Can Me Have This: Chocolate Chip Cookies

There is one nemesis in my cooking/baking world - it is the chocolate chip cookie. The perfect cookie alludes me. I follow the Toll House recipe and it never comes out....right. The family eats it and I will too but I know there is a better cookie out there.

So, this is my cry for help. If you have a tried and true recipe, bring it on!

Can Me Have This: The breakfast sandwich

Good Morning!

My sister recently had a birthday party and the theme was sandwiches. This got me thinking about how really wonderful and versatile the simple sandwich is. The vessel (bread), holding the goods (insides) is a self containing bundle of goodness. Sandwiches are a pretty common commodity in our home - this morning was no exception.

Behold the breakfast sandwich. An egg, Vermont white cheddar, honey baked ham, all sandwiched between homemade, simple white bread. I advise that you make one for everyone that is in your proximity. I learned my lesson.

Can Me Have This: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

The only thing better than chocolate chip cookies in my opinion is chocolate chip cookies that have been infused with peanut butter. Here my friends - peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Preheat oven to 375
1/2 c. Crisco
1 stick butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
pinch of salt (depends on how salty your peanut butter is to begin with)
1 bag (about 2 cups) chocolate chips

Mix the shortening, butter, sugars, and peanut butter in the mixer. If using a KitchenAid, you can go up to 6. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture in small batches. Add chocolate chips.

Roll dough into rounds. Make the 'peanut butter cookie' indentation on each.

Bake for 8-10 min.


Kids make the best cookie shapers...

I caught Aiko mid-sentence - "Can me have more?"

Can Me Have This: Sourdough Bread with Hearty Tomato Cabbage Soup

My very dear friend, Teresa gave me a sourdough starter, which jump started my desire for a KitchenAid Mixer. Another very dear friend, Mary gave me a recipe for a Hearty Cabbage Soup. Now, if life would slow down and we can all share this culinary experience together, THAT would be perfection.


More pictures of the sourdough:


The perfect companion to sourdough is a good, hearty soup. Here, my friends is Tomato Cabbage soup with Italian sausage - enjoy!

Hearty Tomato Cabbage Soup with Italian Sausage:
1 1/2 lb. combination of ground beef and Italian Sausage (loose)
1 onion
handful of carrots
2 stalks celery
1 onion
7 cups water
1 T. salt (I know, I know, sounds excessive but I never claimed that this was healthy...)
1 T. sugar
2 T. Worchestershire
4 Jamaican all spice, whole
2-3 bay leaves
1 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 cans tomato paste
lotso pepper

Brown meat with onions. Add in carrots, celery.

Add water. Add the salt, sugar, Worchestershire, all spice, bay leaf and cabbage. Simmer for an hour. Add tomato paste. Simmer for another hour. Salt and pepper to taste.

Me Want This: Foodie status

I want to be a foodie. I really do. Having 2 kids, 5 and under and #3 on the way means I probably won't be a Lynn Rosetto Kasper (foodie goddess in my eyes). But I march on. I spend lazy Sunday afternoons scouring Mark Bittman cookbooks, along with old issues of Cooks Illustrated with Emiko.

On another note, I will be making sourdough bread tonight. Stay tuned...

Can Me Have This: KitchenAid Mixer

My latest baking crazy has led me to re-evaluate my need for a mixer. Within minutes of showing up on my doorstep on Friday, she was put to good use. 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies and a couple of dozen sugar cookies for Emiko's throngs of friends that came over. Today (Sunday) was no different.

Here to entice tastebuds....Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans (I used a 1/2 c of both)
3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. butter
1 c. reduced fat sour cream (I used a little more...)
1 t. vanilla (I used a little more)
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts in small bowl, set aside

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in mixer bowl. Add butter, sour cream and vanilla. With a flat beater, mix for 45 sec. until ingredients are well combined. Turn to speed 4 and beat about 2 min. Stop and scrape bowl Turn to STIR speed and add eggs, one at a time, mixing 15 sec. after each addition. Turn to Speed 2 and mix about 30 sec

Spread half of batter in greased and floured 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon-sugar mixture. Spread remaining batter in pan and top with remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-50 min.

Serve warm.

Aiko obviously liked it:
Happy baking!