Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is nothing like a warm chocolate cookie and

a cold glass of milk. I have made many different kinds

of chocolate chip cookies and this one is my favorite.

You can add your favorite nuts or chips. Remember

Santa loves cookies too.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1) In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

2) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter

and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, 6 min.

Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in eggs, one at a

time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture just until

incorporated, fold in chocolate chips and chunks.

3) Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop or a large spoon, drop

dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet ( you should

have 24) and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350*

Arrange 6 unbaked cookies 3 inches apart, on each of the

two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until edges are

light and golden brown. 17 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets

halfway through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let

cool. Bake remaining dough using new parchment.

Everyday Food.

Leftover Turkey Chowder

I hope you have some leftovers...because this is by far

the tastiest CHOWDA. Making dumplings out of all

the stuffing was incredible. Enjoy!

Leftover Turkey Chowder

3 cups stuffing

1 1/2 cups of corn

3 tablespoons parsley, chopped

3 tablespoons chives, chopped

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 lb. bacon cut into cubes

2 tablespoons butter

2 onions, diced

3 celery ribs, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

4 teaspoons flour

3 cups turkey or chicken stock

1/2 pound fingerling potatoes, cut into rounds

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups turkey, diced

salt and pepper

1) Heat oven to 350*. In a bowl crumble stuffing and add

1/2 cup of corn, 1 tablespoon each of parsley and chives,

gently combine the egg. Dollop tablespoons size stuffing

mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 15 min

or until golden.

2) Saute the bacon in a medium stockpot and cook until

crisp. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Add butter to remaining bacon fat. Then add onions, celery

garlic and bay leaf to the pan. Saute until soft but not brown.

Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly stir in stock.

3) Add potatoes and simmer until they are cooked through.

About 10 min. Remove bay leaf. Stir in half & half. Simmer

until slightly thickened. Add turkey, remaining corn, herbs

and reserved bacon to the chowder. Simmer until heated

through. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with crispy

stuffing dumplings.

Tis The Season

Tis The Season.....for Eggnog Lattes and Cranberry Bliss

Bars. Today the shopping season for me officially begins.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Pure comfort in a bowl. Is what this rich, thick and

cozy soup is. If you love loaded baked potatoes,

like myself than this is for you.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

9 baking potatoes

2/3 cups of butter

2/3 cups all purpose flour

6 cups whole milk. "or more if you'd like it thinner

salt and pepper

1/2 cup cooked bacon, crumbled

4 green onions

10 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

1 (8oz) container sour cream.

1) Place potatoes on a baking sheet and cook until done.

Let cool before scooping.

2) In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.

Stir in the flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk

a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir

in potatoes, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup of bacon, 2 tablespoons

of green onions and most of the cheese. Cook until

thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat through.

Serve topped with remaining bacon, onions, cheese and

a little sour cream. Enjoy!

Heirloom Tomato Stack

Sometime's the best meals require no cooking at all.

I could eat this every everyday. Serve with crusty

bread and all is right in the world.

Heirloom Tomato Stack

Tomatoes

Basil

Mozzarella

Balsamic Reduction

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Slice, Layer, Drizzle, and Sprinkle.

Luau Bread

Once a week my youngest daughter and I make a bread.

Whether it be banana, blueberry, lemon, the list goes on.

It has become a great tradition for her and I. Love through

food. This bread has a ton of coconut flavor, almost like a

coconut macaroon in bread form... YUM. This recipe

makes two, so share one and have one for yourself. Perfect

for the holidays to hand out. I like to eat mine with pineapple

cream cheese. Enjoy!

Luau Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of vegetable oil

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons of coconut extract

1 cup of buttermilk

1 cup of shredded coconut

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2) Grease and flour 2 loaf pans

3) Do not use a mixer for this recipe

4) Use a spoon or spatula & stir by hand

5) In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder

baking soda and salt. Mix well.

6) In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, beaten eggs,

and coconut extract. Mix well.

7) Alternately add flour mixture & buttermilk to sugar

mixture & stir until moist.

8) Stir in shredded coconut.

9) Pour batter into the two prepared loaf pans. Bake 1 hour.

Happy Friday!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

Cheese Steak Mac & Cheese

Yum, Yum, Yum. Nothing like a stick to your ribs meal.

This dish is kid tested and man approved kinda dinner.

I served this with an Italian salad and crusty bread.

Cheese Steak Mac & Cheese

1 box of cavatappi pasta

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour

3 cups of milk

2 cups of shredded provolone cheese

1 cup of cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of beef stock

3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef, chopped

1/4 cup of fresh parsley

Cook pasta in a large stock pot. Salt the water. Cook until

al dente. Drain and place back in pot.

At the same time the pasta is cooking. Heat the olive oil

in a large skillet, cook the onions, add salt and pepper and

cook about 12 to 15 min. Add the garlic.

While the onions are caramelizing, melt the butter in a

medium pot over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the

melted butter and cook mixture for about 1 minute. stirring

constantly. Whisk the milk into the flour/butter mixture

slowly and bring up to a bubble to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of

provolone cheese, then season with salt and pepper and

reserve.

Preheat broiler.

To the skillet with the onions, add the beef stock and roast

beef. Stir over medium heat just to warm through.

Add the cheese sauce and onion-roastbeef mixture to the pot

with the drained pasta and toss everything to combine. Pour

the pasta mixture into a 9 by 13 baking and top with cheddar

and provolone cheeses. Place under broiler for 2 to 3 min.

Garnish with parsley. Adapted from RR.

Pizza Burgers

When it comes to burgers, I usually stick with my old

faithful recipe and that burger is a mock, In N Out burger.

It is my children's favorite and when I make something

else...they get pretty upset. It's that good. This is a grown

up burger. Your taste buds will be singing.

Pizza Burger

3 tablespoon olive oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

garlic powder

1 small can of tomato paste

3/4 beef broth or red wine

1/4 cup of fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup pepperoni, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin or turkey

3/4 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

8 deli slices provolone

Buns, toasted

Cook onions in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft.

Add the tomato paste to the onions and cook 3 min

more. Then add the broth to onions and paste and

cook until broth is evaporated. Turn heat off and

reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground sirloin,

pepperoni, parsley, garlic powder, oregano and red

pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Form

4 patties and cook in a skillet with one tablespoon of

olive oil.

Toast your buns. Place meat on your buns and top with

onions and grated parm and 2 slices of provolone and

place on a cookie sheet in the oven and melt the cheese

and top with the other bun. I served mine with marinara

on the side. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup S'mores

Ladies, here is a ultimate way to use up those yummy

peanut butter cups. I made these last night for the big

World Series game. Oh, so good!

Peanut Butter Cup S'mores

Chocolate Chip Cookies, I made mine but bakery bought

will work out perfectly.

Peanut Butter Cups

Marshmallows

Heat your oven to broil and put your marshmallows on

foil. I put 2 marshmallows on each cookie. Place a peanut

butter cup on one cookie and then top with marshmallows

and the other cookie on top. Simple and Sinful!

Did you get yours? I got mine!

That is the latest Ina Garten Cookbook. I swear to

you that I feel like a 14 old waiting in line to get a

Harry Potter book. The joy that comes over me!

This is her 7th cookbook and it is just as amazing

as the rest. Sometime's, I day dream that I'm invited

to her house in the Hampton's for dinner and I get to

hang out with all her Fab friends and eat the best food

and laugh over cocktails. A girl can dream right?