I Made Cookies. Be Jealous.

Hello there my darlings! I got out of work a wee bit early today, so guess what I got to do? Nap! And exercise! Woohoo! :) I feel so great when I get to work out, I should really be more consistent. Tips, anyone, for staying motivated?

Anywho, I know I promised a baking post today, so here ya go! Now no-bakes have been a staple in my family for a long time. My great grandmother made them for me when I was a kid, my grandmother made them every time I came to visit when I was young, my mom  made them because she looooves peanut butter (don't we all?), and I make them because they're probably my favorite cookie in the entire world! This recipe is big secret (I like to think it's a big secret) so be sure to write this down!

4 Cups white sugar

6 Tablespoons cocoa

1 Cup milk

11 Tablespoons butter

1/4 Teaspoon salt

4 Cups quick oats

3 Cups peanut butter

1 Teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, butter and salt in pan. Place over heat. Bring to a hard boil for THREE MINUTES. This part is important. Any longer and they won't set up properly, any less and they'll be dry and crumbly. Time it! Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until peanut butter is well combined. Add oats. Drop onto wax paper, or paper grocery bag. Let set until cool.

 Sugar mixture in pan

Oats!

THAT is a hard boil, folks.

Settling cookies, I like mine big.

Mmmm! Look at that yummy goodness!

Don't you wish you were here? Well, if you're in town on Thursday you can buy some at the bake sale! Or just make your own at home. :) I only work the morning again tomorrow, so I might do some sewing, depending on how motivated I am. Send some positive energy my way and maybe I'll get there.

What are you guys up to on this hump day? Any fun and exciting projects?

Much love always!

Baking Day!

Bonjour mes amies! It's almost the end of the week! Hooray! Unless you're like me and you work weekends! Woohoo! :)

I had off of work today, so I decided to take advantage of it and make it a baking day! Not to mention, Brian and I are having friends over tonight and I can't stand the idea of not having a treat to offer! Chocolate chip cookies it is!

Now, normally I would scour the internet searching for THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE recipe, follow said recipe, and then be thoroughly disappointed with the not-quite-soft/chewy/fluffy-enough outcome. However, today I wanted to try something different and- gasp!- follow the recipe on the back of my bag of mini Nestle chocolate chips. A daring decision, no doubt, but it was a risk I was willing to take. So I gathered up my supplies (in other words, asked Brian to run to the grocery store because I needed butter and baking soda) and got down to bid-ness.

(For reference, this is the recipe I followed...)
2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Cup of butter, softened (2 sticks)
3/4 Cup white granulated sugar
3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used the minis)
1/3 Cup chopped nuts, optional (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in bowl and set aside. Combine butter, white and brown sugar and vanilla in bowl and beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture until fully combined with butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Form in to 1 inch balls, drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes. (I put mine in for 10 and that was perfect). Let cool and serve.

Oh. My. Goodness. THESE COOKIES ARE GREAT! Perfect? Eh, that's debatable. But seriously good. Just the right amount of golden crispy-ness on the edges and the bottom, but perfectly chewy and soft in the middle. Perfect cookies for dipping milk. I have to say, this is the first time I think I've ever made chocolate chip cookies without shortening (Crisco) and I wonder if that would've made a differnece? I've also heard that upping the brown sugar to white sugar ratio can soften up your cookies as well. Anybody have thoughts or tips? Leave your comments and your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe in the comments section! I'm off to eat some cookies, take a nap and clean some stuff. :)


Much love always!
p.s. Prepare yourselves- there's an outfit post coming tonight!

My BAKE-less adventure! haha! (follow-up post for my no-bake recipe)

SO the day i posted my no-bake recipe, I did end up baking a batch!

AND, and-I photo-documented my journey!!

Number one: the recipe!! (along with some various ingredients : ) )

Number two: my three cups of peanut butter,yes-i know thats a MASSIVE amount of peanut butter!!

Number three: all ingredients combined in the pot over heat!
Mmm! Doesn't that look yummy!!!

Number four: all my oats in a big (note-HUGE) bowl!

Number five: Lexi and I were having fun (please ignore my makeup-less face, thank you) : )

Number six: BOIL, BOIL, BOIL!!! And although you can't see it, the timer on the microwave is going. : )

AND right after this is right about when Mrs. Neal shows up to pick up the kids. :
So i'm running upstairs to get Lexi's socks and trying to help her get the kids together, WHILE MY MIX IS STILL SITTING IN THE POT! And this stuff likes to set up quick, so what do i do

I do NOT crack under pressure. I.........THINK ON MY FEET!! : ) I set the pot back on the burner on the lowest heat setting, just to keep it from hardening and HOPE it doesn't make my cookies not set up.

Number...(i don't even know what number we're on).. SEVEN(!!!): into the bowl, all of you!

Number eight: dropping onto wax paper. : )

Number nine: PERFECTION!! (doesn't that look fake?)

Thus ends miy no-bakejourney through FLAVOR-TOWN!! (did you like that?)

Good Night!! : )