The Best Cookie Recipe Ever!!!

For years, I have struggled to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. For a long time, I resigned to purchasing tubs of Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Dough and just scooping and baking. While that is incredibly easy and results in a near perfect cookie, the recipe I found is so much better in my opinion.

Here is the scoop!

2 sticks of softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons hot water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*. Cream together the butter and sugars. I never plan ahead long enough, so I usually pop the butter in the microwave on defrost for about a minute. Mix in the eggs one at a time. I mix it just long enough so the egg disappears into the mixture. Add the vanilla. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and mix in. Mix in salt. Add 3 cups of flour. Dump in a bag of chocolate chips. Spoon the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes.

When they come out of the oven, they might seem a little underdone, but they aren't. Let them cool for a few minutes and they will set. Depending on how much cookie dough I eat while I'm baking, I can usually squeak out a little over 4 1/2 dozen cookies.

PS - This cookie dough works great in my cookie-brownie-Butterfinger bars. :)

thru-the-night-oatmeal

i have seen [way too] many recipes

for overnight refrigerator oatmeal

flying around Pinterest lately.

i had to know if any of them worked,

or were tasty.

i found one that looked simple.

we changed it because we're picky.

i enlisted my hubby's help.

and we hit a gold mine!

ingredients:

1/4 c. old fashioned oats

1/3 c. plain almond milk

1/4 c. plain greek yogurt

1 t. chia seeds

1 T. maple syrup

1/4 c. diced strawberries

put all the ingredients in a small jar.

twist on the lid & shake.

let it sit through the night in your fridge.

then crack the lid the next day and d-e-v-o-u-r.

 

there are 1,001 variations and flavors.

we'll try more and post them if they're fabulous!

super moist wheat zucchini bread

Time to put the summer garden's harvest to good use!!

super moist wheat zucchini bread
2 c. sugar
1 c. applesauce
3 eggs, beaten
2 medium zucchini (or one large!), grated, unpeeled, pressed in paper towel
3 tsp. vanilla
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. white flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder

mix sugar, applesauce, eggs, zucchini, and vanilla in a big bowl.
sift together in another bowl, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and baking powder.
add the dry ingredients into the first bowl, stirring well.
pour in greased loaf pans. bake it at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.
allow to cool & slice.
(makes 2 full size loaves.)

CHICKEN ENCHILADA PASTA

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 medium onion, diced 1 red pepper, diced 1 {4 oz.} can diced green chiles 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. cumin 2 {10 oz.} cans green chili enchilada sauce 2/3 cups red enchilada sauce 2 cups shredded cheese 1 cup sour cream (I used fat free, still yummy!) Penne pasta Optional toppings Avocado Green Onions Black Olives Tomatoes Sour Cream Cook chicken, drain, and shred {or shred your rotisserie}. Meanwhile boil pasta according to package and chop the veggies. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic & red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, & enchilada sauces. Let sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and heated through. Now toss in the sour cream, but whatever you do, DO NOT bring to a boil! Cook on low heat or the sour cream will curdle. Gross. Stir until sour cream is well mixed and heated through. Drain pasta & return to pot. Pour sauce over pasta and mix well. Serve and garnish with avocado, tomato, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream.

Pink Lemonade Cake

1 cup unsalted butter 4 eggs 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tbsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 2 cups sugar red food coloring 1 1/3 cups milk 1/4 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed 1 tsp pure lemon extract 1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temp for 30 minutes. In medium bowl stip together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 350. In extra large mixing bowl beat butter with mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugan, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes more. Add 1/8 tsp of red foor coloring;beat to combine. Add eggs at a time, beating well after each addition. 3. In bowl stir together milk, lemonade concentrate, and extract (mixture will look curdled). Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to better mixture, beating on low after each waddition just until combined. Remove half (4 cups) of tinted batter; spread in one pan. In remaining batter in bowl stir in 1/4 tsp red food coloring. Spread in second pan. Bake for 35 minutes. Ok this recipe was supposed to be for a four layer cake, if you go that route you would just cut each cake in half and alternate one light layer one dark layer with the frosting between them. I just took the easy way out and made cup cakes, so I put in the full 1/4 tsp of food coloring in the first time and then only baked them for 20 minutes, makes 24 cupcakes. Here is the frosting recipe, if you make cupcakes you will only need about half of the frosting. Lemonade Buttercream 3 cups unsalted butter 2 16 oz jars marshmallow creme 1/4 cup frozed lemonade concentrate, thawed 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tsp pure lemon extract In very large bowl beat butter with mixer on medium until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add marshmallow creme and lemonade concentrate. Beat until smooth, scraping bpwl sides. Add powdered sugar and extract;beat until light and fluffy (if frosting is stiff, soften in mmicrowave for no more then 10 seconds, then beat till smooth).

buffalo chicken cheeseball

This is a great appetizer for a party/shower or as a snack.
It's also pretty healthy with makes it even yummier!
You can tell by the picture that I had to quickly take, it doesn't last long!
Enjoy!

buffalo chicken cheeseball
1 c. chopped, cooked chicken
1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
1/4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
3-4 T. buffalo wing sauce (frank's red hot)
1 med. jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced

mix ingredients until well blended.
shape into ball.
roll in shredded monterrey jack cheese, if desired.
serve with celery, crackers or tortilla chips.

Cauliflower Soup

I saw this recipe somewhere and I love cauliflower so I had to try it.  We thought it was great and a very good alternative to a potato soup.

1 stick of butter, divided
1 onion, finely diced
1 whole carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 whole Cauliflower head, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh or dried parsley, chopped
2 quarts chicken broth
6 tbsp flour
2 cups of whole milk
1 cup half and half
2 to 4 tbsp salt, to taste
1 cup sour cream

In large soup pot melt 4 tbsp of butter.  Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, our until it starts to turn brown.
Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple minutes.  Add cauliflower and parsley and stir too combine.
Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, pour in chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer.
In medium sauce pan, melt 4 tbsp of butter.  Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine.  Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisk constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half and half.  Add mixture to simmering soup.  Allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.  Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper to taste.
In a bowl mix sour cream and a few ladles of soup, then combine back in with pot of soup.