Adventures in Married Life

Seriously the best cookies ever

• 8 tablespoons of salted butter
• ½ cup white sugar (I like to use raw cane sugar with a coarser texture)
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1½ cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt (but I always add a little extra)
• ¾ cup chocolate chips (I use a combination of chocolate chips and chocolate chunks)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn't be hot - but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.
2. Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated - 10-15 seconds or so (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies will be stiff).
3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle (right at the stage between "wet" dough and "dry" dough). Add the chocolate chips and incorporate with your hands.
4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls (or 9 for HUGELY awesome cookies) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden.Warning, friends: DO NOT OVERBAKE. This advice is probably written on every cookie recipe everywhere, but this is essential for keeping the cookies soft. Take them out even if they look like they're not done yet (see picture in the post). They'll be pale and puffy.
5. Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes or so (I mean, okay, eat four or five but then let the rest of them cool). They will sink down and turn into these dense, buttery, soft cookies that are the best in all the land. These should stay soft for many days if kept in an airtight container. I also like to freeze them.

 The best Chocolate Chip cookies

2 3/4 c (14.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 c (4 oz) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 c (4 oz) Crisco (plain or butter flavored, I prefer plain)

1 c (6.5 oz) light brown sugar
1 c minus 2 T (6.5 oz) white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c (10 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips (Hershey's brand is best)

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Mixing the flour allows the final dough to have an even distribution of ingredients without over-mixing it.
In a small bowl gently mix the flour, salt, and baking soda until the ingredients are evenly distributed.  Set aside.
Using the wire whisk attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter and shortening on high until light and fluffy, 1-3 minutes.  Beating the butter and shortening gives the dough a better rise in the oven, making the cookies lighter. Butter is good for taste and shortening is good to make the cookie softer.

Add both sugars and beat on high 1-2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully incorporated.
Add the chocolate chips and mix gently.
Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.  Do not overmix!

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Adding the chocolate chips before adding the flour evenly distributes them without over-mixing the final dough.  Do not over-mix or it will discolor the dough.

The flour to be just incorporated, is the point when you no longer see white spots of flour.  Do not overmix! Over-mixing will ruin the cookies.  They will bake flatter and look greasy.  See the problem section for a picture of a very over-mixed cookie.

Touch test the dough.  It should feel slightly sticky, but not much should stick to your finger.  If it is very sticky add flour 2T (.5 oz) at a time. Using your hands, roll the dough into balls 1.5 inches tall (1.5 oz).  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.  You can hold the dough up to two days in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer. 

When shaping the cookies, you will know if you have the fat/flour ratio right.
too little flour- it will stick to your hands, forms a messy looking ball
just right- won't stick to your hands, but just barely, forms a smooth ball
too much flour- dough has to be forced into a ball, crumbly dough, rough looking ball
Handle the dough as little as possible while still shaping them properly.
 

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 15-20 minutes before baking, position the oven rack to the second highest setting. Preheat the oven to 375.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and bake 8-10 minutes.  They are ready to come out of the oven when they are domed and puffy, show a few signs of browning and look a bit underdone.
Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes.

COPYCAT LOFTHOUSE SUGAR COOKIES aka: Crack Cookies

 Making Queso Fresca

Allow the curds to strain for a good 20 minutes for pressed cheese, or a full hour for fresh curds. To salt the cheese, sprinkle a quarter teaspoon of salt over the curds and gently stir it in.

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Ingredients

• 3 cups sweet potatoes
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ⅓ cup milk

• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans

1. Boil and mash sweet potatoes.
2. Beat in sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk until smooth and creamy.
3. Put in 9x13 greased pan.
4. To make topping, combine topping ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir and mix to combine. Crumble topping over sweet potatoes.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

chicken, cooked and shredded
avocado
mayo, just a little
green onion, sliced
cilantro
lime juice to taste
salt/pepper to taste

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (About 4 pieces)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
juice of one orange
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews

1.Combine flour and pepper in resealable food storage bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. 
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker.
3. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, orange juice, honey, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. 
4. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Add cashews and stir. 
5.Serve over rice. 

Filling

• 1 8-ounce package dried corn husks

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed
• 2 Jalapenos chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 4 cups (packed) coarsely shredded cooked chicken
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Dough

• 1 1/3 vegetable shortening
• salt (to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 cups freshly ground masa dough for tamales (34 to 36 ounces)
• 2 cups (about) low-salt chicken broth
• garlic salt (to taste)
• cumin (to taste)

Freeze leftovers for later. 

The Best Banana Bread

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 3/4 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup apple sauce

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped walnuts

2. In a small bowl, use a fork to finely mash bananas (I used 3). Stir in lemon juice and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together. Stir in brown sugar.

4. In another bowl, use a whisk to combine eggs, buttermilk, oil, applesauce and vanilla extract.

5. Pour your liquid ingredients and mashed bananas into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir just until combined.

6. Stir in walnuts or chocolate chips.

7. Pour batter into prepped loaf pan. (If you want, cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pan, but leave enough to come up over the edges. Once your bread is baked and cooled, you can lift those pieces of parchment paper to easily remove the bread. See photo)

8. Bake bread for about 1 hour. Check the done-ness of your bread by sticking a toothpick or knife into the center. It should come out clean. If it isn't, leave the bread in for more time.

9. Let cool in pan. As always, banana bread is better the next day. Enjoy!

Crumb Crust Recipe

• 1 1/2 cups (5 oz) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers or gingersnaps
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Turkey, Mushroom, & Spinach stuffed shells

Ingredients
1 lb Ground turkey
2 c Chopped mushrooms
1 cup spinach
1 box giant pasta shells
1 jar Favorite spaghetti sauce
Fresh basil
Salt-and-pepper to taste
A pinch of garlic salt
A pinch of onion powder
An Italian spice mix; basil, parsley, Oregano
Sour cream
2 cups Mozzarella
Parmesan

Directions

Cook pasta according to box.
Brown the ground turkey, Add the seasonings, Then add the chopped mushrooms and sauté. Add a little olive oil. Then add the spinach and the basil at the end. Remove from pan and chop up till fine.
In a separate bowl mix 1/2 c parmesan cheese and sour cream. Add the meat Mixture and stir together. Put the mixture in a plastic Sandwich bag, Cut the tip and use to fill the shells. In a 9 x 13 pan Add a layer of spaghetti sauce. Then lay the shells in on top. Add More sauce to cover and finally cover with cheese. The more cheese Merrier.

I told Pacer if he had problems finding a gift for me to just go into the store and pick out something red, just not tomatoes. SO he bought me tomatoes, I ate every single one. YUMMY!!!