Easy! Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Like I mentioned earlier, I was just craving some homemade chocolate chip cookies! Well after searching through the thrift-store-recipe-box and the kitchen for the ingredients and supplies needed, I found everything I needed to make them. The recipe I had was really intense and called for a lot of different things, I simplified it for us simplified cookers - Enjoy!



Ingredients:
1 cup of Brown Sugar (packed)
1/2 cup of white Sugar
3/4 cup of Butter
2 eggs

2 1/4 cups of Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Chocolate Chips (Amount per your desire!)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix first four ingredients listed in a bowl until smooth.
Mix the next three ingredients together in a separate bowl together.
Mix both bowls together; slowly pour the flour mixture in, little by little.
Add the last two ingredients into the bowl.

Grab a tablespoon and start to ball up small-medium sized balls of dough, and place them at least 1 1/2 inches from each other on your non-stick pan.

Throw them in the oven, bake until desired tint of brown.
Let them cool for 8-10 minutes once removed, then serve!
Dunk them in milk! Thats my fave!

Enjoy!
(Pictures from my phone will be added later.)

Feeling Chocolatey..

I am making my dad and I chicken stir-fry tonight for dinner.. But I caught a glance of my chocolate chips I have left over from my Apple Dessert Nachos, and I want some cookies! Dug out a recipe from my thrift-store box, checking for ingredients now.. If I don't have them to make the cookies tonight, I shall do it tomorrow after a trip to the store!

But let's seriously hope I have them for tonight.. Chocolate cravings are not something to mess with!

Will continue later..

Update:
GOT THEM!

Morning Cooker..Not.

Let's just say going to bed at 1am and trying to wake up to a 7:15am alarm on your day off, not a good thing. Its 8:40am now and I have my Sticky Loaf Buns, Cheesy-Cheesy-Potatoes, and Baked Garlic Taters in the oven. My Apple Dessert Nachos are getting put together at the spa.

I'll admit the buns looked much more yummy this time than last time, I'm excited for everyone to eat them right out of the oven (pretty much).

Will continue this later..
Let's hope they like all of it!!

UPDATE:
They all liked what I made and I got lots of fun feedback!
I know what to try next time, and maybe I won't make so much either, ha!

Apple Dessert Nachos!

I'm wondering if I like the name of these lol Apple + Nachos doesn't sound delicious together at all..

Anywho, here's my delish dessert! Don't be fooled, it's not the healthiest dessert on the planet.

Ingredients:
Sliced Red Apples
Small Marshmallows
Caramel Topping
Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Place apples on serving dish.
Heat caramel, then lightly cover apples.
Spread marshmallows and chips on top.
All Done! Serve!

Fell free to add cool whip to the mix!
Also, just in case, put marshmallows and chips on the side instead of topping, allows the other people eating to choose and decide on serving sizes for themselves!

This time I put the chips and marshmallows on then the warm caramel! Next time I'm adding chocolate and whipped cream!

Baked Garlic Taters

So, first let me start by mentioning I found a recipe box at the thrift store the other day and it had tons of recipe cards inside! I couldn't read majority of them because they must have gotten wet at some point. However, I did get a few out and I'm in love with a couple!

Ingredients:

5 lbs. of Red Potatoes

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Parsley

Oil

Directions:

Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse and cut up potatoes into preferred size.

Fill pan about half-way then sprinkle desired toppings on top in an even layer, not including oil.

Toss blend of potatoes and toppings together with hands.

Finish filling pan with potatoes, sprinkle desired toppings on top in an even layer, not including oil.

Toss remainder of potatoes and toppings together with hands.

Pour a light topping of oil on top of the potatoes, about 1/4 cup.

Toss the mix of potatoes, toppings, and oil together with hands.

Spread evenly.

Cover pan.

Place into fully pre-heated oven for 45 - 60 minutes. (Based on preferred crispness.)

Pull out of oven when complete, allow 5-10 minutes cooling, then serve!

ALL DONE!!!

When I was pulling out the potatoes to chop them up, I found the largest red potato I have ever seen in my entire life!

Sadly, of course it was the rotten one of the bunch :( made me sad!

Hope you all enjoy! Let me know what you think! :)

Got Pot Luck?

Psh. Let's hope I sure do! I came up with the brilliant idea to have an in-service day tomorrow at the spa where I work. All of the ladies are coming in to eat, do each others hair and I'm taking their photos do I can update our website and social networking sites.

Tonight I'm prepping what I'm making, then waking up at 7am to cook them because I want them to taste my inventions fresh! Ha.

I'm making a couple new things, two of which I found in a recipe box I got at the thrift store the other day :)

My Menu:
Apple Dessert Nachos (NEW)
Sticky Loaf Buns
Cheesy-Cheesy-Potatoes
Baked Garlic Taters (NEW)

The two that aren't new we're made before and I made posts for them earlier. Once I start baking in the morning I'll make new posts for the other two that I've never tried before.

Thankfully, all of this cooking will be easy, or so I hope! :)

Goodnight! Will update tomorrow-

My Stir-Fry Dinner

Decided to make myself dinner tonight since I was home alone. I looked in the pantry and in the fridge/freezer. Found some ingredients for fast and easy Stir-Fry. Looked online for how other people made theirs, much too complicated, I felt lazy.


Here's how my cooking experience went-

Ingredients:
1 pack of Chicken Breasts (3 breasts, or more)
Minute Rice or other rice of choice
Water
Stir-Fry Vegetables of choice
Oil
Soy Sauce or other topping of choice


Prep:
Rinse chicken breasts and cut into bite-size shapes
Toss bag of stir-fry veggies into a pan with light oil, cover.
Fill a pan of water (measure details on box of rice, choose your serving)


Directions:
Turn on pan for chicken on medium-high heat and put chicken in, cover.
Turn on pan of veggies on medium-low heat; covered.
Turn on pot of water on medium-high heat; wait for boil.

As all three items start to cook/boil, mix around chicken and mix around veggies.
When chicken is completely cooked, turn heat off.
Pour on little by little amounts of sauce onto chicken until desired amount, stir while doing so.
Pot of water should be at boil, mix rice in. (measure details on box of rice, choose your serving)
Follow directions on box to finish rice.
When veggies are at preferred cooking time, turn heat off.
Mix veggies into pan of finished chicken, stir to mix.

Serve:
Place rice on plate and serve chicken & veggies on top.


It was a yummy, quick choice! :)

Sticky-Loaf-Buns

Growing up, my grandma always made these things we called "Sticky-Buns". Now that I am old enough to start learning to bake and improving my skills because before I know it, I will have a husband and kids to cook for and that is sounding like a bigger and bigger chore every day.

Moving on, I decided to take her recipe and flip it in a couple different directions of my own. As I type this up and share it with you, I am stuffing my face with them, ha!

Sticky-Loaf-Buns

What you'll need:
Your pan of choice
Following Ingredients
Mixing bowls
Microwave safe bowl
Measuring spoons & cups
Mixing spoon
Cooling Rack
Oven heated to 375 degrees F.


Ingredients:
2 tubes of Pillsbury Grands Buttermilk biscuits
1 cup of regular Syrup
1/2 cup of Butter; melted
1/3 cup of Brown Sugar; packed
1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon
1/4 cup of Chopped Walnuts

Directions:
Mix your melted butter and syrup in one bowl, sit off to the side.
Mix your cinnamon, nuts, and brown sugar in another bowl, sit off to the side.

Grease your pan lightly to ensure no stick - I use butter.

Pour and spread half of the syrup and butter mixture into the bottom of your pan; a thin layer.

Spread your cinnamon, nuts, and brown sugar mix on top of your layer of syrup and butter evenly.

Lay your biscuits in the pan, slightly overlapping each other.

Spread the rest of your syrup and butter mix over the biscuits.

Sprinkle the rest of your cinnamon, nuts, and brown sugar mix over that.

Heat your over to 375 degrees F; I like to wait till my oven is completely heated before putting the pan in the oven.

Bake 25-30 minutes until desired crust of biscuits.

Place the pan on your cooling rack for about 8-10 minutes.

Ready to serve!

Bakers Notes:

Re-heating option to keep the syrup from getting extremely sticky- Place bun on plate and re-heat in microwave for 12 seconds.

I might use Pecans or Almonds next time!

Enjoy!!

Leave comments/pictures if you try this!

-Robin.

52 Reason's DIY Valentine Cards!

52 Reasons Why I Love You..
Let me start by saying I found this idea on Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) from many creative people. I saw 4 or 5 different ones; and thought to myself, 'I can make that, and make it my own'.. So of course I had too!

Another cute idea for your Valentine!

I sat one evening before even creating, to brainstorm for the cards. It didn't take me long to come up with 52 reasons why I love Tristan - and since I made my list, I've come up with many more, ha! But I stuck to 52 because I didn't want to up it to 104 Reasons..

Anyways, here is my own outcome!

52 Reasons DIY Valentine Card Deck

What you'll need:
Full deck of playing cards
Binder ring(s)
Paper stock of choice
Hole Puncher
Markers/Pens/Paint

Directions:
Hole punch your cards in desired area(s).
-I chose just one up in the top corner because some cards will have plenty of writing on them. But the few I saw before creating mine had two. (Like my DIY Valentine's Keepsake Book)

Use the "Joker" Cards as your Front & Back covers.
-Turn the jokers into the book to display the design side of the cards.

Write your 52 reasons on your choice of Paper stock.
-I used Tristan's favorite colored removable labels. (Orange & Purple)

Stick the 52 reasons to your cards; the side of the cards don't matter.

Place your cards onto the binder ring(s).
-Order them 1-52 or 52-1, your choice!

The more unique they are, the more special they will be to them.

#15 was the most popular one with all of the girls and customers at work that I showed it too, ha!

All done!

Enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day!

If you try it, I would love to see your pictures-

Leave a comment about your experience making it!

-Robin.

DIY Valentine's Keepsake Book!

Happy Valentine's Day Season!


I'm very happy for this time of year, thankfully Tristan (my boyfriend) adores how corny I can be, ha! With that being said, I went out on a DIY hunt for crafts or ideas of things I could do for him for Valentine's Day.. I found a cute booklet some woman made for her boyfriend last year full of cards that he got for her that she had kept..

Brilliant!

I was thinking about doing that exact thing, but I remembered that Tristan had kept all of my cards and letters I sent to him weekly while I spent a few months out in California.. Ding Ding!
I went to his house and I snooped for all of it, and asked him if I could borrow them; he was very hesitant (adorable!) because he wasn't sure why I wanted them back, but I reassured him that he would get them back and he made sure I had all of it..

And here is what came of my creation;

Dear Valentine Keepsake Booklet!

What you'll need:
Binder Rings
Hole Puncher
Your cards/letters/etc.
Choice of covers

Directions:
Cut your cards in half where their already creased;
for tri-folded cards cut them however you desire.
Line up all of your documents and hole punch them where desired.
Once hole punched, place your documents on the binder rings in desired order.

Assorting the sizes and cards gives it more unique look and feel.
(I do not suggest doing it biggest to smallest, etc.)
Keep all of your paper documents in the middle to prevent tearing.

I thought it was beyond adorable when I saw that he even kept the envelopes!

I used the largest binder rings in the pack I bought for this so I can add more and more letters/cards as the holidays move on. Maybe this one will be full by next year and I will make it a Valentine's Day tradition to create one for him :)

Place the back-cover on and snap rings closed and you're done!

Feel free to decorate this insanely!
I still have a couple of weeks to finish decorating, maybe I'll post those pics later!

Enjoy!
If you create one from this inspiration; leave comments/pictures!
-Robin.

Cheesy-Cheesy Potatoes Recipe

I made my "Cheesy-Cheesy Potatoes" last night for dinner..
Took some pictures and decided I would share them and the recipe!


Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 pack of Shredded Hash Browns (26 oz)
4 cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup (10.5 oz each)
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
1/3 cup of chopped onion


Directions:
Mix ingredients into large bowl well. Place into baking dish of choice (leaving 1/2-1 inch from top of ingredients). Flatten the top, and add the following ingredients on top layer.


Top Ingredients:
1 cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 cups of Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese


Directions:
Bake in oven; covered, for 45 minutes. 
Complete.


Baker Notes:
Onions are not necessary.
Add more sour cream for a creamier texture.


Crunchy Top Layer Option:
1 and 1/2 cup of corn flakes, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup of butter; melted


Directions:
Mix two ingredients in bowl then evenly distribute on top of cheesy top layer.
Still bake for 45 minutes.

Before I put it into the oven.

After 45 minutes of baking; Complete!

(My dad snuck his scoop before I got to take the picture, ha!)

Served with broiled Turkey Cutlets!

Ta-Da! Best side-dish ever!

There were lots of left-overs to take to work today and share! :)

Enjoy! Leave comments/pictures if you try this!

-Robin