The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never did end up getting a picture of these cookies. I would only bake 8 at a time and they would just disappear!

Ingredients:

2 c. minus 2 T. cake flour

1 2/3 c. bread flour

1 1/4 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. coarse salt

1 1/4 c. unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar

1 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 lbs. chocolate chips*

* 1 lb chocolate chips = 2 2/3 c. -- I used what I had which was normal semisweet, white chocolate, and mini chocolate chips

Recipe:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

2. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs. Stir in vanilla. Reduce to low speed and slowly add dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 24-36 hours.

5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Rating: 5 of 5

I have low self-esteem when it comes to making chocolate chip cookies. Just chocolate chip cookies. Why? Well, because it doesn't matter what I do, they never turn out! But, this recipe actually works for me. I don't know why, but I didn't have a single bad batch, or cookie for that matter, over the 3 days that it took me to bake all the dough. To get a good soft cookie after it cools though, you need to drop enough dough to almost make a golf ball (which is my guess since I'm really not that familiar with golf balls....so let's say a ping pong ball since I do know those). These cookies are just so good! Oh yeah, I definitely don't think you need to refrig for 24-36 hours. I made my first batch after a 4 hour stint in the fridge and they turned out just the same as the dough that stayed in for the allotted time.

Source: I Am Baker, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Auntie Anne's Pretzels: Copycat

Ingredients:

2 c. milk

1 1/2 T. active dry yeast

6 T. brown sugar

4 T. butter, melted

4 1/2 c. flour *

2 t. fine salt

1/3 c. baking soda

3 c. warm water

coarse salt 8 T. butter, melted in a shallow dish **

*I used bread flour and it was AMAZING!

** I actually only used 4 T. butter and had just enough

Recipe:

1. Warm up the milk in the microwave or on the stove for just about 1 1/2 minutes. It should be about 110 degrees.

2. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 3 minutes.

3. Add the butter and sugar. Combine.

4. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time and then add the fine salt. *

5. Knead for about 10 minutes with a stand mixer, or by hand. Put in greased bowl and cover with greased cling wrap. Let rise for 1 hour in warm place until doubled in size.

6. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

7. Divide dough into 12 lumps. Roll them all out as thin as you can. **

8. Combine the warm water and baking soda in a wide bowl.***

9. Form the dough into pretzel shapes, then dip in the baking soda water. Place on a greased baking sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. ****

10. Bake for about 7-11 minutes or until browned. Serve with cheese sauce.

11. Melt the butter. Roll pretzels in butter and then dip in cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated.

*I actually added about 1 1/2 c. of flour, mixed, added the 2 t. salt, mixed, and then continued on with the rest of the flour.

** Since we have little mouths, I decided to go for a more portion friendly size and divided the dough into 24 pieces.

*** I used a pie plate.

****For the pretzels that we wanted to cover with cinnamon and sugar I didn't sprinkle salt on them.

Rating: 5 of 5

Soft, fluffy, tasty, easy, and so close to Auntie Anne's. I couldn't help but shouting out every few minutes, "These are SO GOOD!" While Ally would throw in, "Oh my goodness! They are perfect!" And Daniel just took his cinnamon-sugar covered pretzel and dipped it in more cinnamon and sugar. Seriously, so good! I just don't know that I've ever had a more delicious soft pretzel!

Source: Yammie's Noshery, Auntie Anne's Pretzels

Carne Asada Soft Tacos

Ingredients:

Meat:

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 T. lime juice

1/2 t. ground cumin

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. carne asada beef or flank steak *

1/2 c. finely chopped white onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

4 soft tortilla breads or tortillas

Guacamole:

2 avocados, peeled and seeded

1 T. lime juice

1/4 t. kosher salt

1/4 t. blacker pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (I'm throwing this one in there)

Toppings:

3/4 c. corn

1/2 c. finely diced red bell pepper

cilantro, chopped

cheese, shredded

sour cream

salsa

* We had some Wal-Mart ribeyes that we had purchased a long time ago (a mistake, because they are not good as a steak), but thought I'd give them a try in a taco. Besides, I had to use that meat)

Recipe:

1. Mix the corn and red bell pepper together. Set aside.

Meat:

1. Place oil, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl, whisking to combine.

2. Place beef, onions, and garlic into a large Ziploc bag and pour lime mixture inside bag. Close bag and with hands, massage beef with marinade to coat evenly.

3. Place in refrigerator and marinade for 1 hour.

4. Heat 2 T. olive oil in grill pan over medium heat. Grill beef until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes.

5. Cut thin slices against the grain or on the bias.

6. Serve in warm tortillas with desired toppings.

Guacamole:

1. Place avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper (and garlic) into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until well combined.

Rating: 5 of 5

Despite the cheap-o steak meat, these turned out fantastic! The meat tasted just like carne asada in a restaurant. So good. The guacamole, I've got to give a good score to as well. Simple. Tasty. Easy. The meat is super easy to prepare and cook as is everything in this recipe! I will definitely be making this one again!

Source: Picky Palate, Carne Asada Soft Tacos

Barbecue Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:

Salad:

2 hearts of Romaine, chopped *

1 can corn

1 can black beans, rinsed

15 grape tomatoes, halved **

3-4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed or shredded

1/2-1 c. favorite barbecue sauce

mozzarella cheese, shredded

*Went with our favorite lettuce: green leaf

**I used 3 hearty Roma tomatoes

Dressing:

1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

1 c. mayonnaise *

1 c. milk

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 clove garlic **

1 lime juiced OR 2 T. lime juice

* I actually did 1/2 c. mayo and 1/2 c. sour cream. Next time I'll sub out the mayo completely.

** I used about 1 t. minced garlic

Recipe:

Dressing:

1. Place dressing ingredients into blender or food processor and combine well. Let sit for a few hours to increase flavor of dressing. *

* My blender is not very good at blending. I should put a new blender or food processor on my gift list for Mother's Day......yes. Anyways.....I just whisked everything, but the cilantro, together. Then I chopped up the cilantro into ity bity pieces and stirred it into the mix.

Salad:

1. Place lettuce in a serving bowl. Layer with corn, beans, and tomatoes.

2. Mix cooked chicken with barbecue sauce and top over salad.

3. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.

4. Drizzle with dressing.

Rating: 5 of 5

Yes, it's that good. The cilantro dressing and BBQ go really, really well together. Plus, it's got all of those good veggies in it! Very similar to Katie's Mexican Salad. I will definitely be making this one again. Oh, but it does make a rather large batch, so half it and plan on making taco with the leftovers the next night.

Source: Recipe Shoebox, BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

Wafer:

1 15.25-oz package fudge cake mix *

2 1/2 T. shortening, melted

1/2 c. cake flour, measured then sifted

1 egg

2 1/2 T. water

nonstick cooking spray, for cookie sheet

Chocolate coating:

3 10-oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

5/8 t. peppermint extract

5 T. shortening

*I used Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge cake mix. Thought about the triple chocolate fudge though.

Recipe:

1. Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms.*

2. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick.

5. To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter. **

6. Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of non-stick spray. ***

7. Bake for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.

9. To make the coating, combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. ****

10. Heat on 50% power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an additional minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth.

11. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off and then place the cookies side by side on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

12. Refrigerate until firm.

*You'll be tempted to add more water, but don't! The dough will be a dry and clumpy dough when everything has been mixed through. Form into a ball before covering and chilling.

** Really, it doesn't matter how small or big the diameter is. The 1 1/2-inch diameter is to replicate the Girl Scout look. If you go with the 1 1/2-inch, then you will come out with about 90 cookies. My cookies had about 2-2.5-inch diameter and I came out with about 45ish (and some of them were definitely thicker than 1/16-inch).

*** I just lay down parchment paper instead of using the cooking spray.

**** I have a terribly hard time getting my chocolate to the right consistency in the microwave, so I just do it on the stove top. If you don't have a double boiler, no fret, just make sure you watch the chocolate and don't burn or overheat it. I melt the shortening first, add the peppermint extract, and then stir handfuls of chips at a time until everything is melted and smooth.

Rating: 5 of 5

Seriously, how bad can a thin mint be? This recipe pretty much nails the Girl Scout cookie. That's a great thing and a bad thing....if you know what I mean. Don't let dipping the cookies scare you. It's not that hard. This is, really, a pretty easy recipe. And, hey!, it's a cookie that I made and didn't burn! Success!

Source: Food.com, Girl Scout Thin Mints

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Recipe:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

2. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

3. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

4. Combine the 2 T. sugar and the cinnamon.

5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake in a 375 oven for 10-11 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Rating: 5 of 5

Snickerdoodles aren't everyone's cookie, but it is mine. I LOVE these and this recipe is pretty amazing! Soft, sweet, and easy. Love them!

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, pg. 216

Beef Jerky

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs. Lean (90%) ground beef

3 t. NON-iodized salt

1 1/2 t. Accent

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/3 t. crushed or ground red pepper

1 1/2 T. meat tenderizer

1/2 T. black pepper

2 T. brown sugar, heaping

1/4 c. liquid smoke

1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

Recipe:

1. Mix salt, accent, garlic, red pepper, tenderizer, black pepper, and brown sugar together in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, layer spice mixture between layers of raw beef. Mix the meat and spices together by hand until spices mixed well throughout.

3. Take a ball, about the size of a man's fist, and place between two pieces of wax paper. With a rolling pin, roll to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and, roughly, in the shape of the dehydrator tray.

4. Transfer meat to tray rack and coat the top with the liquid smoke mixture. Repeat this step until all trays are filled, or meat is used.

5. Use dehydrator according to directions.

**Time for meat to dehydrate will vary according to number of trays on dehydrator and whether or not it has a fan. A dehydrator without a fan will take about 12-18 hours to complete and trays will need to be rotated every couple of hours(no need to rotate in middle of night). With a fan, a small batch will take about 6 hours.**

**If you don't have a dehydrator, the jerky can be dried in the oven as well. Set the oven to 140 degrees, and place the meat on racks. Air needs to circulate. Place a pan under the rack to catch the drippings.**

Rating: 5 of 5

I'm not sure if this is an acquired taste or not just because I grew up with it. I think it's awesome! One thing I really like about this recipe vs. store bought beef jerky, is that it is much easier to chew and doesn't get stuck in your teeth as much. Also, you can make it as thick or thin as you like it. I like mine practically crispy. If you're too scared to make a batch, then I'll make some for you and you can sample it! Seriously, delicious! Oh, and as a bonus, the house smells soooo good for a day.

Source: my mom

Texas Caviar or Bean Dip

I've seen this recipe by a few names, but either way you call it, it's delicious!

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can black beans, drained

1 15-oz can corn, drained

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 avocado, chopped*

1 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. green onion, chopped

1 package dry Italian dressing mix, prepared as instructions direct **

1/4 c. vinegar

3 T. water

1/2 c. oil

* I left out the avocados this time. Honestly, I don't really think they add much other than a mushy factor. Avocados, by nature, are rather bland and actually absorb the taste of the flavors it's around.

** I actually half the vinegar, water, and oil, but keep the full amount of dressing mix. I do this just because as the dressing sits overnight or for a few hours, the tomatoes tend to run. So....when I half it the dip isn't soupy by morning.

Recipe:

1. Dump all ingredients except for dressing in a medium bowl.

2. Mix Italian dressing together in a dressing vase or ziploc bag. To do so, pour in 1/4 c. vinegar and 3 T. water. Add the dressing and shake well. Add the oil to the mixture and mix again.

3. Pour dressing over vegetables in bowl. Mix together.

4. Refrigerate approximately 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla or pita chips.

Rating: 5 of 5

Honestly, this is one of our favorites! It can be put together in less than 10 minutes and, I think, is pretty healthy. Love it! Eat it! I do think a little garlic might be a tasty addition...or maybe just a hint of lime. I'm not sure....I'll have to try that next time.

Source: um...not sure, but I've seen it everywhere. Today I'll site Ann Griggs.

Thai Chicken

Ingredients:

Sauce:

4 chicken breast halves - steamed and cubed or shredded

1 c. chicken broth

2 T. soy sauce

4 T. chunky or creamy peanut butter

1 garlic clove, crushed *

red pepper flakes to taste (usually about 1/4 t.)

Condiments: (whatever you would like)

chopped peanuts

coconut

crushed pineapple

red, green, yellow diced peppers (Melissa's favorite!)

canned Mandarin oranges (my favorite!)

raisins or Crainsins

chow mein noodles (are those the crunchy ones?)

cilantro, chopped

* I usually just used minced garlic

Recipe:

1. Combine and heat chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut butter, garlic, and pepper until peanut butter is dissolved.

2. Add pre-cooked chicken.

3. Serve over steamed rice with your choice of condiments. *

*I like to make my rice chicken flavored by adding a bouillon cube to the water. So. Much. Better.

Rating: 5 of 5

This is one of our absolute favorite recipes! We love it....so good. The great thing about this dish is that it's new every time you have it because you can make it taste so different depending on what you put on it! And, if you don't like too much kick you have total control over that and can experiment with just the right amount. We, however, like the kick. Oh, and I usually don't have all the favorite condiments on hand, but I usually have enough to make it work! Another perk, this is quick!

Also use the sauce can be used for Satay Chicken Pizza.

Source: Melissa Black

Strawberry Bread

Ingredients:

2 c. fresh strawberries *

2 t. white sugar **

3 c. + 2 T. all-purpose flour

2 c. white sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 1/4 c. vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)

* I actually doubled the amount of strawberries called for which led to a doubling of the 2 t. of sugar

** Doubled the sugar because of the double strawberries

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Lightly grease 2 5x9-inch loaf pans.

2. Slice strawberries and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 2 t. sugar, and set aside. *

3. Combine flour, 2 c. sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; mix well.

4. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.

5. Make in the preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

Rating: 5 of 5

At first glance this bread does not look appealing at all! I would describe what first popped into my mind when I sliced the bread, but then no one would want to try this recipe. Anyway, the best way that I can rate this bread is by saying: it's a strawberry version of banana bread. Basically, it's much more delicious than it looks. Oh! I also think this would look good, possibly taste good, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Source: AllRecipes: Dinner Tonight, pg. 282

* So, I had started making this before I realized I had no eggs. So, the strawberries actually sat over night in the fridge. The bread still turned out fine, but as this was a first time recipe, I really didn't have anything to compare it to.

Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon steak sauce
4 skinless, boneless chicken

Recipe:
1. Preheat the grill for medium heat.
2. In a shallow bowl, mix the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and steak sauce. Set aside a small amount of the honey mustard sauce for basting, and dip the chicken into the remaining sauce to coat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken over indirect heat for 18 to 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with the reserved sauce during the last 10 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning!

Rating: 5 of 5

We had this one for Christmas Eve dinner with the Ames and then again 4 days later with Krista. It tastes best on really thin pieces of chicken.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Mustard-Grilled-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Zesty Chicken

Ingredients:

6 skinless boneless chicken breasts *

2 packages zesty Italian seasoning **

2 cups water ***

2 cans cream of chicken soup

8 oz. cream cheese

1/8 tsp. parsley

*I usually only use 3-4

**when making a double batch I use 3 packages instead of 4

***I usually cut the water in half to make the sauce thicker

Recipe:

1. In crock pot mix together Italian Seasoning, water, cream of chicken soup, and parsley. Add chicken to mixture.

2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours *

3. 1 hour before serving cut cream cheese into cubes, add to crock pot. You may need to use a fork to break up the cubes of cream cheese.Serve on pasta or rice. **

*I usually cook it on high for 3-4 hours – perfect for cooking while at church!

**I favor wide egg noodles.

Rating: 5 of 5

We LOVE this recipe. It's not new for us, but I still had to share it. It's so easy that LaDon made it when I was on partial bedrest when pregnant with Daniel. We got this recipe from Kristen (who is the Queen of the tastiest and easiest recipes around). Anyways, the seasoning is perfect, it limits the chicken mess you have to deal with, and Ally loves it! Super tasty.

Source: Kristen Lanshe