"C" is for Cookie

So through my blog creeping I have stumbled across several great cooking/baking recipes.  I am (almost) always looking for new things to try in the kitchen, as my repertoire is not too extensive.  Last month I came across a post at The Larson Lingo titled, "Cookie Snobs Unite."  So I continued on and read the post, thinking "Hmm... She is a cookie snob."  I quickly reminded myself that I have no room in the world to judge as I am a snob when it comes to pretty much anything I eat.  Ask anyone who knows me at all and they will tell you that I am one of the pickiest, finickiest (is this a word?) eaters they have ever met.

I digress.

I love chocolate chip cookies, and they are pretty much the only cookie that I cannot refuse.  It's also one of the only cookies that I like.  I don't like nuts so that eliminates a large portion of cookie choices, and because I am so picky, I usually find other reasons why I don't like other cookies.

Again, I digress.

When I was young, I memorized my Grammy's recipe for chocolate chip cookies and have faithfully made my cookies according to said recipe ever since.  In the back of my mind I always felt that they were a little hard and non-chewy, regardless of how long (or short) I baked them for.  But since I made them from her recipe, to me they were fantastically fabulous.  When I was reading the post at The Larson Lingo, she described these snobby cookies as "thick and soft."  Hmmm... This sounds like my kind of cookie!  So, acknowledging and later accepting that I would be cheating on my sweet Grammy's cookie recipe, I decided to embark on trying this new one.  

Sorry Grammy.

For the most part, the new recipe (which I will later share) calls for everything that my Grammy's recipe does.  The biggest difference was that this new one needs a package of instant vanilla pudding mix (I'm pretty sure this is what makes them so friggin' soft!).  I am not exaggerating when I say that while at the grocery store to buy all the necessary ingredients, I stood in front of the instant pudding for a good five minutes, trying to decide if I believed Mel at The Larson Lingo that this instant pudding mix was really necessary.  In the end, my compulsion for following rules won and I caved.

I made the cookies per Mel's instructions, and HOLY COW!!  These were the best cookies I have ever tasted.  Even Ryan, who does not particularly care for sweets (especially cookies), ate several.  Now that's really saying something!!  As promised, they were thick, soft and chewy and duh-licious.  My mouth is watering just typing about it.  

I have been meaning to blog this recipe to share with the blogosphere but I kept thinking that I wanted to take pictures as I went.  This obviously would require me to make the dough, which means I would eat it.  Then I would have to bake the dough, which means I would eat the cookies, too.  Oh, the dilemma.  I thought of the perfect solution.  I'll type out the ingredients and directions and then give a link from The Larson Lingo with all the cute pictures and commentary.  That way - everyone wins!! 

So, without further ado, here is an amazing recipe for chocolate chip cookies from one snob to another.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 package instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)

2 eggs

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside

-In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar

-Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla

-Blend in the flour mixture.  Finally, stir in the chocolate chips

-Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet

-Bake for 10-12 minutes

   

Here is the link to the complete post at The Larson Lingo:

Cookie Snobs Unite

I hope you'll try this new recipe.  I would love to hear what you think... And if you are ever able to go back to your old recipe again.

Take Luck,

LP

Love Letter

Dear Hubby,

Our attempt at finding the right music station yesterday while putting up the lights was pretty lousy.  We both commented on our liking for this one lovely song that played, Andrew Allen's "Loving You Tonight."  After listening to it a little more and closely, I believe it fits us quite perfectly.

Take Luck,
LP

Love Letter

Dear Ry,

In my dream last night you were some sort of scientist, conducting some sort of experiments on purifying water.  You were going to save the world. 

P.S.  Can I get a triple-y loud and joyous "HALLELUJAH" that you are going back to day shift on Monday?  I am looking forward to seeing you when the sun is out, and when neither of us is half asleep.

Take Luck,
LP

Teaching Nonen

One of my favorite things about our house location is surprisingly NOT the fact that it is close to a Planned Parenthood and their crazed abortion protesters.  We get to live less than a mile from my brother and his family, so it is easy for me to pop over there whenever I want or need.  Monday night, I got to go hang with the kiddos for awhile so my brother could run some errands, and Haley was in class.

I always have such a good time with Mia, Kennedy and Riley.  They are great kids, and surprisingly do not serve their purpose of "birth control."  Every time I leave there, I get that sense of wanting to start a family.  I typically try to use my time with them as learning experiences for when Ryan and I do decide to start our family.

Here's a recap of what I learned on this Monday night...

• I microwave a mean can of chili

(Mia, 9)

• Mia does not enjoy working on multiplication homework.  Nor does she find it funny when I tell her that math is everywhere and she cannot run or hide from it.
• Mia really wants me to come volunteer in her classroom.  That was until I threatened to dance around her classroom with my arms in the shape of an "X," quizzing her on multiplication unless she focused and finished her homework.  That got her attention, alright. 

• Apparently, I am embarrassing (see above)

• Mia thought it was super cool that I knew exactly where to find Riley's diapers and baby wipes, the can opener, and how to use the microwave.  Does this nullify me being embarrassing?

        (Kennedy, 3)

• Kennedy bombards me (in a good way, of course) as soon as I walk through the door.  She gives the best hugs and melts my heart when she says, "I love you, Nonen."
• Kennedy immediately follows up with her immense joy for seeing me by asking "Where's Ryan?  Is Ryan at work?" and then saying, "I hold you!" which actually means: she wants me to hold her.
• Kennedy introduced me to a new counting method.  It went something like, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 14, 16, 16, 13..."  I hear its all the rage with 3-year olds
• She is a sneaky devil and has no qualms snatching up a pacifier that is laying around... Or one that is in her brother's mouth.

(Riley, 1)

• Riley is a miniature monkey-man who likes to climb on the furniture, especially the kitchen table.
• Riley does not particularly care for chili.
• Riley likes to stand up in the bathtub.  Can you say DANGER?
• Riley is just starting to talk and apparently "Lauren" just has too many vowels.

• I do not know how Haley has the time (or the energy) to do much else than chase after these critters all day.

Overall, I would say it was a very educational experience.

Take Luck,

LP

Love Letter

Dear Butthead,

You scared the shiza out of me tonight... And you aren't even home from work yet.  Tonight while I was showering and singing along (to myself) to Ludo's "Anything For You," I swore I heard you cry out "Helloooo?!" from somewhere in the house in your apparent happiness to be home.  Hearing this cry caused me to immediately stop the bathing process and listen.  I hear nothing.  No jingle-jangle or barking.  My heart started to race and I started yelling back to the invisible voice "Ryan?  Helloooo?  Are you there?  If you are trying to scare me, I'm going to come out there and kick your (enter choice word)!!!!"

No reply.

Normally (and most normal people) would have just shaken this off and continued on.  Not me.  I started to have a semi-panic attack and cried a little.  Why did I start to panic and cry?  Because this scaring business is exactly something that you would do.  You say it's good for me, and I say that's a bunch of hogwash.  In fact, as I write this and you are clearly not home, my heart is still racing. 

Despite my currently elevated blood pressure, I have to admit that your desire to scare me is one of those "little things" about you that I have truly come to love.  Even though you get so much enjoyment out of my suffering, I love that it makes you laugh.

Take Luck and some Anti-Anxiety Medication,

LP

**While laying down and waiting for Ryan to get home from work tonight, I tuned into an old Friends epsiode.  Coincidentally, the episode was "The One with Unagi," and was all about Ross trying to educate Rachel and Pheobe on Unagi (apparently a state of total awareness in which you can be prepared for any danger).  He startles them in the hallway of the apartment to prove his point that they are not Unagi-savvy.  During this episode, Rachel and Pheobe have been taking a self-defense class.  At the end of the episode, Ross goes to the instructor asking for tips on how to attack women.  Quite hilarious.  Check out the link below to get a taste of Unagi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z6yrcvPq10