Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Original recipe is from Mrs. Fields I Love Chocolate!

1 cup butter, softened...divided (measure 4 tablespoons out of the 1 cup and set aside)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz good quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature (put them in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes)
2 tsp vanilla extract
10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Pre-heat your oven to 300 F.

In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the 4 Tablespoons of butter and white chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Set aside.

Measure out the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Whisk together. Set aside.

Cream the remaining butter, white and brown sugars together until a grainy paste forms. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and mix well. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture and then, on low, add the flour mixture and stir only until just combined.



Fold in the chunks of chocolaty goodness. Now, the original recipe says that you should have 8 oz of chocolate, but why stop there? I threw in 10 oz, just because I firmly believe you can never have too much chocolate.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. They do spread out. Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until the edges begin to turn golden. The original recipe says 20 minutes, but that was a bit too long for my oven.


When I was in college, there was this little cafe on campus that sold the most amazing chocolate chunk cookies. Dripping with chocolate and warm, they were the best cookies I'd ever tasted. This recipe reminds me of them! Chewy, with a white chocolate based and big chunks of semi-sweet, they are decadent and delicious.

Remove to rack to cool and store in an airtight container. Try not to drip chocolate all over yourself when you can't resist scarfing one down.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen, depending on your resistance to eating cookie dough.

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Asian Peanut Chicken Wraps

This is a great way to use up leftover chicken, and makes a nice lunch or light dinner option. If you are packing it in a lunch box, pack the filling separately so that the wrap/pita doesn't get soggy.

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
olive oil
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp soy sauce (sodium reduced)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
lime zest
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove minced garlic
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 green onions, sliced
1 grated carrot
1/2 cup snow peas
4 pita breads or large flour tortillas
lettuce leaves

Brush chicken with oil and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400 F until no longer pink inside and juices run clear. Set aside and let cool and then chop into cubes. Immerse the snow peas in boiling water briefly until they turn bright green-about 1 minute; removed and let cool. Cut in 1/2 cross wise.

Meanwhile, in a bowl whisk together then peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, ginger root, sesame oil, and garlic until smooth.

In a large bowl toss the cooled chicken and snow peas, celery, green onions, and carrot. Pour peanut butter dressing over top and toss until evenly coated. Spoon into lettuce lined pitas or tortillas and roll.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from March 2009 Canadian Living Magazine

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Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies a la Canadian Living Magazine, October 2000

These cookies are the most requested in the cookie jar, so I'm re-publishing the recipe.

2/3 cup butter (use butter, it is better for sure)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I often use 1 cup)

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Scrape down side of bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop with a tbsp onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes at 350. They last about a week in an airtight container, or you can freeze them. Makes 2 dozen (depending on how many you eat when they come out of the oven).

And you can substitute raisins, white chocolate, nuts, cranberries, etc for the chocolate chips-just keep the amounts (1 cup total) the same.

But be careful. These cookies have addictive properties and when used carelessly, will backfire on you. You may become a slave to the stove as your family members demand more. Although if a girl bakes them in the right time of the month, they do wonders to satisfy a severe chocolate craving.

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Crispy Parmesan Chicken Fingers

I've always liked a good chicken finger. Not the deep fried kind, but a baked morsel of tender chicken that is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside is hard to resist. This recipe was declared "the best one of all you've ever made" by Jake.

Crispy Parmesan Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Sauce
by Canadian Living (Feb. 2007 issue)
Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 eggs
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not powdery stuff)
1 cup Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
4 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt (I skipped the salt-the cheese was salty enough)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup butter, melted

Slice the chicken breasts into "fingers". Usually I remove the chicken tender part, then slice the breast on the diagonal into 5 pieces.

In a bowl, combine the panko, cheese, oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika.
In a separate bowl, crack and beat the eggs.

Working assembly-line style, dip the pieces of chicken into egg. Let the excess drip off, and then roll in the panko/cheese mixture, pressing to make the crumbs adhere. Transfer to baking sheet. Continue until all the chicken is coated. Drizzle with the melted butter.




Bake the chicken in a 425 F oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden, crispy, and cooked through. What I love about these is that You can make them ahead of time and freeze them, raw, for up to two weeks. Bake straight from frozen and add 5 minutes to the cooking time.


They were delicious! Very crunchy and cheesy-almost a bit too cheesy. Next time I'd reduce the cheese to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup more Panko crumbs.

Makes 4 servings.


Honey Mustard sauce

1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp liquid honey



Stir together in a bowl and serve with raw veggies and the chicken fingers.

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One Bowl Brownies

I found this recipe on the back of a Baker's unsweetened chocolate box and decided to give it a go. Mmm...yummy! They are a bit thin, but topped with a chocolate glaze they are just delicious!

4 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 chopped nuts (I used pecans-this is optional)

Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar and stir until well blended. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until mixture is glossy-add the vanilla and stir well.

Fold in flour and nuts. Spread batter into a 9x13 inch pan lined with lightly greased tin foil (make sure to leave some overhang for 'handles').

Bake at 350 F for about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Be careful not to over bake!

Chocolate Glaze:

Melt 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate with 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp water over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Pour over warm brownies and allow to cool completely.

To slice, lift the brownies from the pan and set on a large cutting board. If you use a knife dipped in hot water, it makes a nicer cut.

Makes 24 brownies.

Store in a sealed container for about 2 days on the counter, or freeze for up to 2 weeks.

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Hamburger (or Lamb) Soup

Cheap, super easy, and delicious, this is a great soup to make and freeze in smaller containers for lunches or weekend freezer dinners! Delicious topped with a dollop of sour cream. This recipe was given to me from a friend and can be found in the Best of Bridge Cookbooks.

1 1/2 pounds (750 g) of lean ground beef (or try lamb! Yum!)
1 onion, finely chopped
28 oz can tomatoes
2 cups water
3-10 oz cans consomme (or beef broth-it's less fatty)
1-10 oz can tomato soup
4 carrots, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
pepper to taste
1/2 cup barley

In a large pot, brown the beef and the onions until the beef is no longer pink. Drain off the fat. Add all the other ingredients and simmer, covered, a minimum of 2 hours.

Serves 10.

Freezer Cooking: This freezes really well. We put it in individual sized containers, labeled, and then defrost one in the morning for a school lunch.

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Basic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone needs a chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this one is the best, according to my family. A bit crispy but still soft and chewy, this recipe has been used by my family for years.

Adapted From Canadian Living

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

With an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add sugars and beat well. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla, beat until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour and then the chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheets with a tablespoon, following my method for shaping. Leave about 2 inches between cookies. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8-12 minutes at 350 F. Transfer cookies to rack to cool and try to resist eating them while they are still warm. Good luck with that!

Makes about 3 dozen.

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Yam and Tater Hashbrowns

These are a great, cheap alternative to fries! Yum! And SO easy!

1. Just take some yams and/or russet potatoes. Peel and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.

2. Toss in a bowl with some la Grille Vegetable Seasoning, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.

3. Heat the oven to 425 F.

4. Put a baking sheet in the oven to get nice and hot.

5. When the pan is hot, toss the tater/yam mixture on the pan and stick it in the oven.

6. Make sure to stir it, move the potatoes around so that they don't stick to the pan, and get evenly browned on all sizes.

Enjoy with ketchup.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Broth

When Boxing Day sales hit after Christmas, I bought this great Crock Pot for under $40. Thing is, I didn't realize that cooking in one takes a bit of effort to learn.

Oops. As a result I haven't used it much so far.

Anyway, I had all these chicken pieces sitting around in my freezer, so I thought I'd try making some home made chicken broth. Usually I would think that making broth would take forever, but using the Crock Pot made it really effortless. The evening before I decided to make it, I prepped all the veggies so that in the morning all I had to do was throw everything in the crock pot and turn it on, then leave for work. Here's what went in:

3 lbs of chicken pieces-backs, thighs, drumsticks, etc.
1 large onion, chopped into about 8 pieces
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into hunks
4 celery stalks chopped into hunks
8 cups of water
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, smashed
salt and pepper to taste

All of this was chucked into the slow cooker, and then I turned it on low and let it cook for 8 hours. When I came home the house smelled amazing! I removed all the solid pieces and strained the liquid through some cheesecloth, then set the broth in the fridge to cool.

I also stripped all the meat off of the chicken pieces and set it aside. When the broth was cool, I scraped the fat off the top.

I was left with about 6-8 cups of broth, and so I made some really awesome (and incredibly easy!) chicken noodle soup. I didn't even need to use the chicken breasts that it calls for because I had lots of meat left over from making the broth.

Served with some cheese biscuits, it made a really nice dinner-and Jake happily took some to school the next day for lunch, too.

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