Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have had trouble in the past with not getting my chocolate chip cookies to be just right. They were either flat or too "cakey". This recipe is the best ever. If I follow the recipe, they really do turn out perfect every time. Of course, that is if I follow the recipe because sometimes I do like to experiment! Also, I have substituted half wheat flour for the white and they still turned out really good.

By the way, this is a freezer recipe. You make up the dough and you can either freeze it in a log shape and you have your own slice-and-bake cookies. Or, you can use a small ice cream scoop and put the scoops on a pan and flash freeze and then put those into a big gallon freezer bag for later use!

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I don't love nuts in my cookies so I omit these)
1 bag (12 oz.) semisweet schocolate chips (2 cups)

1. Heat oven to 375 Degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, beat sugars, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.

3. On ungreased cookies sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 to 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

*If using self-rising flour, omit baking soda and salt.

The trick for me to get pretty much perfect cookies every time is that I bake them for only 8 minutes and then I take them out and leave them on the pan for a few more minutes to finish “baking”.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

I do not like mustard at all, but I love this dressing!

Servings: 18

1/3 cup dijon mustard*
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey*
1 cup canola oil
salt and peppter to taste

Whisk together dijon mustard and vinegar, add honey.
Gradually add canola oil as you whisk - may use immersion blender.
Season with salt (about 1 teaspoon) and pepper to taste.

Yield: 2 cups

*I substituted regular mustard and sugar for honey and it still tasted delicious.

This recipe is from the Bloomington Cooking School.

Recipes Ideas

Hide the Veggies Pasta Sauce
Taco Filled Pasta Shells
Pizza Roll Ups
Zucchini Breakfast Jumbo Muffins
Low fat Taco soup
Lower fat Cheesy Chicken and Noodles
Crockpot spaghetti sauce
Black bean Lasagna Rolls
Easy Teriyaki Chicken
Glazed baby carrots
Mini Sausage Calzones
Granola bars

May Days!

Well, I am obviously getting late in posting this, but here goes! Comment to this post about what you are bringing for next week. It is on the 15th remember at 6:45 pm. We are having a "guest" speaker come this month to teach us how to can strawberry jam, which will come in handy since we are planning on picking strawberries next month. I think I am going to make Easy Teriyaki Chicken.

I will try to update this site a little better and add recipes and tips for OAMC! Since we are make strawberry jam and we all get to take some home, let's not make a side dish or dessert this time unless you absolutely want to, and Krista is bringing dessert!

April's Meals and Cooking together

Please comment to this post as to what you are bringing. I am bringing calzones.

Also, when you comment decide what side dishes/dessert you want to make:
Choose one out of these side dishes:
Glazed Baby Carrots - http://www.recipezaar.com/255213
Cheddar Cauliflower cheese - http://www.recipezaar.com/216237
Hashbrown casserole - http://www.recipezaar.com/57129
No Cheeze Whiz broccoli rice casserole - http://www.recipezaar.com/105080

And desserts:
Cookies - http://www.recipezaar.com/16110 (we could substitute chocolate chips for butterscotch)
Easy Chocolate Chip Pan Squares - http://www.recipezaar.com/133150
Brownie Finger Recipe - http://www.recipezaar.com/92296

Also, if you have your own ideas let me know.

I figure once we decide up on what side dish/dessert everyone wants to make (majority rules) we can assign people to bring the certain ingredients necessary to make the above. Let me know if this is not okay or if you have other ideas.

Thanks!

MAKE IT HEALTHY!

Just wanted to put a word out there about making our dishes as healthy as possible. Obviously, you can use vegetables in your dishes, but here are some other hints to make your dishes healthy:

Use whole wheat pasta
Use organic ingredients whenever possible
Use lean meat or use poulty
Use meat substitutes also
Tomato-based sauces are more heart healthy than creamy sauces
Use Olive oil or Canola oil instead of butter or other types of oil
Use 1% milk or skim in your recipes

These are just some tips to help us make our meals more healthy. If anyone else has any more suggestions, please post them!

March 2008 Meet Up

Let us know what you are bringing for the March 13 Meet-Up:

Okay, I am changing mine to Enchilada Casserole so we won't have too many pasta meals - Gretchen