Cowboy Cookies

Cowboy Cookies

This post first appeared on Chicagoist.

Last week when we made slow-cooked beef roast with vegetables and calico bell pepper muffins we also made cowboy cookies. This is a recipe that has been in our family’s repertoire for generations, but funny enough, we don’t know how they got their name. A cowboy cookie is basically a crispy oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips. That cowboys like? No idea. But they’re good on their own, and great with a cold glass of milk.

Cowboy CookiesCowboy Cookies

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets (or use silpat mats). Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing.

Slow-Cooked Roast with Vegetables and Calico Bell Pepper Muffins

Slow-Cooked Roast with Vegetables

This post first appeared on Chicagoist.

The temperatures dipping back down again this week has put us in the mood to cook some classic comfort food. On Presidents’ Day we had off but our main squeeze didn’t so we were nice and spent the day making pot roast, calico bell pepper muffins and cowboy cookies.

Whatever your plans this week, you need to go dust off your slow cooker and make a roast. We know everyone has their own way they like to cook one, but we prefer this sort of recipe that produces the most tender meat and vegetables and enough thick and rich gravy for bread sopping, rice or extra potatoes. We were off the day we made this, but it’d be just as easy to prep the meat and vegetables, go to work, trudge through the freezing temps to get home, and walk in the door to a hot dinner. Actually, leaving the house for 8 hours probably is the way to go. All we could think of all day here was “MEAT! OMG. Gravy! Meat smells! When can we eat! MEAT!” We were going a little insane.

For a side we made muffins that incorporate bell peppers in three colors. Sure, bell peppers in one color would taste the same, but why not add a little color to your dinner?

And about the cookies? We’ll get to those in another post.

Calico Bell Pepper Muffins

Slow-Cooked Roast with Vegetables

Slow-Cooked Roast with Vegetables1 (3 pound) bottom round roast
salt & pepper, garlic powder, or whatever meat seasonings you prefer
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
5 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
6 small new potatoes, halved
1 onion, quartered
6 garlic cloves, peeled

Season roast. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides for 20 minutes.

Mix together the mushroom soup and the onion soup mix in the slow cooker. Place roast into the slow cooker, and arrange carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic around the meat.

Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

Calico Bell Pepper Muffins
Recipe from the now out of print Great American Brand Name Cookbook

1/4 c. each finely chopped red, yellow and green bell pepper
1/4 c. butter
2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1 c. milk
2 eggs

Saute Peppers Flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or paper-line 12 muffin cups. In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, cook peppers in butter until color is bright and peppers are tender crisp about 3 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and basil. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs until blended. Add milk mixture and peppers and any liquid in the skillet to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake 15 minutes or until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan. Serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

Muffin Dough Calico Bell Pepper Muffins

Google St. Patrick’s Day Party

Google St. Patrick’s Day Party - Park West
Google St. Patrick’s Day Party, Park West, Chicago

Google Sushi
Google-Colored Sushi, Park West, Chicago

Paul Baker
Paul Baker, Park West, Chicago

Matt
Matt, Park West, Chicago

Google Fish & Chips
Fish & Chips, Park West, Chicago

Fish & Chips_2356614688_o
Fish & Chips, Park West, Chicago

Giuliana, Rachelle, Paul
Giuliana, Rachelle & Paul, Park West, Chicago

Ed
Ed, Park West, Chicago

Alden
Alden, Park West, Chicago

Eric
Eric, Park West, Chicago

Google Rice Krispy Treat
Rice Krispie Treats, Park West, Chicago

Park West Ceiling_2355786805_o
Ceiling, Park West, Chicago

Irish Band_2355780809_o
Irish Band, Park West, Chicago

Paul Baker
Paul Baker, Park West, Chicago

Alden
Alden, Park West, Chicago

Last week Thursday Google hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party at Park West. The food and the drinks were very plentiful and I think I felt my liver give out a little after the week I had at SXSW.

Finally Schlotzsky’s

Schlotzsky’s
Albuquerque Turkey from Schlotzsky’s Deli, Austin Airport, TX

I finally got my Schlotzsky’s fix at the Austin airport. I ordered the Albuquerque Turkey sandwich and then brought it over to Lefty’s bar in the airport and listened to a live performance by a musician named Chelle Murrey while eating my lunch. Not a bad way to pass the time.

Monday, Monday

On Monday it was pouring in Austin so Justin and I split a cab from our hotel to the convention center. It was $3.25. Two people can barely sit down in a cab in Chicago for that much! That morning I saw a panel called “Hardware Mashups: Introducing the Long Tail of Gadgets.” I wasn’t thrilled with too many of the panels on Monday, but John and Justin seemed interested in the panel, so I tagged along.

For lunch we decided to go to Schlotzsky’s Deli since all week we’d been talking about how much we liked it but how all the ones at home we used to go to closed. For some reason Schlotzsky’s is still in abundance in Texas. I went to look up a location I remembered from the last time I was in Austin, at about Congress and 6th. I went to the Schlotzsky’s site, but JZ convinced me that I should just use Google Maps. Google Maps confirmed the location, so we headed out. But, ruh roh. Still pouring… and Zappos to the rescue. This was probably the smartest schwag of the entire SXSW event: branded disposable rain ponchos. After snagging ponchos, we headed out to eat.

Matt in Poncho
Matt in his Zappos Poncho, Austin, TX

So, we get to Congress and 6th and no Schlotzsky’s anywhere. I remembered right where it was when we got to the location and it wasn’t there. Stupid Google Maps. So, to get out of the pouring rain we jumped into a restaurant called Louie’s 106. What a great find that was. The food was delicious and the wait staff was on the ball and really funny. I had the tomato basil soup and the crab cake served on potato, spinach, peppers and onion hash with lobster cioppino and roasted poblano bearnaise. Justin, Matt & John all loved their entrees too and said that the chicken tortilla soup was fabulous. Even the bread they served was delicious. Great place. Recommend it to anyone in Austin. I bet they do dinner well too.

Tortilla Soup @ Louie’s 106
Tortilla Soup, Louie’s 106, Austin, TX

Tomato Basil Soup @ Louie’s 106
Tomato Basil Soup, Louie’s 106, Austin, TX

Crab Cake @ Louie’s 106
Crab Cake, Louie’s 106, Austin, TX

After lunch I saw a few more panels – “Online Adulation: Use Don’t Abuse Your Fans,” which I really liked, and “Virtual Scandals and Sacrilege: Who’s grieFing Now?,” which I didn’t really like. The Online Adulation panel included Heather Armstrong, Tom Merritt, Christopher Smith and Casey McKinnon and was really informative and entertaining.

That night we swore we weren’t going to go out because we’d been out at parties with free booze for the last 3 nights in a row and that can get a little wearing. We headed to the SXSW Registrant’s Lounge to cash in a free drink coupon. It was sunny out then and it was nice to sit outside. After a while we decided to go somewhere else. We weren’t really sure where, but started walking and that’s when we saw it: Sushi. While we were walking down the sidewalk we saw a couple sitting outside at Finn & Porter eating sushi. We were all kind of full from lunch so sushi would be the perfect light dinner. We had a couple drinks at the bar and then had sushi for dinner. Justin had never really had sushi, but had tried things like tuna tartare and liked them, so he did just fine. He tried a few starter pieces and then ordered some monsterous-sized prawns. Sushi and Kirin and a shared dessert and then a port were a perfect last dinner in Austin. So much for not drinking on the last night!

Dinner at Stubb’s, Blogger Party

Googlers @ Stubb’s
Googlers @ Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX

Stubb’s BBQ
Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX

Real Ale & Austin Amber
Real Ale & Austin Amber @ Stubbs BBQ, Austin, TX

On Sunday night a few of the people that work at Google who were at SXSW met up for dinner at Stubb’s BBQ. I had a fun time, but the food was really underwhelming to me. I had the pulled pork and beef brisket with fried okra and coleslaw for sides. This is Texas. I expected the BBQ to be better than anything that I’d had and it wasn’t. I remember thinking that I like Fat Willy’s and Smokin’ Woody’s in Chicago better. Also, it took us like an hour to get our food. They only had 2 waitresses in the whole restaurant. Actually, I was surprised a few times at the lack of planning by certain restaurants in Austin. It’s not like they didn’t know the festival was coming up! I did enjoy trying two new beers at Stubb’s – Real Ale and Austin Amber. I was drinking the Amber and liked it a lot.

SXSW Blogger Party
Blogger Party @ Club DeVille, Austin, TX

SXSW Blogger Party
Blogger Party @ Club DeVille, Austin, TX

SXSW Blogger Party
Blogger Party @ Club DeVille, Austin, TX

Justin’s Lanyard
Blogger Party @ Club DeVille, Austin, TX

After dinner we went to Club DeVille for the Blogger party. Blogger, the product, not like a party for people who blog.. although I’m sure there were plenty there! I liked the outdoor space at Club DeVille, but it was raining that night, so the ambiance was kind of ruined by a bunch of plastic tents. The schwag Blogger was giving away were these fingerless gloves with the Blogger logo on them. Kind of odd, but everyone wore them all night, so I’m sure the Blogger logo was in ton of photographs.

Also, I don’t know how Justin’s neck didn’t snap with all the things he had on his lanyard every day.