The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies EVER!!!!!

I have been on the search for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I have tried numerous ones and have never found one that had the texture that I wanted.....chewy and crunchy with rich chocolate!!!!  I was over at a friends house helping pack before a trip we were going on and she had cookies in the oven. The smell was delicious and the taste was even better!  The thought that went through my mind was....I FOUND IT!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup crisco

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 12oz pkg Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips

Cream sugars, criscon, eggs, and vanilla.  Combine flour, salt, and soda; stir into creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by tbsp onto parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake 375 for 9-12 minutes or until just browning on edges.  Remove from sheet immediately.  Makes approx. 52 cookies.

YES, I FOUND IT!!!!!

Sandwiches

I made these for the teachers at VBS today and they flew off the platter!  They are very easy to make.  If you don't have time to make the rosemary skewers, that's ok.  You don't have to have them. 

Chicken Caesar Sandwich

1 pkg frozen fajita chicken

1 pkg fresh spinach

2 loaves Focaccia bread

1 bottle Creamy Caesar Dressing

Grape Tomatoes

Rosemary Sprigs

Thaw you chicken and dice up.  Mix chicken, spinach, and 1/3 bottle dressing with some fresh cracked pepper.  Slice bread in half length wise and fill with chicken mixture.  Wrap in foil and store in refrigerator over night.  When ready to serve, slice and top with rosemary tomato skewers.  Place the rest of the dressing in a bowl on the side to use as a dipping sauce for sandwiches.

Here's one more for the day......

Filet Peppercorn Sandwich

Small whole filet

Salt

Peppercorns

1 cup Mayo

1/3 cup Ground Mustard

Ground Horseradish
Sliced aged Cheddar

Spinach

Sliced

Croissant

Rub you filet with salt and fresh ruff ground peppercorns.  Grill your filet until its Medium.  Set aside to rest.  Mix together mayo, mustard, and horseradish to taste.  Thinly slice you filet and place in croissants.  Top with some of your mayo, cheese, and spinach.

Crab Bread

Chesterfields in Hattiesburg, Ms, has a Crab Bread appetizer that is delicious!  They have burned down twice and now they have been sold to CVS.  The owner has stated that he didn't know where or when he would rebuild.  I hope he doesn't take too long.  We love several of their dishes.  I have found a recipe that is close to theirs.  I hope you try it and let me know what you think!!!



Crab Bread


1/2 pound fresh crab meat
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons parsley -- chopped
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 loaf French Bread (15-inches long)
1/4 pound sliced Swiss cheese



Combine crab meat, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, lemon juice and garlic salt. Slice bread in half lengthwise and arrange on baking sheet. Spread cut sides with butter. Top with cheese slices, trimmed to fit bread. Cover cheese with crab mixture. Bake in 350-degree oven until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Cut crosswise into serving pieces.

Recipe Submitted by Joan B. Eaton to Sun Herald July 2005

Cooler Weather.....Fall

As I sit here looking through a few blogs and thinking about school starting, I party came to mind!  Candy apple and Smore's!!!  Sounds like a great theme for GNO (Girls Night Out).  Girl friends, Cool Air, a Fire and Food = Fun Times!!!  I will be hosting one of these parties out by the pool.  Now to come up with different types of candy apples and smore's, table design, and a few different fall drinks.  Any suggestions welcome.  I will be posting recipes and pictures as soon as October gets here. 

Shrimp Dip

Today is MONDAY, and the first day of VBS!!!!  I had an awesome time with my class today.  A room full of third graders.  We always have snacks for the adults that are different from the kids.  Today, I made one of my FAV's, Shrimp Dip.  It's very simple to put together. 

Shrimp Dip

2 pkgs Cream Cheese

1 can Cream of Mushroom

1 can Rotel

2 cans Shrimp

10 dashes of Crystal Hot Sauce

Black Pepper

In a glass bowl add cream cheese and heat 1.5 minutes.  Then add soup, rotel, hot sauce, and pepper.  Mix together well.  Place back in microwave and cook for 3 minutes.  Drain and rinse the shrimp.  Add shrimp to bowl and mix well.  Place back in microwave for 2 minutes.  Serve hot with Sociable crackers or Tortilla chips.

New Recipe

I have a new cupcake recipe book and I thought I would give it a try.  I did and so far I don't like what I tried.

Marshmallow Frosted Vanilla Cupcakes

New things on the Horizon!

Well, I am thinking about starting something new, maybe.  I recently purchased a Cricut.  I love all the custom cupcake toppers, liners, and banners.  Karlee's birthday is coming up and I decided to give it a try.  I will be soon be posting pictures of her party.  I am making the toppers, banner, liners, and food cards.  My cousin from Cookies n Creme (http://www.lovincookiesncream.com/)

 will be making the cookie flowers for her cake.  I am excited to see how it turns out.  Also, Karlee will be wearing her custom made dress from Satin Stitches (http://www.satinstitchescustomclothing.blogspot.com/)

(She wasn't very happy this morning)

I won!!!

I'm so excited!  I was notified this morning from Fabulous Fun Finds that I won one of their give aways.  I never win anything, so I'm was shocked.  Here is the link to them http://fabulousfunfinds.blogspot.com/2010/06/stella-dot-giveaway-with-erin-markland.html

Hope you check them out.  They are always giving away things and finding neat stuff also.

Grilled Chicken

I wanted a new recipe for grilled chicken.  We are tired of the same old way, beer butt chicken, BBQ chicken, etc.  I feel like I sound like Bubba from Forrest Gump.  Well, I found one.  Hope you like it, we did!!!

Mustard Rosemary Chicken

1 whole chicken cut up

1 cup dijion mustard

1/4 minced rosemary

2 lemons (juiced, & zested)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix together mustard, and next 3 ingredients.  Marinate chicken for up to 2 hours and grill.

Easy and good!!!!