The Best Oatmeal Cookies, How To Guest 101, and Something Every Baker Needs

Female Foodie (Almost) Friday Vol. 37

Yesterday I was completely off the grid and 4th-of-Julying hard with my little family, so I’m getting my weekly newsletter out a day late—I hope you don’t mind, and I hope you had a wonderful 4th!

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10 Things That Made This Week Great

1. This reel with some of the most commonly mispronounced Italian words (all of which I’ve definitely botched at some point) was informative and hilarious.

2. There are few things better than finding a thoughtfully stowed-away freezer meal from months ago on a night when you just can’t bring yourself to cook. This was me earlier this week after I discovered the perfect individual portion of bolognese. The Italians would never pair spaghetti with bolognese, but on this particular day it was perfection.

   

3. My FIL was in town this week, and it was fun to take him to one of our favorite pizza spots in Portland, followed by a couple of scoops from Salt & Straw. We shockingly all got the same thing: a split scoop of their birthday cake & blackberries and their OG sea salt with caramel ribbons.

   

4. Hit 50 days of consecutive Duo Lingo this week and feeling great about it. Anyone else hoping to learn a second language by spending 3 minutes a day on an app?

   

5. I’ve been manually cutting parchment paper from a giant Costco roll for what feels like years, and finally splurged on some pre-cut sheets that are worth every penny. If you love to bake, you 100% need these.

6. These oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies make everything right in the world (and the dough is pretty insane, too).

   

7. Soaking up summertime with as many pizza nights as possible! Had a family over this week, and my effortlessly talented friend not only brought the homemade salad & ice cream she promised, but also everything to throw together insanely delicious mocktails and the prettiest vase of peonies. Taking notes for next time someone invites me over!

   

8. I love being a girl mom. Eleanor exhausts me like none of my kids have, but there’s a sweetness and femininity to her that I honestly adore.

   

9. Our 4th of July was just perfect. We had a slow morning fueled by homemade donuts, enjoyed a gorgeous hike just a 5-minute drive from our home, and ended with a neighborhood BBQ & fireworks in the front yard. I feel so deeply grateful and proud to be an American.

   

   

10. You know the food gets its own highlight! I only make these Montana-inspired donuts for FOJ and look forward to it all year long. For dinner we feasted on smoked pulled pork, my Mom’s dreamy baked beans, my Aunt Sheri’s creamy southern mac & cheese that I grew up on, and these berries & cream cookies (modified and made with just sprinkles for simplicity).

    

    

How was your 4th of July? Do you do the same thing every year or tend to switch it up? Anyone else eating leftovers for the foreseeable future?