The Weekender: College, Charity Gone Awry, & a Recap

Don’t you hate when you try to do something nice, and it bites you in the butt? It never fails. And then you ask yourself, “Why do I even bother trying to be a good person?”

Recently, I devoted an entire day of baking for a local charity event, but somehow, my food never made it to where it was supposed to go. I’m still not sure what happened to it because the woman I was in contact with has not responded to my emails. It’s simply unprofessional that no one can tell me what happened to the food. I don’t know who’s to blame, so I don’t want to direct my anger at the organization. I would’ve, however, appreciated some answers. Six big tray-fulls of cake and cookies, plus a bucket of my own blood, sweat, and tears, have entirely gone to waste. I am very upset that the people I made the food for never got it. They are the reason I made those treats in the first place, and yet, they never even got to taste them.

Well, that’s the bad. Let’s move on to the good: the food! As always, I built a mouthwatering week and shared it with you. But in case you missed a meal here and there, I’ll recap every last bite for you.

Let’s review, shall we?

1. Copycat Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
   Just like OG’s…or perhaps better?
2. Super-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
   A super nutritious & low-cal meal to balance out that alfredo!
3. Brown Butter Blueberry Cookies
   Simply divine.
4. New College Cuisine Recipe: Pepperoni Pizza Pancakes
   Even if you’re not in college, you’ll love this easy, delicious, cheesy twist on p-cakes.

Plus, I gave a strong, valid argument for why eating is better than exercising in my newest video. If you want to make sure to catch all my videos, plus get to see them days before everyone else, then you need to subscribe to my Youtube channel asap!

Now, as I mentioned in Friday’s Smart Cookie College Cuisine post, the fall semester has commenced. That alone is bad enough, but I have some more bad news. Because I barely have time to eat, breathe, and bathe, The Weekender may be a bit more sporadic. I can’t guarantee one every weekend, but I will try my best. I still intend to post Monday through Friday as always though, so never fear! You’ll still get the same amount of recipes every week.

On a completely different note, have any of you tried these new Vanilla Creme Milano Melts? I’ve tried the other flavors before, which were good, but ol’ Pepperidge Farm churned out another. I’m not usually big on store-bought cookies since they never compare to homemade, but there are a few exceptions (Oreos, E.L.Fudge Double Stuffed Cookies, and circus animal cookies). I put my store-bought biases aside and gave these new Milano Melts a try.

Photo: Pepperidge Farms

I am IN LOVE. They blew my expectations out of the water. The chocolate cookie itself is really quite tasty, on the crunchier side (as are most packaged cookies), but it does yield a bit of chew in the center. What I love is that it tastes homemade. Then there’s the smooth vanilla filling, which essentially tastes like frosting. Combine that with that crisp chocolate cookie and you’ve got Milano magic. It tastes like a cupcake. I love it!

Speaking of love, if you’ve been reading The Weekender regularly, then you may recognize this picture of the new man in my life.

Let’s skip talking about how the new man in my life happens to be a cat, and focus on the newest development in Thor and I’s relationship. He’s been hanging around the house 24/7. I wake up in the morning, and there he is, sitting on the front porch waiting; I come home from work, and there he is still. So, after much debate, we decided to try and trap him. I hated to do it to him, but the cold weather is coming, and winters are harsh in CNY. It would kill me to see Thor sitting out there in the snow. I’m really not sure he’d survive. So, we got our hands on a trap and stuck a bowl of food inside to lure him in. The first try was a fail. That sly devil somehow made it out in between the time he triggered the trap and when the door shut. I’m still not sure how that happened. After that, he wouldn’t go near the thing, and I was sure I had lost the battle. But by the next morning, Thor’s hunger got the best of him. I was in the kitchen baking when I heard the clashing of the shutting door, but it took me a moment to register it. As soon as I realized what I had heard, I rushed to the window, and sure enough, Thor was locked into the trap.I must admit, I felt horrible. The poor guy was hissing and thrashing around, trying desperately to get out. He was climbing all over it, on the sides and the ceiling, like Spiderman. He did calm down after a few minutes though, and we got him to the vet. He has to stay over night to get taken care of, but I’ll be sure to keep you guys updated on his progress.

Next week, get ready for the first Fall recipe of the season on Smart Cookie! I bet you’ll never guess what it is, but I’ll give you a hint: it’s got butternut squash.

Now, if you need more to satisfy your Smart Cookie cravings, then I’ve got you covered. Stay in touch, and don’t miss a single bite. Like TSCC on Facebook, follow @smartcookiecook on Twitter, and follow me on Pinterest!

See you Monday!