Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love,love Chocolate Chip Cookies. But I have to admit--I have never been very good at making them. They always turn out too thin or something.

But our sweet babysitter and friend Anna makes them perfectly! The only change from Tollhouse is that she uses some wheat flour instead of all white flour--and now I can do it!

They turn out PERFECT everytime!!!

Anna's Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 C. White Sugar

3/4 C. Brown Sugar
1 Stick butter (Melted)
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
21/4 C. Flour (I always use 1/2 C. whole wheat four and 1 3/4 C. white four)
1 bag chocolate chips


Mix all the wet ingredients together first, then mix in the dry ingredients. Enjoy!
( Mix in the chocolate chips before all of the four is mixed in)

Homemade Salsa

From the kitchen of Jennifer: (Click on link to check out her awesome blog--and for more recipes, decorating tips, and much encouragement from an awesome lady of God!
Salsa Time

Ingredients:
* 1 small onion


* 1 or 2 cloves garlic


* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (OR MORE - I use MORE)


* 1 jalapeno chili pepper, chopped roughly (or a seeded Serrano pepper)


* zest of 1 lime(optional)


* juice of 1 lime (or just a squeeze :)

* 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes

* 1 dash hot sauce or 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional - I don't use this)

* 1 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

* 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel and slice onion in quarters. Place in the work bowl of a food processor, fitted with a metal blade. Add the garlic cloves. Pulse four to five times, until onion is diced. Be careful not to over-process, or the salsa will end up mushy. Add the cilantro, chili pepper (with or without seeds), lime zest, lime juice, tomatoes and hot sauce. Pulse until the salsa reaches the consistency of a thick puree. Be sure to leave in some chunks, too. It makes it look more homemade. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

French Silk Pie

My hubby's favorite--made it today for his birthday :)

French Silk Pie

1 Stick Butter, melted
1 cup finely grated pecans
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers
Combine ings. and press into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 25 min. Cool completely before adding filling.

Filling:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Melt chocolate (in microwave). Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla to chocolate. Then add to creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add 2 eggs and beat a full 5 minutes. Add 2 more eggs adn beat 5 more full minutes. Pour filling into crust.

Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
5 TBSP sugar

Whip cream and add sugar gradually. Continue until fluffy. Put on top of pie.

Chill pie 2-4 hours before serving (overnight is even better!)

Stuffed Chicken

A new friend of mine - Courtney - posted this recently on Facebook--sounds easy!

6 Boneless Chicken Breasts--Flattened
Place 5 pepperoni slices on each, then 1 mozzarella string cheese stick
Roll up, Secure with toothpick
Cover with Ragu sauce
Top with cheese.
Bake 350 for 1 hour.

Alt....stuff with Cheddar stick and Broccoli--Cover with Alfredo Sauce.

Yummo and Easy!

Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza

Complete yumminess--all 5 family members loved it. My daughter was so funny--age 6--says..."Mommy, this is my new favorite food ever!"

1 lb ground beef or sausage (I used 1/2 and 1/2--lean beef and Italian sausage)
1 Jar Raju Old World Style Sweet Tomato Basil Smooth Pasta Sauce (or your fav kind)
10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry - (okay, I only used 1 cup...defrosted it in microwave..and chopped REALLY fine!)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used fat free due to dieting but the real stuff will taste better of course)
1 can (11 oz) refrigerated pizza dough

1. Brown beef/sausage, drain. Season well-salt, pepper, Italian seasoning
2. Stir in Ragu and bring to a boil.
3. Pour into a 2 Quart baking dish (I used round)
4. Top with broccoli, Then Cheese.
5. Press dough over dish, sealing edges

Bake at 375 for 20 min or until crust is golden. My oven bakes faster than most...so I watched it in those last minutes.

Let stand 10 min (important step!)

Banana Boats

Banana Boats

Ingredients:
4 medium unpeeled ripe bananas
4 teaspoons miniature chocolate chips
4 tablespoons miniature marshmallows
Directions:
Cut banana peel lengthwise about 1/2 in. deep, leaving 1/2 in. at both ends. Open peel wider to form a pocket. Fill each with 1 teaspoon chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon marshmallows. Crimp and shape four pieces of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. square) around bananas, forming boats.
Grill, covered, over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until marshmallows melt and are golden brown. Yield: 4 servings.

Yummo for Dessert.
Calories:136

Apricot Chicken

From the Kitchen of Amy:

Mix the smallest bottle of Italian Dressing with 1 envelope of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix. Pour into a 13 by 9 baking pan. Place 4-6 chicken breasts on top of mixture (turning a bit to coat the breasts). Then use the smallest jar of Apricot Jam--Place a large spoonful on top of each chicken breast--spreading evenly.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours-depending on oven.

Yummo.

Amy says it reminds her of "Orange Chicken"

Blackberry Cobbler

Melt 3 large spoonfuls of butter (I use Country Crock Marg.) and pour into the bottom of your pan. (YOu can use a variety of sizes depending how thick you like your cobbler...)

Mix
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk

Pour batter into pan with melted butter....

Then add your fresh washed blackberries. Just drop them in evenly....

If you want the cobbler to be juicier....cook your berries with a 1/4 cup sugar on the stovetop on Low/med until they start cooking down a bit.....you'll have to drop them in by the spoonfuls....

Fried Oreos

Saw this recipe today - a friend posted it on FB--thought I would share...sounds sinful....

Fried Oreos...
1 beaten egg mixed with 3/4 cup milk. Add 1 1/4 cup self-rising flour. Coat cookie with batter and fry at 350 degrees. Approx 90 seconds on one side and 60 on the other. Drain and dust with powdered sugar. I've used double-stuffed and golden oreos, nutter butters, & pecan sandies.

Yummo.

Homemade Tortillas

From Andrea's Kitchen...

2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, mix in 1/4 veg. oil with a pastry blender add 1/2 cup lukewarm water and a lil more. shape into a ball and keep dividing the balls to make 6 balls or so. use a rolling pin to roll on the counter with no flour underneath them, until they are nearing the size of a dinner plate...they may seem almost transparent. in a frypan... Read More, on med-hi, place one tortilla in the pan turn over after 30 seconds or when brown bake marks appear and flip side for another 15 seconds or so....they may get puffy.Repeat for the remaining dough. this last batch was white flour but whole wheat works well too. they are so yummy fresh! i made enchiladas with mine...mmmm and way cheaper than store bought ones!
first time was a lil scary...but it's my kids favorite fresh bread...just the thinner the tastier!