Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am going to brag here.  I make THE BEST Peanut butter cookies!  I have received numerous amounts of praise for them.  One friend stated, "You make peanut butter cookies just like my Mom used to!" and one friend after stating she hated peanut butter cookies, trying one of MY cookies and eating 3 of them.  *pats self on back*  Okay...bragging over!

Seriously though, this is a great recipe and the chocolate chips added just bring it to a whole other level!  However, you could certainly leave the chips out (I do about half the time!) but why would you when you have a cupboard of 6 bags of chocolate chips leftover from Holiday baking?!

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 stick of Butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Peanut Butter (creamy or chunky...you decide!)
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 bag Milk Chocolate Chips (or half bag Milk chocolate, half a bag Semi-Sweet)

*NOTE:  I was making cookies for a crowd so the recipe photos depict a DOUBLE batch however the recipe is for a SINGLE batch of cookies.*

Directions:

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  In a separate large bowl, toss in your softened butter, your sugar, and your brown sugar.  Add in your peanut butter.  Now cream the mixture together until smooth.

3.  Crack in your eggs and add your vanilla.  Mix well again until incorporated.

4.  Begin adding your dry ingredients to your peanut butter mixture.  Keep mixing until dough forms and all is combined.  Toss in your bag of chocolate chips and stir in with your spatula or spoon.  You may even want to use your CLEAN hands to do this.  I usually do as it helps the dough come together better with the chocolate chips.

5.  Bake at 375 degrees on a parchment lined baking sheet for 12-14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are golden brown.  Allow to cool and then serve!

Here's the final product....

There are no words left.....except....ENJOY!

Meal Plan Monday 1/6/14 thru 1/12/14

Another week, another plan!  Let's try to stay on the posting wagon shall we? ;-)

Monday 1/6
- Pasta
- Bread
- Salad

Tuesday 1/7
- BBQ Chicken
- Couscous
- Stir Fry Veggies

Wednesday 1/8
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Soup
- Kettle Chips

Thursday 1/9
- Chicken Sandwiches
- Coleslaw
- Fruit Salad

Friday 1/10
- Burgers w/ Carmalized onions and mushrooms
- Homemade potato wedges
- Side salad

Saturday 1/11
- Daddy's Famous Homemade Pizza!

Sunday 1/12
- Creamy Chicken Casserole
- Salad
- Rolls

Kimchi

Kimchi is a sour and spicy Korean dish.  It has the same flavors of pickled vegetables but with the added spice it makes it something special.  Add this to to your next Asian inspired meal (or any meal really!) and you can't go wrong!  I decided to make up a batch of this after I noticed I had some Nappa cabbage that needed used up.  I am not sorry!  I plan to eat up the rest of this tonight with some grilled steak....yum! 

Ingredients:

- 2 cups (or so) of Nappa Cabbage, sliced
- 2 Tblsp. Sriracha sauce
- 3 Tblsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
- 2 Tblsp. of Garlic (minced)
- Large pinch of salt
- Red Pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Directions:

1.  Chop up your cabbage and toss into a medium bowl.

2.  Toss in your Sriracha, rice vinegar, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes

3.  Stir together until cabbage is completely coated.

4.  Refrigerate and serve cold

Here's the final product....

Very sour, spicy, and delicious!  Enjoy!

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

Okay, so I don't know what makes this "French" but it sounds fancy so just go with it alright? ;-)  Anyway, we got hit with about a bajillion inches of snow over the course of a day and a half and what do you know it, I run out of my Coffee Mate creamer!  So I figured I would make my own and let me tell you, it's so simple, it's almost too good to be true!

Ingredients:

- 1 large mason jar (or you could use your old coffee creamer container)
- 1 (14oz) can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 3/4 Cup Milk
- 2 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

1.  In your mason jar, pour in your sweetened condensed milk.

2.  Add in your milk.

3.  Add in your vanilla.

4.  Now shake like hell until well combined!

5.  Date it and label it so your husband will not toss it out.  You have until the milk you've used goes bad.  But coffee creamer usually doesn't last long in my house anyway!

So there you go and trust me folks, this tastes almost as good as my Coffee Mate!  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I admit I am normally not an oatmeal raisin cookie fan.  However this recipe for Oatmeal Raisin cookies I can get behind!  Nothing is better than munching on one of these cookies for breakfast with a glass of cold milk!  Yes, you CAN have cookies for breakfast!  Hey..it has oatmeal in it! ;-)

Ingredients:

- 3/4 Cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
- 1 Egg
- 1 1/2 Cups Oats- 1/2 Cup Raisins

**I must be getting old, but I just realized I did not include the flour in this photo!  This is the 3rd time recently!  Gah!

Directions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

2.  Combine your flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

3.  In a separate bowl, cream together your sugar, brown sugar, and butter.  Add in your vanilla and your egg and mix until combined. Combine your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and blend together until well mixed. 

4.  Stir in your oats and raisins and fold until the mixture is well combined and looks like cookie dough. 

5.  Spray your baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and drop by tablespoons onto the pans.  Bake for 7-10 minutes or until cookie begins to turn golden brown around it's edges. 

6.  Remove and place on parchment paper to cool. 

Here's the final product....

Again, a glass of cold milk and you're all set!  So chewy and full of cinnamon flavor!  Try these out soon!