Chocolate Chip Cookies

The search is on for the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!  Hosted by Tina at Mom's Crazy Cooking, bloggers from all over the country will be revealing their chosen chocolate chip cookie recipes today!  I had a few recipes bookmarked that I knew I could use for this Crazy Cooking Challenge, but when Erin's recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies came through my Google Reader, I knew this was the one!  (Be sure to check out Erin's Food Files, the recipes there will leave your mouth watering!)

One thing I forgot to mention about the Crazy Cooking Challenge last month, is that you can vote for your favorite recipe!  It's simple, just click "like" under the picture of the post you like and in a week or so, the winner of the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie round will be announced!  I'd love it if you voted for me *wink*!

Making these cookies was quite the adventure!  I made the recipe two times.  The first time I was ready to add the eggs and realized I only had one egg.  I decided to just keep going and make the recipe anyway.  The cookies were somewhat flat but had a delicious taste and were so chewy!

Flat, yet delicious cookies!

The second time I made the recipe, I had decided to make half a batch since I still had so many cookies from my first try.  I mixed everything together and wondered why my dough was so crumbly.  I re-read the instructions and I had done everything right...so I thought!  I kept looking at my 1/2 cup measuring cup and my 1/3 cup measuring cup and wondering why the 1/3 cup was larger than the 1/2 cup.  Upon closer inspection, I realized I had been using a 2/3 cup measuring cup so I had put in twice as much flour as necessary!  It was easy enough to fix, I just added in more of the other ingredients to make a full batch, but I sure got a good laugh out of it!  I suppose that's what I get for trying to make cookies in a hurry!

These cookies were absolutely delicious!  I will be making them over and over again.  I followed Erin's tip and froze half the dough in little balls for when a chocolate chip cookie craving strikes!  Just note that these cookies require 24 hours of refrigeration before baking, but be patient...it's worth it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 3-1/2 dozen cookies

You will need:
2-2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

1.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

2.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale yellow.

3.  Add the sugar and brown sugar and continue beating until the mixture smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved.

4.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended.

5.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed just until blended.

6.  Add the chocolate chips and mix until blended.

7.  Press plastic wrap onto the dough, and refrigerate 24 hours.

8.  Once 24 hours have passed, using a cookie scoop, or greased hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

9.  Bake the cookies at 350 until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.  Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely.

Coke Brownies

These are, by far, the easiest brownies I have ever made!  They require just 2 ingredients...that's right 2!  And no, one of those ingredients is not black beans!  (I'm too weirded out by that idea right now, though I do plan to try that in the future).  The recipe is just a boxed brownie mix and a can of diet Coke!

It's simple to make these brownies and they end up very moist and cake-like.  I'll admit, I ate the entire pan by myself since Mike doesn't care for cake!  (The pan did last just over a week though!)  The flavor of these brownies is a little different that making traditional brownies, I attributed it to the aftertaste of the diet Coke.  I'd like to make these again with regular coke and see if that makes a difference.  However, these were delicious and low calorie/fat enough that I didn't feel guilty go back for another piece...and another...and another!

Coke Brownies

Makes 1 9x13" pan, about 18 servings (depending on how you cut them)

You will need:

1 boxed brownie mix

1 can Diet Coke

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the brownie mix and diet Coke.

2.  Pour into a greased 9x13" pan.

3.  Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  My brownies took longer than the box said, so adjust the time as needed.

With the box of brownie mix that I used, these brownies had just 110 calories per serving!

Jalapeno Poppers

When my friend mentioned that she had an abundance of jalapeno peppers in her garden that she'd love to share, I jumped at the opportunity.  A couple years ago at a work party, we had some delicious jalapeno poppers.  They were so good that Mike still talks about them!  Unfortunately for Mike, these weren't the same type of poppers he was thinking about (his were meat filled...don't worry, he still got them!).  However, we both thought these were delicious!

Jalapeno Poppers

Makes 24

You will need:
12 jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup Savory Garlic Cooking Cream (you can also use plain cream cheese)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 slices of bacon
Barbecue sauce

1.  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese until smooth.  Set aside.

2.  Put on a pair of rubber gloves and cut jalapeno peppers in half length-wise.  Use a spoon (I used a grapefruit spoon) to scrape out the white membrane and seeds.  Discard membrane and seeds.  Note: The heat from the jalapenos comes from the white membrane and seeds, the more you leave in, the hotter your poppers will be.

3.  Spoon cheese mixture into the cavity of each jalapeno half. 

4.  Cut each slice of bacon in half, and wrap securely around each jalapeno half securing with a toothpick.  Place on a greased baking sheet.

5.  Brush each popper with a bit of barbecue sauce.

6.  Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes, until bacon is crispy.

One Bag Event

We did it!  We hosted a fiesta for our couples' group from church and generated less than half a bag of trash!

As I prepared for the party, I kept in mind that the goal was to create a minimal amount of trash.  With that in mind, I planned a menu with fresh items that could be composted and other items bought in bulk.  Here's what we ate:

Tacos with fresh toppings, stuffed jalapenos, tortilla chips and salsa, churros, and un-fried fried ice-cream (not pictured)!

And you can't go Mexican without imported Mexican beer (in recyclable bottles) and Margaritas (in reusable glasses)!  We also used real dishes and silverware.

Side note:  I do apologize for the quality of the pictures, I was in a hurry as our guests were arriving!  I didn't think to take pictures of us enjoying the food either, I was too busy eating!

I was able to compost the seeds and some stems from the jalapeno peppers, the stems from the tomatoes, and the unedible parts of the lettuce.  I recycled the box from the ice-cream and bag from the flour.  The only things I had to throw away were the styrofoam containers from the ground beef and a few other small items. 

Of course you can't have a fiesta without a pinata! Don't worry, the pinata was made out of cardboard so I was able to recycle it as well!

I would say our party was a huge success! 

We've learned a lot from this past month's adventure.  How have you put what you've learned the past few weeks into practice with your family?

As part of the Glad Brand Ambassador Program through Foodbuzz, I received Glad products, a trash can/recycling bin, a composting bin, and a stipend to cover my expenses. Even though I was compensated for these posts, the opinions contained in the post are all my own.

S'mores Popcorn

One of my absolute snacks is s'mores.  There's something so irresistible about the golden brown marshmallow melting a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker.  However, I'm not always around a campfire to roast marshmallows, so I have to turn to other ways to enjoy s'mores.

Another one of my favorite snacks is popcorn.  When I was growing up, Friday nights were always popcorn nights at our house.  My dad would pop a huge bowl of popcorn, pour melted butter over it, and sprinkle it with salt.  Then we'd settle down to watch a movie and munch on popcorn.

I decided to combine two of my favorite snacks into one: S'mores Popcorn.  I found it absolutely delicious and irresistible and I hope you will too!

S'mores Popcorn

Makes 10-12 servings

You will need:

6 quarts popped popcorn (3/4 cup kernels)
3 cups brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons vanilla
12 graham crackers
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, corn syrup, margarine, and salt.  Stir constantly until brown sugar dissolves.

2.  Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature, and boil the sugar mixture until it reaches 270 degrees.  Stir occasionally.

3.  While sugar mixture is boiling, break 12 graham crackers into bite-sized pieces.  Put in a large bowl with the popcorn and marshmallows.

4.  When sugar mixture has reached 270 degrees, stir in vanilla.

5.  Pour over popcorn, graham crackers, and marshmallows.  Stir until everything  is coated in the caramel.

6.  Pour caramel covered popcorn mixture onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

7.  Allow caramel to harden and then break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

There's nothing better than a thick slice of fresh bread, still warm from the oven.  Pair it with a cup of hot chocolate or tea, and you have the makings of a delicious snack!

It's time again to reveal our posts for September's Secret Recipe Club.  This month, I was assigned to Wendy's blog, The Weekend Gourmet.  As I browsed through her collection of delicious looking recipes, I made a list of all the ones that looked good to me.  Then came the tough part--choosing one of those recipes to make and feature this month.  Since strawberries are one of my favorites fruits, I was drawn to her recipe for Strawberry Cream Cheese Quick Bread.

What a scrumptious loaf of bread!  I loved the added layer of strawberry cream cheese, that's really what put this loaf of bread over the top.  I chose not to make the Strawberry Whipped Butter as I prefer my bread without butter (this goes for all bread--I know, I'm strange!)  I'm sure the butter would make this bread delicious too.  I think this bread would be delicious with other berries as well--maybe I'll try blueberries next?

Strawberry Cream Cheese Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf, about 12 servings

You will need:
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
6 ounces cream cheese
2 Tablespoons strawberry jam
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar

For the bread:
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped strawberries

1.  Make the cream cheese layer by mixing the cream cheese, strawberry jam, egg and sugar in a medium bowl.  Put the mixture in the fridge while you make the bread batter.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, eggs, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla.

3.  Add milk, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the wet mixture and mix well.

4.  Carefully fold in the chopped strawberries.

5.  Pour half the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan.

6.  Pour the cream cheese mixture down the center. (My mixture ended up quite runny and when I did this step, it looked like a mess. It still turned out great!)

7.  Top with remaining batter and smooth if necessary. 

8.  Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. 

9.  Remove bread from oven and let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to continue cooling.  Be patient--the bread will crumble apart if you cut into it too soon!

Source: The Weekend Gourmet

Dumpster Diving

Let's continue our discussion about reducing waste!  Have you started to apply anything you've learned to your own life?

As part of the Glad Brand Ambassador Program through Foodbuzz, I received Glad products, a trash can/recycling bin, a composting bin, and a stipend to cover my expenses. Even though I was compensated for these posts, the opinions contained in the post are all my own.

Egg Muffins

One of my favorite breakfasts (or dinners) is omelets.  I love the combination of eggs, cheese, bacon or ham, and sometimes vegetables.  Omelets are great because they're so versatile, you really can fill them with whatever your heart desires.  Plus, it's a perfect protein-packed meal. 

I decided to make "mini-omelets"...actually more like egg muffins, as I decided to call them.  These are the perfect size for a quick snack or breakfast, or grab a few for a satisfying dinner.  I made a dozen one night and froze them for quick breakfasts.  I did make some with just egg whites, and some with the whole egg--either way, they're delicious!

Egg Muffins


Makes 12

6 eggs
3 Tablespoons milk
3 large potatoes
4 slices bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping

1.  Beat eggs and milk together in a medium bowl.

2.  Shred potatoes into the bowl with the eggs.

3.  Fry bacon until crisp and then crumble into egg mixture.

4.  Stir in cheese.

5.  Pour into greased muffin tins.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until eggs are set.

7.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.  Serve warm.

Carrot Bran Muffins

I think bran muffins get a bad rap.  They're considered healthy, bland, tasteless, and dry.  Let me tell you, the only one of those adjectives that describes this bran muffin is healthy.  My mother-in-law makes delicious bran muffins, they're enormous and super-moist.  I asked her for her recipe and then tweaked it a bit to reduce the amount of fat and add in some extras, like the carrots and raisins.  I was very pleased with the result, a delicious and moist bran muffin, full of good things.  These muffins make a satisfying breakfast or healthy snack.

Carrot Bran Muffins

Makes 36 muffins. (I like to freeze mine and thaw them in the microwave when I want a quick breakfast.)

3 cups bran flakes, crushed
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (you can use sweetened, just decrease the amount of sugar)
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs
2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 carrots, grated
1 cup raisins

1.  Mix together crushed bran flakes, shortening, applesauce, and water.  (Be sure to crush your flakes, I learned this the hard way once and ended up with inedible muffins!) Let it sit for about 10 minutes to allow bran flakes to get soggy.

2.  Stir in sugar and eggs.

3.  Mix in flour soda, salt, and buttermilk.

4.  Carefully stir in grated carrots and raisins, being careful not to over mix your muffins.  If muffins are over-mixed, you'll end up with peaks...I grew up with muffins like this, we called them mountains and thought they were the greatest things!  So, if you want to, go ahead and over-mix! :)

5.  Scoop muffin batter into greased muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 full.

6.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until done.