Chocolate Cookies

I made these this morning with My Kate's help, and used up the Frango Mints that my wonderful sister Kat brought me from Chicago.  The cookies were wonderful fresh out of the oven and I have a feeling, they will keep getting better.  Good thing that I have them all loaded on plates to live out their lives elsewhere!

This is a great chocolate base cookie recipe.  Today I added fresh chopped chocolate mints, but you could also use peanut butter chips, more chocolate chips, M&M's, dried cherries, etc.. and I think they would still be fantastic.  They are similar to the Tuxedo Cookies my sister makes, but not quite as rich, and much easier to make.

Chocolate Cookies
1/2 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. butter flavored shortening (can use all butter if you prefer)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. brown sugar
3/4 C. white sugar (original recipe called for all white but I made it with brown too and it was fabulous)
2 C. flour
2/3 C. unsweetened cocoa
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 C. of whatever you want to add (chocolate chips, PB chips, mint chips, etc...)

Combine butters, eggs, vanilla and sugars.  Add dry ingredients, fold in chips.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes- they will not look done but pull them out anyway and let them finish on the cookie sheet for a few minutes.



Original recipe from AllRecipes.

Mom's Chili

My mom made this for us a few weeks ago and it was easy, simple and delicious.  And yet another slow cooker meal!

Mom’s Chili

2 - 32 oz cans of whole tomatoes, chopped or hand squeezed
2 – 32 oz cans of tomato sauce (may use a little less, add it gradually)
2 cans of kidney beans
2 chili seasoning packets
1 onion, chopped
2 lbs cooked ground turkey (Mom uses 93/7)

Corn Bread for dipping, or...

Spaghetti, Kidney beans, fresh chopped onions and finely shredded cheddar

Cook turkey with onions.  Add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil, then simmer for a few.  Tastes best on Day 2, and this cooks really well in the slow cooker although you can do it on the stove as well.  And it makes your house smell great all day.  I like to serve this with extra kidney beans over spaghetti, with finely shredded cheddar cheese and fresh onions.  

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

Made this with my sister Kat in the slow cooker also, and it was thick and delicious and healthy and inexpensive.  Rumor is that it is better on Day 2, but I had to leave town before trying it again.  When we made it, we sauteed the veggies first, but I think next time, I'll just throw it all in the slow cooker raw. 


Slow Cooker Lentil Soup 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (probably don't need this if not sauteing...)
• 1 large onion, diced

• 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic

• 3+ carrots, diced (I like more)

• 3+ stalks celery, diced (I like more)

• 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes 

• 1 bag of lentils

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black petter

• 2 bay leaves

• 7 3/4 cups chicken stock (you can sub in 3/4 C. white wine if you like, I stuck to stock)

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1 turkey kielbasa, cubed (you could use another ham type meat as well)
• 
  
• grated Parmesan cheese

fresh parsley, chopped (pretty but optional)
crusty bread for dipping


Maybe...curry powder?  


Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, set on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10.  

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Just had a fabulous week in LA visiting my mom and sister, and one morning, we made these breakfast cookies.  I tripled the recipe in the same dish and it came out just fine, and I even cooked one of them in the original bowl I used to mix (cause I hate cleaning up) and it cooked just fine, too.  So good, so easy, and very satisfying.  I wasn't hungry even four to five hours after eating, and my awesome exercising lifeguard sister had the same sentiments.  Definitely a keeper, and I am considering making five or six bowls worth at a time, and then storing them individually in plastic bags and then adding the wet ingredients before cooking.  Seems like a good idea, anyway.

Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

• 1/4 C + 1 T rolled oats (rolled, not instant)
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t vanilla
• 1-2 t maple syrup
• 1/2 medium banana [3” worth of banana]
• 1/4 t baking powder
• 1 egg white
• 1 -2 T chopped walnuts
• 1 T semi sweet chocolate chips (optional, I suppose, but they add a lot) 
• 1T milk [any milk would work]

• In a small bowl [about 5” diameter] mash banana with a fork.  Whisk in egg whites.  Add other ingredients and mix well.  Microwave for about 2 minutes, maybe a little less.  Watch out, the bowl (or plate) will be hot.  Eat with a fork and enjoy!