Update: I had soooo much fun reading about all of your simple pleasures! Thanks for all the inspiration, and here is our lucky winner:
Katy: simple pleasure- sun shining through the windows, hot tea in hand, snuggled on the couch reading
There are lots of exciting announcements today. First of all, I made some awesome chewy, gingery, they’re-so-good-i-want-to-eat-the-whole-plate cookies, and they have quinoa in them! Quinoa is an uber-healthy seed that packs protein into anything you make it with. Even more excuse to eat the whole plate.
I also have a fabulous giveaway for you today – a Fair Trade baking kit! Adrianna and I were each sent one of these from the Fair Trade organization, and let me just say, I haven’t stopped drooling yet. Here’s what’s included:
prAna Soul-T (doesn’t really help with the baking, but it’s super cute!)
La Yapa Quinoa
SerindipiTea Darjeeling Tea
Green Mountain Coffee
Divine Chocolate Bar
Fair Trade Tote BagIf you wanna know what Christmas in May feels like, have a box of this stuff sent to your house. Or, leave me a comment and maybe I’ll send you one ☺
Buutttt, my big announcement is I have recently started a new blog! Now, don’t get all worried, I’m still gonna be here on A Cozy Kitchen for quite a while, cooking up lots of tasty recipes. But if you wanna check out some more stuff I have going on, let me introduce you to Pink Basil, my blog about finding and cherishing simple joys in life. I am super, super excited about this new project, and I hope you enjoy it!
So here’s the deal – leave me a comment about your favorite simple pleasure in life, and you’ll be entered to win this DELICIOUS baking kit from Fair Trade. Contest is closed after 12:00pm Pacific time on Sunday.
Happy Friday!
Ginger-Molasses Quinoa Cookies
Makes 16 cookies
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup quinoa
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar +1/3 cup for dusting
1 egg
¼ cup molassesPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grind the quinoa in a food processor until it becomes a fine powder. If there are still some larger pieces of quinoa that’s okay – it’ll add some crunch!
In a medium bowl, combine the quinoa powder, flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter, sugar, molasses and egg until combined. Beat in the as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in the rest of the flour. Scoop up heaping tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Roll the balls in the extra sugar and place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on a cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
I love sweet treats that are also fairly good for you! Thanks
What an interesting combination, can’t wait to try them. Kudos for the fair trade shout out.
One of my favorite simple pleasures is curling up with a steaming mug of coffee, wrapped in a blanket on the couch, and watching a classic movie (especially one with Cary Grant).
One of my favorite simple joys in life is laying on the couch with my fiancee watching tv and eating a cookie or brownie that I just baked.
I really love a simple cup of tea!
baking while wearing a cute apron. (btw i love the idea of quinoa cookies! can’t wait to try.) good luck with the new blog!
Movie night with my daughter every Friday is one of my favorite simple joys. We usually make dinner together, then settle down for a film or two.
Right now my favorite simple pleasure is sleeping in until nine or ten o’clock.
Those first few months of weeks when you step outside and are surprised the warmth. In Chicago, it takes a while to believe summer is actually here.
Fresh herb season brings me so much joy!
My simple pleasure is going for a hike. Woods, mountains, prairie — you name it, I relish it.
Cheers and congrats on Pink Basil,
*Heather*
favorite simple pleasure – a long hot shower. especially if i have a sugar scrub in there
Fresh cut flowers are my favorite simple pleasure!
My favorite simple pleasure is sitting on the porch in the evening with my husband–talking, drinking wine, or just drinking in the silence.
Favorite simple pleasure: any new delish cookie recipe with chocolate involved. =)
Those cookies look great! I bet they’d make a good ice cream sandwich.
My favorite simple pleasure is going on a solo walk around my neighborhood around this time of year. I know the best places to sniff flowers and pet lazy cats.
I love walking around downtown Asheville on a beautiful day.
best simple pleasure ever = a long, hot bath + a hot cup of oolong tea + a good book
My simple pleasure right now is walking around in the sunshine and taking pictures of the flowers.
Delish! Wonderful recipe
One of my simple pleasures is watching it rain. This used to be a common occurrence not really thought of when I lived in Oregon, but now I’m in LA and it’s so rare that I have learned to treasure it whenever it comes.
Just spending time in the sun has been a simple pleasure right now. It’s amazing how wonderful a warm day is after a long, cold winter!
Taking lunch-time walks in the sunshine and admiring the beautiful flowers growing in everyone’s front yard here in D.C.
Those cookies look great
A simple pleasure? How about feeling the hot sun after what seemed like a really long winter
Simple treat: Snuggle time with my dog before I get out of bed in the morning. Such a great start to the day! Can’t wait to read more of your new blog!
My favorite simple pleasure? Sitting in the grass, reading a book, feeling the sun
SO if these have quinoa I can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, right?
Love them!
Simple pleasure – walking outside with the sun glaring down on me!
Love Love Love Quinoa but I have never seen it in a cookie! Very cool! I can’t wait to try it!
My simple pleasure is drinking a tall cold mojito in the sunshine!
I love these cookies! Love quinoa!!
My favorite simple pleasure a biscotti and a cup of hot chai tea. Sigh.
Thanks for the giveaway offer-so fun!
hmmmm my favorite simple pleasure is probably a hot beverage in the morning. Tea, chai, coffee, I love them all! It’s what gets my out of bed.
Those cookies look amazing.
One of my fav simple pleasures is a vodka tonic on my deck while my husband grills and my son plays.
Good luck with your new blog!
Cuddling with my dog beats just about everything! Mango sorbet isn’t bad either!
My favorite simple pleasures are taking care of my body, like taking a foot bath or exfoliating etc.
My favorite simple pleasure is sleeping in with someone you love.
Walking barefoot in the grass… it gets me everytime!
Snuggling in bed after waking on the weekends. Wonderful!
Simple pleasure, a hot cup of coffee while reading a book on a Saturday morning
Those cookies look so good (plus I love quinoa) I’m going to have to try them!
I love sitting out on our patio with my husband during the warm spring evenings.
simple pleasure- sun shining through the windows, hot tea in hand, snuggled on the couch reading
My favorite simple pleasure is sitting outside in the sunshine!
These look way better the in the quinoa cookies I have made in the past. Congrats on the new blog, I look forward to reading that one too!
Oh wait I want to enter to win too! My favorite simple pleasure is a poke bowl after the beach.
one of my favourite simple pleasures is watching a new baby sleep…I like watching all of my wee ones sleep (ages new to 5:) )
A simple pleasure in this season of our lives is that while we don’t get to sleep in on weekends…we do get to wake up to tickles and giggles from our adorable toddler…then sip our coffee from a patio chair behind our house while watching the sun rise over the pond!!
Anything with molasses in it entices me. Great recipe!
Wonderful giveaway! I have been wanting to try Quinola-have heard it’s very good for you.
My favorite simple pleasure is playing scrabble online while enjoying my morning starbucks and baileys creamer!
I just bought some quinoa last week, and I’ve been trying to find some sweet treats (instead of pilafs/salads). My simple pleasure is cuddling my ‘baby’ (who is 15 months)…I’ll have another one to cuddle this fall!
I’ve only tried one recipe with quinoa and it was a salad type recipe, super excited to try a sweet treat with it.
the cookies look great!
fave simple pleasure = a cup of coffee!
Thank you for this recipie I have been trying find different ways to use quinoa.
My favorite simple pleasure is reading books to my four year old before she goes to
bed at night. I love spending that time with her, just the two of us.
Fun, fun, fun… I would love to win. I have never done much with quinoa before but would love to try!
Simple pleasure for me is sipping a perfect cup of coffee while reading a magazine. Alone. I so rarely get to do that.
Such a fun giveaway! My favorite simple pleasure is getting all dressed up and going out with my husband. I love the anticipation of date night.
My favorite simple pleasure in life may have to be those times when you’re caught outside in a thunderstorm, nowhere nearby to run to (or you just decide not to run), so you get soaked and just have to enjoy the rain.
Strngely, I’m eating a stir-fry with quinoa right now, as i read this! Up next? These cookies, yum:) My simplest and biggest daily pleasure is waking up in the middle of the night and seeing my boyfriend and our cats beautifully, preciously sleeping- then snuggling back in with them.
My joy in life is snuggling with my cat at the end everyday. Usually it’s spent sitting next to my snoring father watching bad tv also. Love this contest and I can’t wait to make these cookies.
I like breaking in the top of brand new peanut butter jars.
Quinoa + Cookies…can’t get much better! So looking forward to trying these:)
my favorite simple pleasures are clean sheets and getting an evening of free time to knit and watch a good netflix.
My favorite simple pleasure is opening a new box of Tetley’s British Blend tea bags and having a good sniff before I make my pot of tea. It takes me back to my childhood when my family would receive parcels from my Gran and my mum’s favorite tea would be packed inside (along with all her granddaughter’s favorite sweets!)
Oh man!! Yes please!
These look fantastic! And the giveaway sounds amazing!!
Is it bad that I know how the correct pronunciation of quinoa, but I still say it wrong everytime? In any case I love these cookies. Simple pleasure: homade s’mores using a microwave with random crackers and pieces of chocolate where ever I can find them!
I keep wanting to try quinoa, but since I mostly shop at Aldi, it’s not really convenient for me to buy. Still, these cookies might be worth the extra stop!
I’d love to win so I could try quinoa for the first time!
katherinedibello (at) gmail (dot) com
When i was younger my mom used to try to make up eat quinoa until she finally gave up. Now i have a recipe for all the extra!
My favorite simple pleasure is traveling. It is something that gets me excited no matter the destination.
My favorite simple pleasure is drinking strong coffee in the afternoon with my cat and a good book.
Watching rain drip down the windowpane. Tea optional:]
My favorite simple pleasure has to be anything, anything at all, smothered in chili and cheese. Preferably after a long’s day work, with mis-matched pajamas a must.
At this time in my life, my favorite simple pleasure is drinking my latte in the morning while I read all my favorite cooking blogs.
The kids are in schoola and I get lost….I look up “11AM Snap Out of It!” It’s time to clean your house!!
I love baking. It is relaxing.
My favorite simple pleasure is a tie between laying in bed in the morning and enjoying just laying there rather than rushing off to start the day AND pretending to eat lunch with my mom but really we are both watching all the people around us and trying to get one another to see/think the same things with only our eyes. I love my mom! And Quinoa! And simple pleasures!
My favorite simple pleasure is sipping my morning coffee while relaxing with my hubby : )
One of my favorites simple pleasures is the look of adoration my collies give me when they come in from the cold rain and I “fluff” them up with a warm towel!!!
My favorite simple pleasure is rolling up the windows to my car, cranking up my stereo and singing along to my iPod playlist while breezing through the highway. I pretend people can’t hear me because my windows are sound proof (obviously). It’s amazing!
m=My favorite simple pleasure is making my niece and twin nephews laugh. I love hearing them giggle!
I love the feeling of being freshly showered after REALLY needing one!
I dare say this counts as a “healthy” cookie for my kids because of the quinoa! Awesome! My favorite simple pleasure as of late is nibbling on an ice-cream cone with my family as the temp rises…cliche maybe, but when your kids are aged 3, 2, and 1(!) like mine are, anything that gets them to sit still for more than 20 seconds is a good thing
So glad I found this blog! I’m a new reader, but I promise I will return daily to find new amazing recipes!
I never thought about baking with quinoa, what a great idea! I’m going to try this once I go back on grains.
I have so many simple pleasures! Hard to pick just 1! I love sit in my rose garden when they’re in bloom and it smells fantastic! I love watching my 4 and 6 year old boys play with their 4 month old sister! I love the half hour I have to myself every morning to sip a cup of coffee before I get the kids ready for the day!
I love cookies, quinoa, and your whole site! Can’t wait to try this recipe and read your blog. Thank you so much for taking the time to share
A few of my most favorite simple pleasures: smells (my baby’s breath, skin and stinky feet, almonds roasting, fresh cut grass, lilacs, rain…), sounds (my childrens voices, music, bull frogs, anyone’s joyous laughter, waves crashing, rain…), feeling (snuggles, the breeze, barefeet, sunshine on my skin, loved, my dog’s fur, rain…), sights (my people’s faces, the sunset, kindness of strangers, spring, fall, finding rocks on the ground…), tastes (chocolate, salty air, kisses,homemade food…)
And I could go on and on….as a happy life IS appreciating and noticing the simple pleasures. Thanks for asking this questiion and inspiring me to sit down and think about it…
My favorite simple pleasure is: Sitting in my backyard, watching the sunset behind the Palisades. Cup of tea, kids running around. I love Spring/Summer!
Looking forward to trying the quinoa cookies.
mmm, looking forward to trying something else with quinoa; hopefully my family will like it too!
oh, a simple pleasure: eating frozen yogurt.
Looks DELICIOUS, This will be on my Church baking list for the lil tikes. Thank you for sharing!
I just ran across my great grandmother’s recipe for molasses cookies – I never thought about putting quinoa in them. Genius! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe… time to start baking!
My favourite simple pleasure is a good cup of tea
My simple pleasure is coffee and a crossword puzzle. That’s all I need to be entertained!
What ingenious little cookies!
My favorite simple pleasure is laying on the floor, snuggling with my dog!
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