Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever!! No Foolin!!

Chewy, chocolatey, moist and oh so good. These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. Really. Not lying. Good luck trying to keep these around though, they have a tendancy to dissapear!!

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup margarine

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

In one bowl mix flour, soda and salt. In another bowl cream margarine, sugars, vanilla and egg. Blend with flour mix. Add chocolate chips. Drop rounded teaspoons onto air bake cookie sheet and bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on pans and remove and enjoy

Honey Ginger Spice Cookies

I love spice cookies with passion. And nothing begs to be made more for the cookie jar this blistery time of year than ginger spice cookies. Bursting with flavor and delicious beyond words, nothing compliments a cup of chai tea better :)

2 cups flour

2 3/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 tea bag chai spice

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1 egg

1/4-1/2 cup honey

Mix first 7 ingredients in one bowl, and the remainder in another bowl. Combine and refrigerate one hour. Heat the oven to 350. Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls and roll in sugar and space 2" apart on a cookie sheet ( I used air bake) Bake for 12 minutes and remove from oven while the cookies are still soft. Cool on pan and enjoy :)

Spicy Cauliflower Soup

A snow storm has graced our lives today. Yipee. I dislike winter, and I have little patience for it this year especially. I would love nothing better than to disappear to Mexico and never look back! (Keep dreaming!!)

But I digress. Failing running away south of the border, I needed a way to stay warm today. And this soup fits the bill in a plethagora of ways. Flavorful, filling and hearty, this spicy soup made my day warmer and brighter. And it was super easy, take it from me :)

1 box (900 ml) chicken broth

1/2 onion chopped

2 tsp oilve oil

1/2 tsp garlic, jarred minced

3 large carrots chopped

4 medium potatoes chopped (I leave the peels on)

1/2 cauliflower, chopped

1 tsp garlic, jarred minced

1/4 tsp ground chili pepper

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dill

1/4 tsp coriander

dash hot sauce (if you want)

salt and pepper

1/2-3/4 cups milk

**You can adjust the heat of the soup by how much spice you put in. Flavor according to taste**

Sautee onion and garlic in the oil for 2 minutes. Add to the broth in a large pot with the carrots, potatoes, additional garlic and the spices. Cook on medium low heat for 40-50 minutes or until veggies are soft. Add the milk and stir. Pulse in a food processor in small batched until smooth and transfer back to stove and heat on low a few more minutes. Serve

***You can add more milk if too thick***

Crunchy Carrot Dog Biscuits! Bow Wow!!

So the pups got stuck with thier mom for the day inside, and they started to go a little stir crazy. What to do? (There's only so much Sponge Bob Cartoons you can watch. Seriously, the dogs love that show.) So, we decided to create a new dog cookie.

These light and crunchy cookies were an instant hit with the pups, and will definatly have to be kept in the cookie jar. Bone-appetite ;)

**This receipe can be doubled for more**

1 cup carrots, grated and chopped fine

1 cup whole grain flour

1/2 cup oats

1/8 cup flax, ground

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp peanut butter

1/2 cup warm water

Mix dry ingredients together. Add carrots and blend. Add oil, and peanut butter, then the water to blend the peanut butter. Mix the dough till no longer sticky, add a little flour if still sticky. Roll out to 1/8" or so, and cut into shapes or bars.

Bake in a 350 F over for 35-40 minutes on an ungreased sheet. Turn off the over heat, and leave the cookies in for an additional 35-40 minutes. Take out of oven and cool. Store in airtight container.

Hearty Cream of Potato Soup thats a breeze to make!

Well, the warm weather has left finally, though I was enjoying the unseasonable +26C (79 F) temperatures for the beginning of October. Anytime I can suntan that late, I'm a happy camper.

But now the cool is here, and with it the fresh summer produce is ending and the hearty fall fare is starting. Such as this wonderful soup, which isn't hard to make from scratch, and tastes awesome. And it'll keep you warm on those fall nights (unless you have plenty of dogs and a cat like me to keep your feet toasty :)

2 really large or 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

3 tbsp butter or margarine

3 tbsp all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups milk (you can use which ever kind you want)

1 tsp garlic (jarred kind) use more if you want

1 tsp dill, pinch salt and pepper (to taste)

Toss potatoes, onion and carrots, garlic and dill to the broth in a stockpot. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover stock pot and simmer 18-20 minutes or so. Mix occasionally, and watch for the consistency, you want some of the potatoes to sort of dissolve a little, making it very thick.

Add butter or marg to a small sauce pan, melt over medium heat and add flour till smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer 2 minutes. Stir into potato stock. Add salt and pepper, or more dill and garlic if you want. Cook over lowish heat for 5-10 minutes, more if you used skim milk, because it will be thinner and need to thicken.

Enjoy your homeade soup!

Soft & Fragrant Honey Gingerbread Cake!!

This is such a tasty cake, so moist and tasty with all of the flavors that inspires one to think of fall time. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger permeate through the house as this treat is cooking making the experience all the more enjoyable. So grab a hot cup of cider or spice tea and enjoy.

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp allspice

3/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup softened butter or margerine

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt

Spray a 9 inch pan with pam, and set aside. Sift flour, spices, baking powder and soda. In another bowl cream sugar with margerine until fluffy, add egg and the honey, mix. Add half the batter to the dry ingredients, then add the yogurt, followed by the last of the batter and stir until well combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30-35 minutes or until done. Cool a little and enjoy!!

The Best Saskatoon Muffins in the World!!

This is bar none the best saskatoon recipe ever invented. Yes, I am that confident. You can replace the saskatoons if you want for blueberries, I won't scold you for it ;)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup margerine

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2- 2 cups saskatoons or blueberries

1 tsp white vanilla*

* White vanilla can be found at most specialty stores or through Watkins

In one bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix margerine, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Then add the milk and mix. Add the moist to the dry ingredients. Fold in the berries.

Scoop into muffin paper lined pan and bake at 375F for 25-30 minutes. Makes 12 muffins

Shrimp Tomato Basil Pasta!! Bellissima!

This is a super tasty dish that is very, very easy to make. Serve up with some crusty french bread slathered with some garlic butter, and you'll be the talk of the dinner table!!

1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Lbs Shrimp

3-4 tbsp Minced garlic (I use the jar kind)

7-8 firm tomatoes, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups worth or so)

1/4 cup fresh basil (or more to taste, and more for garnish)

salt and pepper

10-15 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Season shrimp with salt and pepper in a bowl. Spray a pan over medium low heat and toss in the oil and get warm. Add the shrimp and cook 3 or so minutes. Add the garlic, half the basil and the shrimp. Cook on lower medium heat for 12 minutes or so, and then add the last of the basil for another three or so minutes. Pull the pan from the heat and add the cherry tomatoes.

Boil some whole wheat pasta and serve. Enjoy.

French Bread!! Oui Oui Mon Cheri!!!

So not my recipe at all, but something I wanted to give a try. It was time consuming, but the results were nice. I think I used the wrong kind of yeast, making my bread alot less fluffy, but covered in garlic butter, it's all good :)

http://yvonneandmason.galganov.net/recipes/frenchbread.html

Tasty Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce

It's that time of year again, when the garden's are overrun with ripe bounties of fresh veggies. My favorite of all is the tomato. Good in sandwiches, salads, sasla and sauces or just sliced up, nothing beats tomatoes. But if you find yourself with too many all at once, you may need a speedy way to get rid of a pile of them. And here it is.

15-20 Ripe, firm tomatoes (Whattever kind) chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 tsp jarred garlic (or more if you like)

2 tbsp fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried

1 tsp oregano

1 tbsp Olive Oil

fresh ground pepper and salt, to taste

**Note** The measurements for the herbs are approximate, as I never measure anything. Test the sauce often and add more as you need**

Spray a little cooking spray in a large sauce pain on medium low heat. Add the olive oil, herbs (do not burn) onions and garlic. Cook the onion for a few minutes, and then add the tomatoes reducing the heat to lowish. Cook, stirring often and making sure it doesn't burn, for about 15-20 minutes or so.

Serve hot with pasta, or cooled with bagel chips or use it as a bruschetta.

Snack Attack!!! Homeade Chips & Parmesan Dip

I like snacks, but then again, who doesn't?? I'm a fan of the crunchy munchies like chips, crackers and the like. Of course I realize they are no good at all for a person. Between the high bad-for-you fats, and all the sodium, I should be doing crunches while munching!! What is a Niblet to do??

So, off to the kitchen I go to make something tasty, crunchy and way better for you than bagged chippies and high fat dip. (And you can brag when you serve your friends and they'll look at you like you're lying. But we'll know the truth :)

Chips:

4-5 medium sized red potatoes (peel or don't, I don't)

1 tbsp Olive Oil (Cause it's good for you :)

Sea Salt

If you have a mandolin for slicing vegetables, this is the time to break it out. If not, slice them medium thin (less than 1/4") with a knife. Toss them in a bowl with a tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on them and mix them until everything is coated. (You can omit the salt if you want, it doesn't need to be on there)

Line a baking sheet with tin foil and give a spray of cooking spray on it. Lay the chips out so they're not touching and toss into a 400F oven for 6-8 minutes, depending on your oven. Take them out and carefully flip each one over and place back in the oven for another 6 or so minutes. Watch them so they get almost golden to golden, but don't let them burn.

Take them out and let them cool on the pan. They're good warm or cooled off. Now go brag to your friends!!

Dip:

Super simple dip, but tastes like it came from a restaurant

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonaise

1/2 tsp garlic, jarred & minced(or more if you like garlic)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Mix all together and refrigerate until needed. Serve with the chips and look like a domestic god/goddess

A Honey of a Dressing!!

Having fresh honey on hand this time of year is a luxary that I relish. Being a beekeeper by day (and a super hero by night ;) I love this time of year with it's yields of golden honey. So, naturally I try to eat it on everything.

My mother was over this afternoon and gave me some wonderful looking greens from her garden. Self, I said to me, we need to make a honey dressing to go with said lettuce. And so I did.

2 tbsp Fresh Honey (Or melted cooled honey)

1/2 tsp Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Vinegar

Mix it up and enjoy. It's enough for a salad for one, but can be multiplied.

No Yeast Focaccia Bread!!

This is a little bit different in texture compared with the types made with yeast, but it's tasty, quick and makes enough to add to any meal without having to eat a pile of baking for the next week.

2 cups white flour (you can use wheat, but it's a little tougher texture)

1 cup water

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garlic (chopped jar kind)

chopped or dried herbs (basil, chives, oregano)

Herbs, spices or seasonings for the top

Mix all the ingredients together but the oil. Make the dough into a ball, and place in a large greased or sprayed pan or baking sheet. Flatten it so it's uniform at 1/2" using the oil on your fingers. Now, top with whattever you want. Rosemary, chives, olives, really its up to you.

Bake in a 425 F oven for 20m minutes or so (oven depending) take out and add cheese to the top (if desired) and pop back in for another 5 minutes. (Or leave it in there to finish) Serve warm

Lemon Balm Tea Cookies!! Come have a Lookie!!

All right, I'll admit it. I've developed an addiction to Lemon Balm. I love it as a tea, and now these citrusy little tea cookies are so superb, they make me want to shout Hip Hip Herb-ray!!

Lemon Balm is a wonderful citrusy herb that's related to mint. It boasts many health properties including a soothing sleep inducer, a calming relaxant and a purifier. It is simple to grow in your back yard, and thrives in sun with a little afternoon shade.

http://www.planetbotanic.ca/fact_sheets/lemon_balm_fs.htm

Steep a tea ball of it to go with these cookies.

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1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup margerine **

1 tsp white vanilla

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp grated orange or lemon rind

1 tbsp chopped lemon balm

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Cream sugar, margerine, egg and vanilla and mix. Add in juice, rind and balm. Add powder and flour and mix. Drop by teaspoon onto airbake pan and bake 350 F for 10-14 minutes (oven depending.) Use 375 F for crisper cookies, but watch your heat. Let cool on pan and then transfer to plate (or mouth :)

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** I used light Becel for these and they worked. For those of you who have tried to bake with light margerine, you can understand my shock here :)

Zen Stir Fry: It will Feng Shui your Palette!

I love stir fry's. But, I got tired of the overly salted, bizarre bought bottled sauces that were flavors I couldn't identify. What is a girl to do? Make her own simple sauce of course! This stir fry is easy, and I mean EASY, and has a little bite for those of you who like the noodle house flare to thier veggies! (The sauce can be used with Ramen noodles as well for a spicy noodle treat. Yum!) It doesn't take a fortune cookie to tell you this is one meal you won't wok out on!! ;)

1 bag oriental frozen veggies (you know the peas, carrots, mini corn ones or your fav)

1 1/2 cups chicken, shrimp or beef (or omit for a yummy veggie one)

(Double the sauce amounts if adding a meat to it. The amounts given are for NO meat)

2 tsp honey

1 tsp ground red pepper flakes**

2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder or chopped or jarred

Add a little water to a pan you spray with Pam. Dump in the veggies and steam them. (Or, cheat like me and microwave them for three minutes to get the frost off, and then transfer to pan. What? So, I use short cuts? So what? ;)

Add all the sauce ingredients and simmer on lower-medium heat until the veggies are done.

For the Ramen version, make noodles and drain off liquid (you don't have to use the little sauce pak thingy) then add the saucde ingredeints and cook a few minuted to melt and mix flavors. Enjoy

**I use a mortar and pestle to grind it, but a coffee grinder would work well. Or, buy it pre-ground. It's all good :)

Saskatoon Bran Muffins! The Holy Grain of Muffins ;)

I admit it. I have way more healthy ingredients in my house than a normal 29 year old ought to have. (Ground flax? Really?) So super healthy recipes have been known to be born on my kitchen. Also, I got tired of sickly sweet bran muffins that defeat the purpose of it being healthy, so these little muffins were born. With so much going for them, bran, honey, flax and berries they may be the elixer for life! (Flax is good for digestion and skin, blueberries and saskatoons are rich in antioxidents and bran is great for your bowels!)

So go against the grain and enjoy these moist, low fat and healthy muffins.

Bowl One:
1 cup flour (regular or whole wheat)
1/4 cup ground flax
3/4 cup wheat bran
1/3 cup plus two tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Bowl Two:
1 lge egg white
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup milk

1- 1 1/2 cups Saskatoons or Blueberries or Raisons

In one bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. In the second bowl, combine the next five. Mix the wet with the dry, and then mix in the berries. Bake at 375 F for 18-20 minutes (Oven depending) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy! Makes 12

Lemon Sauce for Fish? Delish!

I find fish sort of boring sometimes. There. I said it. Don't throw a rolling pin at me! But, there are things that can be done to make it tastier such as this spiky fish sauce. And then you will have one fine kettle of fish indeed!! ;)

1 garlic clove, minced (or cheat like I do and buy the already chopped jar kind. Its still garlic!)

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup mayo (real kind, not fat free. FF Mayo is too sweet)

1/4 tsp milk

Touch of ground red pepper (to taste, or omit if you don't like spice. Or sub with horseradish)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix and refrigerate. Serve with batteref or breaded fish

Herb Dip/Spread that's Herb-tastic!!

This year I planted wa-ay too many herbs for what I possibly thought I could need for cooking...or so I thought! Any cook worth thier salt will tell you that you can never plant too much of anything!

This dip is great with veggies, crackers and chips, or omit the sour cream and use it as a topping on burgers, snadwiches, pita's and roll ups. Yum-yum!!

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayo

1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped chives

1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Mix, refrigerate and enjoy!

**If you don't like larger pieces of herbs, blend in a food processor**

BBQ Glazed Meat Loaf! It's no loafing matter!

You'll have no beef with this moist and flavorful spin on the old stand by. I'm told this is the best meatloaf many have had.

1 lbs ground beef
1 medium onioin
1 egg beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup italian style bread crumbs (or regular ones with basil, oregano or rosemary added)
4 tbsp BBQ sauce, any kind or combination

Glaze: 1/4 - 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cook onion in the oil and cool

Mix all the other ingredients together. Shape loaf in glass pan, unglazed. Cook 50-55 minutes (Oven depending) and then pull out of the oven and topp with the glaze. Put back in for 10-15 minutes more. Let stand five minutes before eating. Enjoy!

**There are so many good BBQ sauces for this recipe. Chipolte, smoky, onion and garlic, tequila even! Mix and match your favorites and enjoy!

Doggone Good Dog Cookies!!

The need to create these much begged for treats came about because I grew tired of paying upwards of $8 a bag (gasp) for 40 organic treats. I have three dogs, and that does not go far! So, born out of need, and loved by every doggie that has taste tested them, if you say cookie in my house, and there's a dog within earshot, you better bring them one of these becuase this is what they'll be begging for!!

1/3 cup ground flax (great for improving skin condition and coat)
1 1/3 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup oats

pinch of cinnamon

2 tbsp olive oil

1 heaping tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 cup warm water

Mix flax, flour, oats and cinnamon together then add the oil in the center, and then the peanut butter. Add the warm water last, concentrating on letting the water dissolve the peanut butter until it is liquidy (is that a word??) Mix all together until not crumble and a nice soft ball. (Add a little more water if crumbly, and flour if soupy.)

Roll out the dough to about 1/8" or so on a floured surface. Cut with a pizza cutter for simple treat squares or make cute bones or shapes with cutters!

Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes (Oven depending) and then turn the oven heat off, and leave to dry in the still warm oven for 30-40 more minutes. (May need to dry longer for bigger cookies) I use a large sized airbake pan and there is no room between them needed while they bake, just pack them on there!

When cool, give some to your pup's and see how much they love the crunchy snacks! This makes a fairly large batch of snacks so enjoy!

**Keeps indefiantly in a sealed container on the counter as no eggs, milk or meat are used

***Great small size for training puppies and dogs. Just wait until puppies are old enough to enjoy the treats

Earn Brownie Points with this fudgy Chocolate Brownie!!

Brownies are one of my favorite food groups. Yes, I said it, it's a food group. Nothing beats a warm, ooey, gooey brownie. Well, maybe two brownies would :)


3/4 cup margerine
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla (I ilke the white vanilla. So much better tasting, in my oppinion :)
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
dash salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts

Pre heat oven to 350 F and grease or spray an 8" square pan (I like the glass kind)

Bleand margerine, sugar and vanilla, then add egg one at a time.

In another bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, chips and nuts. Blend into egg mixture and spread into pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes (oven depending) or until the edges pull away from the side of the pan slightly. Let cool a little before eating (if you can leave it alone. I warn you, it WILL smell amazing!!)

Enjoy!!