For this, the eleventh meal with MelRob, I did not technically cook at all. Instead, I whipped out my mixing bowls and measure cups, turned up the oven, and got my bake ON. Because I was also dog-sitting during this week of unusually warm March weather, I thought Meals with MelRob should hit the streets and share some food and dog lovin’ with as many people as possible. So I baked around seventy cookies and a pan of blondies, letting people know my whereabouts for an afternoon. You may recognize some faces from previous Meals with MelRob.

What exactly did my oven and I create?

The Menu:

– Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking (the recipe can be found here, at Veggie Terrain as well)

– Chocolate Chip (and almond) Cookies from the Post Punk Kitchen

– Brown Sugar Blondies from the Cheeky Kitchen

– Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from the Vegan in Bellingham

COOKIES, COOKIES, COOKIES, AND SOME BLONDIES, TOO:

All of these recipes can be found at the links above! The Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies are nearly everyone’s favorite–they magically stay soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious long after they have traveled forth from the oven. The PB Oatmeal Cookies were savory and more hearty, perfect for non-chocolate lovers! I prepped a batch of cookie dough every night during the week to make baking everything manageable. Then, I sat down Thursday night and spent an hour and half rotating batches of cookies through my unreliable oven, watching it like a small child who has a tendency to choke on things.

EVERYTHING IS FINALLY BAKED. Do I have the patience to let it all cool off?

All packed up and ready to share! Thank you, tupperware.

My only complaints: I have a tiny oven with a fiery temper, the Blondies came out a bit dry, and the Chocolate Chip Cookies were a bit boring.

Finally, on Friends:

It’s taken me some time to get comfortable with my own sentiment–I really love and appreciate the people in my life and sometimes it’s easier to give someone a cookie than to tell them that. (And, it turns out people can get pretty uncomfortable if you gush about how much you appreciate them…)

Here are some of the shining faces I was able to capture of some of the friends I encountered during MelRob makes YOUR Friday! A few strangers are in the mix, too.