Reading

I'm reading "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". Boring on the surface, fascinating between the covers. Love! Love! LOVE!

My kids are killing me slowly

....and not in the, "Oh that was so cute, you little Turkey" kind of way. They are really going to give me a heart attack or an aneurism and it will really suck when that day comes. Today, I get home from the gym and the kids want to go out and ride their scooters. I said yes. That was my first mistake. Then I take my bag inside and check my messages and grab something to eat. That was my second mistake. I should've set my things down and gone outside immediately to bring the kids back inside, but instead I sat down. Then I got to thinking that I should check on them. It'd only been 15 minutes, but they're kids and they get in trouble fast. So I go out to get them only they're no where to be seen. Now, I should preface this predicament by saying that its not the first time my kids have turned up missing, but they have places they like to explore and I usually find them in those places. This was not to be one of those times. I searched. I yelled their names. I got in my car and drove up to the park just up my street. I looked behind the back wall to see if they were playing in the desert back there. I looked EVERYWHERE. They were no where. So I called my husband and the police department and was actually on the phone with the dispatch lady when they come trundling up my street like they were just having a midafternoon stroll. There are no words to describe how I felt at that moment. I'm still recovering.

Really Good Cookies

I've been getting back to the gym on a regular basis, much to my delight. However, I've also started baking again. (Drat!) My new favorite cookie is chocolate peanut butter chip. Yum! You can find the recipe on the back of the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips package, but here it is in case you want to use a cheaper chip. ;)

2 1/2 sticks butter, almost to room temperature but still slightly cool (Yum!)

2 C. sugar, minus 1/4 C. for high altitude

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 C. good Dutch processed cocoa

2 C. flour, plus 1/4-1/2 C. if you're baking this at high altitude

1 package peanut butter chips

Beat the butter and sugar well. Add the eggs one at a time till well combined with the sugar/butter mixture. Add the salt, baking soda and vanilla. Stir in the cocoa and flour. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet.

I don't know about you, but I've finally figured out at what temperature and for how long I should bake cookies in my oven. For me, I turn my oven to convect and bake them at 325 degrees for 7-10 minutes (depending on how large I make them). For regular ovens, I would go with what you know works for other recipes, checking on them a minute or two early in case they're baking more quickly then you're expecting. DON'T EVER BAKE CHOCOLATE TOO LONG!!!!!! That's just my opinion. If they look like they're firming up and loosing their shine, it's probably time to think about taking them out of the oven. ;)

Okay, that was much longer then I was expecting.

Later.

That's it! I'm going to get back to writing!