Blueberry Lime Panna Cotta

Let's face it, my first attempt at panna cotta was truly a failure. It was the wrong texture, the wrong taste... the elusive panna cotta was out of my grasp.

I do not deal with failure well, especially when it comes to cream and sugar. I needed to redeem myself and so I gave panna cotta another chance. Oh, I am glad I did.

This panna cotta has exactly what a classic Italian panna cotta should have: a creamy texture, light taste, and is incredibly simple to make. I call it a success. However, the blueberry lime sauce takes this panna cotta to a completely different level. The blueberry and lime flavors dance together in a very delicate and curious tango. This entire recipe takes less than twenty minutes to make, sauce and all. Now you have no excuse not to get cooking!

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Mocha Frappuccino

I love Starbucks and chances are you do too. However, once the novelty of frozen coffee drinks wore off, it became increasingly harder for me to spend $4 on tasty treat. Yes, they are convenient. Yes, they are delicious. But, I must ask myself, are there really worth it? Does an alternative exist that is just as delicious and won't break the bank?

And so, I set out to find it.

This frappuccino has the right consistency and flavor of a coffee shop frozen drink. They can be made at home in the same time it would take a barista to serve you up one. And it will cost you cents to make instead of an entire savings account, which comes as a great relief to this poor college student.

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Chocolate Chip Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

It was four years ago. It was a potluck picnic in a park on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I spotted these cookies, these beautiful cookies, in a small, decorative tin on a table covered in layers upon layers of food. However, as far as I was concerned, the table might as well have been completely empty because I simply could not take my eyes off of these divine specimens. It was love at first sight. And then, shortly thereafter, love at first bite.
For four years, these cookies and I had an infrequent affair. On rare occasions, we would meet and I would devour this dear cookie whole, savoring each and every bite. Twice. Thrice. Once is never enough. Finally, after much exaltation, begging, and pleading (only once on hand and knee), this recipe was released unto me. And so, dear readers, I shall release it unto you, so you, too, can embark on the love affair of a lifetime.
This cookie has heft. It has volume. It demands your full, unwavering attention. This cookie is also sugar-free. There is not even a sugar substitute present. The sugar comes solely from the chocolate chips and raisins. 'What?' You may ask. 'A sugar-free cookie? You fell in love with a sugar-free cookie?' Yes, I did. And you will too. The sugar is not missed. You will not realize it is gone. In that fact is where the true beauty of this cookie lies. Your relationship with Mr. Sugar-free will always be much healthier (and tastier) than with any other second-rate cookie that catches your eye.

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