Betty G's Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oatmeal

click on photo to enlarge, then begin the drooling process

When my childhood friend, Jen came to play for the weekend, she showed up with a perky plate of chocolate chip cookies. I had just gotten home from work and had not eaten dinner, so my resistance to the cookie was super, super low - I ate three. When I got up on Saturday morning and started my day with two more cookies I knew something had to be done, and soon. I hid them. I figured out of sight....out of mind and it worked!

Jen left around noon on Sunday and a few hours later I rediscovered the cookies hidden in the cupboard.

Surprise!!!

It was like Christmas morning in July! As excited as I was to be reunited with them, I was now alone in my house with a plate full of cookies loaded with mucho chocolate chips. I didn't stand a chance. After I indulged in yet another sinful cookie, I knew I had to share them with the world, so I immediately emailed Jen to get the recipe while I crunched on one last cookie (had to be absolutely certain they were blog-worthy). I thought she told me the recipe came from our other childhood friend, Jen, who now lives in Vermont.

When I finally received the much anticipated email, I noticed the recipe was actually Vermont Jen's mother's cookie recipe, which made perfect sense. Betty was always a great cook and baker when we were growing up and everything she made tasted like it just fell from heaven's kitchen. I felt honored to have Betty's recipe in my possession, as I hope now you feel honored to have it in yours!!!

Happy Cookie Making!!!

Oh....and this little number does NOT get filed away under Healthy.... it falls somewhere between Yum Mee! and Oh My!

Betty G's Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oatmeal

1-1/2 Cups Flour
One Teaspoon Baking Soda
One Teaspoon Salt
One Egg
1 1/2 Tablespoons Vanilla
1-1/4 Cups Butter
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 Cups Quaker Rolled Oats
2 Cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans


Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well until blended.
Add the oats, chocolate, and pecans.

Bake 9-10 minutes for a chewy cookie. Bake 11-12 minutes for crispy.

Below is what crispy looks like.....

Makes 72 cookies EXACTLY!

It's a Funky Fruit Tasting Party!!!

So, it was time for another Food Tasting Party and half our food tasters were partying elsewhere. Getting all of us together this summer has proven to be a challenge so we expanded our list of party-tasters to men and managed to gather four of them to join Carrie, Shelly, Patty, and I for a Funky Fruit Food Tasting.

Welcome Bob, Chris, Brian, and Brad!!!

There were all sorts of odd, beautiful, flashy, deformed, speckled, horned, and spiky fruit for our eyes to behold, which was fun, but we were there to taste some fruitage, so let's get started!
Let's begin with the star of the show, shall we? But WHO was the star of this Funky Fruit Show?

No one would argue that the Cherimoya was the runaway hit of the party - the only fruit to make it into everyone's top three.

It's velvety flesh is a delicious custardy blend of banana, pineapple, and strawberry. Mark Twain was once quoted as characterizing it as "deliciousness itself". It's said to be considered a romantic fruit that the Incas used as an aphrodisiac and fertility enhancer. I know everyone at our little soiree was feeling the love for the Cherimoya!

As you can see from the dissected photo, there is a plethora of black seeds in this fruit. Much like a seeded watermelon, you have to work for this delicacy. Everybody at the table seemed to agree it was worth the trouble.

Sounds like a "star of the show," right? Well, maybe.

But what if a tropical fruit named Durian showed up at the party by way of our special guest, Shelley? What if the moment it was removed from it's cooler, it's foul odor completely enveloped the room? An odor so repelling that it's banned in most hotels and airports in Asia. And yet, some people find the fruit to be quite fragrant. Some describe this fruit as a rich custard highly flavored with almonds and claim it to be an aphrodisiac as well. Interesting.......

This little porcupine of a fruit received lots of attention at the party. Try as we did to ignore him, his odor demanded our attention. We let him stink up the whole house - saving him for last - before we cut into him. We were all very excited to try this fruit because despite the smell, we had come to the party open-minded and ready to try some funky fruit. Shelley LOVED the Durian and liked it raw as much as she liked it in coconut milk over sticky rice. If she loved it, certainly there was a chance we would like it, right?

Believe it or not, the foul smell tripled in intensity once the first cut was made and the Durian had everyone's attention again.

Cherimoya who?

Ok, let's cut to the chase. Yuk! We all hated it. H.a.t.ed. i.t. BUT, most of us agreed to take more than one bite, because Carried noticed that with each bite, the taste got a little better, but not good enough. Chris posed the question, "The first people to eat this.......how hungry were they that they thought to eat this stinky fruit?" Many more questions followed along with much laughter and discussion.

The "leftovers" were sealed in an airtight bag and given to Shelley to take home. Despite the disrespectful things said about him, her love remained true for the Durian. ♥

So! Who was the star of the Funky Fruit Show? Well, I guess that depends on your perspective. We all gushed over the Cherimoya but we'll never be the same after meeting the Durian, so.....

Those weren't the only two fruits showcased at this party, so we'll just transition from the "stinky" fruit to the Ugli Fruit. The Ugli fruit is just that....ugly. It's appearance is a cross between an orange and a grapefruit that's lopsided, blemished, and discolored. The Ugli fruit is a perfect example of why we shouldn't judged a book by it's cover. Once his peel is easily removed, the Ugli fruit reveals his very sweet and citrus taste inside.

Bonus Feature: NO seeds.
Highly recommend this fruit - kids love it!!

And then there's the Kiwano "Horned" Melon that looks cool, sharp, and horny on the outside. We couldn't wait to cut this guy open, and as you can see, we were not disappointed - sooooo pretty! But guess what? He was all flash and not much flavor. It was like eating the most boring, drab, dull cucumber ever! He was a bit of a disappointment.

But the beautiful Asian Pear did NOT disappoint! As pretty as an apple and as sweet as a pear, this darling fruit was simply refreshing and smile-inducing. Like the apple, once you bring it home from the store it's ready to eat...no waiting around for it to ripen.


What do you think about the plums below?

GOTCHA!

They're not plums....they're called Red Velvet Apricots. Yea....Whatever!!! They look like plums, they feel like plums, they taste like plums, but they're called Red Velvet Apricots. Okay.

My favorite of the day was the Atualfo Mango which boasts a spectacular flavor that melts in your mouth. I've never been a crazed fan of the mango, but this mango could have me running for president of the Maniacs for Mangoes Club. More than half of the party goers gave this "Alfonso" mango (as Chris calls it) top three honors.

Then there was Papaya, Plantains, Coconut, Apricots, Mini-Bananas........all very good.

We did not actually taste-test the Quince, but Patty made a delightful Quince Cherry Crumble that we topped with freshly whipped cream. The quince is similar to the pear and the apple and has an acidic and bitter taste in its uncooked form, so you don't just pick and eat them. You cook them in water until they soften and become much sweeter. They are commonly used in crumbles and cobblers due to their likeness to the apple.

And then there was the canned fruit. You know it's not going to be as good as fresh chilled fruit, but you've got to try it.


The Lychee was a big hit - a pear/grape montage that's refreshing and fun - perfect for a Martini, right Bob?!?! Bob could take any fruit of the day and create a drink by adding rum, vodka.....you name it, to make himself a tasty drink.

Rambutan tasted like it would fit right in with fruit cocktail and many found it's flavor favorable.
The Jackfruit tasted like baby food and Chris did NOT like it. Bob thought it was grrrrreeat!!! Chris's first experience with the jackfruit was in a dish with chicken and curry and he found the lightness and sweetness of the jackfruit a perfect compliment to both chicken and curry. Turns out, he wasn't so crazy about it straight up.

If you want to know more about some of these tropical fruits click here.

Of course there was wine and lots and lots of fun conversation! We look forward to the next party....what will we taste?!?!

Zucchini Patty Pancakes

Okay! I just found my new favorite zucchini recipe and I owe it all to a lovely lady named Phyllis! She was nice enough to share this gem with me a few weeks ago and then my friend Patty gave me zucchini from her garden last week, soooooo......here we are!

Had I known the flavor would make my heart smile the way it does, I would have been ON IT the very day she placed the sacred instructions in my hands. But, now I know how delicious they are and how little effort it takes to get them from zucchini to zucchini pancake.

You will love the flavor and lightness of this savory pancake as it comes off the griddle, and that love will double in intensity when you re-heat it the next day, because it is one of those special treats that tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.......

Jackpot!!!

Eat 'em with your hands, stack 'em up and cut 'em up with a knife, slather 'em with spaghetti sauce and call it dinner....whatever you want.....the sky is the limit with these perfect little patties!


Zucchini Patty Pancakes

1-1/2 Cups Grated Zucchini (Dry on paper towel)
2-3 Tablespoons Minced Onion
1/4 Cup Parmesan or Asiago, or Romano, or all of them!
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons Mayo
Salt & Pepper

Mix together and drop into hot skillet with olive oil. Cook until set and brown.


Take one more good look at your new favorite zucchini recipe.....

Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

Click on picture to enlarge....then lick screen to taste... ;0)

We're halfway through summer and fresh fruits and vegetables are sprouting up everywhere!!! It's a fresh food frenzy out there and it's fantastic, but sometimes you need a little pasta....a little caloric intake, so we mix the fresh basil of summer with the ever-pleasing pasta and we end up with this tasty little number on our plate.

It's light, fresh, and spectacular and the best part is YOU decide how basily it will be. BONUS: The next day it tastes great cold or heats up like a dream.

Call me loco, but I think it's a Basily kind of day!

Pasta with Basil Cream Sauce

8-12 Ounces Pasta of your choice
Olive oil as needed
Pinch of hot pepper flakes
One Medium Onion, very finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3-4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

One Cup Cream
One Cup Chicken Broth

One Medium to Large Batch of Basil, cut in strips (How much do you love the Basil?)

While the pasta is cooking heat the oil in a pan with the hot pepper. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook until the onion softens. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. IF you like your sauce a little thickened, you could add a tablespoon of flour right now.....

Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the cream and barely return it to a gentle simmer. Since it is light cream, over cooking can cause it to break. Of course you could use heavy cream and dismiss that anxiety.

Add the basil and additional salt and pepper if needed. Add the pasta, stir to incorporate it into the sauce and serve...topping it with freshly cut tomatoes and Parmesan cheese if you desire.

*** I love tossing chopped cherry tomatoes in with pastas such as these right before serving to punch up that fresh garden flavor!

Spiced Asian Pear Muffins

At our Funky Fruit Food Tasting Party the other weekend, we taste-tested the Asian Pear and I fell in love. And when we fall in love with some one or some fruit, we find that we just can't get enough, which totally explains my gluttonous behavior this past week.

Then Jen and I had a conversation about muffins and this recipe from years ago popped into my head and I knew I had to make it ASAP with the Asian pear. I made it with such excitement and anticipation that it was only after the first batch was baking away in the oven that I realized I had forgotten to add the salt.

These muffins need salt.

I know this because I added salt to the remaining batter, baked them up and had myself a taste-off.
Yea...these muffins need salt.

These muffins are super moist and fabulously flavored. What's not to love.....there's cinnamon in them people!!!!?

And the truth is, you don't have to use Asian pears - you can use any pear you want - but use the Asian....use the Asian....use the Asian......

Spiced Asian Pear Muffins

2 Cups Flour
1/3 Cup Sugar
2 Teaspoons Ginger
One Teaspoon Baking Soda
One Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
One Egg
One Cup Greek Yogurt (or regular)
1/2 Cup Oil (I like Coconut)
3 Tablespoons Molasses
1-1/2 Cups Finely Chopped Pears (Asian if you can)

In a bowl, combine first eight ingredients. In another bowl, beat the egg, yogurt, oil, and molasses until smooth. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in pears. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Eat warm...eat cold...eat many!!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

We always seem to have overripe bananas laying around. Do you? I don't fully understand this phenomenon, since it seems like my kids always have a banana in one hand, but nevertheless, I am plagued by brownish bananas. HOWEVER, let me be clear...I do not consider this a problem! Quite the contrary, in fact! The flavor of bananas becomes so much more pronounced as they ripen, which makes these bananas perfect for baking! Also for making protein shakes and smoothies, but that is a post for a different day...

Anyway, this morning the kiddos and I found ourselves with a few brown bananas. Being that we were already finished with breakfast, we didn't have room in our bellies for smoothies, so my daughter suggested we make something fun with them. When I asked her what she meant by 'fun', she yelled,"CUPCAKES!!!". And there you have it...the banana cupcakes were born. Of course, we had to add chocolate chips because, well...we love chocolate and chocolate is FUN!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. mashed banana (about 3 medium)
1 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting
2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. mashed banana (1 small)
3 tbsp. butter (softened)
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.

Beat 1/2 c. butter for 30 seconds. Add in sugar and beat until well incorporated. Beat in eggs and 1 cup of mashed banana. When mixture is smooth, mix in flour and baking powder until combined. (I used half oat flour and half white flour.) The batter will be very thick, so don't fret! Stir in the chocolate chips, and then spoon the batter into the muffin cups.

Bake in a preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Cool in muffin cups for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, beat together the powdered sugar, 1/4 c. mashed banana, 3 tbsp butter, and the vanilla until smooth. Spread over cooled cupcakes, and sprinkle with chocolate chips, if it suits you!

Lemon Basil Creme Brulee'

Who loves Basil?

Who loves Creme Brulee'?

Who thought of marrying them?

Me neither!

The other day, my friend, Michelle brought me a Ziploc plastic bag filled with pure garden gold ...

Basil

Deep green, fragrant, home-grown basil.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

We discussed the obvious uses for this magnificent herb - pesto being the number one choice - but then she mentioned that she had been served a Basil Creme Brulee' at a restaurant once.

Ding, Ding, Ding!

The baking bells were ringing in my head as I googled "basil creme brulee." Since our next Food Tasting Party was this weekend and the subject was "Uncommon Fruits" I decided on this Basil Creme Brulee' because it paired the basil with lemon - which is a fruit - and one of my favorite flavors in the whole wide world.

I know, lemon is not uncommon, but I didn't care - I was already in love with the idea and had already made up my mind. This was going to be the birthday dessert for one of our party guests, Brad who was celebrating his 34th birthday.

Turns out, Brad looooves basil and lemon and he LOVED my Lemon Basil Creme Brulee'!

And he wasn't the only one!

Toot! Toot!


Lemon Basil Creme Brulee'

1-1/4 Cups Heavy Cream
One Tablespoon Lemon Zest
One Tablespoon Basil, chopped
1/2 of a Lemon, juiced
One Tablespoon Honey
4 Egg Yolks
One Tablespoon Sugar
6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale yellow and slightly foamy. Set aside.
In a medium pot, bring honey and lemon zest to a boil. When the honey has come to a boil add the lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the heavy cream to the honey and let it warm up to boiling point ( or until you see bubbles forming around the edges). Lower the heat and stir in the chopped basil.
Remove the cream mixture from the heat and slowly, gradually whisk in the yolk mixture. Make sure to whisk constantly to prevent hot liquid from curdling the yolks.
Strain the mixture into a large bowl and then use this to fill the ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up their sides.
Bake just until the creme brulee' is set. but still jiggly in the center....about 45 minutes.
Remove ramekins from the roasting pan and allow to cook to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
When ready to serve, sprinkle brown sugar evenly on top of each creme and then using a torch melt the sugar and form a crispy top.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

I went to a party for food, fun, and friends and this little number was sitting quietly among the buffet of food, calling out to me in a thin whisper, "Try me, try me...I'm fresh, fun, and delicious."

Well, I heeded the call and served myself some tortellini and tomatoes. It did not sit on my plate alone though, it happily shared space with salads, wraps, and dessert - which all pleased my palate - but none stole my heart like the Tortellini. That is why I must share it with you today.

♫ Tor * Ta * Lee * Nee ♫


Tortellini Pasta Salad

2 Family Size Cheese Tortellini Packages
One Container Quality, Fresh, Pesto
2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes, halved
3-6 Ounces Spinach, Torn in pieces
Red Onion, Chopped
Italian Dressing

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook tortellini for 7 minutes - al dente! Drain and place in large bowl. Add pesto, tomatoes, spinach, and red onion. Add Italian dressing as needed. Do NOT use too much Italian dressing because you really want the pesto to shine with this salad.

That's it! I don't know how I could have made it easier for you. You could make it more difficult by making your own pesto sauce, but I'm sure you would agree that the extra effort would be more than worth it!


♫ Tor * Ta * Lee * Nee ♫

Pepper Sirloin Steak

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

We're sure that being the 4th of July, you all are attending cookout after cookout, celebrating the birth of our great nation. And maybe you're as lucky as we are and have tomorrow off as well!! This next recipe is one of our favorites for grilling season...and we really think you'll like it if you give it a chance.

The first time we made these, Barry came in from grilling and exclaimed, "Holy cow! I don't know what's going on with those steaks, but the flames are all OVER them!" That was when Sheri and I started cracking up and informed him that the 1/2 cup butter they were drenched in might have something to do with that! So watch the flames, folks!

Pepper Sirloin Steak

2 1/2 lb. sirloin steak
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. fresh parsley OR 4 tsp. dried
1/4 c. minced onion
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Lightly score the edges of steak at 1" intervals and preheat grill. Combine butter, parsley, onion, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and mustard in small saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly, over low heat, until butter melts. Reserve 1/4 c. of this mixture.

Place steak on grill and brush with butter mixture. Cook, basting frequently, 6 minutes per side. Drizzle reserved butter mixture over steak, take a bite, and moan with pleasure!

Frozen Lemon Puff

5 eggs ( separate 3) - reserve whites
3/4 Cup Really Good Lemon Juice (I use Santa Cruz)
One Cup Sugar
Two Cups Whipping Cream
One Box Vanilla Wafers
Dash of Cream of Tartar
1/4 Cup Icing Sugar

If you love lemon with ALL your heart, then this Puff is for you!
Of course, if you have any affection for the flavor of lemons at all,
you're gonna want to try this too.

The first time I made this recipe, I thought the idea of simply placing vanilla wafers at the bottom of the pan and up the sides as whole wafers without crumbling them and adding butter was absolutely ridiculous! I reread the directions over and over again to make sure I was reading it correctly. When I decided to do as the recipe asked, there were bare spots peaking through everywhere - not a very trustworthy crust as far as I was concerned. But, since I completely trusted the source of this recipe ( Best of Bridge Cookbook), I followed the instructions with blind faith. I ask that you do the same.

First, whisk two of the eggs fast and furiously. Add 3 egg yolks, all 3/4 cup of the lemon juice, and sugar to the beaten eggs and pour in a double boiler - stir constantly over medium heat, until thick. Let this cool down a bit.

Meanwhile, whip the two cups of cream until it becomes ‘whipped cream’. Then, using a spatula, fold the lemon/egg mixture into the whipped cream. Now, pour this lemon cloud of cream into that springform pan that’s lined with the vanilla wafers. Beautiful, isn’t it?

We’re not done yet, though.

Beat the three egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and sugar. Beat again until peaks are stiff. Spread this over the lemon layer and place in the oven under the broiler. Do NOT walk away from the stove! This is no time to get careless. Watch your lemon masterpiece carefully as the broiler lightly browns your meringue in a matter of seconds. It might be wise to keep the oven door open, just so time doesn’t slip away, and you find yourself crying in the corner over the dessert you destroyed.

When you’ve successfully browned your meringue, cover it with foil - making sure it doesn’t touch that meringue - and freeze your Lemon Puff for eight hours or longer. Remove from the freezer at least 1-1/2 hours before serving.

This dessert is light and lemony and luscious! In fact, if I had my way, I would totally give it a more fabulous and suitable name. I would call it "Luscious Lemon Dream Puff"!


You’ll find as you remove the sides of a standard size springform pan that each little wafer serves as a perfect guideline for serving sizes. No pigging out today!

It must be said that for those who typically use Cool Whip or Dream Whip instead of whipping their own cream, Jen and I say “enter at your own risk“, because we can't vouch for the results. It might turn out just fine, but we don’t recommend it. (don’t do it)

Our Vanilla Wafers came from the health food store and they worked great!
(just trying to stay away from the hydrogenated stuff)

Once, I used 3 little mini-sized springform pans to make three smaller "dream puffs". You can make them as big or small as you want or as short or tall as you like, because you don't have to worry about baking time. I love recipes that have creative wiggle room like that!

If truth be told, I'm not a big meringue fan - never understood all the fuss. So, for the baby sized Puff, I punched up the zing factor by making the balsamic strawberries from our Valentine's Day post, drained them a bit and draped them lovingly all over the Puff - talk about adding a little razzle dazzle! It looked so purdy that I used its picture to lead off this recipe instead of the plain Jane Lemon Puff. Sorry Plain Jane. Sorry to all of you. I guess you're just going to have to imagine what the meringue looks like.....

Wow! Blueberry is Beauuuutiful too!


Frozen Lemon Puff

5 eggs ( separate 3 ) reserve whites
3/4 cup lemon juice
One cup sugar
Two cups whipping cream
Vanilla wafers- one box
Dash of cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Whisk two eggs. Add 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, & sugar in double boiler until thick - (15-20 minutes) - stirring constantly. COOL. Whip cream and fold in lemon mixture. Line sides and bottoms of springform pan with vanilla wafers. Pour mixture over wafers.
Beat 3 egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and sugar. Beat until peaks are stiff. Spread on the lemon mixture and brown under broiler briefly. Cover with foil making sure it doesn't touch the meringue. Freeze eight hours or more. Remove from freezer at least 1-1/2 hours before serving. Take off foil immediately.