chocolate chip cookies

Who doesn’t love a sweet!  I love baking chocolate chip cookies – I keep tweaking my recipe to try to make the perfect cookie.  I try to replicate my grandmothers – but I have given up.  She says she doesn’t add any secret ingredient or do anything special, but I cannot get them to be like hers.  So onward and upward finding “my” perfect chocolate chip cookie.  And I think this is it!  Crunchy and crisp on the outside, a little chewy on the inside.

• 1 cup Crisco
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of oatmeal
• 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 – 2 cups of flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• chocolate chips to taste (I used about 1 1/2 cups)

blend ingredients in mixer, adding in order listed above.  Spoon out dough onto a cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes (depending on your oven).  Eat warm or let cool and enjoy!

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

 

Italian Chicken

Another super easy dinner!!! (my favorite kind)

1. chicken breast
2. your favorite pasta sauce
3. mozerella cheese or another italian flavor

pour enough of the pasta sauce to cover the bottom of your pan (I used a 9×9).  place the chicken breast in.  Sprinkle the cheese on top (Kroger has an italian blend shredded cheese that works nicely), then pour the remaining pasta sauce on top.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour.  done!

I prefer the cheese under the sauce so it doesn’t get brown and crunchy.  You could also put it on top of the sauce and cover and bake.  Personal preference.

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

Baked BBQ Chicken

The first dinner I baked was our BBQ chicken. This is also the easiest.

1. Chicken breasts
2. BBQ sauce

Pour 1/4 of the bottle of BBQ sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.  Line with the chicken breasts.  Pour the remaining BBQ sauce over top, make sure to cover all the chicken.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Done!

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

stocked freezer

After going to the grocery store this weekend, I had the menu for the week (plus some) and I thought that was that.  I was very surprised at what happened next.  I cooked all the meals, and our freezer and fridge are good to go.  The summer schedule starts tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t too scatter brained this week getting the kids to and from, working, feeding everyone, etc…  So, over the last two days I baked the following (recipes to follow this week)

1. Baked BBQ chicken
2. Italian Chicken
3. Chicken Pot Pie
4. Enchiladas (with left over meat for another meal)
5. Mexican Rice and Beans
6. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whew!  The kitchen has smelled great this weekend.  So what do we do after I have all the dinners prepared?  Order in.  Yep.  I was the crazy lady that did that.  Enchiladas is what I cooked last and I wasn’t in the mood for something that heavy, so we got salads to go!

Do you do freezer cooking?

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

Summer goals

School is out here and summer fun has already begun!  As a family we wanted to make a list or a set of goals of things we wanted to get done this summer.  Also has a way to “find” something to do when boredom kicks in….

Some of my favorite summer goals that I am looking forward too

• catching fireflys
• s’mores over the fire
• blowing bubbles
• sprinkler fun
• teaching my oldest son to ride a two wheeler
• vacation
• making homemade ice cream

Of course, I had to put some practical items on the list as well

• clean out the junk drawer
• organize the cook book cabinet
• clean the kids room

But the goal we are all most looking forward too

• Bryan graduates nursing school!!!!

I am so proud of my husband for going back to school to pursue a career he enjoys.  He has worked so hard and the rewards are in sight!

What do you and your family have planned for the summer?

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

watch it grow – part 2

Within the past few weeks the kids have brought plants home from school.  I had to plant them in the ground (please cross fingers with me that they will survive transplantation)

Morning Glory (left) and Sunflower (right)

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

Watch it grow!

I was so excited to plant our vegetable garden yesterday.  Our favorite vegetable to grow is Zucchini!  I also planted a tomato plant and a yellow squash.  I can’t wait to watch our veggies grow!

Veggie Garden

Zucchini

Tomato

Yellow Squash

 

Are you growing anything this summer?

Talk to you soon,

Lyn

I’m Back!

Did you miss me?!

Our whirlwind week is over!  Portfolio night at school went well, our ballerina was brillant on the stage, the neighborhood garage sale a success (thanks to all who did the no rain dance), our daughter’s birthday party was fun and everyone had a blast.

The house is “almost” back to normal.  The cars are in the garage again.  Kids clothes that didn’t sell went to Goodwill.  We are starting to clean up (When our cleaning lady returns from vacation we will need a once over downstairs) and get back to routine.  I should say that our “cleaning lady” is my sister 🙂  Gotta love family who is willing to come and help out!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Talk to you soon,

Lyn