chips + M&Ms, and beat just until evenly distributed (you don’t want to crush the M&Ms). I threw in an extra half cup of M&Ms so that I wouldn’t snack on them.

Step 5: On a sil-pat or parchment-lined baking sheet, place an ice-cream-scoop-sized (or tablespoon) ball of dough. Press it down lightly with your fingertips, and if you have some extra M&Ms you can place a few on top of each cookie (a tip for better pictures!). Instead of 4×3 on the baking sheet, I do 3×3 so that only 9 cookies fit on a sheet, because these need room to spread out.

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly brown on top. Let them sit on the tray for a few minutes to settle before transferring onto a cooling rack.

These cookies are a grand slam. Homerun, over the monstah (which there were both grand slams and homeruns yesterday over the monster). The texture is nice because the cookie base is super soft and chewy with the oatmeal base, but also salty sweet with the peanut butter + chocolate combo. Yum.

So last week was another doozy with work. I think I’m hitting my 40 hours by lunchtime on Wednesday lately. I was up at 3:30 am on Monday morning for another trip out to the Chicago burbs. I realized at the airport that for the second week in a row I looked like a total consultant ninja at the airport – dressed head to toe in black, with a black trench coat and black suitcase.

I also think I’m being reminded that regular travel life is not so glamorous, since my four flights in the past two weeks have been during the windiest, and rainiest days in a while – which translates into the “bumpiest and most unpleasant” flights where the pilot never turns the seatbelt sign off, you circle over O’Hare for an extra half hour before landing, and you start praying that Captain Sully is at the helm when you’re bouncing all over right above Boston Harbor.

But at least I get these super artsy instagram-worthy sunsets, right?

My friend Katie came up from home for the game yesterday, which was a lot of fun since she likes the Red Sox and I like hanging out with her, so everyone won. And since we’re so awesome, after the game we immediately fell asleep at home and took a long nap while watching Frozen.

Today I tried to combat the Sunday Scaries once again, which wasn’t made easier since I had to work tonight again. Oh well. I am looking forward to some airplane-free commuting this week, so I finally dusted off the ol’ grill today and prepped my meals for the week. I’ve been doing some experimenting in healthy eating and made homemade protein bars and roasted red pepper hummus, both of which turned out pretty yummy.

And while I was grilling, I watered these bad boys, which you might remember my mom helped me plant at the end of the fall last year. Speaking of which, I couldn’t be more excited for this week to be over (before it’s even begun) because my mom arrives in Boston Friday afternoon to spend the weekend. Which means lots of trips to Home Depot and completed house projects, and hanging with my mom on Mother’s Day.

 

I ended this weekend with a nice (albeit wicked windy) walk around Castle Island for the second time today with my friend Ashley. Her birthday is tomorrow, so she needed one last workout of her youth  before old age officially kicks in.

Well that’s it for this week. I feel semi-accomplished that this post is finished before 10pm. And while the work week was a cray cray one last week, the friend-filled weekend was worth it, and definitely a big thumbs up.