Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I love chocoloate chip cookies, okay...who am I kidding, I really like any kind of cookie, well..except oatmeal raisin...they would be okay without the raisins, just oatmeal. Anyway, see how easy I get side tracked....

These chocolate chip cookies are my hands down favorite. I have tried ALOT of chocolate chip cookie recipes and this recipe from the "Mennonite Comminty Cookbook" always has the same results....FABULOUS!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 C. Butter
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Granulate Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 pkg. Chocolate Chips (7 oz.-they are usually sold in 12 oz. bags...so you can just have a few extra for sneaking, while the kids aren't looking)
1 Tbsp. Hot Water
1 tsp. Vanilla
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg, water and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Add flour, baking soda and salt. (The recipe says to sift the dry ingred. together....I do not, and the cookies turn out fine). Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to sit on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

ENJOY!

HAPPY EATING!

Recipe for Friendship!

Okay, I have to admit that I tear up just thinking about doing this post. This week we said, "See you soon" to really good friends who have moved to Virginia! One evening last week I was visiting with Alison and asked her, "Exactly how did we become good friends?" I know we met at church, but what was the defining factor that said, "Come hang out at our pool" or "Come on up for Friday night fun". Neither one of us really knew....I can tell you that it feels as if the Fredericks have always been around, as a matter of fact, Jimmy (Fredericks) and his brother Matt have dubbed my Jimmy...."Cousin Jimmy" and what a nice feeling to have good friends like that, friends who immediately feel like family! Just as quickly, our little girls became fast friends, too and we will miss them!

Alison came to my house one time and brought me a decorative plate that I proudly display in my dining room! The plate stated:

"Friends...God has not called us to see through each other, but to see each other through."

It is my prayer for them to arrive safely in VA, settle in to their beautiful new home with their fabulous family, for the little girls to adjust and make friends quickly and for Alison and Jimmy to know that we will help to see them through whatever they need...even though we are a small distance.

Here are some photo shots of our last hoorah with the Fredericks!

The girls really enjoyed those cupcakes!

Ry and Lydia sat away from the crowd and were engrossed in conversation for quite sometime....oh to be a fly on the wall, to hear their chatter...

JD enjoying their pool...

Ry and Lydia...

Fredericks family you will be missed tremendously! Thanks for your years of friendship and the many more to come! See you soon!

2 Cups of Patience

1 Heart full of Love

2 Handfuls of Generosity

2 Cups of Loyalty

1 Cup of Understanding

A dash of Laughter

DIRECTIONS: Mix all together. Sprinkle generously over a lifetime. Serve everyone you meet.

HAPPY EATING!!

Come One, Come All to the Schreiber Pediatric Divot Stomp!!

Hello all!! Just wanted to let you all know of a great, family event happening on Sunday!

My great friend Kristen is hosting a "Divot Stomp" at Forney Field, Home to the Lancaster Polo Club, in Rothsville. This event is a fundraiser for Shreiber Pediatric Rehab Center.

The Old Greenfield Inn will be sponsoring a VIP tent, that will include food catered by them, beer and wine. All for only $40.00 a ticket....what a great price, for a great cause!! Of course, you can just join the fun and bring your own "tailgate" food and drinks for $10.00/person. Under age 16...only $5.00 admission and if you are under 5-FREE!! Your LEASHED pet is also welcome!!

There will also be a silent auction going on....opportunities to bid on a Barnstormers Box, Dinner at Good n' Plenty or an overnight stay at Cork Factory Hotel, plus many more!

If you are interested in purchasing tickets or need more information, you can visit http://www.schreiberpediatric.org/divotstomp/.

Great Recipe Finds!

It has been a pretty low key, but busy week for us with football and gymnastics starting back up! When time allows (usually after the kids bedtime) I like to peruse other blogs and see what people are cooking! These are some really good recipes that I made this week and was ever so glad that I did!!
This is a pineapple pretzel fluff dessert that I found at Comfy in the Kitchen (the link to her blog is down the right side of the screen). She really has some great recipes on her blog!! Give them a try!

This recipes I found at one of my favorite sites http://www.skinnytaste.com/. It is a Mexican Shrimp Cobb Salad! I served it with a Southwest Chipotle dressing!! Yummy!!

This wasn't so much as a recipe that I found, but these fun cupcake kits I found at the HomeGoods store. I certainly will be browsing cupcake recipes to make in these cute wrappers!

I hope that you are all enjoying your summers! I know mine is going quickly and to soon the routine of school will be knocking at our door!! Enjoy your day!

HAPPY EATING!

Red, White and Blue Fruit Pizza!

Happy 4th of July everyone! I am working this weekend and on the 4th, but we have a few gatherings to go to this weekend and here is a dessert that I am taking to one of those fine, fabulous parties...I know, fruit pizza is a bit dated~but trust me, it tastes as wonderful as the first time you had it!

Fruit Pizza
2 pkgs. Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix (+ ingredients to make the cookies)
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 C. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 an 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip
Assorted fruit (I used red and blue, for patriotic reasons)
DIRECTIONS: Mix cookie mix according to package directions. Press dough onto a pizza pan. Bake at 375 for approx. 10-12 minutes (until lightly brown on top). Cool completely. Mix together cream cheese, confectioner sugar, vanilla. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of cooled cookie. Decorate with assorted fruit. (Note: if using peaches, please dip in Sprite or 7Up~as fruit will turn brown). Refrig. until ready to serve!!

HAPPY EATING and HAPPY 4th!!

Turkey Taco Salad!

I love taco salad! Well, actually I love anything taco~so I tend to make a lot of taco things for my family and since Jimmy was working late this past week and the rest of us had VBS I really didn't have a lot of motivation to cook and I needed quick things! This taco salad was a hit!even Ry said, "Boy, I really don't like lettuce but when it is in this salad it tastes pretty good." Oh the thoughts of a seven year old!!


Ready to eat!

1 Bag of salad mix or 1 head of iceberg lettuce chopped
1 lb. ground turkey
1 pkt. Low Sodium Taco Seasoning
2 Tomatoes, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
1 Can Pinto Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can White Shoepeg Corn, drained
1 Pkg. Shredded Cheese
Tortilla Chips
Ranch and French dressing (I use Hidden Valley light Ranch and Ken's Light Honey French)
DIRECTIONS: Brown ground turkey and onion; add taco seasoning (following directions on back of taco seasoning pack), remove from heat and cool. Place lettuce in large bowl. Add tomatoes, pinto beans, corn and cheese. Now, you can do one of two things....add the taco meat directly to the salad and top with dressings and corn chips OR you can place some salad on a plate and top with turkey, dressing and chips. I did the latter because I didn't want soggy chips in my leftover salad.



HAPPY EATING!

I Scream, You Scream...

We all scream for Snickers Ice Cream....

This was an ice cream pie that I made for Father's Day!! What a yummy treat, the only problem is that the leftovers now sit in my freezer and they just call my name.....I recommend making this for a crowd.

Snickers Ice Cream Pie

1 pkg. Oreo cookies

1 stick butter, melted

1 1/2 Qt. Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream, softened

6 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

1 C. Caramel Sundae Topping

1 C. Peanuts

Chocolate Sauce/Caramel Sauce for drizzling

DIRECTIONS: Crush oreos and place in a bowl. Add melted butter to cookies and mix well. Press into bottom of 9x13 pan. Allow to cool. Mix together peanut butter and caramel topping. Pour over cookie crust and place in freezer to firm up. Cut ice cream into slabs and place over peanut butter/caramel mix. Smooth ice cream. Drizzle with caramel, chocolate toppings and then sprinkle with peanuts. Freeze for 8 hours. Serve.

HAPPY EATING!