Softest Chocolate Chip Cookies!

After being inspired by a friend, I decided to give this recipe a try.  I mean, the pictures alone made it look SO good, but I did end up tweaking it a bit to suit our own families taste.  WOW.  After baking these cookies I of course HAD to taste test and boy I think I should be careful to not have these cookies in our house too often!  I may change my shape to round if they are in our house frequently!  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

What I used:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, softned
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 pkg. (3.12 oz size) french vanilla instant pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg (12. oz) of semi-sweet chocolate chunks


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl add your butter and sugars until mixed well.  Add in pudding mix and stir together until well blended.  Add in your eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add your baking soda and flour stir until blended.  Add chocolate chunks and mix it all together. 
Take your cookie sheets and spray them with cooking spray and then take dough by spoonfuls and place on cookie sheet (you thought I was going to say place it in your mouth didn't you? :).  Bake for 12-15 min. or until outside edges are golden brown. 
Ya, just try to tell me these don't LOOK amazing!  The taste is just as good :)

Breakfast Burritos

I was once again brainstorming for coming up with a new breakfast for our youth group and this idea just popped into my head.  The only downside is that I didn't get a picture before they were all gobbled up!  The teens loved them and so did my hubby!  I got the two thumbs up to make them again :)

What I used:
One link of turkey sausage, diced up into small chunks
1/2 jar of mild salsa (you can definitely choose a spicier salsa if you wish to, I just am a wimp!)
1 cup shredded cheddar/colby cheese (you can use whatever cheese you desire)
6 eggs, scrambled
dash of garlic (to taste)
dash of paprika (to taste)
8 tortillas

First things first, scramble up your eggs.  In a separate skillet cook up your sausage.  Add salsa, eggs, garlic, paprika to skillet and mix well.  Top with cheese and stir just until melted.
Take your tortillas and warm them up then spread about 1/4 cup of meat mixture onto tortilla (you can add more if you like your burritos really loaded up).  Top with extra cheese if desired.  Roll up burrito style and voila!  Your quick and easy breakfast is ready to go, not to mention bursting with flavor!

Fried Steak

So are you ready for this one?  I don't know if you are ready to handle this recipe.....I mean it is SO easy it will make you feel like you actually ordered take out instead of  slaving over a hot stove :)  Ok, ok, I'll share this super easy recipe!  Not only is it really easy, it is bursting with flavor but I have to put up a warning here: if you are a health nut, this would so not be the recipe for you.  Everything in moderation though right?  Just do a few extra sit ups and jog around the block to even it all out :)  From my kitchen to yours, ENJOY!

What I used:
2 Cube steaks
1 cup flour
dash of seasoned salt (to taste)
dash of pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup oil
1 tbsp. butter


Put your flour on a plate and mix in your salt and pepper.  Place one steak in the flour mixture and be sure to coat, flip over and coat opposite side.  Once your oil is nice and hot add your butter, if your butter sizzles you'll know the oil is hot enough.  Place your steak in the oil and repeat process with other steak.  Cook on both sides for several minutes until steak is cooked through.
Easy enough?  Ya, I'd say so!  Now take a glorious bite of this deliciousness and let your taste buds thank you :)

Potatoes au Gratin

My honey and I decided to have a date night in so I decided to get creative!  I wanted to fix something NEW and exciting :)  Since my hubby is the epitome of a meat and potatoes man, I found this recipe to be simply perfect!  I had not tried my hands at Potatoes au Gratin for one reason alone....with a name like that it sounded rather time consuming!!  However, this recipe proved me wrong!  Give 'em a try and let me know what you think!

What I used:

• 4 whole large Potatoes, Scrubbed Clean
• 2 Tablespoons Butter, Softened
• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• ½ cup 2% Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
•  Ground Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded

 Pre-heat over to 400 degrees.  Slice your potatoes thin, but not too thin.  Quarter them up as you go and toss them in a bowl of water to keep them from turning colors.  Once your potatoes are all cut up mix together your heavy whipping cream, milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper!  Mix well.  Take your softened butter and smear it all around your baking dish.  (I used a round casserole dish)  Add 1/2 of your potatoes to the bowl and top with 1/2 of your liquid mixture.  Repeat layer until all potatoes and liquid are in your baking dish.  Wrap with foil and bake for 30 min.  Remove foil and cook another 20 min. 
Remove dish from the oven and top with cheddar cheese and place back in oven for another 5 min. or so.   
The cooking time takes awhile, but the end result is phenomenal!

New twist on grilling burgers

At the risk of having things thrown at me, the weather we have been having has been gorgeous!  Temps in the 70's just scream "grilling weather!"  So that is exactly what we have been doing!  My hubby is the grill master and it has been so great to have a little tease of summer by enjoying some grilled entrees!  This one is a little twist on the common grilled burger.  My hubby is forever trying to mix things up when it comes to his grill recipes and this one seems to be a hit!

What he used:
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup shredded cheese, divided
sprinkling of Cajun seasoning (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Form a thin layer of meat into a patty, layer with cheese and top with another thin layer of beef formed into a patty.   Top with cajun seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  Continue until beef is all used up.
Place on grill and cook until no longer pink inside (unless of course you enjoy your burgers still mooing :)

Such a great tasting burger if I do say so myself!  Can you see the cheese already oozing out of there?! Mmmm-mmm good!  From our kitchen to yours, ENJOY!

Mint chocolate chip Cookies

Ooooohhhhh, this is a little bit of heaven on earth people!  I would never lead you astray, you know that right?  So when I tell you how divine these cookies are (not to mention the dough!) you can trust me :)  For those mint chocolate chip cookie lovers out there, these are definitely worth a try :)  I came up with the recipe all on my own simply because I was feeling adventuresome and this just sounded so good! 

What I used:
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1tsp. mint extract (you can add more or less depending on the extract you have.  Some are more concentrated then others)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
12 oz. semisweet choco chips

Cream first 5 till light. Sift dry ingredients. Stir well. Add chips and extract. Take a regular spoon (like a cereal spoon) and scoop out dough. Roll into ball and flatten ever so slightly and  place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Continue until all dough is rolled into separate 1 or 2 in. balls. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.
Best enjoyed if consumed while still warm :)

Cheesy Egg casserole

Because my husband is a youth pastor I tend to make big breakfast's on Sunday mornings.  Not just for his enjoyment, but for that of our entire youth group!  I am always trying out new breakfast recipes simply to keep things new and because I have people to try them out on :) This one has seemed to be a hit!  Give it a try and let me know what you think!

What I used:
1/2 lb. turkey sausage, cut into small pieces
6 pieces of wheat bread all torn up into bite size pieces
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
dash of paprika

Tear up your bread into bite size pieces and place in the bottom of your sprayed cooking dish.  You can use a 9x13 to make more or I used a smaller baking dish.  Take your chopped up sausage and place on top of bread. Sprinkle cheese as your next layer.
Next, mix your eggs, milk, salt, pepper and paprika in a separate bowl, until smooth.  Pour over other ingredients already in dish.  Top with extra cheese if desired.....I desired it so I did :)

Place in oven already preheated to 350.  Bake for 40 min. or until golden brown on top.

Nothing left now but to enjoy!!