Best LOW FAT Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, I've been baking and cooking a lot lately~ just not blogging about it. Here is a great recipe link. I like to save them here so I know where to find them again:)

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/08/best-low-fat-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

mageleby's bread stick copycat recipe

1 1/2 C Water
1T Honey
1T malted milk powder
1 tsp salt
3 to 3 1/2 C Flour
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/2 C butter
Parmesan Cheese (the kind you shake out)
Garlic Powder
Dried parsley flakes

Place warm water, honey, milk powder, salt and flour in a bowl. Make an indentation in the flour, add the yeast and mix it up. (or put it in your bread maker and put it through the dough cycle) Dump it into a greased bowl and let it double in size. Preheat the oven to 400. Roll it out into a rectangle and cut it into strips about 2 x 3 inches. Place on a parchment lined jelly roll pan. Brush with half the melted butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and parsley flakes to taste and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Immediately after you remove the baked breadsticks, brush with the rest of the butter. Then eat them and make yourself a promise you'll run on the treadmill tonight. Or tomorrow.

Homemade Tortillas

Haven't tried this yet. Just putting it here so I know where to find it when I do! Thought it would be a great recipe using my food storage.

Tortillas

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teas baking powder
• 1/2 teas salt
• 2 Tablespoons of butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup of warm water

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter in a medium bowl.

Gradually add water and mix until a smooth dough is formed. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour.

Roll dough into one and one-half inch balls. Set on a plate and cover. Let rest for ten minutes.

Flatten one ball at a time between two small plates and then roll into a six inch circle.

The flatter you roll the dough the more it will resemble soft tacos, thicker dough is more like a gordita.

Place the tortillas on a griddle and cook over a medium heat until the tortillas turn white, then flip and repeat.

Ready to eat.

You can even make these for dessert. Just follow the recipe above and when the tortillas are right off the griddle, butter them and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Delish!

SHUTTERFLY!

Above are a few of my favorite Holiday cards from Shutterfly this year! I have ordered Holiday cards from Shutterfly and have also gotten birth announcements from them. I was not disappointed. I loved them! The patterns are darling... in fact, I always have a hard time choosing which to use because they have so many wonderful options! They are great quality and look beautiful fresh out an envelope or in our scrapbooks.

I have also used Shutterfly for their photo books. I have yet to print them but have my little Vance's first year recorded. I loved that I can save my photos this way, but also that I can journal as much as I wanted in the book, too! These make great gifts. They also are perfect scrapbooks for those of who hate the scissors, stickers, glitter, and pens that are needed to make your own scrapbook.

Here are some ideas for last minute gifts this year...

Photo Gifts

(I want to do a puzzle for my boys. They would love putting together a picture of our family at Disneyland!)

Calendars

(Perfect for Dad's office!)

Address Labels

(Great to speed up the Christmas card sending process or they also make a great gift. My mom dig's things like this!)

I know we all love Shutterfly!!!! What are your fave's?

Look for our Holiday card in a mailbox near you!

*I am receiving 50 free cards for doing this blog, which is great. But the opinions here are mine~ I have always loved Shutterfly!

39 Favorite Fall Desserts

Pumpkin Squares with Cider Caramel Sauce

Pumpkin Pie-sicles

Check it out: 39 Favorite Fall Desserts!

The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Prepared by Chef Tom

www.cookwithtom.com

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 oz bag milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. (tip from Caren: you will need extra flour, if not, flat cookies. So I add about 1/2 cup or until the dough thickens up quite a bit and so it is not so sticky/runny like.) Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough (abt and hour or two- if not, flat cookies), then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. (tip from Caren: make'em big! abt golf ball size and then shape them into hockey pucks- that is what the creater suggested. makes a big thick cookie:) ) Bake for 11 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

For an added zing, top each cookie with a few crystals of either fleur de sel, or coarse sea salt.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

I found this recipe online but made a few changes for taste and texture. I made it with Vance's preschool class this week and served them warm with honey butter. They loved it!!!! Super fast and super easy.

1 c all purpose flour
1 c yellow corn meal
1/2 to 2/3 c sugar (depending on how sweet you like it!)
1 tsp salt
2 t baking powder
1 egg
1 c milk
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 Tbls melted butter
Optional: 2/3 c corn or creamed corn and/or 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan or line muffin pan with 12 muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk, vegetable oil and butter until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes for 9 inch round cake pan, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Bake abt 16 minutes for muffins.

Pomegranate, Apple and Banana Salad

Serves 4
Each serving equals 1 cup of fruit or vegetables

2 pomegranates, chilled
4-6 apples of your choice, sliced and cubed
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 bananas sliced
2 limes (or 1/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice)

Mix together the juice of the lime and the apples. Score and seed both pomegranates, freeing the seeds. Mix all ingredients together to evenly coat with yogurt. Chill until served.

***Kitchen Tip: How to Remove the Seeds from a Pomegranate: Cut off the pomegranate’s crown, then divide into sections. Place the sections in a bowl of water. Gently roll out the arils with your fingers. Discard everything else. Drain the water, and the seeds are ready to use. (from the Kraft website)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

You know those pumpkin choco-chip cookies you make from a spice cake mix? Well, I hate those things. I was so glad to get a good home-made recipe. These cookies are amazing!

1 c vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp mapleine
1 tsp salt
1 large can (29 oz) pureed pumpkin
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
5 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 pkg MINI chocolate chips

Preheat oven 375 degrees.
Cream oil, sugar, vanilla, mapleine, and salt.
Add eggs and pumpkin.
Beat well until mixture is fluffy.
Mix in spices.
Add flour, baking soda, baking powder.
Blend until incorporated.
Add chocolate chips.
Dough will be a cake like consistency.
Spoon onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake on 375 for 13-15 minutes.
Remove from cookie sheet to cool.

This recipe make approx. 100 cookies. (I halved it and had plenty!) They freeze well.

Options: Add currents, raisins, craisins, chopped nuts, or white chocolate chips in place of chocolate chips. Try icing with a butter cream frosting and topping with chopped nuts.
(Recipe from Suzanne Price)

The end result????????

Harvest Pumpkin Bars

Bars
2 c all-purpose flour
2 c sugar
1 Tbps pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can solid pack pumpkin
3/4 c vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
Frosting
3 oz cream cheese, softened
6 Tbps butter, softened
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 c confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
Stir in pumpkin, oil and eggs.
Spread in a greased 10x15 inch baking pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges pull away from the sides of the pan.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Frosting- Combine cream cheese, butter, milk, vanilla, and confectioners sugar in a medium mixing bowl.
Beat on medium high speed until smooth, scraping the bowl constantly until of spreading consistency.
Spread over the baked layer.
Chill, covered, until serving time.
Cut into 48 bars.

A Pampered Chef recipe.