Guest Blogger: Lynsey

So as I said a few days ago, it is just about finals week around here. I expect this quarter to be especially brutal. 4 finals, plus a paper. And then when all of that is said and done, we have 2 major end of the year Comp exams (essentially they test us in two different core areas to see if we are competent enough to move on to the next part of the program). This is all spread out over 3 weeks, which is a lot nicer sounding than it actually is.

Sometimes I talk to my friends and I have to remind them, this isn't like normal college (which is hard enough as it is). Psychology is a lot like med school. We may not be cutting into people's bodies, but we are playing with lives and sick people. So they expect us to really know our stuff inside and out. It ain't easy. And of course other areas of my life suffer because of it. I stop eating real food, and when I do I reach for the nearest cheesey thing. Nick forgets what his wife looks like, and I wish I didn't have a life and could run away to the nearest 5 star hotel. No, not to relax, but to study uninterrupted. And of course, the blog gets lonely.

I've decided that I may have to make a yearly celebration out of my hell month and invite guest bloggers to post. This way you all can have something to read by some really diversely talented bloggers. A call was put out far and wide on the internet this past week and I got lots of responses, so I have some very good reads for you that have been slowly trickling in. They will be dispersed with some of mine when I actually have 2 minutes to post something. Hope you enjoy them!

First up is an entry from Lynsey.

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Thank you for popping my guest blogging cherry :-D . After days of serious writers block, I’ve decided to simply give you a really good cookie recipe.

One of my favorite cookie recipes (and my husband’s) is “Melt In your Mouth PB Cookies” from a book called One Smart Cookie. This recipe is super duper easy, delicious, & gluten-free. Bestcookieever. Promise.

The good stuff:
1 1/2 cups reduced-calorie peanut butter or regular peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg white

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and egg white until completely blended.

Roll dough into 1"-1 1/2" balls and place about 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press down on each cookie once or twice (crisscrossed) with the back of a fork.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until pale golden and set around the edges.

Gently transfer to a wire rack to cool. If they are too crumbly to move, let cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet first.

Makes 2 dozen cookies (or less depends on how big your balls are).

Variations – you can add some mini chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or smashed peanut butter cups (about ½ c or more depending on your liking); you can try to dip part of the baked cookie in chocolate and let that set.

Restaurant Review: S'mac

Years ago I was wandering around the Lower East Side of NYC and stumbled upon S'mac with a friend. We both loved macaroni and cheese so we went inside, hoping for the best but not expecting much. Just because someplace smells good, doesn't mean the actual food will be good. And really? A whole restaurant purely devoted to one kind of food? How was that going to work?

Well, the food was great. And four and a half years later S'mac is still in business and growing. From a very small menu, to one that has doubled in size with gluten free and vegan options, you can get anything from a very traditional creamy mac and cheese to very fancy. And they're all delicious. So you can go with your picky eater kids to get the very basic All-American, and you can get a more grown up version for yourself. Just look at some of the creations:

NAPOLETANA - Fresh Mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, and fresh basil.

PARISIENNE - Creamy Brie, roasted figs, roasted shiitake mushrooms & fresh rosemary. (This one they clearly make just for me.)

CAJUN - Cheddar & Pepper Jack cheeses, andouille sausage, green pepper, onions, celery, garlic and, of course, some genuine Cajun seasoning.

They all look so good, how to choose just a few to put up here? You can even build your own. I think my perfect one would be a take on the Parisienne. Blue cheese, brie, rosemary, figs, and bacon. Yeah, you know I like the heavy duty stuff. I think I'd feel full for a week after eating that.

The restaurant itself is very small and cafeteria like, so it might not be the perfect romantic date spot. But you have the option for delivery and to take it cold home so you can heat it up yourself. So why not create the perfect romantic date at home? Or just stroll in wearing your sweats or hanging out with a bunch of your friends to remind yourself of what it's like to be a kid, eating a way better cafeteria lunch than you could ever get at school.

It's a shame there is only one picture of the food on their website, because they all look so amazing in real life.