It is the most dangerous time for me in the kitchen and Cookie Thursday is a Thing. It is hot, we’ve been enjoying a pretty brutal heat wave here in NC with temperatures above 95. Plus 88% humidity.
Makes me tired.
Makes me bored.
Makes me not want to bake and heat up the house.
And it is too close to No Heat August to concentrate on baked goods.
I could have done what I did last year and started No Heat August a week or, in 2025’s case, a day early.
My brain went nah.
Do you see what I mean?
It’s been like that all month. I normally have a plan with recipes made before the last day of the month.
Today was particularly busy. It is nursing awards day!
I procured the cinnamon rolls yesterday afternoon, like I usually do.
Our balloons failed to achieve lift and so my co-person asked me to procure balloons. Happily Michaels opens at 0900 and solved that problem.
And then I needed the flowers.
And then someone’s Mustang was parked in the shade, which I would normally admire but they were taking up 2 parking spots as they were straddling the line. Rude.
I loaded myself up with the CTIAT container, the flowers, the cinnamon rolls, and the balloons and staggered into the hospital. I really could’ve used two trips.
Good thing that the front desk staff know who I am.
I arrived at the awards with 20 minutes to spare.
Which, if you know me, is practically late.
I ran the CTIAT container down one floor to drop off the cookies.
But, Kate, what did you make? You haven’t written that yet.
Oh, boy, heat does not make my brains work too well.
I decided to make an oatmeal, chocolate, peanut butter bar that I’ve been meaning to make for a bit.
I started it last night when I got home from the hospital.
The recipe looked easy. Butter, sugar, brown sugar, 1 egg, vanilla, peanut butter for the wet. For the dries flour, baking soda, salt.
Pat into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and bake for 20 minutes.
While it is baking, make the peanut butter frosting.
When 20 minutes is up, sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked bottom immediately so that they melt. Swirl on the peanut butter frosting.
Quick and easy, took me 40 minutes.
That wasn’t the long part.
The long part was when I walked upstairs to shut the computer down for the night and I noticed that I had not finished Wednesday’s post or posted it to all the places.
That took a minute. Okay, it took 30 minutes.
Long story short, I am tired of this heat.
And I am ready for the promised break from the heat starting on Saturday.
Fingers crossed.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 