Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is dedicated to Jillian and John - lovers of these cookies :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups (12 oz package) chocolate chips
  

PREHEAT oven to 365° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips; mix well. (At this point I chilled by dough for 30 minutes). Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for several minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes: I read that chilling the dough helps avoid the whole flat and crispy cookie that I used to end up with. I also always take my cookies out of the oven before they really look done. They continue setting up as they sit on the sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.
Lastly, I use and highly recommend the Pampered Chef baking stones.

New Friends and an Amazing Dessert Idea

Tim and Shanna Browning came over for dinner on Thursday night! I met Shanna through Bethany's "what's for dinner?" thread. Shanna came to my girls' night and I instantly became a big fan of hers!
We did a little Mexican night and I made homemade guacamole, steak fajitas and black beans.
But Miss Shanna made the yummiest dessert ever! Okay, so Tim may have not thought so with his lack of love for the espresso bean, but we adored it! She took an Oreo pie crust and softened espresso ice cream and filled the pie shell. Then she took hot fudge and spread it on the top. The finale? Heath pieces! You could easily do this with different flavors of ice cream/topping/candy combos.
Anyway, thanks for staying up way past your bed time guys (in light of Tim's work schedule)! We hope to spend more time with you soon!!!

Movie Review

Last night my sweet friend Jillian asked me out on a date :) Hehe!
She's had a rough week including being stuck at home with a sick little Savannah.
We went to go see the Ben Stein movie, Expelled. http://www.expelledthemovie.com
My brain was sort of short circuiting in parts but I truly enjoyed the movie.
The whole evolution train is seriously derailing scientifically, yet it's still taught and reported as absolute fact. This movie is a huge eye opener. I am not sure what I walked away feeling...
A lot of things but mostly saddened and alarmed. People are just so lost. Some of the "academics" and "brilliant" minded people interviewed in the film struck me as so arrogant and so in love with their own intellect. But clearly there was an underlying disdain for God.
But one man in particular in the film started out in his life a Christian. He, over time, concluded through science that there was no God. He since has developed a brain tumor and sadly will most likely lose his life soon.
I pray that he will return to or come to a saving knowledge of Jesus. I just can't imagine living through times where hope is so needed and having none.
Anyway, although this film is not pro-Christian per say, it is very informative and certainly well worth seeing. I would love to see it a second time and probably will with Brett.
And Miss Jillian, I will gladly go out with you again anytime!! :) :) :)

Blueberry Scones With Lemon Glaze

Recipe Source: Food Network/Tyler Florence
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_24255,00.html

Blueberry Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 12 by 3 by 1 1/4 inches. Cut the rectangle in 1/2 then cut the pieces in 1/2 again, giving you 4 (3-inch) squares. Cut the squares in 1/2 on a diagonal to give you the classic triangle shape. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with a little heavy cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until beautiful and brown. Let the scones cool a bit before you apply the glaze.

Technically you should make this simple lemon glaze in a double boiler (i.e. over a pot of simmering water with a heatproof bowl set on top) but it's even simpler to zap it in the microwave. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.

Super Quick Minestrone

Super Quick Minestrone
Recipe Source: Food Network/Michael Chiarello
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31993,00.html

1 cup (4 ounces) tubetti pasta, or other small pasta shape
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 3 pieces
6 medium garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)
1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)
2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a baking sheet. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the pancetta and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots.

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup. Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked tubetti pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan and olive oil passed at the table.

Cooking notes: Add the cooked pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a flabby texture. Tubetti (little hollow tubes) are the classic pasta for minestrone, but you could substitute another small shape of pasta.

Brett The Builder

My high school math teacher by day/project man extraordinaire
by night hubby deserves some recognition for a couple of his recent ventures!
First of all, he is quite the talented hardwood floor man!
A couple of years ago he installed our gorgeous flooring and did a truly remarkable job. When our home was on the market, almost everyone commented on the flooring as one of the biggest selling points. If you are looking for a fabulous place to get hardwoods by the way, go to Lumber Liquidators. They have beautiful flooring, great selection and amazing pricing. We picked up exotic hardwoods (African Moabi in a light cherry finish) for about the same price as laminate flooring.
Over Spring Break, our good friends the Waxenfelters hired Brett to install their flooring too. WOW! What a difference the hardwoods make in their home. As soon as we take some pictures, I am going to post them so you can see for yourself.
A couple of his other Handy Manny skills: He wired all of our ceiling fans, converted half of our garage into a bonus room, constructed a utility/lawn building in our yard that matches our home, built a brick paver patio, extended our deck and did most of our landscaping. He's got some serious skills!!
So if anyone has any questions, needs to borrow some tools or needs some help, let us know :)
I'm done with my shameless plug now!

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina
Recipe Source: Food Network/Giada De Laurentiis
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_35087,00.html

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup

This soup rocks! That's about all I have to say about that!


Chicken Fajita Tortilla Soup
Recipe source: Food Network/Rachael Ray
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_37504,00.html

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 packages chicken tenders, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
1 tablespoon coriander, a palm full
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, 5 to 6 sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 large bell pepper, quartered and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken stock
1 bag white corn tortilla chips
1 cup shredded pepper Jack or sharp white Cheddar
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 lime, juiced
4 scallions, chopped
Handful fresh cilantro leaves or fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, begin to brown 4 minutes, add coriander, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and stock, heat through.

While the soup is working, lightly crush some tortilla chips and divide among 4 bowls. You need a couple of handfuls per bowl. Top the chips with a little cheese. Toss the avocado with lime juice. Top the chips with ladles of soup. Garnish soup with avocado, scallions and cilantro or parsley.

Cranberry Spinach Salad

Here's a salad recipe to balance out the recent cookie ones :)
My tips: blue cheese is fabulous in this. Also, pine nuts make a great substitution. Lastly, I use a 6 oz. package of Craisins. So good!

Cranberry Spinach Salad

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and

slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and

torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame

seeds

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.

Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

I'll give out my other "top secret" cookie recipe... hehe. If you like Almond Roca, these will rock your world :)


Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies
Recipe Source: Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32473,00.html

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 package toffee bits
1 cup coarsely ground almonds
4 ounces milk chocolate
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix.

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and place in freezer or refrigerator until chocolate is firmly set.

Monster Cookies

Per request from a couple of my sweet friends, I am going to kick up the recipe posting a notch. Alice, this new posting trend will be dedicated to you specifically :)
I think I'll try to do a recipe of the day. I used to do that over on the MOPS forum and got lots of appreciative feedback. I hope this blesses the Athey crowd just as much!
And when you make a recipe, please leave feedback/suggestions in the comments.
Thankfully most of my recipes these days are available online or in a word doc so they are easily accessible...

Right now I would have to say these Monster Cookies are currently numero uno in my book.
They get rave reviews every time!
I also like that you can make them healthy if you choose to. You could sub out the "bad stuff" for natural peanut butter, smart balance, splenda, etc. and feel better about eating them. Or eat them as is and experience cookie bliss!

Monster Cookies
Recipe source: Food Network/Paul Deen
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32570,00.html

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies (M&M's)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (toffee chips or butterscotch also yummy)
1/4 cup raisins, optional (or 1/4 cup chopped pecans)
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

Boys in Trees

On Sunday we headed down to watch the Baptism at George Rogers Park. It is one of our favorite spots to hang out and of course provides awesome photo ops.
The weather was so crazy! When we got there we had our sunglasses on and came without jackets.
About 30 minutes later it was freezing cold, raining and then eventually we got pelted with hail!
We didn't capture pictures of the actual baptism because by that point our camera would have been drenched.
It was such a blessing even in the crazy weather to hang out, worship, and watch the few "chosen frozen" demonstrate their commitment to the Lord!

So here are a few of my favorite pictures Brett took with the boys while I was off catching up with Amy Elliott :)