Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are so wonderful.  They are probably my favorite dessert.  I really really like cookies, especially those containing chocolate.  Everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and if you are like me, you probably have several variations you make depending on your mood.  I like this particular recipe because it calls for melted butter (I usually don't like to wait for the butter to soften on the counter and have a legacy of mis-attempts at softening it in the microwave) and because of the fantastic flavor and texture.  This particular recipe does not include vanilla.  Celebrate the weekend with a batch of cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookies  Source: Baker's Corner (recipe bag of chocolate chips)

Ingredients:

2/3 C butter, melted

2 C brown sugar, lightly packed

2 eggs

2 tbsp hot water

2 2/3 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2- 2 C milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In a mixer combine melted butter, brown sugar, eggs and hot water.  Mix well.

3. In a separate bowl combine remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. 

5. Mix in the chocolate chips.

6. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Pasta is always a hit at our house, Mexican is always a hit at our house.  I saw this recipe at Family, Food, and Fun and couldn't wait to make it for Matt and my two boys!  As I had anticipated Chicken Enchilada Pasta was a smashing hit :)  Ours was on the spicer side, which is just how we like it but if you want things to be a bit milder swap out mild enchilada sauce for the hotter varieties.  For a more traditional variation, try the chicken enchilada sauce mixed with rice in tortilla shells.

Chicken Enchilada Pasta  Source: Family, Food and Fun

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 (10-oz) can green chili enchilada sauce
1 (10-oz) can red enchilada sauce 1 can large black olives, sliced 1 cup sour cream
1- 1/2 cups shredded cheese 13.25 oz box  penne (or desired pasta)

Directions:

1. Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes, salt and pepper to taste.  Combine chicken and onion and cook in a large skillet with 2 tbsp of oil until done. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender.
3. While the pasta is cooking, add the garlic and green pepper to chicken and onion.  Cook for another 2 minutes, until pepper is barely tender. Add the green chilies, spices, enchilada sauces and olives. Let the sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes. Add the sour cream and cheese and heat through, until the cheese is melted (but don’t boil!). 
4. Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Garnish with extra sour cream, cheese, and green onions.

Delicious Winter Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing

I love salads.  Not just any salad though, good salads.  Not all salads are created equal, especially if you typically get your whole salad from a bag and don't add anything else.  I think that is where salads get a bad rap.  Plain iceberg lettuce with just a few dried out carrot shreds is not a salad I would be interested in.  I'm not saying you can't use the lettuce in those bags as a starting point they are very helpful, I'm just saying that it shouldn't be both the beginning and the end :) 

Now, this is a salad!  A wonderful fruit laden salad.  So so good!  The little bit of fruit is a nice pick me up on a blah wintery day.  The dressing is delicious and very simple to make.  The combination of lemon juice and poppy seeds is just super!  Feel free to add any additional fruit you like.  I think strawberries would be amazing, I just didn't have any on hand the night I made this :)

Delicious Winter Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing  Source: I found it at See Jane Cook but saw it yesterday (after I had already made it) at One Crazy Cookie as well.

 Ingredients:

Salad:

1 head of your favorite kind of lettuce
4 oz shredded Swiss cheese (I omitted)
1 cup slivered pecans or cashews or almonds

1/4 cup dried Craisins
1 apple peeled, cored and diced

1 pear peeled, cored and diced

Dressing:

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tsp diced green onion (or just onion)
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup veg oil
1 Tbs poppy seeds

Directions:

1. In a large serving bowl combine the lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, nuts of choice, Craisins, apple and pear. Toss to mix.

2. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. Add oil in slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.
3. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss to coat.

*If you think there may be any leftovers you may want to serve the dressing on the side so that the lettuce stays crisp.

Pita Bread Pizza

I wanted to clean out the refrigerator.  I needed to clean out the refrigerator.  One of the best things about doing that is you get a little creative.  Pizza is not all that original but it worked perfectly. I had an open package of whole wheat pita pockets, opened pepperoni, some mozzarella cheese and part of a jar of marinara sauce leftover.  I had just enough of all four of those to make these Pita Bread Pizza's for lunch.  The pizzas came together in the blink of an eye.  My boys loved having their personal pizzas and never noticed the whole wheat crusts!  Yes!  We liked these so much they won't be just a 'use what we have' meal, I'll plan for this one!  Perfect for a night when there are only a couple people home or a quick lunch!

Pita Bread Pizza  Source: An 'A' For Effort

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Marinara sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Run a knife along the outer edge of each pita pocket to separate the top and bottom.
3. Place each half on a cookie sheet and top with a couple spoonfuls of marinara sauce. Spread sauce out almost to the edge of each pita.
4. Add cheese and pepperoni.
5. Bake for 5-7 min or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Weekend Thoughts

Ok, so I know that last weekend I said I couldn't believe how fast time is flying by but I just can't!  I had a good week with my little men.  We had friends over for a play date on Thursday.  We all had fun, it was nice to let the boys enjoy spreading the toys all over the floor with their friends while I chatted with mine :)

Lincoln as always surprised me this week.  I have never enrolled him in any sort of gymnastic class nor do I do somersaults or anything even remotely resembling gymnastics but somewhere, somehow, he learned to do cartwheels! 

Pretty fun huh?  I hope you all have a great weekend!