The Perfect Deli-style Chocolate Chip Cookie

Hello, thanks for coming over. So, for this recipe, I'll start with the SECRETS that the ingredients alone can't accomplish.

1-Cream salted butter (NEVER margarine) with sugars for 5 minutes. This will dissolve the sugars and whip the butter.

2-This is the hardest step (because it means delayed gratification): You need to refrigerate the dough for 24 to 36 hours. This allows the dough to carmelize and richens the flavor of the dough by 89.7% ;o) So, I usually make my dough in the morning and then cook it the next day around kids-come-home-from-school time. It's my only way of being a cool mom.

3-You need to make BIG cookies. Smaller cookies don't allow for the variation in textures (the aforementioned desire for a crunchy outside, and dense, chewy center). My dough balls are bigger than golf balls; I scoop them with an ice cream scoop. I only place 6 to 8 cookies on each cookie sheet.

4-After the dough is on the cookie sheet, I lightly sprinkle them with course Kosher salt. You wouldn't believe the effect this has. It just brings out all the buttery goodness.

Recipe: preheat oven to 350 F

2 1/2 sticks softened (never melted!)butter
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/8 c. white sugar
2 cups cake flour (subtract 2 Tbsp. if you do NOT live in a high altitude, over 4000 ft. zone)
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Large Eggs
2 tsp. real vanilla
1 lb. high quality semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips

After creaming sugar and butter for 5 minutes, add all other ingredients and mix just until well blended. Only about 20 to 30 seconds. Form dough balls (in between the size of a roma tomato and a golf ball). Sprinkle lightly with course kosher salt.
Bake for 13 to 16 minutes. Until edges are brown.


Signed with rich, indulgent, chocolatey love,
---Michelle

Chicken Pot Pie

This is probably one of my most requested recipes. I had to share even though I do not have a photo at this moment.

Chicken Pot Pie
By: Becky Pulsipher

Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breasts
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 Can of Sliced Potatoes
1 Bag of Frozen Vegetables (California Blend-Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots)
1 Cup of Milk
¼ tsp Pepper
¼ tsp Thyme Powder
2 cans Refrigerated Biscuits (try not to get a thick kind, because they turn out doughy, I recommend Wal-Mart brand)

Chop raw chicken into bite size pieces and cook on stovetop until golden brown and tender. While chicken is cooking, steam frozen veggies. In a large bowl, stir together the soups, milk, pepper, and thyme. Strain the potatoes and cut them smaller if you prefer. Add potatoes to the soup mixture. Add chicken and veggies to the soup mixture once they are done too.

Pour the filling into a 9X13 pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the sides start to bubble. Open cans of biscuits and cut each one into ¼’s. Take pot pie out after the 20 minutes and cover the mixture with the biscuits side-by-side. Place back in oven until biscuits are golden. **I usually turn up the oven temp to 400 before I cook it with the biscuits on it. Biscuits usually cook at a hotter temp and this helps them from becoming doughy. Yum, Yum, enjoy!!!

Ty's Easy Breezy Beautiful Kebabs

Costco sells beef tenderloin for about $2 less a pound than the pre-cut filet steaks. We spoke to the Costco butcher and he said it is exactly the same quality as the filet meat, but you have to slice it yourself (and remove a few sections of fat). This ends up giving you top-of-the line beef cuts for less than half the price of your average supermarket butcher shop. We felt confident enough in our slicing abilities to save the extra $. Usually Tyler makes melt-in-your-mouth steaks with the filets, but Sunday we tried garlic Kebabs. They were TO DIE FOR!!!

The recipe:

Cube meat (use about 10 to 12 oz. of cubed meat per adult serving).

Soak bamboo skewers in water.

Marinate beef in high-quality Worcestershire sauce for about 4 hours.
Mince about 6 cloves of garlic.Place minced garlic in a half cup of olive oil.
Cube chunks of yellow, red, green bell peppers and SWEET onions.
Take meat out of marinade.
Assemble onto bamboo skewers alternating patterns for a nice presentation.
Brush garlic oil mixture onto beef and veggies.
Next sprinkle coarse Kosher salt (we are quite generous with the salt) on entire kebab followed by fresh ground pepper.

Grill to desired level of perfection. . . we are rare and medium rare people, but we may still forgive you if you like yours well done.

After grilling, drizzle kebabs with melted butter and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley (or dried).

ENJOY!!!! Serve with warm dinner rolls, veggie trays, and fresh chips and salsa.

Note: The kebabs in the picture above are wrapped in bacon. I actually prefer non-baconized meat. The bacon is just too fatty for me, and is a nuisance to remove. But, if you are a bacon fan like my husband and kids, then go ahead and wrap each cube of filet with a strip of bacon.

Moist and Flavorful Whole Wheat Pancakes

These are to DIE for. I just made them last week, then again this morning and decided this recipe must be shared. If you don't have a wheat grinder, store bought wheat flour works too.

But, if you care even the slightest bit about:

1. Adding protein to your diet
2. Heart healthy wheat germ oil
3. A healthy bowel via more natural fiber
4. A slower hike in blood sugar
   

. . . . then save your precious pennies for a wheat grinder. It WILL change your life. Watch for them on ksl.com (for Utah folks) or another classified source. Bosch Kitchen Center also sells refurbished models.

So, anyway, about that amazing recipe. The one that my kids and husband like BETTER than the Krusteez Buttermilk mix . . .

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 cups Buttermilk (can be subbed with 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup milk)
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. Sugar/Honey
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 T. melted butter
2 T. Canola oil

Mix for 20 sec. if using an electric mixer. Or stir about 30 times with a wire whisk (my preferred method for pancakes)

Pour onto griddle or frying pan in 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup increments. Cook over med to med-high heat if on stove top. Or turn griddle to 350 F.

You may add more buttermilk for thinner pancakes. I typically throw in an additional 1/4 cup.

Top with more butter (just do it) fresh or frozen fruit, roasted pecans, maple syrup, and . . . love ;o)

---Michelle

Why not make your own syrup?

Finding a recipe to make my own syrup was actually more of a hunt than I expected, but it was worth it. Changing syrup is always kind of a hard change, at least it has been for me. By the second morning with this recipe I was in love. And the good news is: No HFCS. Our family loves this syrup and it comes together really fast. I found it on Amy's Finer Things in Life. Thanks Amy!

Homemade Maple Syrup

1 3/4 c. white sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 c. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

Combine sugars and water in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook 1 minute. Cool slightly. Add vanilla and maple flavoring. Cover for a few minutes to thicken.

Applesauce Pancakes

Our house is trying to eat healthier. With that being said, we are trying to go homemade. It is somewhat disturbing to read the packaging of Pancake mix and Cereal boxes-full of unknown ingredients and High Fructose Corn Syrup. I am really starting to love knowing what is in our food. I love knowing what I am eating, what my kids are eating. It just feels good. That being said. These Applesauce Pancakes from Sisters Cafe are delicious! Yum! My little guy chowed them down. That makes me happy!

Applesauce Pancakes
Recipe from: The Sisters Cafe

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 c natural applesauce (no sugar added)

1/2 c milk

2 Tb canola oil

1 c flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients until moistened. Cook over medium heat.

White Chicken Chili

Oh. My. Goodness. I love this soup. It came from my mother-in-law, who is a fantastic cook. It is perfect for a cold winter's night. Enjoy!




White Chicken Chili

1 lb boneless chicken chunked
1 chopped med onion
1 tsp oil
1 ½ tsp garlic powder

Put all in pan and cook until chicken is done.

Add:

2 cans great northern beans
1 can chicken broth
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 can chopped green chilis
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano

Bring to boil then turn to low and simmer for 30 min. Remove from heat and add:

1 cup sour cream
½ cup whipping cream

Hershey's Best Brownies

I grew up loving these simple, yet tasty brownies. They are my husband's favorite, so naturally I make them often. I especially love them with frosting. We also usually half the recipe and use a 9x9 pan.

Hershey's Best Brownies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa or Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
  

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Melt butter. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well with spoon after each addition. Add cocoa; beat until well blended. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat well. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour batter into pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Frost if desired. Cut into bars. About 36 brownies.

Creamy Brownie Frosting

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.