The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies....Ever

I don't know about you, but I'm definitely more of a chewy cookie person than a crunchy cookie person. I don't know why, but chewy is just the way to go.

As long as Wade can remember, his Mom has made the most amazing chocolate chip cookies. Having been a partaker of the amazing cookies for the past 9 years, I concur. The thing that I love most about them is she keeps them in the freezer, and they are still chewy....straight from the freezer!!!

Now you should know that Wade only cooks/bakes 3 things in the kitchen: Kraft Mac-n-cheese, stove top popcorn and these chocolate chip cookies. He makes cookies every other weekend or so and it's become the kid's favorite activity with Daddy around our house. But last week we were craving them and just couldn't wait for Daddy, so we did it ourselves.

Now I guess credit for the recipe should go to Aunt Judy (Wade's aunt) in South Dakota, but I have only ever eaten them at my in-law's house. I've always thought the recipe should be patented and then sold to someone who is willing to pay millions for the recipe, and by doing so, secure my in-laws' retirement (if a "secure" retirement even exists anymore), but I think the chances of that happening are slim, so I am choosing to share the recipe with you.

I hope you appreciate what I am about to share with you! Now that we have moved away from family, and can no longer "stop by" for our cookie fix, I made sure I had the recipe perfected when Wade's parents were visiting us in February. I don't dare change the recipe or steps in anyway, because I don't want to mess with perfection!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream the following (I use a Kitchen Aid mixer):
1/2 cup crisco
1/2 stick of margarine (not butter....I've made that mistake)
1 cup light brown sugar (not dark...again, made that mistake)
1/2 cup white sugar

Next:
Add 2 eggs and continue mixing
Add 1 tsp baking soda and continue mixing
Add 1 tsp salt and continue mixing
Add 1 tsp vanilla and continue mixing
Add 2 1/3 cups of flour and continue mixing
Add 1 cup of chocolate chips and continue mixing

Put the dough in the fridge and chill for about 20 minutes.

Spoon a ball of dough onto a sprayed cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

When you take the cookie sheet out of the oven, hold the whole sheet about 6 inches off the floor and drop (yes, drop!!!) the whole sheet onto your kitchen mat or floor. This helps make the cookies the same shape and size.

Cool them on a wire rack covered in wax paper.

Store the cooled cookies in the freezer, and they will be chewy straight from the freezer!!!!!

Spring Eating

Oh how we are ready for Spring!! What is it about quiche and fruit salad that makes me think of Spring?? We had such a yummy, and beautiful, lunch today that I wanted to share it with you. The fruit salad was super yummy, but it needed something red. All things need a touch of red...





The quiche is actually my sister's recipe, but I love it, and it's super easy. Here's how to make it:

1. Grease 10 inch pie pan.
2. Put the following in the pan: 1 cup of meat, 1 cup cheese, 1 cup mushrooms.
3. Beat 1 1/2 cup of milk, 3/4 cup of Bisquick, 3 eggs, some salt and pepper, then add to the pie pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees!

We finally made the cookies....

We finally made the cookies we started the other day. They were super easy, so I would recommend them to anyone with kids. It's a great way to use leftover candy canes!!

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa (Hersheys)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt with a whisk. Combine sugars and butter in large bowl, and beat with a mixer until blended. Add vanilla and egg and beat well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and beat.

Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 6 inch log. Wrap logs in saran wrap and freeze for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut each dough log into cookie slices and bake on baking sheet coated with cooking spray for 11 minutes.

Put vanilla ice cream in between cookies, then roll the edge of the cookie in crushed candy canes.

Enjoy!