my sister's peanut butter chocolate chip cookies

I like to make these with almond butter and dark chocolate chips.

•2/3 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)

•1 cup unsalted butter

•1 cup brown sugar

•1 cup sugar

•2 eggs

•2 teaspoons vanilla

•2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 pound milk chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips)

Cream together sugars, nut butter, and butter and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Stir to combine.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined.  Roll into 1 1/2" balls and place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375 degree oven.  Do not overbake.  Allow cookies to sit on pan for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack.

my sister's chocolate chip cookies

•1 cup sugar

•1 cup brown sugar

•2/3 cup Spectrum organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

•2/3 cup butter

•2 eggs

•2 teaspoons vanilla

•2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

•1 teaspoon baking soda

•1 teaspoon salt

•1 pound chocolate chips (combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate)

Cream together sugars, shortening, and butter and then add the eggs and vanilla.  Stir to combine.  In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Add up to 1 cup of flour or quick oats to reach desired consistency.  Stir in the chocolate chips until just combined.  Roll into 1 1/2" balls and place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in 375 degree oven.  Do not overbake.  Allow cookies to sit on pan for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack.

my grandma's molasses crisp cookies

In my great tradition of stealing cookies (see my mom's sugared cookies) these were my second most favorite cookies to sneak.  Nothing said Christmas at my grandma's house like these cookies - soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, and their ginger spice deliciousness that I just couldn't resist.

•1/2 cup Spectrum Organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

•1/4 cup unsalted butter

•1 cup brown sugar

•1/4 cup molasses

•2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

•2 teaspoons soda

•1/4 teaspoon sea salt

•1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

•1 teaspoon cinnamon

•1 teaspoon ground ginger

Cream together shortening, butter, and brown sugar.  Add eggs and molasses and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl sift together flour, soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger.  Combine both mixtures and stir until you have a stiff dough.  Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Dip tops into granulated sugar.  Place sugared side up 3" apart on greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle tops with water.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes in 350 degree oven.  Do not overbake.

my mom's sugared cookies

When I was a little girl, my mom made a triple batch of these cookies.  They were on the counter in perfect stacks of 5.  I asked for one but was told no.  I even begged - to no avail.  After she left the room my little girl mind tried to figure out how to steal one without her noticing.  They were in perfect stacks of 5 - I couldn't take just one or she'd notice.  I couldn't take a whole stack of 5 or she'd notice - they were in a perfectly even number of rows.  My solution?  To take a bite of every cookie - but the one on the top of each stack.  Why I thought she wouldn't notice  I can't say.  Needless to say I was in BIG trouble!  My punishment:  sit at the kitchen table and eat every single cookie I had taken a bite out of in one sitting.  Is there such thing as too much of a good thing?  A little girl crying for an hour not wanting to eat dozens of cookies though so.

These cookies are so good, you'll want to swipe one or two - too!

•1 cup unsalted butter

•2 cups granulated sugar

•2 eggs

•1 cup vegetable oil

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

•2 teaspoons cream of tartar

•2 teaspoons baking soda

•1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs, oil, and vanilla and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl, mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and stir until combined.  Roll into 2" balls.  Dip the balls in a small bowl of granulated sugar and roll until covered.  While the dough ball is in the sugar, press down until slightly flattened.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet at least 3" apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Removed cookies onto a cooking rack until set.

{this photo features my grandma hilva's mixing bowl}

school project

For a class, Jessica's assignment was to create 3 new products (totally original) and an advertising slogan to go along with each one.  The products could be totally from her imagination - she didn't have to explain how they work.  She is also required to have 50 people review her products and choose which one they like the best - out of 3 choices.  Please review the following products and comment at the end of this post with your "vote."  thank you  :)

#1
Flying Shoes (the person wearing these shoes can actually fly)
Brand Name:  Inflight
Advertising Slogan:  Inflight when you want to rise above it all.

 

#2
Flying Outfit (the person wearing this outfit can actually fly)
Brand Name:  Inflight
Advertising Slogan:  Inflight when you want to rise above it all.

 #3
House in a Box (you can live in this portable house)
Product Name:  House in a Box
Advertising Slogan:  With House in a Box you'll never worry about suitcases again.

Thank you for your support and time!  We love you!

weekend trip to upstate ny

I may have been mistaken when in earlier posts I wrote that the best part of living in Connecticut was the beach and the proximity to New York City.  Now I know the ultimate BEST part - family.  Mark is from upstate NY and we are only a scenic and short 4 hour drive from them.  We were able to spend the weekend with them and are now looking forward to many more visits.

photo taken one hour before Jessica informed us "I'm not a road trip kind of person."

Mark loves to drive us around for a tour of his childhood.

due to remodeling, the house Mark grew up in is almost unrecognizable.

due to remodeling, this school Mark went to is almost unrecognizable.

Grabbed lunch to go at Sharkey's - a place where Mark has spent lots of time.  Quaint, dusty, and dark in the middle of the day,  this may be one of the few places from Mark's past untouched by change - or cleaning.

Spiedies, a local favorite - even warranting their own celebration aptly named "Spiedie Fest"

booster seats making my "cleaning" remark above totally relevant

c o u s i n s ! !

Jessica's smile says it all

apple picking in new england

Is it possible to experience fall in New England without going apple picking?  Most definitely, although it sounds like the perfect way to spend a fall day.  If you decide to go, I recommend you go early or to a different place than we did.  We decided to go to Lyman Orchards, which seemed to be more "theme park" and less working farm.  We've never done a corn maze before, so we started there.  Mark and Jessica had enough of that after about 2 minutes.  The drawback of changing your mind in a maze, you still have to find your way out.  Luckily for us we were provided with trivia directions.  You find a big post with a number on it, answer that numbered question on your paper and the right answer will "point" you in the right direction to the next big, numbered post.  There was no going back - so we pressed forward.  40 minutes later - we're out! and we lived to tell about it!

small break from a bad mood - finding baby corn!

We visited their country store which was filled with delicious baked goods, local produce, and lots of other yummy foods.  It was so crowded that my daughter hung onto the back of my shirt for dear life - lest she be lost forever in the crowds.  The lines were so long at the register - I think solitary register - that I could have been starving and wouldn't have wanted to buy anything there.  We waited in a line only half as long at the concession stand on the patio.  The food was only okay - I was still thinking of the pies and donuts inside the store.

We ate and ran - to our car.  We came for apple picking, and so far this was a total cluster.  They had fun ideas for potentially fun activities - but VERY poor planning can ruin everything!  With a few changes and tweaks and that place would REALLY be great!

We followed the signs to the pick-your-own orchards.  Once we parked our car it was easy to get lost - once you were on foot there weren't very many directions to the apples ready to pick.  We wandered and walked a while and then - who hooo!  apples!

a solitary granny

peek-a-boo!

18 lbs of empire, red delicious, granny smith, and more!  yummy!

The apple picking was really fun and rewarding.  The apples were flavorful, juicy, and fresh!  We are going to do more pick-your-own next spring, summer and fall and go for berries and other fruits offered at the local farms in Connecticut.  I love the idea of supporting local farmers, eating fresh, local foods, and spending time together as a family.  We'll pass on the corn maze....

and the scenery can't be beat!

view while picking apples at Lyman Orchards

click here to view more of our apple picking photos