Cookies!

I decided to make some holiday noms.

Chocolate chip cookies are always good, but I decided to make them even better by throwing in some Heath toffee bits.

I used the recipe off the back of the Ghirardelli chocolate chips bag and adjusted the amount of chips to 1 1/2 cups, then added a cup of the toffee bits. I also substituted eggbeaters for one of the eggs.

I also just realized this morning that I accidentally doubled the amount of butter. For some reason I thought it said 1 lb. instead of 1 cup. Ooops! No wonder they are so crumbly!


Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies
(arr. M.E.L.C.)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg & 1 tbs eggbeaters
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits






Preheat oven to 375.

Stir flour, baking soda & salt together, set aside.

Beat butter & sugars until creamy.

Add vanilla and eggs, a little bit at a time until incorporated.

Gradually blend dry mixture into wet mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips and toffee bits.



Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet, bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Cookies will continue to cook once you take them out of the oven, so if you want chewy cookies, take them out while the centers still look a little bit un-done.

EAT.

Sadly, when I first was testing my creation, the glass of milk I poured was sour. I ended up having a cookies-and-water test run, but they were still excellent.

This morning they are breakfast.

Coming Soon...

...A website just for Scott's hot sauce!

the domain name has been purchased and the design has been started.

Those remotely interested will find descriptions of the different flavors of hot sauce, and possibly an appearance by Reese's Salsa (Not To Be Confused with the brand Resers...).

Stay tuned for further excitement!

















Now will someone please make me breakfast?

Artistic Proof...

Mushroom & Wine Gravy

This recipe is based on a gravy that my Uncle Walt makes. I've only had it once that I recall, and that was at Thanksgiving at their house in Yuba City in 2005. My cousin Carrie doesn't like mushrooms, so Walt makes a little pan for her without them. When I asked my Aunt Dixie for the recipe she sent me one that didn't include the mushrooms, so I figured it was Carrie's version and just assumed how to include them.

This is the recipe I received:
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups white wine
2 packets George Washington Broth
1 spoon full Sovex
2 1/2 cups water Wondra or sifted flour

Melt butter in large pan. Add Wine and simmer to reduce. Add water, George Washington Broth and Sovex. Thicken sauce with Wondra or sifted flour.

When we went to the grocery store to find the George Washington broth packets and Sovex, I couldn't find either, so I bought a jar of Marmite and a container of Swanson Vegetable broth.

I sauteed about three cups of sliced button mushrooms in the four tablespoons of butter and then added 1 1/2 cups of pinot grigio (it was that or chardonnay, and chardonnay is a little fruity for gravy).

I "simmered to reduce" and then added a full spoon of Marmite and 2 1/2 cups of the vegetable broth. I added about a 1/3 cup of sifted flour to thicken the gravy and whisked it to keep the flour from clumping.

In all it made about 4 cups of very tasty mushroom gravy that went very nicely on the mashed potatoes and both of our stuffings. Scott said it also brought out the flavors in his turkey.