Outrageous Chocolate Cookies

Recipe:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.

Recipe from http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/deliciously-outrageous-chocolate-cookies

Changes:
Used salted butter. Used about 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chinks and 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Cooked for 12 minutes.

Review:
OK cookies. Honestly too chocolaty for me. Would be better with something else in them, like PB chips, butterscotch chips or some white chocolate chips.

Next Time:
Cook for 10 minutes.

Teriyaki Stir Fry

Recipe:
4-6 chicken breasts, diced
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice, fresh
1/2 teaspoon garlic
red bell pepper
onion
snap peas
green beans
broccoli
carrots
water chestnuts
butter

Dice chicken into small pieces. Mix soy sauce, garlic, lemon, brown sugar and water. Pour sauce over chicken to marinade. Put in fridge, covered, until ready to use. Put chicken and sauce in a large pan warmed to medium heat, lightly coated with butter. Cover chicken to let it cook, check it every few minutes to flip over until cooked through. Cut up veggies (or use frozen) in separate pan and saute with butter. When chicken is cooked through add veggies. Cover, let simmer a few minutes. Serve over rice.

Recipe by me.

Changes:
Used frozen veggies.

Review:
Great taste with all the veggies. Not too sweet. Served over brown rice.

Next Time:
Add green onion.

Basic Yeast Bread

Recipe:
2 cups milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375.

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat just until butter is melted. Remove from heat. Cool to about 120-130 degrees.

Combine 4 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Whisk. Add milk mixture and eggs. Beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until dough begins to pull away from sides of the bowl.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface, flatten slightly. Knead 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

Shape dough into ball. Place in a large lightly oiled bowl: turn dough over once to oil surface. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm area for about an hour or until doubled in bulk.

Grease 2 9x5 loaf pans and set aside. Turn out dough onto lightly oiled work surface, divide in half. Shape each half into a loaf and place in prepared pans. Cover with a towel and let rise 45 minutes.

Bake 25 minutes or until loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped. Immediately remove bread from pans and cool on wire rack.

Recipe from 101 Garlic Recipes by Publications International.

Changes:
Made half the batch. Used 3 1/8 cup flour. Let rise 1 hour both times. Cooked for 20 minutes with foil on top for the last 5 minutes. Used salted butter.

Review:
My new favorite white bread! Moist and soft and much lighter and fluffier than others.

Next Time:
Make again soon!

Let it Rolls

Recipe:
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup milk
1/2 stick butter
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoon yeast
9 teaspoons butter buds
1 egg, beaten

In a 2 cup liquid measurer: put water, milk and butter (real butter). Microwave for 2 minutes.

Mix around 4 ½ cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast, butter buds and beaten egg. Add hot milk mixture to this dry mixture and turn to dough setting on bread machine. (or 8 min. knead on Kitchen Aid). Let rise until doubled in bulk (1 ½ to 2 hrs). Shape into rolls on floured sheet and cover to rise again for 40 min. to 1 hr. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 minutes.

Recipe from Trayce Dixon.

Changes:
Made into 12 sandwich size rolls. Let milk mixture cool to 130 degrees before adding to flour mixture. Used instant yeast. Cooked for 15 minutes. Used 4 1/4 cups flour. Used instant yeast.

Review:
Rating 9 1/2. My new dinner roll recipe! Very tasty- a little sweet and with the melted butter brushed on top it makes a great combo. We ate as BBQ sandwich rolls- held up- no breakage with heavy food on top. Also ate many plain- nothing added and they were delicious!

Next Time:
If making for dinner rolls make about 20-24. Maybe try a little less sugar.

BBQ Beef

Recipe:
3 pounds brisket
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder or cumin
1/2- 1 bottle BBQ sauce

Cut all visible fat off beef. Place in crock pot. Mix water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Pour mixture over beef. Cover. Cook 5-6 hours on high or 10-12 on low in crock pot. Take beef out. Shred. Put back in crock pot with BBQ sauce until warm.

Recipe from Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes by Better Homes and Gardens.

Changes:
Used bottom round beef instead of brisket. We use chili powder. Put 1/2 bottle in with beef and then use more to top beef on buns.

Review:
Great anytime recipe. This recipe is very mild in flavor and can be turned into any kind of shredded beef flavor, if you don't want BBQ.

Next Time:
Make in the smaller crock pot.

Spaghetti Sauce

Recipe:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 white onion chopped
2 clove garlic, chopped
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon milk chocolate chips

Heat olive oil in large saucepan and then add onion and garlic, cook until onion is clear.

Add diced tomatoes and oregano, salt, pepper, sage, garlic salt and basil and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add tomato sauce and tomato paste. Simmer for about 10 more minutes then add more spices to taste. Add brown sugar and chocolate chips.

Simmer for about 10 more minutes until sauce is slightly thick, then serve with pasta and cheese!

Recipe by me.

Changes:
All seasonings are estimates- just threw things in. Add more or less to taste.
Added 1/4 teaspoon basil (all I had). Added diced/shredded chicken cooked with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Review:
Good sauce, sweet and hearty.

Next Time:
More basil.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Recipe:
1 very ripe banana
1/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
1/4 cups mini chocolate chips
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted

Changes:
Used 1 1/2 bananas. Instead of lemon zest- put 1 tsp lemon juice. Made into 9 x 5 loaf- cooked for 33 minutes.

Review:
Rating 9. The boys ate piece after piece. Very light, not a really dense bread- very tasty.

Next Time:
Add double the chocolate chips and maybe 3x the chocolate swirl- enough to mix in with all the batter.